Replacing D-Link Router

[wwswimming]

I have about a five year old D-Link 4 port router, the DI-704P.

this guy
http://www.dlink.com/products/?pid=63

"DI-704P 4-Port Broadband Router Plus Print Server"

It's 10/100. When I first set it up, it seemed SOOO fast. Not any more ...

How hard is it to replace a router like this ? e.g. with a Gigabit router. When I set it up, I remember having to call D-Link and having them help me with config. over the phone, like entering numbers & stuff.

Can I just plop a faster router in there (non-wireless, CAT-5E) and everything will recognize everything, "plug and play", or is there still some kind of configuration I have to do ?

Network description - I have a DSL modem with a CAT-5E cable going to the router, and then 3 cables to a main computer with XP64, an XP32 system, and another XP32 system - Opteron 175 with the MSI 6150 motherboard - which I was thinking of using for file backup.

 

[JackMDS]

The ID and PW of The DSL service should be typed into the new Router's menu. Any special configuration should be duplicated to the new Router too.

In most cases it is 10 min. work.

 

[kornphlake]

The router seemed fast when new but now it doesn't "seem" fast? Have you been using a gigabit network at work or somewhere else that has made your home network seem slow or is there some problem with your network or computers that has caused your network to actually slow down?

Often purchase of a gigabit router is cost prohibitive, most often I see people recommend a gigabit switch instead of a gigabit router, the router will only handle WAN traffic, whose speed is determined by your internet connection which is nowhere near 100mbps, the switch can handle LAN traffic at much higher speeds. You'd keep your router and all it's settings and the switch should be pretty much plug and play.

 

[JackMDS]

Router is a Router. The Switch part of the plastic box that is Called a Wireless Router can be Giga or Not. If the Network is Not Giga capable it does nothing to begin with.

In any case it is Not effecting Internet service unless you have a contract for for service above 100Mb/sec.
Router is just Routing the Internet signal. The Switch part of the plastic box that is Called a Wireless Router can be Giga, or Not. If the Network is Not Giga capable, it does nothing to begin with.

In any case, the switch part of the router it is Not affecting Internet service unless you have a contract for service above 100Mb/sec.

The most unfortunate thing is that unlike what is in the movies, plastic boxes with some wires and silicone chips have No Feelings.


Therefore, speed is matter of actually measuring the functional bandwidth and understanding what the roll of the Router is, and how a computer, or too many computers sharing the connection, or using heavy download in the background, can slow down the Internet surfing regardless of the Router.
Mean time try to optimize the computers’ TCP/IP.

Optimizing the TCP/IP Stack - http://www.ezlan.net/Internet_Speed.html
.

 

[wwswimming]

The router seemed fast when new but now it doesn't "seem" fast? Have you been using a gigabit network at work or somewhere else that has made your home network seem slow or is there some problem with your network or computers that has caused your network to actually slow down?

since i have it set up with the same computer that impressed me, i think i was just impressed with how fast it copied some 800 MB or 2 GB size folders & now i'm trying to copy a bigger "hairball", like 80 GB.

i guess what i was expecting was to copy the 80 GB in 2 minutes.

i found this Router, seems like a good one -
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16833156251

" TRENDnet TEG-S80G 10/100/1000Mbps GREENnet Switch - Retail"
$40 or so.

The ID and PW of The DSL service should be typed into the new Router's menu

i've only done this once before. i'm wondering how do i get to the Router's menu. does the router come with a CD & then i load the config. settings somewhere there ?

finding the ID & PW - that would involve finding a manila folder. that will probably take me about a month to find. i'll try to call AT&T customer support to see if they can give me the 2 config. settings.

ANYWAY, Thanks a LOT for all the Help !

 

[JackMDS]

i found this Router, seems like a good one -
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16833156251

" TRENDnet TEG-S80G 10/100/1000Mbps GREENnet Switch - Retail"
$40 or so.

It is Not a Router, it is 8 ports Giga switch.

 

[wwswimming]

i called AT&T, they won't give me the password. they'll reset the password. so i guess i have to wait until i have a new router - or go eSATA.

since my goal is to be able to easily & quickly do a full backup once a week, a 1 TB eSATA would do the job. right now i just do incremental backups, so if i had a drive crash ... OUCH.

 

[wwswimming]

SOLUTION !

sort of.

i just "cut out the middleman" and ran the network cable straight from the main PC (Asus motherboard) to the backup PC (Gigabyte motherboard).

that made it a lot faster. 82 GB in 72 minutes. not SUPER fast, but it got the job done.

 

[bluwing]

Hi,

The Wan port on the DI-704 is only 10 not not 10/100. It can only handle speeds from your internet provider of up to 5meg.

I replaced my 704 with this router: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16833156001

The wan port is 10/100 and the lan ports are also 10/100. As said by the others to make your internal network 1gb use a 10/100/1000 switch.

I am old school and have seperate pieces for my network. Mine consists of modem/router/switch/wireless Access Point.

The setup on this router is very simple. You will have two choices. Use the wizard or you can got thru and do every thing manually.

bluwing

 

[wwswimming]

Hi,

The Wan port on the DI-704 is only 10 not not 10/100. It can only handle speeds from your internet provider of up to 5meg.

I replaced my 704 with this router: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16833156001

The wan port is 10/100 and the lan ports are also 10/100. As said by the others to make your internal network 1gb use a 10/100/1000 switch.

I am old school and have seperate pieces for my network. Mine consists of modem/router/switch/wireless Access Point.

The setup on this router is very simple. You will have two choices. Use the wizard or you can got thru and do every thing manually.

bluwing

Thanks !

i was thinking about this one, also a Trendnet, with 8 ports -
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16833156251

i backed up my 2 main computers yesterday, one 32 bit the other 64 bit, so it's "problem solved" for the time being.

i suspect replacing the router/switch will be slightly stressful, so i will probably procrastinate now that i have the back-up problem solved (KNOCK ON WOOD).

 

[wayliff]

Thanks !

i was thinking about this one, also a Trendnet, with 8 ports -
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16833156251

i backed up my 2 main computers yesterday, one 32 bit the other 64 bit, so it's "problem solved" for the time being.

i suspect replacing the router/switch will be slightly stressful, so i will probably procrastinate now that i have the back-up problem solved (KNOCK ON WOOD).

Just in case - that is NOT a router. It is a switch.
The mod already pointed this out.

 

[wwswimming]

Just in case - that is NOT a router. It is a switch.
The mod already pointed this out.

at the home network level, what is the difference ?

if you have 2 computers connected to the box via CAT5E cable, and a cable from the box to the DSL modem, and a DSL-type cable to the splitter thing that plugs into the phone jack, they seem functionally identical.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_switch
"Role of switches in networks

Switches may operate at one or more OSI layers, including physical, data link, network, or transport (i.e., end-to-end). A device that operates simultaneously at more than one of these layers is called a multilayer switch, although use of the term is diminishing.[citation needed]

In switches intended for commercial use, built-in or modular interfaces make it possible to connect different types of networks, including Ethernet, Fibre Channel, ATM, ITU-T G.hn and 802.11. This connectivity can be at any of the layers mentioned. While Layer 2 functionality is adequate for speed-shifting within one technology, interconnecting technologies such as Ethernet and token ring are easier at Layer 3.

Interconnection of different Layer 3 networks is done by routers. If there are any features that characterize "Layer-3 switches" as opposed to general-purpose routers, it tends to be that they are optimized, in larger switches, for high-density Ethernet connectivity."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Router
"In comparison, the network hub (predecessor of the "switch" or "switching hub") does not do any routing, instead every packet it receives on one network line gets forwarded to all the other network lines."