Using a switch...do I have to set the IPs manually?

[DeadSeaSquirrels]

If I use a switch without DHCP, or obviously without NAT capabilities, do I have to set the IP addresses for each computer manually? And if so, can I set it to any address? Also if I set one computer to say 192.168.1.102, is that the address that the WAN sees? If so, then obviously the addresses would be limited to what the ISP gives me.

So will a switch allow me to use multiple computers for one internet connection (one WAN IP address), or is that only possible with a router/NAT-capable machine?

Final question. I always see Router/Switch...what good is the switch part of a router/switch combo, when would anybody ever use that?

Thanks for the info guys.

 

[ethebubbeth]

if you don't have any sort of DHCP server on the network, then as far as i know you do have to manually assign ip's.

 

[ktwebb]

You could use the 169.254.X.X ip scheme that windows machines use if their is no DHCP server available however you should set your own static IP's to avoid potential IP connectivity problems.
A switch will let you put multiple pc's on your broadband connection, assuming you pay for multiple public IP's from your provider. If you want to share one IP then setup ICS on a host machine (or linux box), or do the preferred method and buy a SOHO router.
Based on the last question it sounds like you need a primer on what a switch and/or router is/does. Google is your friend...or JackMDS will be along with helpful links.

 

[Stevem627]

With a switch only, you will need to assign IP address'. A router does this for you via DHCP...and it provides a hardware "protection" between your PC netowrk and the Internet. The "switch" part is necessary to provide connections for the multiple PC's. A Router simply does the assignment of the PC's address' on your network, and the switch provides the connectivity of the PC's to the network. This is over-simplfied but maybe it will help you.

 

[DeadSeaSquirrels]

I think I really understand, but it is just terminology. Like when somebody says router, they obviously also mean router/switch. I thought that the router's functionality included actually connecting the machines together and also divying the packets (routing the packets), but maybe that is just a small inconsequential point. But it sounds like you guys are saying a switch is just a pass-through device, that you still need multiple IP's from your ISP to connect multiple computers to the internet - other than using ICS which I don't want to get into. Thanks for the info.

 

[gunrunnerjohn]

You got the wrong impression. If you have a broadband router, which happens to include a switch, you can connect multiple computers to the Internet using a single WAN IP address. OTOH, if you have a simple switch, you'd need an ISP that allows multiple IP addresses to connect more than one computer to the Internet, as well as assigning manual IP addresses to all except the one that was using the broadband service.

Get the broadband router, it solves most of these issues and is very easy to live with.

 

[Tsaico]

Router = device that will split and route information to different machines/ports
Switch = device that will connect multiple devices together in a network
Many routers have built in switches to add to their value. They are techniacally two machines in the same box.

It more or less works like this If your ISP gives you static IPs, then you can just go from wall to uplink port on your switch. Then each machine will have it's ip and subnet mask that is given to you by them to be put in mannually, and simply plugged into any available port on the switch. Keep in mind, even though you have and might be paying for multiple IPs you are still sharing the bandwidth that is coming in on that single line. (think of a water hose with a splitter on the end. Just because there are now two ends doesn't mean the single source hose can pump twice as much water.)

If you are sharing, then you will plug the wall into the router, the router to your uplink in your switch and then the router will use DHCP to assign everyone an IP and link all your computers together.. (make sure your comps are set to automatically detect and assign network settings). The router/switch solution just cuts one step out. With one of those, you just plug from wall to your router/switch and then to your computers

 

[DeadSeaSquirrels]

Just wondering if you are using the term "uplink" appropriately. I thought the uplink port was for connecting network devices together (daisy chaining), there is a WAN port, the LAN ports, and then the uplink port right?

Anyway, I think I got all that. One question then, if there was a such thing as a router without a switch would that router still work as a home networking solution for your computers?

 

[gunrunnerjohn]

There are a number of broadband routers with only one LAN port, hence a "router without a switch". To use these with multiple computers, you just put a switch or hub in front of the router, you end up with the same thing as one with the internal swtich.