Difference between switch, router & hub?

[vinnieza]

Ok, i'm confused, and dumb. What's the actual difference between a switch, a hub and a router?

[fac51]

Correct me if I?m wrong ? a switch is similar to a hub but has the intelligence to route data to the necessary pc?s (nodes) thus giving each pc connected to it the full use of your bandwidth. A hub splits the bandwidth amongst all pc's and therefore is slower. Always buy a switch as they are cheap anyway.

The router acts as the connection to the outside world ie designed to connect LANS etc together. Routers are very intelligent and often include firewalls etc.

So you net connection goes into your router and you can have hubs/switches internally if needed.

[vinnieza]

Ok, thanks, well if i wanted to connect my xbox to the net and wanted to use this set up:



It would be best for "A" to be a switch then? Does this reduce the speeds of broadband by alot if both are using the internet? If i just want to use the PC could i just unplug the RJ45 going into the switch and put it into the pc? Will it cause any problems with this set up? Is it hard to set up?

Thanks

[fac51]

Ok, thanks, well if i wanted to connect my xbox to the net and wanted to use this set up:



It would be best for "A" to be a switch then? Does this reduce the speeds of broadband by alot if both are using the internet? If i just want to use the PC could i just unplug the RJ45 going into the switch and put it into the pc? Will it cause any problems with this set up? Is it hard to set up?

Thanks

in order:

yes, although i guess you wouldn't notice much difference between a switch and a hub on a small home network

probably not although if you're downloading at high speeds on one pc then all other devices will have a degraded service.

why would you want to do that if you have a switch, may as well just run a connection from the switch to the pc rather than unplugging your xbox one all the time or forget the switch and use the connection straight from the router?

dunno ive never set up a network like that, should be reasonably straigtforward but maybe somone else will know more

[vinnieza]

ok, thanks. Yeah, but i don't think i'll be able to put the cabling down if i did it from my router.

Good point, as with a switch it doesn't half it it just uses what it needs, so if i didn't have my xbox on then i wouldbe getting the speed i will be getting now on the pc?

[fac51]

if you were'nt using the xbox you would get full use of your bandwidth as the switch would 'switch' all the bandwith to pc2

[vinnieza]

Good good , now i need to find the a cheap switch and where to get some cheap rj45 cables

[Chris]

Good good , now i need to find the a cheap switch and where to get some cheap rj45 cables

Ebay is best for RJ45 mate! cheap switch is prob at ebuyer, or dabs, or http://www.advancetec.co.uk (My new favourite website! - usually cheaper than ebuyer!)

[Chris]

hmm although if you are paying for postage for a switch, then you may as well add some RJ45's on to your order if not, then buy from ebay as price is competitive and postage a lot less than somewhere like ebuyer which is like a flat ?4.99 whatever you buy

[vinnieza]

Ok thanks

[vinnieza]

I've been told that if i use this set up, PC 1 will have to be on to use the net on pc 2 or the xbox? Is this correct? If so why as i can use the net without pc 1 being on at the moment? Have i looked over somthing with using a switch?

[117]

methinks your information is wrong on that one mate

[vinnieza]

I aggree TBH, as why would that be the case? If it's working now then that switch shouldn't change anything, the only set up i know of where you have to have your pc on is ICS and that would be PC2 not 1, but still, i'm not using ICS and not using PC2 to connect the net connection to my xbox?

Just wanted to check encase it was right, Thanks

Edit: Also what is a gigabit switch? And what type of switch am i looking for (seems like loads of different ones), would the Netgear FS605 be ok?

Thanks

[vinnieza]

Going back to this. I have ADSL and i have a wired router with ADSL modem plugged into the phone line, then my two computers are connected via Ethernet. Ok i have now got a laptop and want to set up wireless for my laptop but leave the two computers how they are. Can i just buy a wireless router/access point/bridge (without a modem as i have got the modem already in the other router) and connect it to my router.

So arrows are Ethernet cables:
...................PC
.................../\
Telephone->router -> wireless router ))))) Laptop
..................\/
..................PC

Well i was looking on amazon and found this:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Netgear-WGR614U ... 580&sr=1-4

My router is netgear as well. Can i just plug that into my router to get wirless? Will i have any problems as my router has a firewall and this wirless router also has a firewall so will the conflict? Also, i take it you can set up a secure network with it.

It's a shame as it doesn't tell you the approximate range, it just says on netgear's site that it'll cover 25% of the house:

http://www.netgear.com/Products/Routers ... GR614.aspx

But on the reviews it says someone can get a signal all over the house, but i guess they say this to cover themselves.

Anyway, so do you think this sounds logical and will work?

Thanks

[117]

if you've already got a modem/router then you don't need either of those two things you posted - you just need a wireless access point - connect that to a spare port in your router, configure it and bob is your mother's brother