If you have a router with 4 ports

[Martyuk39]

What do you do?

Does it depend entirely on what specific hardware you're using?

If so, it's a Freecom Datatank (one of these - it's a jack-of-all-trades, might be master of none, I don't know yet) - it is wireless, but I want to use wired connections only if I can.

Thanks

 

[Ninjazx]

use one of the 4 ports to attach a switch.


assuming that this is a home connection, you would then have Modem->Router->switch.
the router would still give you 3 usable ports, and the switch would give you as many as are on the particular one you buy (edit:minus one).



edit: woops, forgot the second 'minus 1'. thanks sirs.

 

[Martyuk39]

Thanks - that's great. I had a fear that this might be something you might be unable to do in a more consumer-oriented device.

 

[Madwand1]

Count the port you use on the switch to connect to the router.
Consider getting a switch bigger than your immediate needs.
Consider getting a switch perhaps faster than your immediate needs (e.g. an inexpensive gigabit switch).

 

[JackMDS]

Number of available ports = (Ports on one device + Ports on second device) - 2

 

[Ninjazx]

still under the assumption that this is for home use, you can get cheap 8 port switches (10/100) for under $20 including shipping if you are buying online. (10 devices, as you put it). but I would recommend a name brand or something with a good warranty.

 

[Martyuk39]

Well ultimately it's a business use if I'm supplying a customer making use of consumer electronics. I think I know what I meant by that but I'm not sure.

Anyway, I'll get a good switch. Got to investigate the Freecom box first - it might be pants.

 

[bruceb]

Only thing you need to watch for, is on some routers, only a specific port can be used
to feed the switch. So if you connect the switch & the computers on the switch do not get
an IP, try other ports on the router until it does work.

 

[Martyuk39]

Perhaps I should find out from Freecom which if any port should be used. It probably wasn't designed for more than a few wired connections

 

[JackMDS]

Hmm... Standard Ethernet is standard Ethernet (and the linked device is a standard Ethernet device), any switch added to a device would work.

However I would not buy such a combo.

They usually are (as you posted) "jack-of-all-trades, might be master of none". I.e. the individual comonents are mediocre and less.

The Wirless (if later need) might bellow par and not secure enough. The Printer server might not work with certain printers and provide partial capacity on others (in business enviroment you should have a Network ready printer).

The NAS might be too slow, or "kinky" in its security arrangement.

In addition any changes that need to be done later on in any of the component might deem parts of the device "irrelevant" since you can not upgrade each component.

 

[jonmcc33]

I remember some older Cisco SOHO routers that had only 2 ports, one for the broadband connection and the other for the LAN. You would then attach whatever switch you wanted to expand your network. With wireless it's cake to expand it. I only wire what I need to to my D-Link router: my gaming rig and my server. Everything else is wireless.

 

[bruceb]

Are you sure you want this wacky router / print server / who knows what else it can do / with internal hard drives ? ?
Mighty costly .. web site you linked to says 57900 Euro Dollars which is $81K US Dollars .. now it might be a
misprint and maybe they meant 579 Euro Dollars ... still about $815 US Dollars .. for much less, you can get
a Cisco Router / Switch which is fully user configurable .. but it would not have wireless

 

[birddseedd]

you can always put another nic in one of the computers and bridget the connection between the two adapters!