Connecting 3 PC's via Gigabit Lan

howardb

howardb

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Just need some advice. I currently have 3 PC's in my household that are connected to the web via a wired ADSL router, supporting up to 4 PC's (with static IP's). The 3 PC's are connected with Cat5e cables to the router for this purpose. I have to use this router due to the setup with the ISP.

Question:
Each of the PC's also has a second onboard Gigabit Ethernet plug - if I purchased a 5-port 10/100/1000 ethernet switch, could I network the 3 PC's so as to copy files between them, whilst still having the 10/100 ethernet connected to the ADSL router box for Internet and e-mail?

I'm wanting to get the highest possible transfer speed between the PC's for file copying and image sharing, hence the Gigabit connections...
 
Plug all the PC gigabit ports into an appropriate gigabit switch then also plug the Internet router into the switch. This way all computers will have a gigabit network between them and still have internet access.
 
Yeah, just use one NIC on each PC, plugged into the gig switch, and then plug the router into the gig switch too.
 
Thanks guys. The only problem I'll have with doing that is the static IP's on the router for each PC - this is required for the server connections, so I won't be able to channel them all via a single connection to the Gigabit switch - if I had dynamic IP's and no servers, then this would be fine.

This is why I'd like to still use the static IP's from the ADSL router to each PC on the 10/100 ethernet port on each PC (ie no change in current connectivity), and the Gigabit switch on the second ethernet port on each PC - could I then route the internet gateway via the ADSL router, and network traffic between the PC's via the Gigabit switch.

Not sure if I'm missing something with this theory.
 
Just connect the router to the gigabit switch as you would any other PC. The switch will separate the LAN traffic to where it needs to go via the PCs MAC addresses - the router would probably not even know that the two PCs are communicating, because the switch creates a temporary dedicated connection between the two PCs on your LAN.
 
howardb said:
Thanks guys. The only problem I'll have with doing that is the static IP's on the router for each PC - this is required for the server connections, so I won't be able to channel them all via a single connection to the Gigabit switch - if I had dynamic IP's and no servers, then this would be fine.

This is why I'd like to still use the static IP's from the ADSL router to each PC on the 10/100 ethernet port on each PC (ie no change in current connectivity), and the Gigabit switch on the second ethernet port on each PC - could I then route the internet gateway via the ADSL router, and network traffic between the PC's via the Gigabit switch.

Not sure if I'm missing something with this theory.
Click to expand...

I am confused? Unless I misunderstand you, you dont understand networking?
moving all connections to the gigabit switch, and then plugging your router into the switch as well will have no implication at all on your ip structure? NONE.

Switch = layer 2. MAC ADDRESS
Router = LAYER 3. IP ADDRESS

The switch will allow gig connections to each of the end workstations, and have 100Mb connections when connections are going through the gateway.
 
tau1z said:
I am confused? Unless I misunderstand you, you dont understand networking?
moving all connections to the gigabit switch, and then plugging your router into the switch as well will have no implication at all on your ip structure? NONE.

Switch = layer 2. MAC ADDRESS
Router = LAYER 3. IP ADDRESS

The switch will allow gig connections to each of the end workstations, and have 100Mb connections when connections are going through the gateway.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the feedback tau1z.

I'm no expert on networking, so my theory may have flaws due to my lack of knowledge.
My current setup example is as follows:

PC1- (server 1) - Static IP on ADSL router port 1 = xxx-xxx-xxx-002
PC2- (server 2) - Static IP on ADSL router port 2 = xxx-xxx-xxx-003
PC3- (server 3) - Static IP on ADSL router port 3 = xxx-xxx-xxx-004
ADSL router port 4 is free currently with Static IP = xxx-xxx-xxx-005
Gateway IP is xxx-xxx-xxx-001

If I understand correctly, I would then have my 3 server PC's connected to say port 2,3 & 4 of the Gigabit switch, with the ADSL router connected to say port 1 of the Gigabit switch.

If the ADSL router has 4 static IP address ports, and only 1 of these is connected to the Gigabit switch, how would my 3 individual PC servers route internet traffic on the now spare 3 static IP address ports that are not connected to the ADSL router directly? This is the bit I can't get my head around.
I'm reading this connection setup as only 1 static IP port used on the ADSL router, so how do the other servers connect?
I have the servers setup for these specific static port addresses, and don't really want to have to fiddle with the settings.

Maybe I'm not understanding the routing/switching process that happens in the ADSL router hardware...
 
DHCP

OK, I think there is a bit of confusion here.

A p.c. can be assigned a static IP in 2 ways. On the p.c. it self, or on the DHCP server (in this case a ADSL router).

These assignments are independent to what port a p.c. is plugged into on the switch/router, they are numbered for the sake of giving them numbers.

So as stated before, plug all the p.c's into the 1 gig switch, then also plug the ADSL router into the switch. The router and the switch will talk to each other and will be happy. ;)
 
Many thanks Kroks (and everyone else) - will give this a bash and see how it goes. ;)
 
Kroks said:
OK, I think there is a bit of confusion here.

A p.c. can be assigned a static IP in 2 ways. On the p.c. it self, or on the DHCP server (in this case a ADSL router).

These assignments are independent to what port a p.c. is plugged into on the switch/router, they are numbered for the sake of giving them numbers.

So as stated before, plug all the p.c's into the 1 gig switch, then also plug the ADSL router into the switch. The router and the switch will talk to each other and will be happy. ;)
Click to expand...

To clarify, DHCP usually does NOT assign static ip's, and instead assigns ip's from an address pool. Static indicates not changing.

IP addressing allow the transfer of information/data across multiple networks and mediums. In normal terms, the ip address will never change on the data packet (unless ur Nat'ting) whilst the MAC address will. Howard, ur question as to how will the traffic know how to route through that one interface revolves around basic network functionality. If you would like an explanation as to why what is being suggested will work, let me know. Its always cool to understand how things work rather than just take the word of ppl....
 
this might help clarify a few things for you, there is quite a lot of jargon but it should give you a basic idea, plus if you have anything to do with computers it will help to understand a bit of how switches work.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_switch

the main thing to remember is that switches aren't aware of IP addresses they are only concerned with the MAC addresses.
(except layer3 switches, but leave that till later)
 
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Many thanks everyone - I'll be picking up the Gigabit switch next week and will see how it goes once connected.
 
While on the subject of Gigabit networking...
I have two PC`s both with Gigabit LAN on board i wish to connect to each other. (Gigabit switch $$$$)

I tried a 5 meter CAT5 twisted cable and it stays on 100.0Mbps.
So i bought some 4/23AWG UTP CAT6 from Communica and made a straight (in case auto negotiation) and twisted cable, both still only connects at 100.Mbps
I used http://www.zytrax.com/tech/layer_1/cables/tech_lan.htm#1000

Then i borrowed a 1 meter 4/24AWG STTC CAT5e Patch cable from the switch at work and wallah - it connects at gigabit speed, but i cannot get the other cables to work.
What am i doing wrong?
 
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Pin Assignments

ingeon said:
While on the subject of Gigabit networking...
I have two PC`s both with Gigabit LAN on board i wish to connect to each other. (Gigabit switch $$$$)

I tried a 5 meter CAT5 twisted cable and it stays on 100.0Mbps.
So i bought some 4/23AWG UTP CAT6 from Communica and made a straight (in case auto negotiation) and twisted cable, both still only connects at 100.Mbps
I used http://www.zytrax.com/tech/layer_1/cables/tech_lan.htm#1000

Then i borrowed a 1 meter 4/24AWG STTC CAT5e Patch cable from the switch at work and wallah - it connects at gigabit speed, but i cannot get the other cables to work.
What am i doing wrong?
Click to expand...

OK I presume you made up the cables yourself? What was the pin assignments that you used? Did you follow the pin assignments as shown on the link you provided....

Pin No. conductor color
1 white and orange
2 orange
3 white and green
4 blue
5 white and blue
6 green
7 white and brown
8 brown

This is actually important as pins 1,2,3 & 6 are used for data. The blue/blue-white and brown/brown-white cables has different resistances than the other cables, so if they are used for data it might not work.
 
Kroks said:
OK I presume you made up the cables yourself?
This is actually important as pins 1,2,3 & 6 are used for data. The blue/blue-white and brown/brown-white cables has different resistances than the other cables, so if they are used for data it might not work.
Click to expand...

The 8 cables, inside an Ethernet cable (applies to Cat5,Cat5e&Cat6) conductors are physically & electrically identical it is only the plastic insulation colour (LG,G,LO,BL,LBL,O,LBR,BR) that differs.
The connection of the cable to the connectors seem to be very important
concerning crosstalking etc. http://www.hardwarebook.info/Ethernet_10/100/1000Base-T_and_100Base-T4_Crossover(same concept for straight cable)

It has something to do with the fact that the TX+ & TX- must be in the pair, and RX+ & RX- must together in another pair

Redid the connection headers as pointed out and it works perfect.
Thanks, you helped me in the right direction.
 
Last edited:
ingeon said:
While on the subject of Gigabit networking...
I have two PC`s both with Gigabit LAN on board i wish to connect to each other. (Gigabit switch $$$$)

I tried a 5 meter CAT5 twisted cable and it stays on 100.0Mbps.
So i bought some 4/23AWG UTP CAT6 from Communica and made a straight (in case auto negotiation) and twisted cable, both still only connects at 100.Mbps
I used http://www.zytrax.com/tech/layer_1/cables/tech_lan.htm#1000

Then i borrowed a 1 meter 4/24AWG STTC CAT5e Patch cable from the switch at work and wallah - it connects at gigabit speed, but i cannot get the other cables to work.
What am i doing wrong?
Click to expand...

Remember that with a crossover 1Gb cable, pins 4&7 and 5&8 must also be crossed. A normal 1&3 and 2&6 crossed cable will only work at 100Mbs

See http://pinouts.ru/NetworkCables/1Gbcrossover_pinout.shtml for a pinout map
 
howardb said:
Many thanks everyone - I'll be picking up the Gigabit switch next week and will see how it goes once connected.
Click to expand...

So any feedback, howardb? I'm thinking of doing exactly the same thing, whilst retaining the IP range that I'm currently using, as set by my ADSL router
 
flarkit said:
So any feedback, howardb? I'm thinking of doing exactly the same thing, whilst retaining the IP range that I'm currently using, as set by my ADSL router
Click to expand...

There will be no issues. The switch has fsckall to do with your pc's dynamic or static ip addresses as it has been stated many times above.
 
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