Fairly complicated home network problem

I have a home network that uses a Linksys WRT54G wireless router with
a Linksys EZXS55W 5-port switch added to provide extra ports. The
WRT54G is connected to a DirectWay Modem (satellite) for internet
connectivity. To this setup I have 3 DirecTV Tivos connected. They've
all been hacked to provide MRV (multiple room viewing). They connect
using Netgear FA120 USB adapters... they connect to the "wired" ports
of the WRT54G via ethernet cables. I also need to connect 4 PCs , one
notebook, and a printer. The notebook is easy, it connects wirelessly
to the WRT54g, no problem. The printer is connected to a Netgear
WGP5606 print server, also no problem.

But anything I connect via the EXZS55w, seems to slow down
drastically. I timed a large file transfer and it actually takes about
3 times as long going through the 5 port switch as it does going
wireless. Is this typical? Is there any way to get additional ports
that maintain 100Mbps speed?

FYI, I've tried connecting the DirecTivos to the 5-port switch, and
they just won't work. The only way I get connectivity for them is to
connect directly to the WRT54G.

I'm just about ready to try getting another WRT54G and splitting the
devices into two separate networks.... or maybe a 'wired" router,
since I don't really need wireless for the Tivos..... but I still need
to ability to connect the Tivos network to my main computer. If I go
to a separate network, is it possible for my main computer to connect
to both networks simultaneously? (I do have two network controllers on
my main computer motherboard, but I don't have any idea how to get
them both connected simultaneously.)

TIA for any advice.
Charlie Hoffpauir
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~charlieh/

On Sat, 11 Nov 2006 19:27:00 +0300, Charlie Hoffpauir
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> Is there any way to get additional ports that maintain 100Mbps speed?
I use WRT54GL v1.0 as my main router.
To extend it's ports I use D-Link's DES1016D switch - all 16 LAN clients
have 100Mbit full-duplex connectivity.

Tony.

Does the connection on a computer running form the switch show 100Mbps?
Just about all switches today autonegotiate speed, but I've seen a few rare
cases where a 10/100 switch set itself to 10Mbps due to a subtle
compatibility issue. If that is the case, I would try a different uplink
cable and if that's no help a different switch If the connection property
does show 100Mbps but throughput is substantially subpar, I would try a
different switch.
--

"Charlie Hoffpauir" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news(E-Mail Removed)...
>I have a home network that uses a Linksys WRT54G wireless router with
> a Linksys EZXS55W 5-port switch added to provide extra ports. The
> WRT54G is connected to a DirectWay Modem (satellite) for internet
> connectivity. To this setup I have 3 DirecTV Tivos connected. They've
> all been hacked to provide MRV (multiple room viewing). They connect
> using Netgear FA120 USB adapters... they connect to the "wired" ports
> of the WRT54G via ethernet cables. I also need to connect 4 PCs , one
> notebook, and a printer. The notebook is easy, it connects wirelessly
> to the WRT54g, no problem. The printer is connected to a Netgear
> WGP5606 print server, also no problem.
>
> But anything I connect via the EXZS55w, seems to slow down
> drastically. I timed a large file transfer and it actually takes about
> 3 times as long going through the 5 port switch as it does going
> wireless. Is this typical? Is there any way to get additional ports
> that maintain 100Mbps speed?
>
> FYI, I've tried connecting the DirecTivos to the 5-port switch, and
> they just won't work. The only way I get connectivity for them is to
> connect directly to the WRT54G.
>
> I'm just about ready to try getting another WRT54G and splitting the
> devices into two separate networks.... or maybe a 'wired" router,
> since I don't really need wireless for the Tivos..... but I still need
> to ability to connect the Tivos network to my main computer. If I go
> to a separate network, is it possible for my main computer to connect
> to both networks simultaneously? (I do have two network controllers on
> my main computer motherboard, but I don't have any idea how to get
> them both connected simultaneously.)
>
> TIA for any advice.
> Charlie Hoffpauir
> http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~charlieh/

On Sat, 11 Nov 2006 12:22:18 -0500, "GTS" <x> wrote:

>Does the connection on a computer running form the switch show 100Mbps?
>Just about all switches today autonegotiate speed, but I've seen a few rare
>cases where a 10/100 switch set itself to 10Mbps due to a subtle
>compatibility issue. If that is the case, I would try a different uplink
>cable and if that's no help a different switch If the connection property
>does show 100Mbps but throughput is substantially subpar, I would try a
>different switch.

Thanks for your comments...

The connection showed 10Mbps, not 100, so I started swapping out
cables... no change. Then I decided to try an old 10/100 hub (also
Linksys), and I immediately showed the connection at 100 Mbps! So I
looked more carefully at everything.... and I found that the input to
the EXZS55w showed to be 7.5v, and to the hub 5.0v. Checking further,
I found that I had been using the AC adapter of the old hub (5.0v). I
scrounged around for the right adapter, and now I'm getting 100 Mbps
connections with the EXZS55W!

I tried repeating the problem, using the 5.0 v adapter, and was
"still" showing 100 Mbps, so apparently the slowdown with the lower
voltage doesn't occur immediately, only after some run time... It all
seems strange, but it does seem to be working correctly now.


Charlie Hoffpauir
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~charlieh/

--

"Charlie Hoffpauir" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> On Sat, 11 Nov 2006 12:22:18 -0500, "GTS" <x> wrote:
>
>>Does the connection on a computer running form the switch show 100Mbps?
>>Just about all switches today autonegotiate speed, but I've seen a few
>>rare
>>cases where a 10/100 switch set itself to 10Mbps due to a subtle
>>compatibility issue. If that is the case, I would try a different uplink
>>cable and if that's no help a different switch If the connection
>>property
>>does show 100Mbps but throughput is substantially subpar, I would try a
>>different switch.
>
> Thanks for your comments...
>
> The connection showed 10Mbps, not 100, so I started swapping out
> cables... no change. Then I decided to try an old 10/100 hub (also
> Linksys), and I immediately showed the connection at 100 Mbps! So I
> looked more carefully at everything.... and I found that the input to
> the EXZS55w showed to be 7.5v, and to the hub 5.0v. Checking further,
> I found that I had been using the AC adapter of the old hub (5.0v). I
> scrounged around for the right adapter, and now I'm getting 100 Mbps
> connections with the EXZS55W!
>
> I tried repeating the problem, using the 5.0 v adapter, and was
> "still" showing 100 Mbps, so apparently the slowdown with the lower
> voltage doesn't occur immediately, only after some run time... It all
> seems strange, but it does seem to be working correctly now.
>
>
> Charlie Hoffpauir
> http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~charlieh/

You're welcome. Thats an interesting turn of events.