To switch or to Route?

[protokatie]

I need to expand the LAN here, as I find I dont have enough Ethernet ports on the cheepo Linksys router (100 base T with wifi G)

I was thinking of daisy chaining either a switch or router to the current router. Any ideas? Switch or router? Any issues with daisy chaining?

This is one item that piqued my interest, it is a switch with no Wifi, so I would need the current router.
http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/720837/Netgear-GS608-8-Port-Gigabit-Ethernet/?cm_mmc=Mercent-_-Google-_-Wired_Networking-_-720837&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=CPC&utm_campaign=plusbox-beta&mr:trackingCode=230F3D1B-EC81-DE11-B7F3-0019B9C043EB&mr:referralID=NA

Any advice?

[saint]

Just plug a switch into the router. Only need one router on your LAN.

[vorghagen]

Just plug a switch into the router. Only need one router on your LAN.

+1
Having a second router is unnecessary and makes for extra problems when setting up if you forget to disable everything (DHCP etc). Whereas with a switch it is literally plug and play.
Better performance too.

[protokatie]

Okies, that is what I was leaning towards. Also, I imagine I should connect the thing up in this order.

Modem - Router - Switch, as the switch AFAIK doesnt handle the web end of stuff (firewall, IP address acquiring, etc)

Is this the best?


EDIT: Also, is the linked switch a good deal, or does anyone have a recommendation?

[vorghagen]

Modem - Router - Switch, as the switch AFAIK doesnt handle the web end of stuff (firewall, IP address acquiring, etc)

Correct. The switch will do nothing but connect LAN devices to each other. The one you've linked to seems pretty good but I'd only go for a gigabit if you really need that speed. Unless you've got several devices with a gigabit network card everything will be slowed to 100M anyway. You'd probably be able to find a 10/100 switch for less than half the price. If you want to get the gigabit switch for future proofing in case you pick up some gigabit stuff later there's no down side apart from the price.

Hope this helps.

[protokatie]

Thanx. Actually I already have a bunch of gigabit stuff (File server w/ 3TB of storage, my "main" computer, and my netbook.). My "main" computer also has an additional 1 TB drive to back up the stuff I really care about on the file server (So 1000 Base T would be a good upgrade). My phone(magicJack)+info center Kiosk computer and livingroom entertainment center computer are both older systems with 100 base T NICs, but that is more than sufficient. Other computers on the LAN include my netbook(wifi/1000baseT), my two roomates computers(wifi) and the "guy who owns the place"'s computer(100 base T) (we ran an ethernet cable up to his upstairs apartment). Also on the list is a printer, which is set up via wifi, but is also mirrored on the fileserver as a shared local printer.

I am also sitting here looking at another old computer that a roomie brought home from work, a laptop he did as well (both of which I brought back to life, so when his kids come over they have their own computers to play on) as well as a box full of old laptops the guy's work was going to throw out. Considering the number of computers here, the timed lighting strings and lightning lamps I have set up, the X10 home automation I am setting up, and the fact that the file server plays a star trek Klaxxon with Marjel Barrett's voice; this place is getting as close to the Enterprise D as one can imagine (sans voice control). 

[AtomSmasher]

You can get a good gigabit switch for half that price at newegg.com

[saint]

I upgraded all my switches to gigabit many months ago. All my computers have gigabit NICs now, and with streaming media going all over the house the bandwidth boost is nice.