What acts as an intermediate router in a network when an IP address is not within the configured subnet?

The default gateway serves as an intermediate router in a network when an IP address is not within the configured subnet. This device is crucial for routing traffic from a local network to destinations outside of that network, particularly when devices within the subnet need to communicate with devices in other subnets or on the internet.

When a device attempts to send data to an IP address that is not part of its local subnet, it recognizes that it cannot directly reach that address. In this case, the device will forward the data packets to the default gateway, which is typically a router configured to handle traffic for the local network. The default gateway then takes responsibility for directing that traffic to the appropriate destination outside the local subnet.

In contrast, routers generally manage routing between two or more networks, but the default gateway specifically designates the router within the local network that will handle outbound traffic. Other options, like a DNS server, primarily resolve domain names to IP addresses and do not route packets. A switch operates primarily at the data link layer and does not deal with IP addressing or routing decisions.