I m moving to a student housing apartment in a few days and I m bringing a router with me so I can connect to the internet. Being a student, the internet is almost an essential for me. Would my router work if I just plugged it in and turned it on? Or would I have to call the internet provider and ask them to add the router to the plan? How does that work? Also, why does the Ethernet cable do? Do I need one for the internet to work?
Tracy L
Without knowning what type of internet may be supplied in the "student housing" answering your question becomes impossible. A "router" has to connect to the internet using an ISP. It isn't a connection to the internet without having a "backbone" somewhere.
Routers do NOT supply an internet connection. They simply allow multiple computers to use a single connection with multiple devices.
Bill-M
If the dorm room has a Ethernet Port you just plug your PC into it and it should work.
If you need WIFI then you get a WIFI Router and run an Ethernet Cable from the rooms port to the WAN port on the Router. When you purchase the Router make sure it has a WAN port. Some do not.
The WAN port is a special Ethernet port for INPUT. The other Four Ethernet Ports are Output ports for PC.s'