How to add more ports for internet connection ?

[helmsman]

Currently, I have 3PCs, a newly bought NAS server, a old Xbox, a xbox 360 and internet phone which all demand an internet connection. I have a linksys wireless broadband router WRT54G with only 4 ports. There are insufficient number of ports to connect all devices and what is the cheap way of adding more ports. I was looking at 8 ports switch on Amazon and these people are selling patched cat 5 ethernet cable as well ? Do I need the patched one or just all normal ethernet cables.

At the back of my linksys, there is a specific port for internet input and 4 outputs to PCs
but the
8 Port RJ45 Nway LAN Network Ethernet Hub Switch 10/100

on sale at Amazone does not have an input port from internet modem which baffles me ? My question is how to connect up a 8 port switch ?

Alternatively, can I piggy back another 4 port switch and gow to connect it up ?

[burner1]

For the cost, I'd go for a auto switching 8 port hub mate, you can just add an ethernet cable from one of it's ports to your current router.

[Ashy]

Usually port 1 or port 8 will be the uplink port so just run a patch cable from a port on your router to the uplink port and you'll have 7 more ports to use for internet.

[tam9]

if you are using a hub and all the equipment is tx'ing and rx'ing at the same time you will get a lot of collisions...also to note is you might see errors when using a hub quite a bit..

[Over Carl]

Tam is right - I thought hubs were obsolete apart from a few specific purposes. However I thought you either got a switch or a hub, and that claims to be both,

All modern small switches I've come across will let you plug the wire from your router into any port, then let you use the rest for pc's and other devices.

[helmsman]

For the cost, I'd go for a auto switching 8 port hub mate, you can just add an ethernet cable from one of it's ports to your current router.

Can you recommend an auto switching 8 port hub or is there a better solution due to clashes from so many devices, please ?

[Nisei]

I would consider buying an 8 port gigabit switch. They're not expensive anymore and sooner or later you'll regret you bought a 10/100 switch. You can plug your 10/100Mb devices (Xboxes and internet phone) in the linksys switch along with the new gigabit switch. Then you'll have 7 gigabit ports left in which you can plug your PCs and NAS so communication between the PCs and NAS is gigabit speed (if they have a gigabit ethernet card of course).

[Mickey]

Ive just got a freebie wireless router from virgin as i needed more ports the hub has 4 potrs on the back. So all i did was connect a lead from the new router to my exsisting 8 port the hub via this cable.Booted up all the pcs and they worked seamlessly. The only one that had an issue with connecting (little yellow triangle) was uninstalled in windows and rebooted to get it to work (found new hardware).

you dont really need to get anything faster than a 10/100 hub as youll never get the true speed of it running the internet, even at 50 meg broadband. I have 5 PCs, 1 laptop and an xbox running on the 8 port 3com hub and it has worked ok for 2 years without issues. Unless your planning on moving out data in a few gigs at a time that is

[MasterAbacus]

Just use standard RJ45 network leads, and somthing like a Netgear 8 port switch, as said before a 10/100 switch will do the job just fine...

[helmsman]

Just bought a Buffalo Linkstation, it has Gigabit ethernet. So I may as well get a Gigabit 8 port router and a couple of Gigabit network cards as they are inexpensive in order to boost my network transfer speed. No need to do any piggy back. Just realize my NSLU2 can be hacked to bits and thinking of buildindg a Hackintosh. My 8 porter router is out of ports again !