Is there a router in my cell phone?

[Cinque8]

Hello,

I connect my T-Mobile cell phone to my laptop via USB, and my cell phone serves as my internet connection for my computer. I went to the command prompt on my computer and typed in ipconfig and it showed 192.68.42.122 as my Default Gateway. So I typed 192.68.42.122 into the address box on my browser and pressed enter, but I got an error message that said the connection has timed out. So I was wondering if there is a router on my cell phone?

Thank you

 

[svim]

If your T-Mobile account allows you to use your phone as a hotspot, where your phone is using your cellular connectivity to provide a limited (as in functionality) WiFi signal, than yes, as a very loose definition of the word your phone has a kinda/sorta router. It's more limited in coverage range and a lot less configuration options than a typical discrete router unit, and it's an added power drain so your phone's battery is taking an extra hit.

In your example, you need to a) enable hotspotting on your phone (again, if your cellular service account allow it), b) set up a your WiFi network on your phone, and then c) connect your computer to that new WiFi network (if your computer doesn't have a WiFi card/adapter, none of this applies as this is a wireless solution).

 

[lunatic59]

So I typed 192.68.42.122 into the address box on my browser and pressed enter, but I got an error message that said the connection has timed out.

When you type any ip address into a browser you are sending a request using port 80 (or 443 for https). Gateways don't respond the HTTP requests. A gateway simply passes traffic from one network to another, in your case from your phone to T_Mobile's network, who in turns routes it to wherever it needs to go.

A router isn't necessarily a discrete device. It's a process performed by accepting data from one source and passing it on to a specified destination. That can be done by your phone, just like any PC can be programmed to route traffic.