Out of Router Ports - What to Do???

[CoBRaXT]

I have a three port router, and all three computers are running Win Me.

Is it possible for me to hook up another computer to the internet using Internet Connection Sharing on Win ME on one of the computers already hooked up to the router?

Or would connecting a hub to one one the router ports work just as well?

Thanks for any info.

 

[dmcowen674]

Either way would work but you would need 2 Network cards in the machine that you are going to set ICS on as the ICS server. Easier to buy a $30 5 port D-link or Linksys switch which is an intelligent hub and no crossover cables to mess with, just plug and go.

 

[nightowl]

Just get a hub or a switch and connect it to one of your 3 ports on your router. This will be the easiest way to accomplish what you want to do.

 

[CoBRaXT]

So I would just need something like this and regular cat5 cables and all the computers connected to the switch will have access to the net?

 

[JackMDS]

Yeah, that will work. Take one computer off the Router, plug a CAT5 cable in the freed port, and connect the cable to a port on the Switch. Plug the ?orphan? computer and any additional computer to the switch.

The specific switch that you linked to has an Auto sense connection i.e. it does not matter which type of CAT5 you use.

 

[rw120555]

Does it matter how many times you do this, i.e. can you keep connecting switches to switches to switches without problems? We're getting our house wired and I might have a router and switch upstairs with additional switches on other floors. Along these lines, would it be better to have a single 8 port switch rather than 2 5 port switches that I connect together, or does it not matter?

 

[heartsurgeon]

you can add switches to your router

i have a 8-port router i the basement, one of the ports goes to a second floor bedroom. here it attaches to a 5-port switch which attaches to a wireless access point.

works great!

 

[mboy]

I am using the gigafast from here -newegg and it is working perfectly connected to my sonicwall!
$26, not tax and free shipping cant be beat for this 5 port. Auto uplink and all. It is TINY as well.

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: rw120555
Does it matter how many times you do this, i.e. can you keep connecting switches to switches to switches without problems? We're getting our house wired and I might have a router and switch upstairs with additional switches on other floors. Along these lines, would it be better to have a single 8 port switch rather than 2 5 port switches that I connect together, or does it not matter?

It used to matter but switches now are pretty immune to broadcast storms and other packet bumping that used to bog them down.

 

[skyking]

Unless you are planning to do a bunch of file transfers or major-league gaming over the LAN, a 10baseT hub will work fine. A 10/100 auto-negotiating switch sounds a lot more Sechsay!, but it will do little to change your basic surfing.
thes hubs can be had for little of nothing, because everyone clamors for a 100mbit connection and a switch. Where a switch pays off is when multiple computers are connecting to each other over the LAN. In this scenario, packets are forwarded where they need to go, rather than being repeated out to each machine.
Edit: To answer below, some of those cheap switches are similar to those cheap routers for sale. I see many posts about RMAing junk because it does not work. I specified, if you are NOT doing transfers over the LAN, and only really sharing a 1.5mb/sec or less broadband connection, a 10baseT hub will work fine. I have many examples of both switches and hubs, and only notice the difference when doing transfers. I have multiplayer sessions of combat flight sim2 going, and the hub is fine for that too. I suspect it would bog down after more than 4 players, but I've only had 3 going

 

[mboy]

Since a 10/100 switch can be had for sooo Cheap, why even bother with the hub, especially if you are doing LAN transfers.

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: mboy
Since a 10/100 switch can be had for sooo Cheap, why even bother with the hub, especially if you are doing LAN transfers.

Agreed. If you don't mind getting used parts, check out the FS forum; there's almost always a switch available there. Of course, if you want to be sure that you have enough ports, I saw someone selling a 24 port 10/100 switch.

 

[Doh!]

Even if you don't have any plans for LAN transfer at the moment, there's going to be a time (or times) that you will be required to do a LAN transfer in the future. For example, you might want to back up your important files to another PC for backup purposes or share large music/picture files/programs. For this reason, I recommend getting a 10/100 switch which costs about the same as a hub these days.

 

[Citadel535]

Well, in Cisco terminology, the 3 port router could be considered your core and distribution layer. I have 2 switches and a wap(access layer) running from my router and I would recommend that you do the same rather than daisy-chaining switches. It will probably work the otherway though.