What is the primary function of a router in a network?

• A. Provide end-to-end encryption for traffic
• B. Resolve hostnames into IP addresses
• C. Forward IP datagrams from one network to another
• D. Assign IP addresses to hosts

Answer: (C)

Moving IP packets between networks is what a router does. A router sits at the junctions between different networks and uses its routing table to decide the next hop for an IP datagram based on the destination address. This lets a packet travel from your local network across multiple networks until it reaches the destination host. The router operates at the network layer, handling path selection and interconnecting diverse network segments.

End-to-end encryption is a security feature typically provided by protocols like TLS or VPNs, not the router’s core job. Resolving hostnames to IPs is the role of DNS, not routing. Assigning IP addresses is usually the job of a DHCP server (often running on a router, but not the router’s primary function).