For most home network setups, there are three main parts:
Modem
Router
Device
What is each devices job?
Very basic network includes: a modem to convert your internet provider’s signal into a digital signal for your router, which is in charge of communication between your device (laptop, phone or TV) to the outside internet or other internal devices.
All devices are going to communicate to the router, and then out to the internet or out to another device depending on what you’re doing. With new technology, we are finding that more and more home devices are web based, meaning they all communicate with the router, and other internal devices. For example, this can be a thermostat that you control from your phone or a camera system or security system you have setup.