Wireless routers typically feature one or more
network interface controllers supporting
Fast Ethernet or
Gigabit Ethernet ports integrated into the main
system on a chip (SoC) around which the router is built. An
Ethernet switch as described in
IEEE 802.1Q may interconnect multiple ports. Some routers implement
link aggregation through which two or more ports may be used together, improving throughput and redundancy. All wireless routers feature one or more
wireless network interface controllers. These are also integrated into the main SoC or may be separate chips on the
printed circuit board. It can also be a distinct card connected over a
MiniPCI or
MiniPCIe interface. Some dual-band wireless routers operate the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands simultaneously. Wireless controllers support a part of the
IEEE 802.11-standard family and many dual-band wireless routers have data transfer rates exceeding (For 2.4 GHz band) and (For 5 GHz band). Some wireless routers provide multiple streams, allowing multiples of data transfer rates (e.g., a three-stream wireless router allows transfers of up to on the 5 GHz bands). Some wireless routers have one or two
USB ports. These can be used to connect a printer or hard disk drive to be used as a
shared resource on the network. A USB port may also be used for connecting
mobile broadband modem, aside from connecting the wireless router to an Ethernet with xDSL or cable modem. A mobile broadband USB adapter can be connected to the router to share the mobile broadband Internet connection through the wireless network. Some wireless routers come with either
xDSL modem,
DOCSIS modem,
LTE modem, or
fiber optic modem integrated. == Operating system ==