Home network

[FlaMtnBkr]

I have a router currently to get 3 computers and a printer online. However some recent purchases are requiring more devices be hooked up to an internet connection.

The household now has 3 flat screen TVs, blu-ray players, a playstation 3, and a WII. All require an internet connection to get maximum functionality out of them. So that is 7 more devices that need a connection and actually a 4th computer would be helpful so 8 plus the 4 that are currently hooked up.

How do I go about hooking these all up? The only one that is capable of a wireless connection is the WII and the computers if a wireless card is purchased for each one. That would take away 5 of the connections still leaving 7 devices needing an internet connection. Plus I am not sure I'm sold on wireless internet and don't know if I will experience a decrease in download/ upload speeds. Plus the wires are ran through the walls already so I would like to keep them hooked up this way.

Anyone have any suggestions? Most routers I have seen only allow for 5 connections. I have ran ethernet cables to all the computers and was planning on running cables to the new devices as I still have a bunch of cable left from a 1000' (I think) spool of wire.

Thanks for any and all help with this!

 

[billyp]

Sounds like you need a switch at your entertainment center. It should be a very simple configuration. Basically, plug the line from the wall into the switch, plug the devices into the other ports and you have now expanded your network.

You can also get a 16 port router. That would suffice as well.


Billyp

 

[Sevorius]

pick up a 16 port ethernet switch like this one. No decent wireless router will slow down your connection speed, even basic wireless G is 54Mbps which is about 5-10x faster than what a typical high speed internet connection is capable of. the only place where you might notice a loss of speed vs a wired connection is in PC to PC data transfers, in which wired connections are capable of up to 1000Mbps (gigabit lan) where the newest wireless routers peak around 300Mbits (theoretical not practical).

 

[wildmanh]

Your router with generate tons of IP address, you piggy back switches off the router to add the physical ports. I'd go with two (5 or 8 port) switches or a 16 port switch. Your internal network will be 10/100 or 10/100/1000 depending on the switch(s) you go with. So computer to computer or computer to device transfers on your home network will be really fast. The routers 4 ports are 10/100 and some of the new wireless routers are coming with Gigabit ports.

Heber