# Networking question



## wilbur_the_goose (Aug 16, 2006)

I've been in IT for 20 years, so I'm a bit embarassed to ask such a basic question.. But here goes.

I have Verizon FIOS service. They provided a DLink wireless router with four wired ports.

But I now need more than 4 wired ports.

I've tried a cheap Linksys workgroup switch, but it didn't work at all.

What do I need to do? 

Thanks!


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## dave29 (Feb 18, 2007)

Any cheap switch should work. Maybe the Linksys was defective???


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## SayWhat? (Jun 7, 2009)

Sillier question; where'd you put the LinkSys in the scheme?

You should be taking a cable from one wired port on the router to one port on the LinkSys switch and connecting the additional wired hardware from there. It shouldn't matter _which_ port on the LinkSys, but I always use Port 1 for the daisy chain connection.


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

Most any Linksys switch should work. Older ones required using a dedicated uplink port or a cross-over cable.

Newer switches from all manufacturers have ports that automatically detect what they need to be.

Make sure you don't plug the switch into the WAN port on the router and you should be fine.


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## dorfd1 (Jul 16, 2008)

harsh said:


> Most any Linksys switch should work. Older ones required using a dedicated uplink port or a cross-over cable.
> 
> Newer switches from all manufacturers have ports that automatically detect what they need to be.
> 
> Make sure you don't plug the switch into the WAN port on the router and you should be fine.


the WAN port is on the same switch as lan ports it is just in a different vlan.


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

dorfd1 said:


> the WAN port is on the same switch as lan ports it is just in a different vlan.


The WAN port connects you to a *WAN* and as such, you need to keep it connected exclusively to your Internet source. If it were for your LAN, it would have been given a number like the rest of the LAN ports.

Look up LAN and WAN on Wikipedia and see if you can figure out the difference. Don't bother posting what you find as it isn't important to this thread.


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## Marlin Guy (Apr 8, 2009)

Wilbur,
If you haven't already got it sorted out, I'd recommend doing the following.

Note the IP settings on a computer connected directly to the provider's router.
IP address, DNS, DHCP, Gateway.

Then plug the same computer in to the switch while it is connected to the router and reboot the computer.
Bring up the IP settings again and compare them to the first ones.

Is anything different?
If so, post back with what is different and list the make and model of the router and the switch.


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## dorfd1 (Jul 16, 2008)

harsh said:


> The WAN port connects you to a *WAN* and as such, you need to keep it connected exclusively to your Internet source. If it were for your LAN, it would have been given a number like the rest of the LAN ports.
> 
> Look up LAN and WAN on Wikipedia and see if you can figure out the difference. Don't bother posting what you find as it isn't important to this thread.


I have a wrt320n and a wrt54gl and the wan port on both routers are on the same switch and vlan. if I wanted to I could configure one of the lan ports to be the wan.

I use the wrt320n as an ethernet bridge and the wrt54gl as a repeater bridge.

my desktop computer is plugged into the wan port of the 320n and gets an ip from my server computer plugged into lan port 1 of the 320n


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

dorfd1 said:


> I use the wrt320n as an ethernet bridge and the wrt54gl as a repeater bridge.


In those cases, your not using routers, your using bridges. Most people don't employ bridges in their homes.

Routers in the residential sense use the WAN port to connect to the Internet via a modem (or media converter in the case of FTTH).


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## wilbur_the_goose (Aug 16, 2006)

Thanks - I'll be back with results later tonight.


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## dorfd1 (Jul 16, 2008)

harsh said:


> In those cases, your not using routers, your using bridges. Most people don't employ bridges in their homes.
> 
> Routers in the residential sense use the WAN port to connect to the Internet via a modem (or media converter in the case of FTTH).


the wireless lan can also be the wan port on my routers


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## Marlin Guy (Apr 8, 2009)

dorfd1 said:


> the wireless lan can also be the wan port on my routers


What possible relevance does that have to the OP's issue?
And that's a rhetorical question.


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## dorfd1 (Jul 16, 2008)

wilbur_the_goose said:


> I've been in IT for 20 years, so I'm a bit embarassed to ask such a basic question.. But here goes.
> 
> I have Verizon FIOS service. They provided a DLink wireless router with four wired ports.
> 
> ...


just plug the switch into one of lan ports on the router and plug additional devices into the switch.


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## WestDC (Feb 9, 2008)

When adding a (small) switch to a 4 port Router,that is connected to a (modem). (home Network Setup)

What I do when ever I reconfig my home network is start with powering down all my connected devices (PC's and Such) Then Power off my router, then power down my Modem.

Reconfig all my patch cables and boxes (while the power is off) Then I power up my modem (wait 30 seconds ) then I power up my Router (wait 30 seconds) Then I power up my new switch (wait 30 seconds) Then boot up a PC connected to the new switch and Run CMD and ipconfig thenbrowse to Google. Then restart everything else that was turn off.

If you were Hot connecting your Switch -that may have been the reason for it not working?


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## dennisj00 (Sep 27, 2007)

I don't know of any network stuff that can't be 'Hot' connected. I have routers / switches at customer sites that haven't been rebooted in years.

And it's good to see Harsh's generalization as authority . . 'Most people don't employ bridges in their homes.' I have 2 bridges in a rather small (1800 sf) home.


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## The Merg (Jun 24, 2007)

dennisj00 said:


> I don't know of any network stuff that can't be 'Hot' connected. I have routers / switches at customer sites that haven't been rebooted in years.
> 
> And it's good to see Harsh's generalization as authority . . 'Most people don't employ bridges in their homes.' I have 2 bridges in a rather small (1800 sf) home.


Yup. Got one too. I even have it set up as a wireless bridge to act as a wireless network extender without having it hardwired back to the main router.

- Merg


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## Marlin Guy (Apr 8, 2009)

dennisj00 said:


> And it's good to see Harsh's generalization as authority . . 'Most people don't employ bridges in their homes.' I have 2 bridges in a rather small (1800 sf) home.


That doesn't make you "most people".
I think his generalization is accurate.


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## dennisj00 (Sep 27, 2007)

Most people don't have DirecTV or a network in their home.


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## Cholly (Mar 22, 2004)

Hmm...l have a Netgear wireless router with a D-Link switch and Linksys hub connected to it. They are all very happy together. I have 3 computers, one printer, a Wii, Ps/3 and three TiVo DVR's connected wirelessly and 2 computers, one printer,one TiVo, a Blu-ray player and 2 HD DVD players all hardwired.


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## dorfd1 (Jul 16, 2008)

The Merg said:


> Yup. Got one too. I even have it set up as a wireless bridge to act as a wireless network extender without having it hardwired back to the main router.
> 
> - Merg


you have a wrt320n and a wrt54gl both configured as repeater bridges too?

do you also use dd-wrt, that is what I use.


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

Cholly said:


> Hmm...l have a Netgear wireless router with a D-Link switch and Linksys hub connected to it. They are all very happy together.


I'm betting that everything would be a lot happier without the hub stinking up the place. Hubs are evil.


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## The Merg (Jun 24, 2007)

dorfd1 said:


> you have a wrt320n and a wrt54gl both configured as repeater bridges too?
> 
> do you also use dd-wrt, that is what I use.


Actually, I have 2 WRT54GS's. My main one has Tomato on it so that I can use static DHCP addressing and the one I use as the wireless extender bridge has DD-WRT on it.

- Merg


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## wilbur_the_goose (Aug 16, 2006)

I tried for hours, and I'm going to go back to a "no switch" setup. I'll just switch cables when I want to use my other device.

My VOIP was especially sensitive. Can't live without a phone!


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## davidjplatt (Sep 22, 2007)

What kind of switch do you have, what kind of router do you have and how are they connected?

I have a D-Link wireless router with the ethernet cable for FiOS connected to the WAN port. The Vonage device is plugged into the FiOS router. A cable from the FIOS router goes to a D-Link 8 port Gigabit switch and another cable on that switch goes to a 5 port D-Link Gigabit switch. The home server a two linux boxes are connected to the 5 port switch. The cables distributed throught the home (to the family room, living room and office) are connected to the 8 port switch. There is a 4 port TrendNet gigabit switch in the Living room for a laptop, blu-ray player and the HR20-700 HD-DVR. The cable to the family room is connected to an 8 port Netgear Gigabit switch that has a networked laser printer, main PC, Home Theatre PC, iMac, Slingbox, Blu-Ray player, wireless router and an HR20-100 HD-DVR connected. The office has a 5 port gigabit Netgear switch with a PC, networked Laser Printer, wireless router and an HR20-700 HD-DVR connected. One of the cables from the Netgear switch in the office goes into the Master Bedroom where there is an 8 port D-Link Gigabit switch with a Blu-Ray player, HD-DVD player, HD Slingbox and HR20-100 connected.

You shouldn't have any problems with a router and a single switch. I only have the main D-Link wireless router doing DHCP assignment of addresses - the other routers have DHCP disabled. The only router with the WAN port connected is the one connected to the FiOS ethernet cable.


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## dorfd1 (Jul 16, 2008)

The Merg said:


> Actually, I have 2 WRT54GS's. My main one has Tomato on it so that I can use static DHCP addressing and the one I use as the wireless extender bridge has DD-WRT on it.
> 
> - Merg


dd-wrt supports static ip's. my wrt320n and wrt54gl both configured as repeater bridges use static ip's.


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## scooper (Apr 22, 2002)

You can always tell the "wannabes" from the pros on these type threads....

and yes - I'm a Pro...


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## Marlin Guy (Apr 8, 2009)

scooper said:


> You can always tell the "wannabes" from the pros on these type threads....
> 
> and yes - I'm a Pro...


I fly top secret test aircraft for the __________ __________ .

I think we have a superhero on here somewhere too!


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## wilbur_the_goose (Aug 16, 2006)

I'm on the software side, not the networking side. In fact, networking is the IT area I'm least familiar with.


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