Routers play a crucial role in networking by providing several key functions, including: * Broadcast Domain Segmentation: Routers separate broadcast domains, preventing broadcast traffic from one network segment from spreading to another. This improves network efficiency and reduces unnecessary traffic. * Routing: Routers forward packets between different networks based on IP addresses, enabling communication between devices on different subnets or networks. * Network Address Translation (NAT): Routers can perform NAT, which allows multiple devices on a local network to share a single public IP address. References: * Cisco DevNet Associate Certification Guide * Cisco Router Functions