router question

I have a 4 port router. I have two cable VOIP phones connected and one
computer hard wired. I have two wireless laptops and two USB wireless
desktops that I use periodically. I usually leave the wired desktop one most
of the time. One of my wireless desktops is running media center and it is
connected most of the time so it can have access to the internet. I have one
laptop I use a lot and ever have a problem connecting to internet, but have
trouble connecting to my other computers.

My question is this... how many computer should I be able to connect to my
home network via this router? Are the two VOIP phones that use two of the
hard wired ports, interfering with my computers connecting? Should I be able
to connect 4 computers at one time, wired or hardwired? Or would I be able
to have more wireless computers connected? How does that work?

I'm afraid to upgrade to a router with more ports because I'm afraid I won't
be able to get everything connected. I feel lucky that most of the stuff
works most of the time :-\

Carol

HELP... Someone must know how this works or where I can find the
information. Do my VOIP phones count as connections voiding my ability to
connect computers in their place?
Any direction would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Carol

"Carol" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>I have a 4 port router. I have two cable VOIP phones connected and one
>computer hard wired. I have two wireless laptops and two USB wireless
>desktops that I use periodically. I usually leave the wired desktop one
>most of the time. One of my wireless desktops is running media center and
>it is connected most of the time so it can have access to the internet. I
>have one laptop I use a lot and ever have a problem connecting to internet,
>but have trouble connecting to my other computers.
>
> My question is this... how many computer should I be able to connect to my
> home network via this router? Are the two VOIP phones that use two of the
> hard wired ports, interfering with my computers connecting? Should I be
> able to connect 4 computers at one time, wired or hardwired? Or would I be
> able to have more wireless computers connected? How does that work?
>
> I'm afraid to upgrade to a router with more ports because I'm afraid I
> won't be able to get everything connected. I feel lucky that most of the
> stuff works most of the time :-\
>
> Carol
>

Carol wrote:
> HELP... Someone must know how this works or where I can find the
> information. Do my VOIP phones count as connections voiding my
> ability to connect computers in their place?
> Any direction would be greatly appreciated.
> Thanks
> Carol
-------------------------
You don't have to upgrade your router, but you can.
You can just add a second router.
You can run heaps more wireless clients off the first router though. All
what is diminished, is the bandwidth, when you're all using the internet at
the same time.
Wireless connectivity is determined by signal quality, distance to the
Access Point, not by number of connections.

So you should be ok with adding more wireless clients.

H.N.

Thanks a lot Herbert, for your response.
So as I understand your reply, I should be able to get all my computers (1
hard wired, 4 wireless) connected to my home network with file and printer
sharing with my existing 4 port router. I usually only have 2 accessing the
internet at one time, but like to be able to copy files between my various
computers. I have noticed that my hard wired computer has much faster access
than my wireless (802.11g) computers, but I'm not unhappy with the
connection speed.
As long as I don't need to have another access point, I hate to try to make
it better. With my luck... better rarely happens :-(
Carol


"Herbert Nagler" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Carol wrote:
>> HELP... Someone must know how this works or where I can find the
>> information. Do my VOIP phones count as connections voiding my
>> ability to connect computers in their place?
>> Any direction would be greatly appreciated.
>> Thanks
>> Carol
> -------------------------
> You don't have to upgrade your router, but you can.
> You can just add a second router.
> You can run heaps more wireless clients off the first router though. All
> what is diminished, is the bandwidth, when you're all using the internet
> at
> the same time.
> Wireless connectivity is determined by signal quality, distance to the
> Access Point, not by number of connections.
>
> So you should be ok with adding more wireless clients.
>
> H.N.
>
>