Comments on: Router vs Switch vs Hub

By: Jason

Jason — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 21:26:03 +0000

Yes, Russ, simply take one of the ports from the router and add a switch. You can daisy chain as many switches as needed. Basically, the only rule is you don't want more than 1 router on a network because they will conflict with dishing out IP addresses on the LAN. It's something called NAT.

By: theboxseat

theboxseat — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 08:16:09 +0000

I never ceased to be amazed at the constant rehashing of something that is so wrong, yet can occasionally be right.

Specifically, "Don't use a Second router" – you will have conflicts..blah, blah, blah

This is well not true…Why…Many people already own a second router.

It costs absolutely nothing to simply enter the routers configuration setup, turn off DHCP, etc and turn into a switch. It also takes no time at all to do so.

Considering the price difference between a switch and a router, I would always look at the option of buying a router and configuring it as a switch.

The impression that is invariably given is "Do not use that router you have stashed in the cupboard..go buy a switch".

By: Colanth

Colanth — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:31:28 +0000

pacman, if the modem has a router in it you can connect it to a switch, otherwise you need a router first. Then you have to bridge the wireless router if the one in the cable room isn't where you need the wireless signal.

Wireless Router's *LAN* jack, with DHCP disabled in the router–>Switch if needed–>Router->CableModem–>Internet

Connecting 2 devices to a modem with a switch will give you a duplicate DNS error, or some such error meaning that 2 devices are trying to use the same IP address. (A non-routing modem only repeats the IP address you get from your provider – a router leases internal IP addresses to your computer.)

By: pacman777

pacman777 — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:11:31 +0000

Quick question about this networking with routers versus switches. I'm trying to configure a patch panel where all the cat 5e cables from the various rooms in the house converge into. I want to install my cable modem in the panel and distribute internet access to several rooms in the house. Can I use a switch that connects to the cable modem and then plug in the various cat 5e cables for the respective rooms into the switch? I was going to then have a wireless router connected to the port in one of the rooms. So basically the configuration would be

Router–>Switch–>CableModem–>Internet.

Would this work, or do I have to have a router attached to the cable modem to distribute internet access throughout the home properly. Thanks!

By: Max

Max — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:12:31 +0000

Plugging one router into another is not ideal. You'd be creating two private networks w/in one network. The devices plugged into router1 will not be able to talk to devices plugged into router2. Its called Double NAT.

A switch is what you want to use to extend the number of ports behind the standard 4 on a typical router.