Hub Vs Switch.

[Cynan 0]

Hi.

 

Currently I have two machines networked together directly, but I'm thinking, well, am going to, add another machine.

 

So the question is, should I buy a hub, or go for a switch ?

 

As I have have 3 machines, I think a hub would be fine, does everyone agree ?

 

Oh.. and the ones I'm thinking about are both NetGear, DS106 and FS105.

 

Thanks.

 

--Cynan.

 

[This message has been edited by Cynan (edited 24 January 2001).]

[INFERNO2000 0]

It depends on your hub to be honest...and your computers.

 

If you have 10mb and 100mb NICs...then a Switch would Probably be better to get a Switch....but a 10mb Hub would suffice as well.

 

if you get a 10/100 hub, there IS the possibility the 10s won't communicate with the 100s. This is true in my Allied Telesyn 16 port hub.

 

Also...if you don't have the money to go for a switch, and are only connecting 4 computers together....there are cards out there, such as the Trendware TE100-S4PCI

 

(http://www.trendware.com/products/100Mbps/adapter/spec-te100s4pci.htm)

 

that will act as both a switch and as an ethernet card. I have one of these in my PIII machine, and it works great both as an Ethernet card, and as a switch.

 

 

And if you're REALLY rich....try looking at a Router such as the Netgear RT314--this acts as a switch, and as a DHCP server, to connect up to 250 computers to one internet connection(DSL/Cable/T1) on the same IP.

 

these can cost 130 though...but it's always an option.

 

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My PC is warm. I think our fire wall is acting up.

[Cynan 0]

I had problems with 10Mb and 100Mb cards talking to each other also. I usually set them all to 100Mb/s Full Duplex and then they all work fine.

 

I think I've decided to go for a hub, with cables on top, the price is still lower then what a switch would be... me happy.

 

Thanks.

 

--Cynan.

[clutch 1]

Switches are great for large file transfers. I am using the built-in switch with the Linksys router at the moment, and it works well. I was quite surpised by the transfer times (in some cases, I can move the files in less than half the time it took before) over my D-Link 8-port 10/100 unit.

 

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Regards,

 

clutch

[Cynan 0]

Thanks for the info clutch. I'll sleep on it I think. heh.

 

--Cynan.

[OLEerror 0]

No no no. Don't do that. Sleeping on your hub or router is a bad idea. It causes back problems, and it's not particularly good for the device.

[Cynan 0]

:-P

 

O'kay, I usually buy stuff from Dabs.com, but as the hub I wanted was out of stock, and the switch wasn't, the switch it is. lol.

 

Chears all,

 

--Cynan.

[Winger300 0]

I recently went from a BNC network, to a Switched 10/100 and it works really well. The 5 port switch was only £45 from a Computer fair, and works suprisingly well.