5 Computers on 1 Router?

[Xenogear900]

I have a router that has 4 ports on it. Because this router is provided by my company, I am not allowed to switch it. I want to hook up 5 computers to this router. Is there any kind of splitter or anything like that? After search on the net, is this product for what I am looking for: http://www.cdw.com/shop/products/default.aspx?edc=752676

Lemme know if you guys know any ideas on how to do this?

[Treebeard]

all you need is a 10/100mb hub. you can pick one up pretty cheaply. probably pick up a 4port for like 10 bucks.

here is a cheap one.
http://www.acortech.com/.sc/ms/dd/ee/3117/Syba%20SY-RLTSW-8P%208%20Ports%2010^2F100Mbps%20Ethernet%20Switch

[ROF]

I'd definitely go the hub or switch route instead of the linked device. That is if you want to be able to have the computers still talk to each other too.

[Supreme2k]

go with a switch (as in Treebeard's link).

[ROF]

@Treebeard

Do you have any personal experience with this switch? I like it's features and it's price is excellent for an 8 port but I'm wondering about how it's throughput is? Does it hold up under stress? Hiccup? Require re-boots after extensive u/d traffics?

[Treebeard]

I have no experience with this product. I do have experience with this site, I have ordered at least 3 times from them with no problems.

[ROF]

Thanx. I was just curious if you did. For the price it's worth trying my own experimentation.

I also have experience ordering from this site. Good and reliable.

[Prot]

Go with a switch over a hub...especially if you are going to have 5 computers attached.

[lordsmurf]

I have a router attached into another router. This way I can privately network my video systems, disconnected from the Internet, if needed.

I found switches and hubs worked like crap.

[Xenogear900]

What method should I use that will give me the least reduction of speed...and also will allow all the computers to access eachother (being networked so I can access files off the other computers)?

Thanks!
Xenogear900@yahoo.com

[Jester700]

I found switches and hubs worked like crap.

What was wrong with a switch? Did it decrease speed?

I have a 4 port wifi router followed by an 8 port switch in "the lab". It's a cheap $20 Zonet, but transfers go no slower (in quick informal testing) than plugging directly into the router. I'd like to have a gigabit rig, but I don't really need it.

I'd recommend a similar setup.

[lordsmurf]

Switches and hubs would both decrease speed, and would intermittantly disconnect.

[ROF]

Switches and hubs would both decrease speed, and would intermittantly disconnect.

That's a given considering the handshake that must occur but a switch is definitely better than a hub in most circumstances especially given the OP request.

http://www.duxcw.com/faq/network/hubsw.htm

[Prot]

Both may decrease speed, but not by much at all, and none that a human could detect. A switch will DECREASE collisions, however.

[Xenogear900]

[quote]here is a cheap one.
http://www.acortech.com/.sc/ms/dd/ee/3117/Syba%20SY-RLTSW-8P%208% ... t%20Switch

Is that a HUB or SWITCH? I'm assuming you all are saying that getting a SWITCH is better than a HUB?

[ozymango]

What method should I use that will give me the least reduction of speed...and also will allow all the computers to access eachother (being networked so I can access files off the other computers)?

If you've already got a router and switch (either built-in or added) in your network, all you need to do is plug another switch into your existing switch. A hub is much slower than a switch due to packet collision (and other geeky stuff); a switch allows for much faster communication between computers.

It can be confusing because many routers nowadays (for home use) have built-in switches -- the router acts as an IP DHCP server for your "network," and connects your home network to the outside world (WAN), but it's not "faster" than a switch, it's just doing slightly different things. The switch component (either integrated or stand-alone) is "intelligent" enough to pass the data from the router to any computer on the network, or between computers on the network, at speeds of 100mbs. You shouldn't see any speed loss between computer connections with a properly working switch, and certainly your outside broadband connection is slower than even the slowest switch, so no loss in internet connectivity speed.

Of course, if you want to isolate one part of your network from another, then another router (with or without an integral switch) may suit your purposes better. But if it's just adding more computers while keeping high transfer speed, any decent multi-port network switch should do you just fine, and they're under $50, sometimes on sale for $25.

[Xenogear900]

Another Idea I have is to connect a router to my existing router. The router I'm currently using is a NON-WIRELESS Linksys 4-port router. I do have a WiFi router in my closet, can I hook this WiFi router up to the original non-wireless 4-port router? Will that work?

Note: The reason I can't use the WiFi as the main router is because my company won't allow it, but the 4th and 5th PCs are for personal use, so it doesn't matter.


Or ANOTHER IDEA i have is if it is possible to get a splitter for the DSL connection that comes out of the wall. It is just a regular looking phone line cable. It goes into a modem, and that is connected to the router. Can I get a splitter and split the line into 2 from the start, because I have another modem and another router. Will this work?

[ROF]

Another Idea I have is to connect a router to my existing router. The router I'm currently using is a NON-WIRELESS Linksys 4-port router. I do have a WiFi router in my closet, can I hook this WiFi router up to the original non-wireless 4-port router? Will that work?

Note: The reason I can't use the WiFi as the main router is because my company won't allow it, but the 4th and 5th PCs are for personal use, so it doesn't matter.

Yes that will work. Just FYI, if the wireless router has a removal antenna I'd remove it that way it will look like a wired router.

Or ANOTHER IDEA i have is if it is possible to get a splitter for the DSL connection that comes out of the wall. It is just a regular looking phone line cable. It goes into a modem, and that is connected to the router. Can I get a splitter and split the line into 2 from the start, because I have another modem and another router. Will this work?

That will also work. If you have two dsl modems you can split the phoneline or even use separate in house lines with dsl modems.

[ranchhand]

If you are going to hook two routers in tandem, it would be a good idea to disable IP addressing on the secondary; both of them attempting to assign IP addys will result in a non-working network.

[Craig Tucker]

I use this switch with a built in print server. Works great and means I can print from any PC without needing one on all the time connected to the printer.
http://www.broadbandstuff.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=138&osCsid=cdfdcd6437bd4e...e407412896fc60

[Doramius]

I agree with Lordsmurf,

You don't have to disable the secondary router in a tandem setup. Change the IP assignment of the secondary router to a different static number so it doesn't conflict. I've done that. Have to do it anyway with some DSL modems because of IP address conflicts. usually do something like 192.168.3.1, but remember the address, because in order to access or adjust the router, you can't type in the original IP address since you changed it.