Final answer:
The main purpose of a router is to manage network traffic by minimizing congestion and finding the most efficient paths for data packets, thus reducing broadcast traffic on the network.
Step-by-step explanation:
The main purpose of a router is to reduce broadcast traffic that passes over a network and to choose the best path for moving those packets. Routers are essential networking devices that direct data packets to their intended IP addresses. By doing this, they efficiently manage network traffic, minimize congestion, and ensure that data takes the most efficient route to reach its destination. A router can connect multiple networks, dictate the flow of network traffic, and perform network address translation.
Other options such as firewalls are for security and control access to or from a network, IDS (Intrusion Detection Systems) are for monitoring and detecting potential threats, and honeypots are decoy systems designed to lure attackers.