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Forum Discussion
Ethernet switch or hub or ???
Dumb question? This system forced me to enter a model so I did but I lied as I don't have a model. I have 2 ethernet devices and my router has one available ethernet port. I'm looking for a device...
Thanks for the info. Obviously I know so little about this that I don't know what information I should be providing.
The system in question is from Charter Spectrum and consists of a Cisco DPC3216 modem and a Sagemcom Fast 5260 router.
In addition to being wireless, the router has 4 ethernet ports.
The uses I have for the one remaining unused port are 1) for a computer that's used for doing things like watching YouTube or other videos that are available on the internet. 2) a Sony blue-ray device. Every now and then we want to use the Sony to connect to Amazon prime videos.
I can't envision ever wanting the 2 devices to be operating at the same time.
The output of these devices goes to our TV via an HDML switch (Octava UHD41-ARC).
Thanks again.
> [...] and a Sagemcom Fast 5260 router.
> In addition to being wireless, the router has 4 ethernet ports.
Ok. It's a router.
> [...] If your "my router" really is a router, then you should be able
> to use an Ethernet switch (or hub) to expand the number of available
> ports.
Still true. Invest the $20 or so in a 5- or 8-port gigabit Ethernet
switch. Connect one of its ports to "the one remaining unused port" on
the router. Bask in the luxury of the remaining ports on your new
gigabit Ethernet switch.
> I can't envision ever wanting the 2 devices to be operating at the
> same time.
Doesn't matter. If you ever did find anything which would do what
you had in mind (some kind of Ethernet A-B switch), then it'd probably
cost more than the right thing, a (hub-like) gigabit Ethernet switch.
The fact that there isn't even a good name for what you wanted should be
a clue. "Ethernet switch" is already in use for what you should have
wanted.
A Web search for "difference between Ethernet hub and switch" should
explain that, if you're interested.
> The output of these devices goes to our TV via an HDML switch (Octava
> UHD41-ARC).
"HDMI"? That's a different problem.
Thanks. HDMI was what I should have typed. Three more, and hopefully last, questions if I may.......
Am I correct in assuming that if I had the computer and the blue-ray on at the same time and they were both linked to active video sources (two separate video sources) that the eithernet switch would be flipping back and forth trying to provide both devices with the data that's being down loaded?
Are there any features/capabilities I should be looking for when it comes to shopping for a gigabit Ethernet switch?
Lastly probably an unfair question: If my above assumption is correct would my doing that cause Charter Spectrum to have heart burn?
Thanks again
LG1
> Am I correct in assuming [...]
Yes. Just as with the similar Ethernet switch that's built into your
router, and its four accessible ports.
> Are there any features/capabilities I should be looking for when it
> comes to shopping for a gigabit Ethernet switch?
Low cost? Attractive design/color? (Do you prefer LED indicators on
the same side as the cables, or opposite?) Sturdy construction (metal
v. plastic case)? Inside, I suspect that every cheap, unmanaged switch
out there is about the same as every other one. I'll let you decide on
5- v. 8-port. (The cost difference should be small.)
> [...] If my above assumption is correct would my doing that cause
> Charter Spectrum to have heart burn?
I doubt that they'll notice. In any case, you can't suck bits out of
the cable any faster than your ISP is willing to push them in. I'd
expect streaming video to need a lower data rate than a simple file
download (which simply runs as fast as the bottleneck will allow,
wherever that bottleneck might be). A "video source" is simply another
data source, with the difference that, for video, faster is not always
better. (Why fetch data faster than they're displayed? It's more
efficient to stop asking for more than it is to get all you can as fast
as possible, and then store the excess somewhere until it's needed.)
I'd expect that sucking down your latest OS update would put a greater
demand on your network capacity than a couple of video streams, which
self-throttle as convenient.