Differences between routers and switches

[f1br0pt1kl]

What is the difference between a router and a switch?

 

[sohcrates]

well, a router is like an advanced switch. It allows you to connect multiple computers to a cable modem / dsl line while only needing 1 IP. So instead of buying multiple IP's , the router "routes" packets of data to each computer, effectively allowing them to "hide" behind the router. So from the outside word, all you would see is the router, and not all the other computers.

 

[exisle]

switch just links your computers together and makes the network basically. a router will interface with your cable modem or adsl modem and route packets so that all the computer on your lan have internet access even though you only have one ip address and modem

 

[f1br0pt1kl]

So if I were to have a server, I wouldn't need a router - I could just use a switch?

 

[JackMDS]

Read the info in the following links:

The Basic Options to Share Internet Connection (Internet Sharing 101).

Hubs, routers, switches, DSL, LANs, WANs...?

 

[sohcrates]

<< So if I were to have a server, I wouldn't need a router - I could just use a switch? >>



? Can you expand on this? How many computers total will you have?

 

[GigaCluster]

Let me also try to explain the difference.
First, some background information. Every NIC (Network Interface Card) has a sort of serial number burned into it at the factory, called the MAC address. Also, a NIC has an IP address specified by either you or your ISP.
A switch is a simple device that switches packets based on their MAC address. For example, if there are five machines plugged into it, (all with different MAC addys, of course), and machine#1 wants to send data to machine#4, it puts #4's MAC address into the frame and sends it. The switch examines it and knows that machine#4 is destined to receive it. As simple as that.
A router uses IP addresses for routing -- it examines the destination IP address and intelligently determines where to send it based on the ruleset it has been given by the network administrator.

 

[f1br0pt1kl]

I would have a server.

I would have my computer, my old computer, my laptop, and my parents computer and the server.

The server would also be a print server and ftp server. I'd run the DSL into my Server, then from the Server to the uplink port on the switch right?

 

[sohcrates]

yep, so as long as the server did the routing, all you would need is a switch

 

[krogoth]

You wouldn't need to use the uplink port. The uplink port exists because hubs/switches/routers and NICs use two different types of jacks and you have to use crossover cable to connect two of the same type, but an uplink port uses the same type as an NIC so you can connect it to another hub/switch/router without crossover cable.