Hub or Switch?
Discussion
I'm running a wireless router gateway but it's only got 4 rj45 ports on the back. So far the network has been completely wireless with each computer having a printer shared across the network. This is fine except when you want to print and that computer is off.
To get around this i was going to put all the printers onto the network via print servers.
This is where the problem arises:
I will then run out of ports on the back of the router. Can i just buy a hub, plug that into one of the lan ports on the router, and everything will work fine or do i need a switch?
Will i be able to manually assign IP addresses like i have so far or will this cause even more issues?
On some hubs i have been looking at it talks about an uplink port. I'm guessing this is the one to the router, or am i missing something there too?
Any help much appreciated
To get around this i was going to put all the printers onto the network via print servers.
This is where the problem arises:
I will then run out of ports on the back of the router. Can i just buy a hub, plug that into one of the lan ports on the router, and everything will work fine or do i need a switch?
Will i be able to manually assign IP addresses like i have so far or will this cause even more issues?
On some hubs i have been looking at it talks about an uplink port. I'm guessing this is the one to the router, or am i missing something there too?
Any help much appreciated
esselte said:
Instead of using lots of separate printers with print servers,couldn't you get a sturdy network capable workgroup printer?
That would definately be one option.
We have one large network printer but it's only B+W and we need to print some colour things too. Also there is another printer in another room so that makes 3. Whilst i'm networking the printers i may as well do the computers at the same time too speeding up the network a fair bit, hence running out of ports.
It would also be a pricey way to do it. I reckon i can get a hub of ebay and a load of cable for £20 - £30. Printer is going to be a fair bit more than that.
Edit: Cheers for the speedy reply too
>> Edited by rugbyfiend on Thursday 20th January 11:36
Had a similar situation myself.
1. Get a print server, they are relatively cheap these days. Given that you've already got wifi network, you could get a wifi print server, they are about £100. I've got a standard wired jobbie www.expansys.com/product.asp?code=105710 (old version) since my printer sits next to my router. You can get print servers with the centronics interface or usb. They're dead easy to set-up (both print server and on you client). Mine works flawlessly.
You could buy a card printserver if you printer accepts one. I'd weighed this up and saw no real benefit (I guess if you have 100's of users then a kick-ass printerserve card is probably the way to go)
2. Get a switch rather than a hub since they are generally more efficient. If you go for switch, just connect it to your router as you would do with any other device (daisy chain)
Steve
>> Edited by fatsteve on Thursday 20th January 12:01
1. Get a print server, they are relatively cheap these days. Given that you've already got wifi network, you could get a wifi print server, they are about £100. I've got a standard wired jobbie www.expansys.com/product.asp?code=105710 (old version) since my printer sits next to my router. You can get print servers with the centronics interface or usb. They're dead easy to set-up (both print server and on you client). Mine works flawlessly.
You could buy a card printserver if you printer accepts one. I'd weighed this up and saw no real benefit (I guess if you have 100's of users then a kick-ass printerserve card is probably the way to go)
2. Get a switch rather than a hub since they are generally more efficient. If you go for switch, just connect it to your router as you would do with any other device (daisy chain)
Steve
>> Edited by fatsteve on Thursday 20th January 12:01
esselte said:
Remember to factor in the cost of the printservers too (HP Jetdirect or something like that?).
True, doesn't make my figures look quite as good i'll grant you! Managed to blag a print server when i got the network printer, so i'll only have to get another 2 which should still work out cheaper.
And another print server suggestion:-
http://iogear.com/main.php?loc=product&Item=GPSU01
Got three of them; bloody good. Apart from I can't stop the occasional Appletalk broadcast. Still, thats only once every 30 seconds; not enough overhead to worry about.
And they are only $50 retail in the US. Good kit.
I spoke to the importer in the UK a year or so back; they were going to reduce the price here - no idea what it'll be, but still not much.
http://iogear.com/main.php?loc=product&Item=GPSU01
Got three of them; bloody good. Apart from I can't stop the occasional Appletalk broadcast. Still, thats only once every 30 seconds; not enough overhead to worry about.
And they are only $50 retail in the US. Good kit.
I spoke to the importer in the UK a year or so back; they were going to reduce the price here - no idea what it'll be, but still not much.
If you only have a few hosts and performance isn't an issue, a hub will work fine.
The uplink port is probably not for a router, it may be to link to another hub without using a crossover cable.
Each individual device needs an IP address, you can issue these yourself, so long as they are correct from a subnet perspective it'll be fine.
The uplink port is probably not for a router, it may be to link to another hub without using a crossover cable.
Each individual device needs an IP address, you can issue these yourself, so long as they are correct from a subnet perspective it'll be fine.
JonRB said:
The price difference between a hub and a switch is so marginal these days that there is very little reason, if any, to go for a hub over a switch.
Talking of price difference between hubs and switches, I remember the first switch I installed. It was a Kalpana EtherSwitch. Three 10Mb Co-Ax ports. It cost the customer the princely sum of £12,000 + VAT + Installation
BliarOut said:Indeed. In the SOHO market, it wasn't so long ago that there was a factor of ten difference in price between a hub and a switch.
Talking of price difference between hubs and switches, I remember the first switch I installed. It was a Kalpana EtherSwitch. Three 10Mb Co-Ax ports. It cost the customer the princely sum of £12,000 + VAT + Installation
Mind you, it was also not that long ago that we used to talk of £ / Mb for HDD, and now we talk of pence per Gb.
First HDD my dad bought was in the early 80's, was 8Mb and cost £2000. Which in those days was an awful lot of money.
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