Hub + Standard corporate networks...

[Kelemvor]

Howdy,

Just wondering if you think this would work or if I shouldn't even bother trying. In a standard corporate office with cubes where each cube has one network port for plugging in a PC... If we temporarily need an extra port in that cube, would you think it would work to simply plug a littlr 4 port hub into the port? Would that theoretically give me 4 ports in the cube or could there be a reason that wouldn't work? I've never tried it before but thought I'd ask before I go digging out an old hub I have around somewhere and bringing it with me.

The PCs all use standard DHCP etc so no Static IPs or anything like that.

Thanks.

 

[skyking]

EDIT: Ask your IT department, not us.

 

[gunrunnerjohn]

It will normally work, though as suggested, I'd ask the IT folks. I've done that at multiple places without any issues...

 

[mboy]

If your IT dept ok's it (if you even have one), use a 4 port switch instead of a hub. A hub most likely will give u problems (it has for me in the past) but a switch (which is cheaper nowadays anyway) will work JUST fine.

 

[gunrunnerjohn]

I'm at a loss as to why a hub would be any more problematic than a switch. OTOH, I do agree that a switch is a better choice in any case, since as you say, costs are equal anymore...

 

[mboy]

Hub didn't work for me when I tried it (with a straight thru cable).

 

[gunrunnerjohn]

Well, if you connect a hub onto a connection intended for a computer NIC, you'd need to use the uplink port or a cross-over cable. I suspect the switch you happened to pick was auto-sensing so it didn't matter. I doubt it was the hub that was the issue, just the fact it didn't have the correct connections.

 

[Kadarin]

I've done it before as well. Check with your IT department; sometimes paranoid shops will enable MAC security on their switch ports to prevent unauthorized network access.

 

[mboy]

Originally posted by: gunrunnerjohn
Well, if you connect a hub onto a connection intended for a computer NIC, you'd need to use the uplink port or a cross-over cable. I suspect the switch you happened to pick was auto-sensing so it didn't matter. I doubt it was the hub that was the issue, just the fact it didn't have the correct connections.

Switch the hub was connected to was auto sense.

 

[p0lar]

It is a better idea to use a switch, if it's permitted, but only if your environment is switched. If it isn't, and uses a hub (why?) then a hub may be a better choice.

When you connect a switch to a hub, it will only transfer packets at half-duplex. Keep your collision domains separated - excepting extreme circumstances, there isn't much place for a hub in any environment now-a-daze.

 

[mboy]

yup, only place I use a hub is for my web monitoring server and Snort sensor (between LAN and firewall) as I don't have any managed switches to port mirror on :-(

 

[p0lar]

mboy: precisely the application that would be acceptable in a low-budget environment. (=