Also, a router alows you to do loads balancing and backup routing if your main connection goes down.

for example if u have a T1 + dsl + isdn connections, your main connection is the T1 and if it goes down, the dsl picks up automatically trough and if it fails too the dsl picks up and finally the isdn will. (this is not a reallistic scenario btw)

The router also allows you to specify load balancing wich in the preceeding case would bring both b cannals of the isdn is the bw required was greater then 64k

Also, the router can be used to specify routing protocol in big private networks there are several protocol used such as ( from very small to humengous size): rip, igrp, eigrp, ospf, is is , bgp and there are many others. the advantages of having routing protocols is that u don't have to define each route staiscally, the routers advertise each of the neworks he is conected to ( depands on config and on protocol used ..)


The main difference is that routers are always harware and firewall are aminly soft ....