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router vs switch

A

angryswede

Member
i ve looked online for this answerand only been confused by the responses. i was wondering if someone could clear this up for me. do people behind a switch have their own IPs like on routers?? what s the difference in the two?
 
Routers can connect two networks and move traffic from one network to another. A switch takes traffic that is on the local network and direct to the correct computer. IP addresses are used by routers and MAC addresses are used by switches. Most routers have a switch installed.
 
People behind just a switch will have the same IP as the switch. But a switch will allow more than one computer to use the same IP address because the switch uses something called a table that where it will assigned certain ports to each pc based on the computers MAC adress. People behind a router can have an internal IP adress because routers as I stated in the first post can connect two networks.
 
If you want to use internal IP addresses you need a router. Then you can use internal IPs either by manually assigning them or using DHCP which most routers come with.
 
best way I always had it explained was a switch is the postman walking his mail route. A hub is the kids running up and down the block looking for someone. A router is the post master, they know the house and give you the number.
 
Just to clear a few errors up:

"But a switch will allow more than one computer to use the same IP address because the switch uses "

A NAT router will allow computers to use a single IP, typically a WAN address. Switches, at least the layer 2 switches you'll end up buying dont' care what your IP is.

"People behind just a switch will have the same IP as the switch."

Some switches do have IP's. Managed switches. Fairly uncommon on most consumer LAN's however.

"If you want to use internal IP addresses you need a router."


You have the principal down. Just off on some of the details.
You don't need a router to have a LAN. You can assign IP's to your workstations and have a network without a budget router, you just would be offline as it relates to the internet. Well you could run ICS or other NAT/Proxy solution.
 
Originally posted by: ktwebb
Just to clear a few errors up:

"But a switch will allow more than one computer to use the same IP address because the switch uses "

A NAT router will allow computers to use a single IP, typically a WAN address. Switches, at least the layer 2 switches you'll end up buying dont' care what your IP is.

"People behind just a switch will have the same IP as the switch."

Some switches do have IP's. Managed switches. Fairly uncommon on most consumer LAN's however.

"If you want to use internal IP addresses you need a router."


You have the principal down. Just off on some of the details.
You don't need a router to have a LAN. You can assign IP's to your workstations and have a network without a budget router, you just would be offline as it relates to the internet. Well you could run ICS or other NAT/Proxy solution.
Click to expand...

I don't think you cleared up any errors, you just read something verbatim from a book. While all of what you said was true, I was trying to explain it in layman's terms. If he is having trouble understanding the difference between what a switch or router does or don't do, its kinda stupid to start interjecting terms like NAT. Also as far as the switch I did kind mix that one up, thinking of work, hehehehehe, but the point I was trying to get across was the fact that switch doesn't allow you in simple terms to use internal ips. And while you and I and others understand ips on an internal lan, it is far easier to to have someone understand internal lan as far external when you introduce the internet and the simplest way to create an internal lan, the use of a router. I work in company in level 2 support with other 10,000 users and I answer hundreds of questions a week. You can't use verbatim book terms and explanations to help a person understand. LOL, try explaining the internet to an executive secretary with the use of terms like DNS and recursive queries and watch how quickly it gets silent. Nice work there, but you have to work trying to put things in perspective for them to understand. Now would you like to try and explain a NAT\Proxy solution in a 100 words or less 😉
 
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