What exactly is a router or a hub or a switch ?

We've been using Windows Internet Connection Sharing (and printer sharing) for our 2 computers with 56K dial-up internet service. The "host" computer is a Dell with WinME and the second computer runs Win98SE. Our simple setup only needs a network card in each computer and a "cross-over" type network cable. It works fine with a few minor niggles such as the host computer must be on for the second computer to get internet access (and printer access), and a side effect is that running the firewall plus being online uses up some of the host machine's resources so the host machine is slower on other tasks (like 3D gaming !) Soon we are getting cable internet so we'll buy an external cable modem. But what about a router or hub or switch ? What's the difference between them ? We really need a simple, plain english explanation without technical terms, please !

Regards

 

As plain and simple as I know how to put it for a small home network.

Hub and switch do basically the same job. Plug PCs into them and they handle moving network traffic between devices plugged into them.

Differences - switch is much faster and smarter. Hub simply spews all traffic to anyone who is there. Switch directs it.

Hub (unless you pay a fortune) is limited to 10Mbs half-duplex traffic. And half-duplex means send and receive but not at the same time.

Switch (any you can buy today) will do up to 100Mbs full-duplex so lots faster because not only can it to 10 times the raw speed, it will allow send & receive traffic at the same time.

Router is designed to move packets from your network to another. Smart device that knows various "routes" and will forward network traffic based on information in the packet about who it is for. In your case, it sees your local traffic and if it's destination is another PC at your place, no routing. If internet, it sends it out.

The device you will want (and Linksys, DLink, Netgear, and others make good ones for $50-$75 for a cable modem and up to 4 PCs) is actually a router and a switch built into the same little box.

Your PCs plug into the switch ports using normal rather than cross-over cables. The modem will plug in with either normal or cross-over, depending on the device, but it will clearly say which to use.

Any of the devices I mentioned above will have a couple other nice features.

1. DHCP which is a program that will automatically assign correct TCP/IP settings to any computer plugged into it as long as you select "automatic assignment" in your network TCP/IP settings.

2. NAT (network address translation) which means the router will take the IP address you will be leased by your ISP. So only the one PC shows to the ISP. It will then keep track of which PC sent a particular network traffic packet and will send any response to that one. This way your home PCs (up to 254 of them if you want) can all use the internet via the one address.

And BTW - your ICS setup is doing many of the same things. Just not nearly as well or as fast.

I use a 4 port LinkSys BEFSR41 at home and like it well. I have also heard from users of the other devices that they like theirs as well.

I have a 10 port hub but it is acting as a paper weight these days. Got it when the router/switch devices were horribly expensive and hard to find. But if I needed to, I could plug it into one of the switch ports and the switch would use it without problems so I could easily run 10 PCs on it. The switch could feed it as fast as the hub could take it and never break a sweat.

 

re: newt

I'm using the same router (linksys befsr41) and i'm having lots of trouble sending out files via ICQ, MSN, AIM.

is there anyway to fix this?

 

uberclueless - if your email and web browsing are working properly and ICQ, MSN, AIM are not working at all or working sometimes, I'd suspect your firewall configuration.

- MSN Messenger tries to use TCP destination port 1863
- AOL ICQ wants 5190 but if not open will scan for an open port above 1024
- AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) will do the same as ICQ

So, you will need to have port 5190 open, 1863 open, and probably a good idea to open at least one or two other higher ports so AIM doesn't do something obnoxious like looking for a lower (or "well known ") port below 1024 which can easily mess up another program. For instance, it has been known to grab the normal FTP port.

Since opening up your firewall reduces your level of protection, I'd strongly suggest you disable the router firewall, the XP firewall, and other rudimentary products and get one that can protect you better. Several can allow you to selectively open a port in that you can specify not only which port is open but the type of traffic that can pass thru.

So, you could open 5190 and limit it to only AOL traffic. That would stop a hacker from making use of it probably.

And you will also want a firewall that checks outbound traffic as well as inbound.

I'm not sure of the features available with the free version of Zone Alarm. The Pro (not free) version can do what you want I think. Also (and better IMO) is BlackIce.

 

In fact, a good firewall if you run ICQ/AIM is even more important now than it was several days ago.

Backdoor.AIMVision was discovered yesterday. As you can tell from the name, it targets AIM and sets your PC up for remote control by a hacker and gives him/her all your AOL account/password information as well.

But it allows access by opening and listening on port 1111 so even if your AV def files weren't up to data as of yesterday, your firewall should have noticed the activity and alerted you.

 

re: What exactly is a router...

Newt: Thanks for that explanation. Clear and concise. Much appreciated !

Regards

 

SEE
http://www.cable-modems.org/articles/internet_sharing/hardware_firewall.htm
and
http://www.cable-modems.org/articles/internet_sharing/software_firewall.htm
and
http://www.cable-modems.org/articles/internet_sharing/cheap_&_easy.htm

I think he has changed his terms on the drawings -- i thought he used to say router where he now has hub
ken