# Stupid networking question



## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

I feel like an idiot asking this, but networking isn't my thing. :lol:

My router, a D-Link DIR-825, is a great router with wireless capabilities and 4 wired ports. However, I prefer a wired connection for some pieces of electronics and have exceeded 4 units. Do I get a hub or switch? I'd like to keep it simple.

6 Wired products - DECA ICK, TV, BR Player, media player, 2 PCs
3 Wireless products - Netbook, laptop, iPad2


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## klang (Oct 14, 2003)

Switch. Probably doesn't matter but I prefer to use the same brand as the router.


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## Tom Robertson (Nov 15, 2005)

sigma1914 said:


> I feel like an idiot asking this, but networking isn't my thing. :lol:
> 
> My router, a D-Link DIR-825, is a great router with wireless capabilities and 4 wired ports. However, I prefer a wired connection for some pieces of electronics and have exceeded 4 units. Do I get a hub or switch? I'd like to keep it simple.
> 
> ...


Switch. They do not share bandwidth between ports.

Personally I'd go with a gig switch, they are inexpensive enough and likely to be your best long-term purchase.

Cheers,
Tom


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

Would this be ok? It's the same brand as the router. http://www.amazon.com/D-Link-1105-5..._m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1JTV4RR362Y57JN0RC39

8 bucks seems kinda cheap, no?

Edit...oops, Tom suggests a gig one. How's this? http://www.amazon.com/D-Link-DGS-10...TRWE/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1311130820&sr=8-3


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## Tom Robertson (Nov 15, 2005)

Spend a few $ now and get the http://www.amazon.com/D-Link-DGS-1005G-5-Port-Gigabit-Desktop/dp/B003X7TRWE

Cheers,
Tom


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## SayWhat? (Jun 7, 2009)

A Gigabit switch won't hurt, but it won't add anything if you don't have gigabit cards in the devices.


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## Tom Robertson (Nov 15, 2005)

SayWhat? said:


> A Gigabit switch won't hurt, but it won't add anything if you don't have gigabit cards in the devices.


True, but you will have giga devices during the life of the switch. Might as well get it now.

Cheers,
Tom


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## Marlin Guy (Apr 8, 2009)

sigma1914 said:


> Do I get a hub or switch?


Yes.


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

Hmmm. Well, I'm no expert on networking but in my "home theater" I'm using a TRENDnet 8-Port GREENnet Switch that I bought a few years ago connected to my new Linksys E4200 Maximum Performance Simultaneous Dual-Band Wireless-N Router and everything works fine including my Slingbox PRO-HD. So it seems to me like that $8 unit would be fine to supplement things. But then I'm cheap.


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## Stuart Sweet (Jun 19, 2006)

Hubs are older technology that don't incorporate some of the "intelligent management" functions of a switch. Switches are so cheap that it's rare to find hubs. 

Also, as the owner of a hub (Slinglink Turbo 4-port) I will tell you that the DIRECTV DVRs with two network ports sometimes have problems with hubs. They can't get past them during the initial boot and the networking gets stuck trying to acquire an IP address. This floods the hub with traffic, shutting down anything else on that hub, until you unplug the network line and move it to "the other" port.


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## JACKIEGAGA (Dec 11, 2006)

I have this and its working great for 3 years. I have a couple of receivers hook to it.

http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10521&cs_id=1052104&p_id=7854&seq=1&format=2


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## Tom Robertson (Nov 15, 2005)

Stuart Sweet said:


> Hubs are older technology that don't incorporate some of the "intelligent management" functions of a switch. Switches are so cheap that it's rare to find hubs.
> 
> Also, as the owner of a hub (Slinglink Turbo 4-port) I will tell you that the DIRECTV DVRs with two network ports sometimes have problems with hubs. They can't get past them during the initial boot and the networking gets stuck trying to acquire an IP address. This floods the hub with traffic, shutting down anything else on that hub, until you unplug the network line and move it to "the other" port.


Close, but not quite right.

Hubs can have intelligent _management _but do not have intelligent packet flow. A packet comes in one port and goes out all of them. So all the ports fight for the same 100Mbs bandwidth capacity of the entire device. Can't even go full duplex.

A switch, on the other hand, sends packets intelligently from the incoming port to only the outgoing port of the destination device. So if you have 8 ports, they all can be full duplex and all sending data at the same instant. Effectively there is a 8x200Mbs bandwidth of the entire device.

And that is why hubs will conflict with Video streams. They are all competing for a limited amount of capacity.

Almost all SOHO switches have no intelligent management. You can't connect to the switch to gather any information about the switch nor control what individual ports are doing.

Cheers,
Tom


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