Switch Behind A Router

[orion25]

I am currently using a Dlink DI-614+ to distribute my cable modem to 3 (1 of which is wireless) desktops and one wireless notebook. I recently bought an 8 port swith from Newegg b/c it was free! Since my router uses a Hub and switches are more efficient should I feed the router into the switch to run the wired computers? If so, How would I do this and How would it affect my 2 wireless computers?desktops?

Or. Should I hold on to this free switch until I buy a house and use it then; or use it for my planned game servers??

Thanks for the help.

RB

[jajmon]

Your router has a switch built-in, so you see any better performance by moving the wired pc's to the 8 port switch. If you want to add more pc's to the network at a later time, all you you to do is run a patch cable from one of the router ports to the new switch.

[orion25]

Originally posted by jajmon
Your router has a switch built-in, so you see any better performance by moving the wired pc's to the 8 port switch. If you want to add more pc's to the network at a later time, all you you to do is run a patch cable from one of the router ports to the new switch.

Actually my router has a Hub built in. From what I have heard in the past, a switch gets better performance than a hub. So, what I was wondering is was there a way to put my wired computers on the switch and keep my wireless computers on the router?

If not I will keep the switch in the closet until we purchase a house and I can exploit it fully. I also plan on going with Cisco equipment at this time. But only as time & $$ permit.

RB

[bdf24]

According to Dlinks website. The descriptions mentions it's got an integrated 4 port switch.

"integrated 4-port switch allows direct connection of up to four computers."

So if this is so you do not need the 8 port switch unless you wanna connect more PC's then you current router will handle.

[Caffinehog]

For what it's worth, you can easily put a switch after a router.

[{PMS}fishy]

A router is a more complex switch, so all routers are switches, all swiches are hubs. You see how this is working? Take a look at the OSI model. If you need more explination I would be more than happy.

[don256us]

I also have the 614+ and the 4 ports are a switch. But I too have an 8 port switch to go behind that. (Mine cost more than free). If your 8 port has an 'uplink', you can put a straight cable to one of the ports on your D-Link. If not, then use a crossover from the D-Link to the 8 port. You then have 3 ports to use on the D-Link and 7 to use on the 8 port for a total of 10 machines that can be hardwired. More with the wireless portion of the D-Link. Don't think too much about that, just try it and you will see very easily.

I believe that switches can only go 3 deep. That is to say, D-Link to switch and that switch to another switch. You could also put a switch into each of the 4 ports of your D-Link. Of course this starts to create an overhead.

In short, you you can hook the switch into the D-Link.

[bdf24]

My D-Link does'nt have an uplink port. But it automatically detects whats connected to it. So you never have to use a crossover only a patch no matter what's connected to it.
So make sure you read the specs.

[orion25]

Since it is apparent that my DI-614 has a switch and not a hub built in, would I see any better security by using the separate switch to run a game server? I was thinking of hosting a small (8 Player or so) BF1942 server.

Help is much appreciated.

THX

[don256us]

Originally posted by orion25
Since it is apparent that my DI-614 has a switch and not a hub built in, would I see any better security by using the separate switch to run a game server? I was thinking of hosting a small (8 Player or so) BF1942 server.

Help is much appreciated.

THX

The answer is no. If a hacker can get through the firewall, they can access anything that is attached to that network.

Of course, if that 8 port switch is NOT connected to your router, AND none of the machines are connected to the internet in any way, then the answer changes to YES. An isolated network is secure because there is no way to get inside.

[orion25]

Let me clarify a little (or say what I wanted to say in the first place). Could I run the switch off the router and put it in DMZ? That way the game server & Gaming comp would be isolated from the rest of the network and would be both in DMZ.

I plan on keeping all of my personal files on another Comp that is connected to another port on the router and thus firewalled.

THX

[Kendan]

I am pretty sure you can only DMZ one inner IP addy. but you will be better off just findong out what specific ports need to be opened for the server and forwarding those specific ports to the game servers ip.

[Softgod]

I am pretty sure you can only DMZ one inner IP addy. but you will be better off just findong out what specific ports need to be opened for the server and forwarding those specific ports to the game servers ip.


Not true. I have a Linksys wireless router with a 5 port switch and a 3COM Superstack 3300 that is attached to it. My wife works from home 4 days out of the week and her work pays for comcast Pro so they make the rules. The rules say that she has to be behind a firewall. I do not like being behind a firewall since I have a few game servers. I set the 3com up on an IP and I just do the DMZ stuff on it. That way she is still protected and I am out in the open. It goes from the cable modem to the Linksys, to the 3com. Just DMZ your other switch or go from your cable/dsl modem to your big switch then have all of your firewalled stuff after that.

PS, I do not have any Dlink stuff so I do not know if it will work on yours.


DMZ one inner IP addy

Anyhow, this is correct, but you are doing it to an entire switch.

[Kendan]

Originally posted by Softgod



Not true. I have a Linksys wireless router with a 5 port switch and a 3COM Superstack 3300 that is attached to it. My wife works from home 4 days out of the week and her work pays for comcast Pro so they make the rules. The rules say that she has to be behind a firewall. I do not like being behind a firewall since I have a few game servers. I set the 3com up on an IP and I just do the DMZ stuff on it. That way she is still protected and I am out in the open. It goes from the cable modem to the Linksys, to the 3com. Just DMZ your other switch or go from your cable/dsl modem to your big switch then have all of your firewalled stuff after that.

PS, I do not have any Dlink stuff so I do not know if it will work on yours.




Anyhow, this is correct, but you are doing it to an entire switch.


He can only do that if his switch is a mangaged switch and can get an IP. And if he uses a switch that can not get an IP then he would have to have two IP's from his ISP to put the switch before his router.

[Softgod]

Ahh, that is correct, I forgot about all of the IPs that the switch before the router would want. Also, I have a managed switch so I really did not think about that too.

[orion25]

Originally posted by Softgod


Just DMZ your other switch.

Anyhow, this is correct, but you are doing it to an entire switch.

That is exactly what I was looking to do. Sorry I was not clearer in the beginning.

Thanks

[Kendan]

Originally posted by orion25


That is exactly what I was looking to do. Sorry I was not clearer in the beginning.

Thanks

Just a clarification. You need a special kind of switch to do that.

[Optimus Prime]

this is my home network setup
linky
http://forum.oc-forums.com/vb/showthread.php?threadid=242633

now i run all switches and it works great (i run a switch off of each port on the router). as for your server needs unless u have something other then cable running a game server would be out of the ?. But if you still want to do it run your game server in the DMZ (also run zone alarm on it at the same time) and the rest of your stuff on the switch and router. one thing to consider is the longer the uplink cable from your switch to your router the more latency u have. shouldnt really matter cause u can afford to loose alittle bit off of 100mbs.

if you have any more ?'s let me know
Prime

[jajmon]

Originally posted by {PMS}fishy
A router is a more complex switch, so all routers are switches, all swiches are hubs. You see how this is working? Take a look at the OSI model. If you need more explination I would be more than happy.

Umm - don't want to start anything here but,,,,,,,,,,,,,

A router, in it's purest form/description, routes data packets between different IP, IP/IPX networks PERIOD A 'router' is not a switch. A switch or hub connects hosts (pc's) that are on the same IP network ( I can now share files/printers because I am connected to a swithc/hub) In the context of what we are talking about in a SOHO environment, (dlink,netgear,linksys, broadband 'routers' w/4 port 'switch') a 'router' has a switch built in. The 'router' has an external network address of 'whatever' from the ISP and routes the data to 192.168.blah.blah, an internal IP network,( depending on the mfg, it could be 192.168.0.xxx, 1. or 192.1668.1.xxx etc., =your internal LAN) This function is called NAT,( Network address translation. This function is considered a firewall by some) A router and switch/hub work on different layers of the OSI model. A switch is not a hub, yet they perform the same function of connecting hosts on the same network, but they do it in a different fashion

Router - layer 3 - network
Switches/hubs/nics - layer 2 - data link
Cabling - layer 1- physical

[Annoyingrob]

he could always put the switch behind the cable modem, then plug the router into that. Then all of the PCs in the first switch would be in the open, and everything connected to the router would be secure. But that would require an ISP that would assign multiple IP addresses to all the pcs on the first switch.