[janwillemb]

> In the beginning, routers were simply generic computers, with Network Interface Cards (NICs) attached to a bus.

I'm a total network noob, but I do want to know more about how they work. Your article could help me, I think. But this statement already puts me off: what is a bus? I just can't picture what that's supposed to mean. Sorry if that's a stupid question. Maybe the article is just not for me and I need some primer first.

[implements]

You might find these pages interesting:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S-100_bus

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bus_(computing)

It’s a physical data highway that allows devices to communicate with each other.

Early routers were ‘normal’ computers with lots of network cards plugged into a bus. Data arrived on one card, and was routed to another by the operating system.

Your home router is still a computer, but miniaturises everything to a much simpler circuit board with the network connectors directly soldered on.

[frabert]

A bus is something computers and peripherals comunicate on. Think PCI, PCIexpress, USB

[mikepalmer1]

Well technically a bus is a group of wires shared amongst several devices. Each device has to wait its turn to talk/listen.

PCI, AGP, ISA, IDE are busses.

PCI express, USB, SATA are not busses but rather point-to-point protocols.

[fulafel]

The usage of the term has changed a bit. From WP:

"Early computer buses were parallel electrical wires with multiple hardware connections, but the term is now used for any physical arrangement that provides the same logical function as a parallel electrical bus. Modern computer buses can use both parallel and bit serial connections, and can be wired in either a multidrop (electrical parallel) or daisy chain topology, or connected by switched hubs, as in the case of USB. "

(The B in USB stands for Bus)

[janwillemb]

Is it like a bunch of wires?

[antoinealb]

It's both a bunch of wires as well as the definition for the protocol that uses said wires.