Router ports all taken, how to add another Ethernet computer?

[Leonardo]

Title says it: My four-port (4 wired, 4 wireless) router's Ethernet ports are all taken, but I need to add another computer. I recently switched two wireless connected computers from wireless G to Ethernet. About time! What an improvement. But now all the Ethernet ports occupied, with one PC still in the wilderness on pathetic wireless.

There is another computer still on wireless that I want on the network, wired. Can I just get a cheapo router off of Craigslist and daisy chain? Or does that have to be a dedicated switch?

Network: Simple home network/work group, all computers running WinXP SP3. Hardware (router) firewall, and all computers AntiVir AV, Malwarebytes, and SuperAntiSpyware.

Network setup in my home:


2nd floor/Main floor (communications deck) = two computers, DSL modem, router, both PCs are cabled directly to the router
3nd floor, my office (command deck) + three computers, two wired directly to the mothership router (via clever, hidden hole drilled in floor, via laundry room, via cable jack outlet into operations deck...), one wireless.
1st floor/"downstairs" (enlisted berth) = one laptop, wireless (SOL, will not be routing cable down there. Too many engineering obstacles, only overcome by significant ugliness.)

What I have in mind is to connect just one of the cables coming from the commo deck to connect to a second router/switch in the command deck. That routing device then would connect via Ethernet to the three computers there.

-- can I use a garden variety, consumer router?
-- if so, what, if any settings do I need make with that second router/switch?
-- what, if any settings changes to the primary router do I need to make?
-- am I smoking whacky weed?
-- sometimes I run static IPs, would it be difficult switch back and forth to DHCP?

[primesuspect]

All you need is a little 5 port switch (http://icrontic.pgpartner.com/search_getprod.php/masterid=50581/search=Linksys%205%20port/st=product/sv=title). Plug one of those ports into an existing router port, and now you have four more ports you can mess with.

[Buddy J]

Yup. A switch should just plug in and work for ya.

[Leonardo]

OK, so is the switch transparent to the router? Will the router still see each computer without an intermediary, still assign IPs and balance traffic? What about static IPs? Any problem? Which MAC address will my ISP see?

Those are rather inexpensive. Not as bad as I had thought it would be.

[RyderOCZ]

Yes to all of the above... switches are transparent.

[primesuspect]

What Ryder said :D Your network will not even see the switch.

[Snarkasm]

Alternatively, for other people that may read the thread, if one of your motherboards has a dual NIC or you want to install a PCI-based network interface card, you can share the connection to another computer that way, which is how I made it through college with only one port for a computer and a 360. Works like a charm, and if your mobo already came with dual NICs, no reason to spend money until you really need it, right?

[Leonardo]

Thanks guys. Right across the street from where I work is an Office Depot. I just walked over there and got a 5-port Linksys for $14.99. Can't beat that price or the fast service here at Icrontic.

One more questions. The cable from the router - does that go to a regular port or to the uplink port in the switch?

[primesuspect]

Uplink port, if there is one. Nowadays most switches are autosensing.

[RyderOCZ]

And the router does Level 3 anyway, so no real need to use uplink or a Crossover cable (for other readers)

[primesuspect]

Not necessarily. Level 3 routers are generally enterprise level devices.

[Thrax]

Yeah, most "routers" for the home are just intelligent switches.

[Leonardo]

Well, that $14.99 switch is working perfectly. It sure is nice to monitor all the computers over Ethernet instead of plodding along in wireless. Anyone need wireless G PCI cards? I've got three of them in the parts bin. :)

It's an all wired network now. Finally.

[kryyst]

One other thing worth mentioning is that on those small switches they usually have a bonded port, which means that very often you can't use the port beside the uplink port and the uplink port at the same time. Usually if you look at the ports they'll have a line drawn between them, but it's not always the case.

[Leonardo]

often you can't use the port beside the uplink port and the uplink port at the same timeYes, on this switch, the fifth port is a shared port with the uplink port.

[Snarkasm]

Makes you wonder why they put 5 ports on there at all, then.

[Leonardo]

So that with one being shared, there would still be four port free for connecting devices. Four ports being the consumer standard, I guess.

[Cyclonite]

Maybe it's easier/cheaper to have two ports rather than one that switches between standard and uplink?

[kryyst]

it's because you could, in theory use all 5 ports if the computers are only talking to each other like at a lan party for example.