Do I need a switch, a hub, or a router?

[Joseph Rynerson]

I have a small home network that uses a linksys wireless router 80211g. I
have four computers on the network. Three are hard wired one is wireless. I
have built a room addition and want to move two of the hard wired computers
into this room. My plan is to connect the two computers in the new room to
the router through one existing cat 5 wire. In the new room the computers
will be hard wired into a switch, (hub or router) which will communicate
with the existing wireless router through one run of cat 5. Will this work?
Which do I need a switch, a hub or another router? I think I need a switch
but I am not sure. The people at compusa said if I use another router then I
will have set us two networks which I don't want to do. They suggested a hub
or a switch. I guess I could put wireless cards in the two computers but the
wireless is not as fast as the hard wire. I don't know much about hubs or
switches which do I need? Thanks for helping.
Joe

[Peter R. Fletcher]

You don't need a router. Either a switch or a hub will work fine for
you in this situation. Since a switch has some small advantages in
terms of throughput, and will probably be no more expensive, I would
get a switch.

On Tue, 09 Nov 2004 11:36:28 GMT, "Joseph Rynerson"
> wrote:

>I have a small home network that uses a linksys wireless router 80211g. I
>have four computers on the network. Three are hard wired one is wireless. I
>have built a room addition and want to move two of the hard wired computers
>into this room. My plan is to connect the two computers in the new room to
>the router through one existing cat 5 wire. In the new room the computers
>will be hard wired into a switch, (hub or router) which will communicate
>with the existing wireless router through one run of cat 5. Will this work?
>Which do I need a switch, a hub or another router? I think I need a switch
>but I am not sure. The people at compusa said if I use another router then I
>will have set us two networks which I don't want to do. They suggested a hub
>or a switch. I guess I could put wireless cards in the two computers but the
>wireless is not as fast as the hard wire. I don't know much about hubs or
>switches which do I need? Thanks for helping.
>Joe
>


Please respond to the Newsgroup, so that others may benefit from the exchange.
Peter R. Fletcher

[John R Weiss]

"Joseph Rynerson" > wrote...
> want to move two of the hard wired computers into this room. My plan is to
> connect the two computers in the new room to the router through one existing
> cat 5 wire. In the new room the computers will be hard wired into a switch,
> (hub or router) which will communicate with the existing wireless router
> through one run of cat 5. Will this work? Which do I need a switch, a hub or
> another router?

You need a switch. A switch is actually a "switchable hub," which is the modern
version of a hub. The short version is that a switch provides full bandwidth to
each machine, and a hub provides shared bandwidth.

Switches are cheap enough, and hubs aren't made any more (that I know of). Any
hub you find will likely be a 3+ year-old leftover.

Wire the switch to the downlink port in your router.

[Hans-Georg Michna]

On Tue, 09 Nov 2004 11:36:28 GMT, "Joseph Rynerson"
> wrote:

>I have a small home network that uses a linksys wireless router 80211g. I
>have four computers on the network. Three are hard wired one is wireless. I
>have built a room addition and want to move two of the hard wired computers
>into this room. My plan is to connect the two computers in the new room to
>the router through one existing cat 5 wire. In the new room the computers
>will be hard wired into a switch, (hub or router) which will communicate
>with the existing wireless router through one run of cat 5. Will this work?
>Which do I need a switch, a hub or another router? I think I need a switch
>but I am not sure. The people at compusa said if I use another router then I
>will have set us two networks which I don't want to do. They suggested a hub
>or a switch. I guess I could put wireless cards in the two computers but the
>wireless is not as fast as the hard wire. I don't know much about hubs or
>switches which do I need? Thanks for helping.

Joe,

you already got loads of good information, so I can only add
some background info, just in case you want it. Check
http://www.michna.com/kb/SwitchHub.htm.

Hans-Georg

--
No mail, please.

[Joseph Rynerson]

Thanks so much for all the great information. Sounds like it will be a
switch.
Joe
"Hans-Georg Michna" > wrote in message
...
> On Tue, 09 Nov 2004 11:36:28 GMT, "Joseph Rynerson"
> > wrote:
>
>>I have a small home network that uses a linksys wireless router 80211g. I
>>have four computers on the network. Three are hard wired one is wireless.
>>I
>>have built a room addition and want to move two of the hard wired
>>computers
>>into this room. My plan is to connect the two computers in the new room to
>>the router through one existing cat 5 wire. In the new room the computers
>>will be hard wired into a switch, (hub or router) which will communicate
>>with the existing wireless router through one run of cat 5. Will this
>>work?
>>Which do I need a switch, a hub or another router? I think I need a switch
>>but I am not sure. The people at compusa said if I use another router then
>>I
>>will have set us two networks which I don't want to do. They suggested a
>>hub
>>or a switch. I guess I could put wireless cards in the two computers but
>>the
>>wireless is not as fast as the hard wire. I don't know much about hubs or
>>switches which do I need? Thanks for helping.
>
> Joe,
>
> you already got loads of good information, so I can only add
> some background info, just in case you want it. Check
> http://www.michna.com/kb/SwitchHub.htm.
>
> Hans-Georg
>
> --
> No mail, please.