help with gigabit network

[UncleAelfrich]

Here is my current network set-up:

a Zyxel Zywall 2 vpn router with 4 10/100 ports

a 802.11g Linksys Wireless Access Port

a Netgear 5 port Gigabit Ethernet Switch

I want to run a gigabit network, and I thought I was. My netgear switch lights up for gigabit ethernet on the computers with gigabit ethernet capability.
The port connected to the Zywall 2 doesn't light up because it is connected to a 10/100 port on the Zywall. The Linksys WAP is connected to the Zywall.

I read that when you stack appliances like this, your speed becomes the speed of the slowest appliance.

Do I need to get a gigabit router in order to have gigabit ethernet on the inside lan connected via the gigabit switch?

Does the WAP slow down the inside lan?

Can someone explain this to me, please?

Thank you very much.

John

 

[JackMDS]

Computers that are Giga capable and are plugged with wire to a Giga Switch should yield Local Giga bandwidth between them, regardless of the rest of your story.

Only Between them Not with the Internet and Not with the Wireless.

What do you get between the Giga capable computer that are on the Giga switch?

 

[kevnich2]

Having Fast Ethernet devices on a gigE switch will not lower your speeds. Most people that I know of have very unrealistic expectations of speeds when they go gigE. On Fast Ethernet, your not getting 100mb/sec and when you go GigE, you will not receive 1000mb/sec either. On my GigE network from PC to PC I can usually pull down about 60% or about 600mb/sec which translates to around 50-60mB/seconds.