Gigabyte (edit: Gigabit!!! ;) ) network switch internal to DHCP router?

[sswilson]

Need some advice from the networking gurus around here....

Currently running a D-Link wireless N router, but I've got the 4 ports filled, and I'd also like to upgrade to Gigabit ports for the internal network. Considering how expensive consumer routers w/ Giga ports are, I'm wondering if I can just go with a giga switch connected to the router which would give me extra ports as well as providing an internal gigabit network between my hard wired PCs.

I'm going to do some of my own research WRT operating a switch internal to a DHCP enabled router, but here are my main concerns in case somebody has the time to respond with something easier to understand than the gobbledygook I'm likely to find online.... ;)

1. Other than specifying which Wireless MACs are allowed to connect (I know it's easy to crack, but it keeps the uninformed out.... ;) ) I currently don't bother (or need) to do any fancy settings outside of the basics. Would running a Switch internally require some fancy footwork as in specifying internal IPs? (Basically losing the ease of DHCP).
2. Does a switch need to have the individual PC connections priortized because of the fact it's only got one external IP? My basic understanding is that a switch does exactly that.... it switches from one port to another to gain access to the external IP.
3. Would devices connecting wirelessly to the router be seen on the internal network and vica-verca? It would completely defeat the purpose of an internal network if I couldn't access the wireless printer from within, or couldn't access the ethernet networked printer from a wireless connection.
4. If a switch does indeed do it's own DHCP on connected devices, is there typically any lag while it switches, and am I likely to run into issues with connecting the individual PCs to specific ports on the external IP?

That's the quick questions I can think to come up with, and I'd greatly appreciate feedback if there's something I'm not thinking of that might cause issues.


Here's a quick rundown on my current internal network.....

Cable modem with Dynamic IP (pretty steady though... at most it's changed once in the last 2 1/2 years).

D-Link wireless N router.

Ethernet: 3 PCs (XP home, 2X Win7 64bit), 1 networked samsung laser printer.

Wireless: 1 wireless network MFP printer (brother), 1 wireless G laptop (XP Pro), 1 Wireless N PC (XP home) which shares a connection over ethernet to a XBox 360.

Thanks in advance.

[ZZLEE]

NCIX.com - Buy Netgear GS105 Prosafe 5 Port 10/100/1000 Gigabit Slimline Network Switch - GS105NA In Canada.

I asked a simalar question to sales staff in my local stores short anser is yes just make sure its 10/100/1000 and able to use ports at differnt speeds.

I am not an expert by any means but thats the anser I got in stores here in Ottawa.

Wich Dlink mines D-655 and they say it should work

[sswilson]

It's a DIR-615, and has been rock solid for me over the last 3 years. Based on that, I'd rather not replace it if I didn't have to. ;)

So, did you actually take the plunge, or were you just inquiring for future reference?

[JD]

You're making it too complicated ;)

You take a LAN port from your router, plug it into the switch. Then plug all your PCs into the switch. That's it

This is of course assuming you buy a typical unmanaged consumer grade switch. If it's a managed switch then there is some configuration you *could* do, but still just plugging it in will work.

[3.0charlie]

That would be gigabit, Steve.

My set-up.

Videotron modem (Arries) to Dlink DIR-655 router to: Dlink DGS-1016D switch to: 3 computers + secondary Dlink DGS-1005D to: main rig + laptop. DIR-655 is also used for wireless access to a single laptop.

All works like a charm, no lag, no MAC address issues.

[sswilson]

Thanks for the responses folk... looks like I'm trying to make this more complicated than it needs to be. ;)

In layman's terms, what I'm getting out of this is that the DHCP router simply sees a switch as an extention to it's own DHCP managed ports, and thus acts basically the same as we get when we plug in a USB hub.

Sounds like it'll be invisible to me as the end user and that I can just let the D-Link router do it's thing (only with extra ports.... ;) ).

Originally Posted by 3.0charlie

That would be gigabit, Steve.

Dang.... and here I was doing my darndest to use just "Giga" in the text so I wouldn't get caught with that. (Apparently my brain didn't start applying that filter until after the title and first para had been written.......) ;)

[ZZLEE]

It was fore referance fore me. the 655 has 4 Rj45 and one USB with buffer. I am using 3 wired XP32, WIN 7 64 and a Canon Pixma 970 in 64 bit. Wirless Vista 64( In N ) and a KOBO in WIFI ( i think).

So I have a free a USB and one RJ45 freeon the ruoter.

Conned my sister into one of those 12.5 ASUS netbooks with Atom 525 CPU. I may be trying out Win 32 (in N) soon to.

I reset the Router last week I can watch 720p vidios on youtube like streeming.
I wa having some isues 2 weeks ago I had vary slow internet reseting helped alot.

When I wa checking out the information I was thinking I had more ports used and had no room fore more.

All going though a Motarola 5000 cable modem on Rogers at 10 doun 500 up


Edit:
^^^ Yep

[sswilson]

One final question....

Looking through the images of 5 port switches, I'm not seeing a 6'th port for connecting to the router. Am I correct in assuming that one of the 5 ports is used for that (thus leaving 4 ports for actual use), or are the images just not showing it?

edit: (Ok, two questions then.... ;) )

Aside from the Netgear linked to above, any recommendations or is one switch going to be pretty much the same as any other?

[ilya]

Originally Posted by sswilson

One final question....

Looking through the images of 5 port switches, I'm not seeing a 6'th port for connecting to the router. Am I correct in assuming that one of the 5 ports is used for that (thus leaving 4 ports for actual use), or are the images just not showing it?

edit: (Ok, two questions then.... ;) )

Aside from the Netgear linked to above, any recommendations or is one switch going to be pretty much the same as any other?

It's 5 ports for use, 4 ports for actual use. It's a "switch" not a router.

I've been grabbing a bunch of the Trendnet 8 ports lately, they've been pretty nice. NCIX has been having frequent sales with them.

NCIX.com - Buy Trendnet TEG-S80G GREENnet 10/100/1000 8 Port Gigabit Switch RoHS - TEG-S80G In Canada.

5 dollars less for 3 more ports.

[sswilson]

Heh... that's exactly the one I was looking at. ;)