What type of network communication does not require a router?

Direct routing refers to a method of communication where data is sent directly from the source to the destination without the need for intermediary devices such as routers. In a direct routing scenario, devices communicate with each other on the same local network or subnet. This means that if the devices are within the same local area network (LAN), they can send data packets directly to one another using MAC addresses, bypassing the routing functionality altogether.

In contrast, indirect routing typically involves sending data through routers if the source and destination are on different networks. Static routing and dynamic routing both rely on routers to direct traffic according to predefined rules or dynamically learned paths, respectively. Therefore, only direct routing allows for communication without the necessity of a router, validating its selection as the correct answer.