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Ethernet switches

Postby DOGSNOT on Tue Jul 15, 2003 5:45 pm

Is a switch a just a switch? I am looking at getting a larger switch for my home network and i came across a Gigafast 8 port switch for $30.00 and a $30.00 rebate. so it is free. I am nervouse about this because i don't know if they are good, and i dont like throwing money down the toilet.

Also I am running a 10mps switch and am going to get a 10/100 switch, as the rest of the gear is 10/100. I am on dsl at 256 up and 640 down. I have 3 pc's serving files and uploading to the internet 24/7 and my bandwidth suffers dramaticly. is it possible that going 10/100 will open things up a bit?
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Postby TheWizard on Wed Jul 16, 2003 3:51 am

Since you have 3 PC's uploading to the Internet constantly, the bigger question is, what DSL router and switch are you using? Are you sure it's a switch and not a hub? Hubs divide the 10/100Mbps connection to each port, depending on which ports demand more at a given time; whereas a switch dedicates a full 10/100Mbps to each port at all times. You definitely want good networking equipment, and I'm not sure how good Gigafast is; I've never heard of them, actually. Why not get a 4, 7, or 8-port DSL Router/Switch? SMC, D-Link, Linksys, and Netgear make such routers/switches for a reasonable price. I'm very happy with my Netgear RT314 even though it is considered old technology now.

If you are transferring files from PC to PC on your LAN and you notice bogging down, then definitely get a 100Mbps switch. You will notice a big difference between 10 and 100Mbps LAN connections. However, it sounds like you are suffering from poor bandwidth because your DSL connection is the bottleneck. 256Kbps is not much compared to 10Mbps. Unless you get a 10 or 100Mbps connection to your ISP, you will not be able to utilize your switch's full bandwidth capabilities to the Internet.
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Postby DOGSNOT on Wed Jul 16, 2003 10:23 am

I have a Cisco 678 router and a Netgear 4 port 10mps switch, and it is definitely a switch. I borrowed a 10/100 switch from a friend last night and my Intranet was much faster, but my internet is still lagging. I think you might have a point with looking at the modem. I am going to see if I can borrow a router/hub combo from a friend, and see if that is the culprit. The router is the logical next step. Then I start pointing my finger at my isp?
I only started seeing a lag after i went to static ip's on these machines. But then again, all machines didn't have the responsibility of serving all the time,on occasion they did and I never noticed a real lag.
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Postby Ian on Wed Jul 16, 2003 10:53 am

I'm betting the uplink on that router is only 10Mb too. If you're leasing it from your ISP, you might want to talk to them about getting a newer model since Cisco discontinued the 678.

Sticking another router/hub in between the Cisco and your switch probably won't help. But as you've found, getting a faster switch will definitely improve traffic between your computers.

If you're serious about serving files from your home, you might want to invest in a SDSL connection or upgrade to an ADSL solution with a faster uplink. I have 256 up on my cable modem at home and I'm lucky if I get that on a good day. I couldn't imagine serving files on that.
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Postby Turkeyscore.com on Fri Jul 25, 2003 2:50 am

question: what is the difference between a switch and a hub?
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Postby David on Fri Jul 25, 2003 3:01 am

Here is a nice simple explination between a hub and a switch.
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