Out of Router Ports....add a new Router or Switch? (Home Network)

Hi All,

I have a Linksys BEFWS4 Router for a small network (well, not a big office
network, at least)...however, I am out of LAN ports in the back of the
unit....

--> So, I would have to subdivide port 5 on the router.....do I wire a
another "Router" into that port and wire the new router's WAN port to the
current router's Port 5, or do I do that with a new "Switch" instead? ...I'm
interested more in the best performance instead of price since the price of
routers aren't too expensive. (unless if there is no difference, then I'll
take the cheaper option)

Also, is there any other configuration I'd have to do to the new(or old)
router other than the basic 10-second config I normally would do for a
1-router network?


Thanks so much!
JMC

James McCoughlin wrote:

> Hi All,
>
> I have a Linksys BEFWS4 Router for a small network (well, not a big office
> network, at least)...however, I am out of LAN ports in the back of the
> unit....
>
> --> So, I would have to subdivide port 5 on the router.....do I wire a
> another "Router" into that port and wire the new router's WAN port to the
> current router's Port 5, or do I do that with a new "Switch" instead? ...I'm
> interested more in the best performance instead of price since the price of
> routers aren't too expensive. (unless if there is no difference, then I'll
> take the cheaper option)
>
> Also, is there any other configuration I'd have to do to the new(or old)
> router other than the basic 10-second config I normally would do for a
> 1-router network?
>
>
> Thanks so much!
> JMC
>
>

Use a switch.

--
The e-mail address in our reply-to line is reversed in an attempt to
minimize spam. Our true address is of the form che...@prodigy.net.

Hi JMC -

On Fri, 05 Mar 2004 05:30:17 GMT, "James McCoughlin"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>--> So, I would have to subdivide port 5 on the router.....do I wire a
>another "Router" into that port and wire the new router's WAN port to the
>current router's Port 5, or do I do that with a new "Switch" instead? ...I'm
>interested more in the best performance instead of price since the price of
>routers aren't too expensive. (unless if there is no difference, then I'll
>take the cheaper option)
>
>Also, is there any other configuration I'd have to do to the new(or old)
>router other than the basic 10-second config I normally would do for a
>1-router network?

Don't use another router; that would be a waste of money and also
would decrease performance, though probably not noticeably.

Use a switch (best) or even a hub. The switch will be more expensive
than a hub but give better performance because it keeps the traffic
separate which reduces collisions.

Hubs have no configuration. A switch may or may not have
configuration capabilities depending on what kind of extended
capabilities it has. You don't really need any extended capabilities
so a simple switch that doesn't have/need any configuration would be
fine for you.

--
Ken
http://www.ke9nr.net/

On Friday 05 March 2004 5:30 am, James McCoughlin uttered these immortal
words:

> I have a Linksys BEFWS4 Router for a small network (well, not a big office
> network, at least)...however, I am out of LAN ports in the back of the
> unit....
>
> --> So, I would have to subdivide port 5 on the router.....do I wire a
> another "Router" into that port and wire the new router's WAN port to the
> current router's Port 5, or do I do that with a new "Switch" instead?
> ...I'm interested more in the best performance instead of price since the
> price of routers aren't too expensive. (unless if there is no difference,
> then I'll take the cheaper option)

I just connected a switch to the back of mine. Works like a charm.

--
Andy.