Switch or Router/Switch?

Hello, I am currently using a cable modem with one computer (winxp). I
would like to have internet access on another computer, and am not
interested in using Windows ICS. I would also like to be able to set it up
so that the second computer can have access to certain shared files on the
first computer.

I can get either of these two products cheaply, used, locally. Which one
would serve me the best?

http://www.amazon.com/Cisco-Linksys-.../dp/B00004SB92
(linksys BEFSR41 r4)

or

http://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-FS116-.../dp/B000063UZW
(netgear FS116)


Thanks,

Jon

On Wed, 6 Jul 2011 14:25:38 -0700, "Jon Danniken"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Hello, I am currently using a cable modem with one computer (winxp). I
>would like to have internet access on another computer, and am not
>interested in using Windows ICS. I would also like to be able to set it up
>so that the second computer can have access to certain shared files on the
>first computer.
>
>I can get either of these two products cheaply, used, locally. Which one
>would serve me the best?
>
>http://www.amazon.com/Cisco-Linksys-.../dp/B00004SB92
>(linksys BEFSR41 r4)
>
>or
>
>http://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-FS116-.../dp/B000063UZW
>(netgear FS116)

Of the two, only the Linksys will work for you.

The Netgear is only a switch. It would allow you to share files
between the two computers, but to share a single Internet connection
you need a router. Hence, you need the Linksys, which includes a
switch in the same housing with the router.

Char Jackson wrote:
> Of the two, only the Linksys will work for you.
>
> The Netgear is only a switch. It would allow you to share files
> between the two computers, but to share a single Internet connection
> you need a router. Hence, you need the Linksys, which includes a
> switch in the same housing with the router.

Thanks Char. If I did just want to connect the two computers (with the
second computer not having internet access), would a crossover cable use the
same networking hardware that the switch would?

I had some trouble in the past getting two windows computers to be able to
share files, and I was wondering if getting the switch would make this any
easier.

Jon

On Wed, 6 Jul 2011 15:06:07 -0700, "Jon Danniken"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Char Jackson wrote:
>> Of the two, only the Linksys will work for you.
>>
>> The Netgear is only a switch. It would allow you to share files
>> between the two computers, but to share a single Internet connection
>> you need a router. Hence, you need the Linksys, which includes a
>> switch in the same housing with the router.
>
>Thanks Char. If I did just want to connect the two computers (with the
>second computer not having internet access), would a crossover cable use the
>same networking hardware that the switch would?

Yes, a crossover cable can be used to make a physical connection
between two computers. You still need to make sure the IP addressing
is correct, of course, before they'll be able to talk to each other
and share files.

If your computers only have a single Ethernet port and you want
Internet access at the same time as your PC-PC connection, then the
switch will help out. It can be a standalone switch like the Netgear,
or a built-in switch like in the Linksys.

>I had some trouble in the past getting two windows computers to be able to
>share files, and I was wondering if getting the switch would make this any
>easier.

As you said above, a direct PC-PC connection requires a crossover
cable, while using a switch generally requires two straight-thru
cables. (Modern networking gear can be surprisingly tolerant of using
the wrong type of cables.)

Other than that, no, a switch shouldn't make filesharing any easier,
nor any harder. It's about the same either way.

Char Jackson wrote:
>
>> Thanks Char. If I did just want to connect the two computers (with
>> the second computer not having internet access), would a crossover
>> cable use the same networking hardware that the switch would?
>
> Yes, a crossover cable can be used to make a physical connection
> between two computers. You still need to make sure the IP addressing
> is correct, of course, before they'll be able to talk to each other
> and share files.
>
> If your computers only have a single Ethernet port and you want
> Internet access at the same time as your PC-PC connection, then the
> switch will help out. It can be a standalone switch like the Netgear,
> or a built-in switch like in the Linksys.
>
>> I had some trouble in the past getting two windows computers to be
>> able to share files, and I was wondering if getting the switch would
>> make this any easier.
>
> As you said above, a direct PC-PC connection requires a crossover
> cable, while using a switch generally requires two straight-thru
> cables. (Modern networking gear can be surprisingly tolerant of using
> the wrong type of cables.)
>
> Other than that, no, a switch shouldn't make filesharing any easier,
> nor any harder. It's about the same either way.

Okay, thanks again. I do have two NICs in the main computer, so using a
crossover cable will be what I'll do. I have WinXP Pro on the main
computer, so I'll try again to network the other computer to it using
Windows software.

Jon

On 7/6/2011 3:43 PM, Char Jackson wrote:
> On Wed, 6 Jul 2011 14:25:38 -0700, "Jon Danniken"
> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>> Hello, I am currently using a cable modem with one computer (winxp). I
>> would like to have internet access on another computer, and am not
>> interested in using Windows ICS. I would also like to be able to set it up
>> so that the second computer can have access to certain shared files on the
>> first computer.
>>
>> I can get either of these two products cheaply, used, locally. Which one
>> would serve me the best?
>>
>> http://www.amazon.com/Cisco-Linksys-.../dp/B00004SB92
>> (linksys BEFSR41 r4)
>>
>> or
>>
>> http://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-FS116-.../dp/B000063UZW
>> (netgear FS116)
>
> Of the two, only the Linksys will work for you.
>
> The Netgear is only a switch. It would allow you to share files
> between the two computers, but to share a single Internet connection
> you need a router. Hence, you need the Linksys, which includes a
> switch in the same housing with the router.
>
Char,

Just a little additional info for your knowledge base. Here, my ISP will
hand out up to 5 addresses through a single modem. So if I use a switch
to connect to the modem, each device (up to the 5 max) connected to the
switch will get a valid IP address from the ISP. I don't know if the
computers would be able to see each other (I kind of doubt it, I think
the ISP stops that, but I don't know).

One thing this allows me to do is to connect a switch to the modem and
then two routers to the switch. I can set one router to be available for
guests and the other for my own use and I don't have to worry that
guests can get on my network.

ken

On Fri, 08 Jul 2011 10:15:55 -0600, ken <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>On 7/6/2011 3:43 PM, Char Jackson wrote:
>> On Wed, 6 Jul 2011 14:25:38 -0700, "Jon Danniken"
>> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>>
>>> Hello, I am currently using a cable modem with one computer (winxp). I
>>> would like to have internet access on another computer, and am not
>>> interested in using Windows ICS. I would also like to be able to set it up
>>> so that the second computer can have access to certain shared files on the
>>> first computer.
>>>
>>> I can get either of these two products cheaply, used, locally. Which one
>>> would serve me the best?
>>>
>>> http://www.amazon.com/Cisco-Linksys-.../dp/B00004SB92
>>> (linksys BEFSR41 r4)
>>>
>>> or
>>>
>>> http://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-FS116-.../dp/B000063UZW
>>> (netgear FS116)
>>
>> Of the two, only the Linksys will work for you.
>>
>> The Netgear is only a switch. It would allow you to share files
>> between the two computers, but to share a single Internet connection
>> you need a router. Hence, you need the Linksys, which includes a
>> switch in the same housing with the router.
>>
>Char,
>
>Just a little additional info for your knowledge base. Here, my ISP will
>hand out up to 5 addresses through a single modem. So if I use a switch
>to connect to the modem, each device (up to the 5 max) connected to the
>switch will get a valid IP address from the ISP. I don't know if the
>computers would be able to see each other (I kind of doubt it, I think
>the ISP stops that, but I don't know).
>
>One thing this allows me to do is to connect a switch to the modem and
>then two routers to the switch. I can set one router to be available for
>guests and the other for my own use and I don't have to worry that
>guests can get on my network.
>
>ken

Thanks, Ken. It's been over a dozen years since my own ISP offered
multiple IP's (without asking for more money) so I tend to forget
about it. Thanks for the reminder.

Char Jackson wrote:
>
> As you said above, a direct PC-PC connection requires a crossover
> cable, while using a switch generally requires two straight-thru
> cables. (Modern networking gear can be surprisingly tolerant of using
> the wrong type of cables.)


Okay, I've got a followup question on this. The cable I used to connect the
two computers (NIC to NIC) is a straight-thru cable, and not a crossover
cable. I can ping each computer from the other one, and also ping each
computer by it's name. I can also use ICS between the two computers (after
disabling zonealarm - another issue among several).

Is this sufficient enough of a test to determine that I don't need a
crossover cable?

Thanks,

Jon

On Sun, 10 Jul 2011 19:51:42 -0700, "Jon Danniken"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Char Jackson wrote:
>>
>> As you said above, a direct PC-PC connection requires a crossover
>> cable, while using a switch generally requires two straight-thru
>> cables. (Modern networking gear can be surprisingly tolerant of using
>> the wrong type of cables.)
>
>
>Okay, I've got a followup question on this. The cable I used to connect the
>two computers (NIC to NIC) is a straight-thru cable, and not a crossover
>cable. I can ping each computer from the other one, and also ping each
>computer by it's name. I can also use ICS between the two computers (after
>disabling zonealarm - another issue among several).
>
>Is this sufficient enough of a test to determine that I don't need a
>crossover cable?

Sounds to me like it's working just fine. Rock on.

Char Jackson wrote:
> On Sun, 10 Jul 2011 19:51:42 -0700, "Jon Danniken"
> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>> Char Jackson wrote:
>>>
>>> As you said above, a direct PC-PC connection requires a crossover
>>> cable, while using a switch generally requires two straight-thru
>>> cables. (Modern networking gear can be surprisingly tolerant of
>>> using the wrong type of cables.)
>>
>>
>> Okay, I've got a followup question on this. The cable I used to
>> connect the two computers (NIC to NIC) is a straight-thru cable, and
>> not a crossover cable. I can ping each computer from the other one,
>> and also ping each computer by it's name. I can also use ICS
>> between the two computers (after disabling zonealarm - another issue
>> among several).
>>
>> Is this sufficient enough of a test to determine that I don't need a
>> crossover cable?
>
> Sounds to me like it's working just fine. Rock on.

Okay good, thanks Char. BTW, know of any good groups for setting up MS
Windows Networking?

Jon