Router & Switch confusion

DavidT99 Wrote:I have read this many times and still don't understand what you are saying. Can you elaborate?

Thanks

Say you have:
Computer A => you store all your movies an music here
Computer B => your HTPC you run XBMC on
Computer C => random computer mainly used to surf the internet

You would want to make sure Computer A and B are both connected physically to the same device (the router or the switch) as that is where the most traffic is going to be. Computer C could be on either, as it really wouldn't matter.

The reason it matters, is you only have so much bandwidth between the router and the switch. So if Computer A and B where on opposite devices everything would have to travel through that cable (with limited bandwith). It becomes an issue as you add more computers that need to connect to computer A, and they are all having to go through that connection.

I probably confused you more, but I hope not. If I did let me know, and I'll try again. By the way I am not a network engineer, just a geek, so I could be completely wrong. This is just my understanding.

Guys, I have the same confusion here.
I have wired my flat with Cat6 and was planning to swap my actual Wireless Modem Router (Belkin N+) for a Wired Modem (Dlink) coneccted to a Wireless Gigabit Router (Dlink DIR655) to have a gigabit lan between my main PC and my XBMC Zbox in the bedroom.
Instead, can I just stick a Gigabit Switch to one of the Belkin's ports and connect my PC and Zbox to the switch to have a gigabit connection? Does it work that way?

Labomba Wrote:Guys, I have the same confusion here.
I have wired my flat with Cat6 and was planning to swap my actual Wireless Modem Router (Belkin N+) for a Wired Modem (Dlink) coneccted to a Wireless Gigabit Router (Dlink DIR655) to have a gigabit lan between my main PC and my XBMC Zbox in the bedroom.
Instead, can I just stick a Gigabit Switch to one of the Belkin's ports and connect my PC and Zbox to the switch to have a gigabit connection? Does it work that way?

Yes. Just get a switch and connect it to an empty port on your existing router. Then connect your pc and Zbox to the switch. If they have gigabit they will be able to communicate at that rate.

*Edit Terminology*

Just as a note, people tend to call things by the wrong name. Somtimes just explaining that helps people.

Modem is used to connect to your ISP to get you a connection to internet.
Router is used to connect to take the connection from your Modem and share among multiple devices in your home. Could be wired and/or wireless.
Switch is connected to your modem or other switches to allow you to wire in more devices to your network

It does not help in the confusion that these can and are often combined. For instance most Routers sold are technically a router with a built in switch. I have even seen Modems that where wireless routers with a built in switch also.

Hope this helps.

Oh God!! Why I didn't ask that before.
Let's go back to eBay to sell a brand new wired modem and a wireless router... ... and to buy a gigabit switch!

About switches, is there any better model or special features to look for?

Labomba Wrote: Oh God!! Why I didn't ask that before.
Let's go back to eBay to sell a brand new wired modem and a wireless router... ... and to buy a gigabit switch!

About switches, is there any better model or special features to look for?

For home stuff, you do not need anything fancy. I personally have 8 port Netgear switches that are about 2 years old and have not had any problems with them. But as always everyone has there own brand preferences.

This is how I understand it.

Example you have a 4 port router and a 4 port switch (both are gigabit). The switch is then connected to port 1 of the router and computer 1,2 & 3 are connect to port 2,3 & 4 respectively on the router. Then computer 4,5,6 & 7 is connected to the switch. In a perfect environment, all computer is accessing the internet to your network full load. The switch, computer 1,2 & 3 will get 1000Kbps. While computer 4,5,6 & 7 will be sharing the 1000Kbps that the switch is getting, thus giving them 250Kbps (1000/4 = 250).

router
->computer 1 (1000Kbps)
->computer 2 (1000Kbps)
->computer 3 (1000Kbps)
->switch (1000Kbps)
->computer 4 (250Kbps)
->computer 5 (250Kbps)
->computer 6 (250Kbps)
->computer 7 (250Kbps)

Again, this is in a perfect environment when all computer is accessing the internet simultaneously. If they are just accessing each other (example is computer 4 sending data to computer 6) they can still all get the 1000Kbps.

Like jschoen said, it is good rule to connect the media server and the htpc on the same network device.

WhiteLighter Wrote:This is how I understand it.

Example you have a 4 port router and a 4 port switch (both are gigabit). The switch is then connected to port 1 of the router and computer 1,2 & 3 are connect to port 2,3 & 4 respectively on the router. Then computer 4,5,6 & 7 is connected to the switch. In a perfect environment, all computer is accessing the internet to your network full load. The switch, computer 1,2 & 3 will get 1000Kbps. While computer 4,5,6 & 7 will be sharing the 1000Kbps that the switch is getting, thus giving them 250Kbps (1000/4 = 250).

router
->computer 1 (1000Kbps)
->computer 2 (1000Kbps)
->computer 3 (1000Kbps)
->switch (1000Kbps)
->computer 4 (250Kbps)
->computer 5 (250Kbps)
->computer 6 (250Kbps)
->computer 7 (250Kbps)

Again, this is in a perfect environment when all computer is accessing the internet simultaneously..

Hmmm, you are wrong here.
A router internally contains a switch. The term "gigabit router" refers to the router's internal switch traffic speed. It has nothing to do with internet speed.
The internet download maximum speed is the limit that sets your ISP. When all of the 7 PC's above access the internet simultaneously, they'll all share that bandwidth (divide the isp speed with 7).