• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

I have 10+ things I need hooked to the internerd and between several computers all at the same time.

funboy6942

funboy6942

Lifer
OK here is what I have:

3 xbox 360's 2 are used only as HT units for the drives don't work, but are connected to a network to stream videos, pics, and music off of my pc.

5 computers, 3 of which are not all that special 2 socket a's for the kids, one PIII for the wife, a AM2 in the bedroom, and a am2+ for my main

4 Netgear SC101 Net storage units.

As it sits now I have them all on wireless except the Netgears for they are taking up the 4 wire ports on the back of the router. My problem is that, though I moved my router to the basement, my wife and kids are getting a very low signal, sometimes none at all and its not all that fast for them at around 54mbs, unless I buy better wireless cards, but dont really want to do that yet, so I figured screw it, I will go to mono price and buy some cables and just hard wire it all together, and just be done with the wireless headaches that comes with having it, its not worth it to me anymore.

I also would like to take advantage of having a Gigabit Ethernet adapter built into the motherboards here in this room, as well as the pc I built for my bedroom.

I do not want to use one computer to give access to the internet to all the rest, and I been looking at switches, and hubs, in the 12-24 ports, and I cant seem to make out the input on them to plug in the cat cable coming off my Cable modem.

So what can I do and use that will give me 12 or more ports, under 100 bucks, that will share the stuff off the netgear storage devices, and allow everyone and everything access to the internet??

TIA for the help and look forward in learning more about how to getting this to work with all of your suggestions.
 
Get a Gigabit Switch. You won't be able to directly hook up the modem to the switch so you have to get something in addition to it.
 
Live is Not all or None you can have a combo of wire and wireless with good service for under $100.
Move the Router to the basement and then get a second Wireless Router and connect it as a switch with an Access Point somewhere in the House that would give the best coverage.

Using a Wireless Router as a switch with an Access Point - http://www.ezlan.net/router_AP.html

As for Giga, it would benefit only Files and streaming locally HD (would do nothing for the Internet) so there is no point to get obsessed with it just because you happen to have an onboard NICs that worth few cents.

That said if you have few computers that really need to Exchange between them at Giga speed hook them to an inexpensive Giga switch.

Here is a Wireless Router that for $34 would solve your Wireless issue.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16833320023

Here is an n inexpensive good Giga switch, $27 http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16817111479
 
Originally posted by: funboy6942
I been looking at switches, and hubs, in the 12-24 ports, and I cant seem to make out the input on them to plug in the cat cable coming off my Cable modem.

So what can I do and use that will give me 12 or more ports, under 100 bucks, that will share the stuff off the netgear storage devices, and allow everyone and everything access to the internet?
Click to expand...

Cable Modem <-> (wan port) router <-> switch <-> switch <-> ... <-> switch

You need a router as the first hop off the Internet. There's a switch built into the router, which you see as the 4 LAN ports. You can connect one switch to another using any available LAN port.

You can't generally find one big gigabit switch for < $100, but you could find one big 10/100 switch and a small gigabit switch or a couple of small gigabit switches for that much. E.g. D-Link DSS-16+, DGS-2208.

To use two 8-port gigabit switches, link one to the other, and link one to the router. This leaves 3 available ports on the router, six on the first gigabit switch, and 7 on the second, totaling 3 10/100, and 13 10/100/1000.
 
Would I be missing any speed if I did the modem-router-switch, considering I would have around 3 computers on one switch? I was thinking that was the way to do it, but if all three of them happen to go on line and my oldest and youngest start watching a movie, or downloading all at the same time as my wife is watching something, will it choke because those would be sharing a 10/100/1gig single port?

Also if I hook up my Netgears to the other switch, will all the computers be able to still access them considering they wont be hooked to the router no more but from the router to a switch, then to them.

Im new to this, and will read the link provided as soon as I have time to.
 
Your Internet service would be the bottleneck, not the 100/1000 port on the local switch. If you have a 100 Mb/s Internet service, then you need a high-end router, but your switches still wouldn't be the bottleneck for Internet access.

Within your LAN, if you're doing many large file transfers, then there's a small chance that gigabit would become a bottleneck, but the odds are that your NAS, HD or OS speeds would become the bottleneck long before the gigabit switches do. For this area of concern, you should ensure that devices which have and need gigabit are linked to each other via gigabit links only.

This stuff is easier than it might seem. Switches are pretty much "plug and play", and you'll find that once you make the connections that all devices can see each other.
 
Originally posted by: Madwand1
Your Internet service would be the bottleneck, not the 100/1000 port on the local switch. If you have a 100 Mb/s Internet service, then you need a high-end router, but your switches still wouldn't be the bottleneck for Internet access.

Within your LAN, if you're doing many large file transfers, then there's a small chance that gigabit would become a bottleneck, but the odds are that your NAS, HD or OS speeds would become the bottleneck long before the gigabit switches do. For this area of concern, you should ensure that devices which have and need gigabit are linked to each other via gigabit links only.

This stuff is easier than it might seem. Switches are pretty much "plug and play", and you'll find that once you make the connections that all devices can see each other.
Click to expand...

Alrighty then, I appreciate the help for all of you. this really does sound a lot easier then I thought it was going to be.

I got a very high end router, a Netgear wireless 'n' 300mbs one, I will pick up a few switches and see how that all goes.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top