Which layer of the OSI model does the router operate at primarily?

Routers primarily operate at the Network layer of the OSI model, which is the third layer. This layer is responsible for logical addressing and routing packets of data between different networks. Routers use Internet Protocol (IP) to determine the best path for forwarding data packets to their destination.

At the Network layer, routers analyze the destination IP address of packets and make decisions on how to forward them through various networks. This layer is crucial for inter-network communications, allowing devices on different networks to communicate with each other.

While routers may interact with other layers, their primary function and the most important operations concern managing paths for data packets—the core responsibility of the Network layer. This distinguishes routers from devices operating at other layers, such as switches, which primarily function at the Data Link layer to manage traffic within a single network.