A router on a router

Hi,

I am a new customer of the BT Broadband, and I received the modem-router
from BT. It's a SpeedTouch 530. And I was surprised to realise that it
only has 1 Eth and 1 USB plug ... I expected 4 Eth plugs. BTW I want to
have Wireless at home. So I hesitate between:

1) buying a Linksys Wirless-Router, but as the SpeedTouch is already a
"router" I don't know if it's a good idea, difficult, etc...

2) buying a Linksys Wireless_Moedm_Router, and get rid of the
SpeedTouch530 ...

Please, any comment is appreciated.

Thanks

Laurent Makowski <laurentm@mill3d> wrote in news:4121DA12.5090201@mill3d:

> 1) buying a Linksys Wirless-Router, but as the SpeedTouch is already a
> "router" I don't know if it's a good idea, difficult, etc...

This would only be sensible if you could run the SpeedTouch as a bridge
rather than a router. That way you are effectively turning off the routing
capabilities and passing all traffic to the Linksys to use those routing
capabilities.

> 2) buying a Linksys Wireless_Moedm_Router, and get rid of the
> SpeedTouch530 ...

If space is a problem and you want everything in one box then you can do
that.

A third option would be to simply buy a wireless access point and plug that
in after the SpeedTouch. That is our current setup and I prefer it as it
means that failure of one component is easier to fix. The modem in our old
router failed after years of service recently and thankfully we didn't have
to fork out to replace the wireless part aswell.

--
Colin
*Drop DEAD from the email address to reply*

cw wrote:
> Laurent Makowski <laurentm@mill3d> wrote in news:4121DA12.5090201@mill3d:
>
>
>>1) buying a Linksys Wirless-Router, but as the SpeedTouch is already a
>>"router" I don't know if it's a good idea, difficult, etc...
>
>
> This would only be sensible if you could run the SpeedTouch as a bridge
> rather than a router. That way you are effectively turning off the routing
> capabilities and passing all traffic to the Linksys to use those routing
> capabilities.
>
>
>>2) buying a Linksys Wireless_Moedm_Router, and get rid of the
>>SpeedTouch530 ...
>
>
> If space is a problem and you want everything in one box then you can do
> that.
>
> A third option would be to simply buy a wireless access point and plug that
> in after the SpeedTouch. That is our current setup and I prefer it as it
> means that failure of one component is easier to fix. The modem in our old
> router failed after years of service recently and thankfully we didn't have
> to fork out to replace the wireless part aswell.
>

Sorry I don't know anything about networks... but if I manage to
desactivate the router part of the Speedtouch, will the data use the USB
or the Eth port of the SpeedTouch ? (and I don't really know if i can
disable the router part)

Laurent Makowski wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I am a new customer of the BT Broadband, and I received the modem-router
> from BT. It's a SpeedTouch 530. And I was surprised to realise that it
> only has 1 Eth and 1 USB plug ... I expected 4 Eth plugs. BTW I want to
> have Wireless at home. So I hesitate between:
>
> 1) buying a Linksys Wirless-Router, but as the SpeedTouch is already a
> "router" I don't know if it's a good idea, difficult, etc...
>
> 2) buying a Linksys Wireless_Moedm_Router, and get rid of the
> SpeedTouch530 ...
>
> Please, any comment is appreciated.
>
> Thanks
>
My view would be to go for a small switch and a seperate wireless access
point (if you need the switch that is, I'd get it just because it's
cheap enough so's you don't really mind and gives you a direct cable
into the rest of your network if anything goes wrong)

Having a seperate WAP means that you can ditch it and upgrade for
minimal cost when you want to change to a 500M wireless network in a
years time (or whenever they come out)

On Tue, 17 Aug 2004 11:12:34 +0100, Laurent Makowski <laurentm@mill3d>
strung together this:

>1) buying a Linksys Wirless-Router, but as the SpeedTouch is already a
>"router" I don't know if it's a good idea, difficult, etc...
>
You don't need to do this, you only need to plug a ethernet hub in,
(Like a multiplug for ethernet).

>2) buying a Linksys Wireless_Moedm_Router, and get rid of the
>SpeedTouch530 ...
>
Or you could do that, I would, but I go overboard most of the time!
--

SJW
A.C.S. Ltd

"Laurent Makowski" <laurentm@mill3d> wrote in message
news:4121DA12.5090201@mill3d...
> Hi,
>
> I am a new customer of the BT Broadband, and I received the modem-router
> from BT. It's a SpeedTouch 530. And I was surprised to realise that it
> only has 1 Eth and 1 USB plug ... I expected 4 Eth plugs. BTW I want to
> have Wireless at home. So I hesitate between:
>
> 1) buying a Linksys Wirless-Router, but as the SpeedTouch is already a
> "router" I don't know if it's a good idea, difficult, etc...
>
> 2) buying a Linksys Wireless_Moedm_Router, and get rid of the
> SpeedTouch530 ...
>
> Please, any comment is appreciated.
>
> Thanks

Get yourself a Draytek.

www.zionmedia.co.uk are about the cheapest.
>

On Wed, 18 Aug 2004 15:59:05 +0100, "Paul Landregan"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>
>"Laurent Makowski" <laurentm@mill3d> wrote in message
>news:4121DA12.5090201@mill3d...
>> Hi,
>>
>> I am a new customer of the BT Broadband, and I received the modem-router
>> from BT. It's a SpeedTouch 530. And I was surprised to realise that it
>> only has 1 Eth and 1 USB plug ... I expected 4 Eth plugs. BTW I want to
>> have Wireless at home. So I hesitate between:
>>
>> 1) buying a Linksys Wirless-Router, but as the SpeedTouch is already a
>> "router" I don't know if it's a good idea, difficult, etc...
>>
>> 2) buying a Linksys Wireless_Moedm_Router, and get rid of the
>> SpeedTouch530 ...
>>
>> Please, any comment is appreciated.
>>
>> Thanks
>
>Get yourself a Draytek.
>
>www.zionmedia.co.uk are about the cheapest.

I'm pleased with my Draytek (2600) but it is about 50pc more expensive
that most popular routers.

There is no problem plugging one router in to another but there has to
be an uplink socket in one of them OR you have to buy a crossover
cable to connect the two.

Geoff Lane