Reply to: Home router LAN ports all used, but I need another LAN port?

[Fred Bloggs]

You'll probably only need one switch, unless you want one at each end of the network for flexibility.

Cheers, yes, flexibility and adding a VOIP device is my thinking. Thanks.

[PAH]

You'll probably only need one switch, unless you want one at each end of the network for flexibility.

[Fred Bloggs]

Thanks for your help. I have a PC linked to the Slinglink and I swap the cable when I want the Slingbox connected, so I know it works. Thanks for your help, I'll order a couple of those switches from Ebuyer now.

[PAH]

If the slinglinks allow other network traffic besides slingbox then it should all work fine.

You could have:

router -> slinglink -> slinglink -> switch -> slingbox, PC, etc

If only the slingbox is required at the end of the slinglink, or the slinglink requires direct connection to slingbox, you could have the switch alongside the router to allow PC and other devices connected there, for a faster network connection than the slinglink may allow.

router -> switch -> slinglink -> slinglink -> slingbox
router -> switch -> PC, etc

[Fred Bloggs]

Follow up question regarding these network switch type thingies. I have recently successfully used a couple of homeplug type network adapters (Slinglink ones to connect a Slinbox upstairs to the router downstairs over the home wiring). I'm impressed with the homeplug adpater and wish to attach a PC (currently wifi connected and a weak signal) as well as the Slingbox to the home plug's single ethernet socket using one of the network switches suggested earlier in the thread. Will it work like that? Thanks.

[VectraMan]

speed (advertised speeds are 'up to', and you know how crap that usually turns out with broadband)

Yes but that applies to all these things. Who thinks Gigabit Ethernet actually gives you 1Gb/s?

I originally bought homeplugs because my old 11Mb WiFi was flakey, and particularly with a client supplied laptop. But later I upgraded to 54G and it's worked flawlessly since, which surprised me because I assumed whatever interfered with 11Mb would have had the same effect on 54Mb. Perhaps it was just a better router.

[doodab]

Any reason why you can't attach switches to switches to switches?

It's possible to inadvertently create a loop, which can cause all sorts of bother. Better switches support the 802.11D "spanning tree" protocol to avoid that happening but some cheap "dumb" ones may not.

[Sysman]

You can't beat a nice long hard wire though. Wireless and homeplugs can be hit and miss. Tried both, still back to running ethernet wires around the place.

Problems with wireless:

speed (slow compared to gigabit ethernet)

security concerns

interference (e.g. microwave ovens)

unreliable (e.g. have to try it to know how well it works in your situation)

My first experience with wireless was along those lines. The iBook at the time only supported WEP instead of WPA so I was loathe to use it, and there was someone with a cordless phone next door which caused service interruptions. I'm in a built up area and know that folks were looking for free access.

Problems with homeplugs:

unreliable (e.g. have to try it to know how well it works in your situation)

speed (advertised speeds are 'up to', and you know how crap that usually turns out with broadband)


If only they made ethernet cables that were less conspicuous. Maybe fibre optic offers a thinner cable solution, if you can live with the price of the kit?

I used a homeplug in a hotel for several weeks but one day another network started interfering and giving me DHCP addresses which wouldn't let me get at the outside world. It may have been malware on another guest's laptop or another building's network interfering, I don't know. Nowadays I'd put Wireshark on the job.

I am still using wires everywhere and they are noticeable, but I can live with it.

[xoggoth]

Nothing wrong with wifi

Usually ok if in range but got this wierd problem recently on two machines where IE reports no connection yet updates and other browsers work ok. The switch was a much quicker solution than trying to sort it.

[craig1]

What happens if your neighbours get the same kit. Wifi fights?

The one I tried (still have it in a box somewhere) had a booster option where it hogged all the frequencies to get a stronger more reliable connection.

It did say it might interfere with neighbouring setups though. Ooops.

Still didn't work when I put some popcorn in the microwave.

A good wifi router will use congestion detection and switch channels if there's a conflict. Also, so few routers use the 5Ghz range that conflicts are rare.

That said, I live out in the countryside and my nearest neighbour checks her emails once a week so conflicts are quite few and far between

[PAH]

What happens if your neighbours get the same kit. Wifi fights?

The one I tried (still have it in a box somewhere) had a booster option where it hogged all the frequencies to get a stronger more reliable connection.

It did say it might interfere with neighbouring setups though. Ooops.

Still didn't work when I put some popcorn in the microwave.

[craig1]

Dual channel wifi (2.4 and 5GHz) gives nice speeds, reliability and a relatively interference free 5Ghz band but you need kit that can handle it. Most laptops come with single channel or inferior wifi included though. I get some very good speeds from my Macbook Pro with its 3x3 wifi setup.

[PAH]

You can't beat a nice long hard wire though. Wireless and homeplugs can be hit and miss. Tried both, still back to running ethernet wires around the place.

Problems with wireless:

speed (slow compared to gigabit ethernet)

security concerns

interference (e.g. microwave ovens)

unreliable (e.g. have to try it to know how well it works in your situation)



Problems with homeplugs:

unreliable (e.g. have to try it to know how well it works in your situation)

speed (advertised speeds are 'up to', and you know how crap that usually turns out with broadband)


If only they made ethernet cables that were less conspicuous. Maybe fibre optic offers a thinner cable solution, if you can live with the price of the kit?

[lilelvis2000]

Nothing wrong with wifi. In one room of my house I have a wifi-10-base t bridge which has two PCs and a printer connected to it. It communicates with the router downstairs and make for a very nice clean solution.

Another option is powerline, which I hear also works quite well.

[xoggoth]

Got a brand new V7 5-port 10/100 network switch from Amazon for £8.24, no postage! Brill! Just plugged it in and it all works, now got 2 PCs on network in office.