Network topology and cable modems... someone provide and easy answer?

[megatexel]

Ok... first I will list my equipment.

8 port Linksys 10/100 Ethernet Switch
Lucent Orinoco RG-1000 Residential Gateway
and soon to come... cable internet

Can I just buy a cable modem and plug all of this into the network and have it work? Or am I going to have to make some adjustments?

Also which cable modem is the best to buy?

 

[JackMDS]

Cable Modem, buy the cheapest External Ethernet that is approved by your ISP (in otherworld, it does not matter).

The RG-1000 is one of the oldest Routers. Read the review before you connect every thing together.

This comment is the issue:

"I found that the RG functions best as an Ethernet to wireless bridge. I didn't have much luck trying to run it as an Ethernet to wireless NAT router (nor would you want to... more on this later), had intermittent success using it as a dialup router, and you can't route Ethernet-to-Ethernet and Ethernet-to-Wireless at the same time because it has only one Ethernet port."

Quote from:

Agere ORiNOCO RG-1000 Residential Gateway.


You probably better off buying a cheap wired Cable/DSL Router (there is this week on sale for less then $50), and use the RG-1000 as a Wireless Access Point.

 

[megatexel]

Why do I need the router? Can't I just plug it all into the switch?

 

[Garion]

If you plug everything on the switch, it will all be directly connected to the Internet. Using a router has several advantages:

All the PC's share a single IP address. Otherwise, you need one IP per workstation, at an average cost of $5/wks/month. Expensive!

A router also serves as a rudimentary firewall, to protect your system from most hacking and intrusions from the Internet. This is a Good Thing (tm).

Lastly, a router ensures all your machines are on the same IP subnet. Many ISP's use multiple subnets on their broadband networks. This occasionally means to talk from PC #1 to PC #2, traffic has to go out across the cable network and back. NOT ideal. This isn't usually a problem, but it's come up here a few times.

- G

 

[megatexel]

So if I buy a router, plug the cable modem into the WAN, and my switch into the Uplink port, I can plug the RG-1000 into the regular port on the router and I should be all set?

correction - would I actually connect the uplink port to the RG-1000, and then a regular port on the router to the uplink port on my switch?

which router do I go with now?
and cable modem?

thanks for educating me

-colin

 

[Tallgeese]

Originally posted by: megatexelcorrection - would I actually connect the uplink port to the RG-1000, and then a regular port on the router to the uplink port on my switch? which router do I go with now?

SMC's "ABR" series has ports that autosense both speed and crossover. So no big deal choosing which port.

BTW: I have nearly the exact same setup at my house...

cable modem (rented...too many lightning strikes here to buy)
SMC router
Cisco 2912XL switch
RG-1100 WAP