Anyone got a spare RJ45 splitter?
Anyone got a spare RJ45 splitter?
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Kinky

Original Poster:

39,938 posts

298 months

Friday 23rd December 2011
quotequote all
Just wondering if anyone in the SAS area (within reason) has a spare RJ45 splitter I could borrow for a week or so.

I've got a comtrend powerline setup, with a single 'out' port. But I need to plug a 2nd machine into the port, so the easiest way is to get a splitter and run 2 units off it.

Only reason I ask is that don't fancy going out shopping now, or tomorrow, and suffering all the chaos, just for something worth a few quid.

arcamalpha

1,113 posts

193 months

Friday 23rd December 2011
quotequote all
You can't split an RJ45 for network purposes. You'll need a hub or a switch. Quite cheap though...

Kinky

Original Poster:

39,938 posts

298 months

Friday 23rd December 2011
quotequote all
I thought you just plugged in a cable economiser at either end of the cable?

So router upstairs, plugged into powerline unit. A single-port 2nd powerline unit is downstairs. But plugging in a splitter (perhaps thats the wrong word?) at either end of the powerline units allowed me to run 2 cables off the downstairs unit?

If that's wrong, then I do apologise smile

Note: network knowledge is fairly high up on the numpty scale

Kinky

Original Poster:

39,938 posts

298 months

Friday 23rd December 2011
quotequote all
Just in case this helps clarify ....

Upstairs is BT infinity router, plugged into a comtrend powerline adapter.

Downstairs is another comtrend powerline adapter, with a single output, plugged into my BT Vision box.

I also have an Xbox 360 and want to connect that up to the network too.

So I figured (perhaps wrongly) that if I plugged in a splitter/economiser at the router end and at the Xbox end, then I could connect both my BTV and Xboxes together.

Famous Graham

26,553 posts

254 months

Friday 23rd December 2011
quotequote all
Nope, need a hub or another powerline jobby

Kinky

Original Poster:

39,938 posts

298 months

Friday 23rd December 2011
quotequote all
Gotcha thumbup

Always have the wireless option to fall back on - although not preferred.

Might have a re-think on setup scratchchin

So upstairs is router and 2 PCs. Downstairs is 2 tv boxes (BT Vision and Fetch box) and new xBox 360.

Router has to stay upstairs.

I guess the sensible option is a powerline adapter with a triple output. Can't think of another other sensible option.

dtmpower

3,972 posts

274 months

Friday 23rd December 2011
quotequote all
a basic network switch (4 port) would do the job for under 20 quid.

Famous Graham

26,553 posts

254 months

Friday 23rd December 2011
quotequote all
dtmpower said:
a basic network switch (4 port) would do the job for under 20 quid.
This.

You can pick up a decent hub or switch for pennies. The thing to remember is that network traffic can't be split like aerial or SCART signals - it relies on two-way communication (acknowledgement of signal received, essentially).

Leave upstairs alone, and then stick a hub downstairs that you plug the powerline into (using the upstream socket, usually yellow), then the other devices into the remaining ones. A switch is the same as a hub except it more intelligently routes the traffic - for your purposes either are fine.

Kinky

Original Poster:

39,938 posts

298 months

Friday 23rd December 2011
quotequote all
Would an old BT Homehub work purely as a switch?

slinky

15,704 posts

278 months

Saturday 24th December 2011
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Not so sure it would.. Have one here I can test in the morning...

Kinky

Original Poster:

39,938 posts

298 months

Saturday 24th December 2011
quotequote all
No worries Slinks. I'll google it smile

Kinky

Original Poster:

39,938 posts

298 months

Saturday 24th December 2011
quotequote all
I've also got a Netgear DG834N somewhere. So might be able to use that

slinky

15,704 posts

278 months

Saturday 24th December 2011
quotequote all

Famous Graham

26,553 posts

254 months

Saturday 24th December 2011
quotequote all
Kinky said:
I've also got a Netgear DG834N somewhere. So might be able to use that
Tried that myself without much joy. But I believe you can flash it to behave as a switch rather than a router - I never tried that angle