Posts: 786
Threads: 0
Joined: Nov 2004
Hi,
The last few months we've been upgrading the home theater, finally ditching a 32" flat screen for a 60", etc.
WiFi in the house isn't great, fixing it is another task on my list. I already have an Ethernet cable going to my son's X-Box in the entertainment center, and would like to hard wire the smart TV and a new A/V receiver that is on order.
Would I place a router or a hub in the entertainment center for this?
Today we have a Comcast cable modem with an Ethernet output connected to a four-port router with built in wifi. This is all in the basement. A single Ethernet cable goes from the router to the X-Box on the first floor, the other Ethernet ports in the basement router are already used for home offices PC's so I do not have more port capacity to run to the entertainment center.
So, would a second four-port router in the entertainment center distributing Ethernet to each device be the correct item to use, or is a hub a more appropriate device?
I looked around for this on line but nothing discussing two routers back-to-back popped up.
Hope all this makes sense an that you can help.
Thanks....Mike
Posts: 31,110
Threads: 2
Joined: Mar 2003
Location: Athens, TN
Hub is sufficient. Routing is already handled with the existing.
If your wiring and router supports it, get a 100 megabit vs 10megabit hub or you are multiplexing all the devices down to 10 megabit in total. However, even that should be sufficient.
Rocket Science is more fun when you actually have rockets.
"The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government." -- Patrick Henry
Posts: 4,901
Threads: 0
Joined: May 2010
I would use a switch not a hub
Posts: 6,687
Threads: 0
Joined: Mar 2005
Location: SW Ohio
Yes a switch.,
I don't think they even make hubs anymore do they?
Posts: 31,110
Threads: 2
Joined: Mar 2003
Location: Athens, TN
Sure. Didn't even think of a switch. Just don't need a router.
Rocket Science is more fun when you actually have rockets.
"The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government." -- Patrick Henry
Posts: 489
Threads: 0
Joined: Sep 2009
To clear the misunderstanding:
A router connects two subnets, for example, 192.168.0.x and 192.168.1.x. "Routers" sold at Fry's perform Network Address Translation (NAT), which allows to use a single external IP address for multiple internal IP addresses on your home subnet.
You don't need a router to connect a group of devices to the rest of your home network.
A hub is an analog repeater which connects devices on a single collision domain. Hubs only work for half-duplex link layer protocols, like 10Mbps coax and twisted pair, long obsolete. I don't think you can buy a hub anymore.
A switch forwards packets based on their MAC address, which it learns from the ingress packets. A switch can do full duplex transfers. A switch connects devices in a single broadcast domain.
What you need is a switch.
If you have coax in the wall in your TV/entertainment room, you could just move your cable modem/router there. That will also fix your "WiFi is not great" problem.
Posts: 2,565
Threads: 0
Joined: Mar 2001
Alex Grigoriev said:
To clear the misunderstanding:
A router connects two subnets, for example, 192.168.0.x and 192.168.1.x. "Routers" sold at Fry's perform Network Address Translation (NAT), which allows to use a single external IP address for multiple internal IP addresses on your home subnet.
You don't need a router to connect a group of devices to the rest of your home network.
A hub is an analog repeater which connects devices on a single collision domain. Hubs only work for half-duplex link layer protocols, like 10Mbps coax and twisted pair, long obsolete. I don't think you can buy a hub anymore.
A switch forwards packets based on their MAC address, which it learns from the ingress packets. A switch can do full duplex transfers. A switch connects devices in a single broadcast domain.
What you need is a switch.
If you have coax in the wall in your TV/entertainment room, you could just move your cable modem/router there. That will also fix your "WiFi is not great" problem.
What Alex Said!!!
A switch is what I use.
Posts: 786
Threads: 0
Joined: Nov 2004
Thanks all.
Was asking about the hub as I have two 4 port hubs in a desk drawer leftover from a previous job. I'll try that first and if it doesn't work will buy a switch.
Mike
Posts: 46,966
Threads: 0
Joined: Nov 2002
Location: east coaster
switch will definitely work.
at our entertainment center (keep in mind, we're relatively paranoid
), we've got a MANUAL switch -- sorta like this:
http://www.amazon.com/SANOXY-Network-Swi...5+manual+switchthis at least allows us to have NO connection if we want, without having to just pull the power plug. also, not a fan of whatever these "smart" devices might wanna do, so we like having full control.
Posts: 4,901
Threads: 0
Joined: May 2010
if you have an old router just use it in bridge mode
