Need some quick networking answers

[shabby]

I'll be setting up 7 pc's soon to share a cable modem, is this a decent switch to do the job?

Also whats involved in setting up windows to use the internet through the switch, i've never setup a network so forgive my newbieness

 

[ktwebb]

You don't want to use a switch only piece of hardware. You want a broadband router. That router will have a switch integrated into it to distribute the connection however it's the NAT routing functionality you really want and that is done by the router piece. You could just use the switch but you'd have to have a computer run software for NAT on it, meaning it would have to be on all the time, you'd have to buy another NIC for it (2 required) and that host machine would be exposed to the WAN, the internet. If you already had the switch then it's a slightly more dificult choice (not really though) but sinec you've yet to buy the hardware buy the 4 or 8 port router instead.

 

[shabby]

I havent bought the switch yet, which broadband 8-port router would you recommend?
Would this one be sufficient?

 

[WiseOldDude]

If people would look at the link you listed before going off without the facts they would recognize the device in question IS a router/switch, and yes it will work fine. As to setting up the PC's all you have to do is configure them to obtain IP info via DHCP.

 

[JackMDS]

The unit that you pointed to is a Router with an 8 port switch.

The Router part is the same as in the 4 port version.

If you look at the price deferential between the 8 ports unit and 4 port units you would fine that by buying the 8 port unit you are paying the highest price in the world for 4ports.

:sun:

 

[skyking]

what jack said. Buy a decent soho 4 port wireless router on sale. most are decent, buffalo, linksys, netgear, they differ in only the layout and a few features.
Get the wireless just in case you want it sometime. They are about giving that feature away nowdays, and you simple disable wireless till you want/need it. it is much easier to go in there and turn it on then it is to go get another router and get rid of the wired one later, doing all the setup, etc.

Get a decent 8 port switch and uplink it to the router.
now you have 10 ports for less than that 8 port all-in-one thing, for less money.
another advantage to this setup:
You can put the router in a completely different part of the office and run one cable to it, the uplink. The switch can go elsewhere, wherever it is most convenient. The router can be placed near three other computers, or wherever it will serve best wirelessly should you wish to do that later.

 

[shabby]

I think i'll be getting a wireless router, i just got back from the house and theres 7 pc's on 3 different floors, this would be a wiring nightmare.
Now these wireless routers, is there a limit on how many wireless connections it can have?
And does the wireless router have to be hooked up to a pc thats on for the other wireless connections to work?

 

[byosys]

There are 2 limits for wireless routers. The "hard" limit which is around 256 users (IIRC) and the actual limit which is ~50. The hard limit is the max number of connections the router can have, the actual limit is the number of connections the router can have with out performing like shit. You network would look something like this
Internet --> Wireless router --> (wired) 8 port switch --> (wired) computers
________________________--> (wireless) computers

Where the wireless routes wireless and wired traffic at the same time.

Note: _______ is simply a place holder cause spaces don't show up.

 

[JackMDS]

For casual surfing and lite download you need a stable Wireless connection of 2Mb/sec. (give and take).

So.

802.11b ? about 4 concurrent users.

802.11g ? about 10 concurrent users.

802.11g Super ? about 15 concurrent.

Concurrent assumes that all clients surf at the same time. In reality you can use more Wireless connections depending on the Internet usage habits.

:sun:

 

[shabby]

How badly will the wireless connection suffer in a 3 story house? I'll probably put the router in the middle floor rather then on the top one.

 

[skyking]

That is truly a crapshoot. it all depends on construction, wall placement, etc. You are going to have to just try it out, move it around.
I'd always hook as many computers to the router with cable as possible, though.