100 Mbps router question

[ouzo]

I have three computers with gigabit ethernet cards, and I have 1 IP address. If I connect these computers to the internet through a 100 Mbps router, can they still communicate with each other with gigabit performance ?

Thanks

 

[JBT]

simple answer is no You will need a gigabit switch or router for them to work at gigabit speed.

 

[SearchMaster]

A more complex answer is that you could have two of them communicating at Gigabit speeds by bypassing the router and plugging in a crossover cable between them.

 

[thraxes]

Searchmaster is correct. You can get them on the Inet by installing a second NIC in one of them and set up an "Ethernet Bridge" on that machine. The downside though is that in order for the one machine that has GBit only to get on the net, the second GBit PC must be running.