No Spare Ports On Router

I've got a 4 port router for Sky broadband, I've currently got four
wired devices connected to it, I now need to connect another one, but
have obviously got no spare ethernet ports.

Am I right in thinking I just need an ethernet switch, connect the
switch to one of the ports and any other devices to the switch?
--
Sean Black

"Sean Black" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> I've got a 4 port router for Sky broadband, I've currently got four wired
> devices connected to it, I now need to connect another one, but have
> obviously got no spare ethernet ports.
>
> Am I right in thinking I just need an ethernet switch, connect the switch
> to one of the ports and any other devices to the switch?


Correct.

--
Graham J

In message <4dad4348$0$2506$(E-Mail Removed)>, Graham J
<graham@invalid.?.invalid> writes
>
>"Sean Black" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> I've got a 4 port router for Sky broadband, I've currently got four wired
>> devices connected to it, I now need to connect another one, but have
>> obviously got no spare ethernet ports.
>>
>> Am I right in thinking I just need an ethernet switch, connect the switch
>> to one of the ports and any other devices to the switch?
>
>
>Correct.
>
Nice and simple then, thanks :-)
--
Sean Black

In message <(E-Mail Removed)>, Sean Black
<(E-Mail Removed)> writes
>I've got a 4 port router for Sky broadband, I've currently got four
>wired devices connected to it, I now need to connect another one, but
>have obviously got no spare ethernet ports.
>
>Am I right in thinking I just need an ethernet switch, connect the
>switch to one of the ports and any other devices to the switch?

Yes.

One thing you might want to think about ( depending on the wired
devices you have attached and how you use them) is getting a Gigabit
switch. Connect all the fast devices to that and connect the router to
one of its ports.

A couple of my PC's have gigabit NICs (most modern ones will) and I
have a NAS device that also supports gigabit. A gigabit switch makes
file transfers and backups between them much quicker.

If the wired devices only use Ethernet to talk to the router, then a
10/100 switch will do fine.


--
Invalid

On Tue, 19 Apr 2011 09:09:51 +0100, Graham J wrote:

> "Sean Black" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> I've got a 4 port router for Sky broadband, I've currently got four
>> wired devices connected to it, I now need to connect another one, but
>> have obviously got no spare ethernet ports.
>>
>> Am I right in thinking I just need an ethernet switch, connect the
>> switch to one of the ports and any other devices to the switch?
>
>
> Correct.

Also see if any of the existing 4 devices has a second ethernet port. If
so, you might be able to daisychain another device through it. I've done
this to connect a networked printer via an SPA3102 VOIP box.
Configuration of the existing device could be necessary and you'll want
to choose an undemanding device to be daisychained. Advantage: lower
power, less clutter and nothing to buy.


--
Steve Hayes, South Wales, UK - remove colours from address

Sean Black wrote:
> I've got a 4 port router for Sky broadband, I've currently got four
> wired devices connected to it, I now need to connect another one, but
> have obviously got no spare ethernet ports.
>
> Am I right in thinking I just need an ethernet switch, connect the
> switch to one of the ports and any other devices to the switch?
yes.

On Tue, 19 Apr 2011 10:50:31 +0100, Invalid
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> In message <(E-Mail Removed)>, Sean Black
> <(E-Mail Removed)> writes
> >
> >Am I right in thinking I just need an ethernet switch, connect the
> >switch to one of the ports and any other devices to the switch?
>
> Yes.

Yes, agreed.

> One thing you might want to think about ( depending on the wired
> devices you have attached and how you use them) is getting a Gigabit
> switch. Connect all the fast devices to that and connect the router to
> one of its ports.
>
> A couple of my PC's have gigabit NICs (most modern ones will) and I
> have a NAS device that also supports gigabit. A gigabit switch makes
> file transfers and backups between them much quicker.

Yes, also agreed.

> If the wired devices only use Ethernet to talk to the router, then a
> 10/100 switch will do fine.

Be aware that there is widespread ignorance on what constitutes a
'Gigabit Ethernet' device. If, for example, you put 'Gigabit switch'
or 'Gigabit Ethernet Switch' into eBay, your search will likely return
a raft of items about a third to a half of which are misleadingly
titled that are NOT Gigabit. I have been consistently finding and
reporting to eBay about 10 or so such mistitled items every day for
about the last month or so! It's that bad.

For the benefit of the unwary buyer or the unknowledgeable seller ...

'Ethernet' (no 'Fast' or 'Gigabit') = 10Mb/s, slow by modern standards
Fast Ethernet = 100Mb/s & 10Mb/s
Gigabit Ethernet = 1000Mb/s & 100Mb/s & 10Mb/s

.... and only if all the downlink ports - the ones to which the PCs
or other devices would connect - are all Gigabit (1000Mb/s) should a
switch or router be called 'Gigabit'.

You might as well future proof and get a (genuine) Gigabit switch
whatever the rating of your current equipment. Stepping warily
between the mistitled items, there are genuine Gigabit switches to be
had quite cheap on eBay, both new and used.
--
================================================== =======
Please always reply to ng as the email in this post's
header does not exist. Or use a contact address at:
http://www.macfh.co.uk/JavaJive/JavaJive.html
http://www.macfh.co.uk/Macfarlane/Macfarlane.html

On 19/04/2011 08:39, Sean Black wrote:
> I've got a 4 port router for Sky broadband, I've currently got four
> wired devices connected to it, I now need to connect another one, but
> have obviously got no spare ethernet ports.
>
> Am I right in thinking I just need an ethernet switch, connect the
> switch to one of the ports and any other devices to the switch?

Yes, You could also use a spare router if you switch off its DHCP.


--
Michael Chare

"Sean Black" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> I've got a 4 port router for Sky broadband, I've currently got four wired
> devices connected to it, I now need to connect another one, but have
> obviously got no spare ethernet ports.
>
> Am I right in thinking I just need an ethernet switch, connect the switch
> to one of the ports and any other devices to the switch?
> --

Is it a wireless router? You could buy an 802.11n USB adaptor for less than
£10 and connect your new or existing devices wirelessly

> For the benefit of the unwary buyer or the unknowledgeable seller ...
>
> 'Ethernet' (no 'Fast' or 'Gigabit') = 10Mb/s, slow by modern standards
> Fast Ethernet = 100Mb/s & 10Mb/s
> Gigabit Ethernet = 1000Mb/s & 100Mb/s & 10Mb/s
>
> ... and only if all the downlink ports - the ones to which the PCs
> or other devices would connect - are all Gigabit (1000Mb/s) should a
> switch or router be called 'Gigabit'.
>
> You might as well future proof and get a (genuine) Gigabit switch
> whatever the rating of your current equipment. Stepping warily
> between the mistitled items, there are genuine Gigabit switches to be
> had quite cheap on eBay, both new and used.
> --
> ================================================== =======
> Please always reply to ng as the email in this post's
> header does not exist. Or use a contact address at:
> http://www.macfh.co.uk/JavaJive/JavaJive.html
> http://www.macfh.co.uk/Macfarlane/Macfarlane.html

Many 10Mb/s devices are simple hubs and not switches at all I have a little
D-link unit here that falls into that category. Helpfully the unit itself gives no clue externally
to say if it's a switch, a hub, or something else. It has no model number or other identifying marks at all.
Come to think of it, I've never knowingly handled a 10Mb/s device, either 10baseT or 10base2
that was a genuine switch.

The other thing that can cause confusion is that people will informally refer to network
switches "hubs" even knowing it's incorrect. I suppose the term is more descriptive.

--
Graham.

%Profound_observation%