Setup question - 6 computer gaming LAN

[djspl]

My buddies and I are enjoyng car racing together on 4 computers wired to my Dlink DGL4300 router. I'd like to add 2 more computers and still have internet access for all computers, if that's possible.

Is a switch the hardware I need to add more computers? Can I plug 3 of my computers into a switch and plug the switch into my router? Is internet access possible amongst computers connected to a switch if the switch is connected to a router?

2 computers use XP home, 1 uses Vista and the other 3 use Windows 2K. I've read a WinXP home network can have 6 computers max, I assume I'm bound by that and won't be able to add a 7th computer (my laptop w/ XP pro). The game (Toca 3) supports 12 players.

Thanks in advance for any help/direction.

 

[Tarrant64]

Originally posted by: djspl
My buddies and I are enjoyng car racing together on 4 computers wired to my Dlink DGL4300 router. I'd like to add 2 more computers and still have internet access for all computers, if that's possible.

Is a switch the hardware I need to add more computers? Can I plug 3 of my computers into a switch and plug the switch into my router? Is internet access possible amongst computers connected to a switch if the switch is connected to a router?

2 computers use XP home, 1 uses Vista and the other 3 use Windows 2K. I've read a WinXP home network can have 6 computers max, I assume I'm bound by that and won't be able to add a 7th computer (my laptop w/ XP pro). The game (Toca 3) supports 12 players.

Thanks in advance for any help/direction.

By getting another switch, you can plug it directly into your d-link router, and plug the remaining PCs into that 2nd switch. It will basically be an extension of your existing one.

Internet access will be possible amongst all PCs as long as the switch is plugged into the router.

I think with the number of computers a windows xp network can have is how many concurrent connections(?). Meaning how many simultaneous connections at one time. I probably butchered that spelling, but I hope that makes sense. I'm not sure whether or not XP Pro or Vista can handle more connections, i'll have to check on that. If your'e game requires that someone host as a server, then whoever can take the most connections should be the host.

That's what I'm thinking anyways. I'll will verify that here in a little bit.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314882 - The max is 10 for Windows XP so that should be plenty for you.

 

[TC10284]

Originally posted by: djspl
My buddies and I are enjoyng car racing together on 4 computers wired to my Dlink DGL4300 router. I'd like to add 2 more computers and still have internet access for all computers, if that's possible.

Is a switch the hardware I need to add more computers? Can I plug 3 of my computers into a switch and plug the switch into my router? Is internet access possible amongst computers connected to a switch if the switch is connected to a router?

2 computers use XP home, 1 uses Vista and the other 3 use Windows 2K. I've read a WinXP home network can have 6 computers max, I assume I'm bound by that and won't be able to add a 7th computer (my laptop w/ XP pro). The game (Toca 3) supports 12 players.

Thanks in advance for any help/direction.

Yes, just plug a switch into one of your routers' LAN ports. You'll lose a port on the router and switch that way, but there's not really a way around that. You'll have Internet on each system as long as that switch is connected to your router.

Win XP can support up to 10 concurrent connections - I think that's just with shared folders and/or IIS5 also. I don't think a game would matter - haven't really tested that though other than lots of people connecting to a Quake 3 server on my local LAN. I don't remember if that was more than 10 however.

 

[Tarrant64]

Originally posted by: TC10284

Originally posted by: djspl
My buddies and I are enjoyng car racing together on 4 computers wired to my Dlink DGL4300 router. I'd like to add 2 more computers and still have internet access for all computers, if that's possible.

Is a switch the hardware I need to add more computers? Can I plug 3 of my computers into a switch and plug the switch into my router? Is internet access possible amongst computers connected to a switch if the switch is connected to a router?

2 computers use XP home, 1 uses Vista and the other 3 use Windows 2K. I've read a WinXP home network can have 6 computers max, I assume I'm bound by that and won't be able to add a 7th computer (my laptop w/ XP pro). The game (Toca 3) supports 12 players.

Thanks in advance for any help/direction.

Yes, just plug a switch into one of your routers' LAN ports. You'll lose a port on the router and switch that way, but there's not really a way around that. You'll have Internet on each system as long as that switch is connected to your router.

Win XP can support up to 10 concurrent connections - I think that's just with shared folders and/or IIS5 also. I don't think a game would matter - haven't really tested that though other than lots of people connecting to a Quake 3 server on my local LAN. I don't remember if that was more than 10 however.

Yeah, I was wondering that too. I've played CS, Quake, etc. with a LAN but not up to more than 8 people I think.

 

[djspl]

thanks for the help guys, I'll look at some 8 port switches...the more the merrier!