Would like to get my 4th machine back in service

I have a 4 port Linksys Router with 3 machines and a printer plugged into it.

I would like to get my 4th machine back in service and would like some help in finding the better way to do it.

1-Get a new 8 port Router ?

2-Install a Hub or switch which ever is needed ?

Then with a hub or switch I would plug the 4th and one other machine into it and then cable the hub/switch to the Router.

I Think

And if I am on the right track I could get a Networkable scanner and plug it in. Right now I have a USB scanner plugged into my machine. and I my machine is off no one can use it.

BillyBob

 

I'd suggest getting a small (8 port) switch. Connect ALL the pc and local devices to the new switch. Then connect one port on the switch to one port on the router.

Natively you need a cross over cable to connect two switches (or in this case an 8 port switch to the 4 port switch in the router). However, most switches have at least one port that you can switch over to "crossover ". So to connect the switch to the router you will have to either:

1. Connect the switch to the router with a cross-over cable or
2. Connect them using a standard cable (straight through) from one of the router ports to the switchable port on the new switch (if it has one). Then switch the port to crossover

The reason for going for this arrangement is that the slowest part of your network is the link out to the internet (rarely greater than 1Mb/s), and the fastest is the switch backbone (probably in the order of 400Mb/s throughput capacity for a cheap 8 port switch). Connecting all the internal devices via the new switch means that the greatest bottleneck they have when communicating internally is their own dedicated 100Mb/s link to the switch. If you connect some of them to the router the link between the router and switch will be a bottle neck with a number of PC trying to share this 100 Mb/s link between switches when communicating locally.

I am not a fan of network scanners. I think a better solution is to dedicate one of the PC to this role.

 

Thanks

So, basicly what you are recommending is that if I go with a switch then plug everything into the switch and then the switch to the Router.

If I do this what about IP addressing ? Will it be handled automaticly as is it now by the Router.

As it is now the printer is always on. The three machines are addressed accoriding to the order they are turned on.

Alias-Dynamic addressing. ( I believe that is what it is called. )

If this is not the case then I would prefer the 8 port Router route. Lot less work I think.

BillyBob

PS
Will give some thought to the scanner also. WE do not use it that much.

BB

 

BB - plugging a switch into one of the switch ports on the router will keep things behaving fine for you. You won't notice any difference except that you will have the 4th PC working.

Avoid a hub.

Since you will lose a port on the router and a port on the new switch for the cable to connect them, a 4 port switch would only give you an additional 2 ports but if you can find one much cheaper than an 8 port and don't plan any future expansions it would be fine.

But all in all, adding an 8 port switch sounds like the best idea.

 

I am also considering This

Unless I am reading wrong it could be used as one Firewall for all machines and I would not need a software FW on them. I do need help on that score.

I do have a the BEFSR41 now.

BillyBob

 

BB - I read reviews and spec sheets on that device - trying to get details about any hardware firewall they had built in.

I kept reading blurbs about the NAT Firewall but no details about a real firewall so I'm not sure it has one.

 

Thanks for the info so far.

But one question I still.

If I plug a 4/8 port SWITCH into a port on the Router will I continue to have DHCP asigned addresses as I do now ?

I have seen ( in a store SOMEWHERE ) an 8 port Router. It mentioned having a on/off programable firewall. I may be going to a store today and I will look closer. ( IF they have one ).

BillyBob

 

Yes.

(Actually, no, but I answered what I think you meant to ask rather than what you really did ask.)

Your device is a combo router & switch in a single case and internally connected. The ports you are plugging into belong to the switch portion rather than the router portion.

The router port is the one you use to connect modem to linksys device.

 

The ports you are plugging into belong to the switch portion rather than the router portion

Right now then the Router is doing the Dymanic addressing. Which ever machine is turned on first ( after the Printer which is alwasy on ) get the next address inline.

IE: printer is 192.168.1.100. the next machine on will get 192.168.1.101.

LOL. This machine must have been last on this AM. It is 102.68.1.103.

So Am I thinking that if I did go with a 8 port switch I may need to chance to STATIC IP addressing ?

BillyBob

 

Adding a switch will not effect the dynamic IP addressing provided by the router's DHCP system. By adding a switch to your current set up all you are effectively doing is extending the switch in the router. Addresses may change, but that is the nature of a dynamic IP addressing system. Perhaps if I try to explain how DHCP works that will help.

When a PC, with no address assigned and set to automatic addressing, connects to a network, the first thing it does is send out a broadcast TO THE WHOLE NETWORK. This broadcast basically says "I have no IP address, is there someone out there who can give me an IP address? ". This is just the sort of message a DHCP server is waiting for. When DHCP recieves this message it checks through its database of available IP addresses and replies directly to the PC with a message saying "Yes, I have this one you can use, and you can use it for this long ".

The length of time the PC can use the address varies depending on the system. For most local area network systems (like yours) it is in the region of 3 to 5 days. About halfway through this period the PC will communicate with the DHCP server and ask to renew its lease. Usually the DHCP server will try to give the PC the same address.

If the PC cannot find the DHCP server on the network, it will broadcast out for another one. If it fails the PC will either try to assign its own address (XP does this) or assign no address, depending on the operating system.

So if you keep your PCs connected to the network and use them regularly, they will tend to keep the same addresses. However, if you leave a PC off for a few days, or take it off site for a similar period, there is good chance it will get a different address when it is reconnected to the network.

Your router will provide a DHCP server to the WHOLE of the network connected to it. That includes to PCs connected directly to one of its ports and PC connected to switches or hubs that are themselves connected to the hub.

DHCP is a great way to manage the IP addressing of a network of computers. However, there are often some PC that it is best to assign IP addresses statically. These are usually servers (including print servers - though often these are set up dynamically). Most DHCP systems have an exclusion range, which is a range of IP addresses set aside for static assignment.

So most networks have a small number of statically assigned computers and a much greater number of dynamically assigned computers.

 

ThanksReggieB

You have just given me something more to do today. L&L&LOL. After our new washer and dryer get here and installed I will be heading out to fine a switch.

--I am getting bored and need something new to mess up anyway--

Oh My !. How well I understand that.

Right now my Printer Is the only thing that maintains a constant address as it does not get shut down. Unless we are both going to be gone for an extended period of time.

So far, any games or what ever we do between machines, when we tell it to connect to host it finds the Host by name. A couple of times I tried having my Wife type in what I THOUGHT was my machine address. HA HA HA !! Then my brain finally started working and I realized that her machine had been turned on FIRST that day.

So. If I am thinking correctly I can have 3 or more machines and the switch ( with CONSTANT power ) on one side of the room. And then only one cable ( instead of three ) under the floor over to the Router which will also have my machine plugged in.

Right now under my deck is a COMPLETE DISASTER.

HUH OH !! Ding Dong Doorbell. Appliances my be here. Naw. Just a kids from next door wanting to play games on the other PC.

Gotta go get 3nd cup of coffee any way.

BillyBob

 

BEFSR81 is basically the same as your BEFSR41 with 4 additional ports. you've gotten good advice - buy an 8 port switch. EZXS88W is the Linksys 8 port switch.

 

In looking around on both the Net and in local stores I see there is available a Switch Model EZXSS55W which is a 5 port model.

$20 difference in price. And I believe that the 5 port model would be more than sufficient for my needs.

As far as I can see ( read ) they both do the same job. Just that the 5 port model does not have as many LEDs on the front.

BillyBob

 

As a general rule, get too many ports rather than just enough. The last thing you want is to end up in two or three years time with lots of 4-5 port switches daisy chained together. I really think the extra $20 of the 8 port switch will be worthwhile in the long run.

 

Excellent point.

BillyBob