Can we add 8 port router to 4 port router??

dragonV8dragonV8 not here much New
edited March 2004 in Science & Tech
Untill recently (before Short-Media) we were happily cruizin the net etc, on our Netcomm NB1300+4 modem/router.

Everything is still working fine, but since Short-Media came into our lives, we have started folding. So what, you say? Well, as the competition is heating up, we wish to add another puter, maybe 2 (Sally doesn't know yet) to the existing system.

To date the 4 port modem/router has 3 puters plugged in permanantly and my laptop when i'm home takes care of the 4th port.

Question:

Can we have an 8 port "Ritmo" router hooked up to the 4 port "Netcomm", like you do with a powered usb hub. Don't laugh, it sounds good to someone like me with very little knowledge. We used the Ritmo in conjunction with a NB1200 usb modem before.

Anyway, indirectly, Short-Media is to blame for this due to team #93. So if someone can tell me a "Yes/no" answer, i'll know if i should ask more questions like, HOW. If yes, look out for those that feel safe folding away. It will take a little to get another puter, but the seed has been sown.

Sally is becoming very good with networking. She has set it up and maintains it when we strike a problem.
Broadband is set up with Ethernet modem. 4 puters run no probs on the Netcomm router. IP is 192.168.*.* on all puters. (in case it's relevant).

Thanks in advance

Jon

Comments

  • dancerdancer Blue Mountains, Australia
    edited March 2004
    Should be fine, but i would suggest a switch instead of router.
    It will make things a lot easier to set up.

    Should just be able to in most cases these days, plug one port of 8port switch into the 4th port oif the router and you get an extra 7 ports.
  • JonshandbrakeJonshandbrake PERTH, WESTERN AUSTRALIA Member
    edited March 2004
    Thanks for the reply Michael. Hope this finds you in good health, since you were a bit on the crook side.

    It's good to see we will be able to do it, however.....What is a switch. I'm sure it is not like the one on the wall for our lights. Is it a different piece of hardware or is it HOW it is set up??

    Any advise will be welcomed as i may just go to the shop tomorrow and see if they have the parts i need in stock, to build the next folding machine. Should i need to purchase a different router, i would rather know now, then when the shops are closed on the weekend. I'm flying back to the mine on monday @ 6:00am, which means i will have to wait 2 weeks before i can fix any outstanding problems.
  • JakeJake Alec Baldwin's Chest Hair
    edited March 2004
    What is a switch. I'm sure it is not like the one on the wall for our lights. Is it a different piece of hardware or is it HOW it is set up??

    Hub < Switch < Router

    Hub:

    Box which allows network connectivity between multiple PCs using CAT-5 network cables. Unintelligent device. Data sent through the hub is flooded to all ports on the device waiting for the destination computer to speak up and claim ownership of it.

    Switch:

    Box which allows network connectivity between multiple PCs using CAT-5 network cables. Semi-intelligent device. Data sent through the switch is discretely routed to the specific port on the device which is connected to the destination computer.

    Router:

    Box which allows network connectivity between multiple PCs using CAT-5 network cables. Intelligent device. Data sent through the router is discretely routed to the specific port on the device which is connected to the destination computer. Includes a DHCP server which can share broadband Internet connections with multiple PCs, performs NAT networking functions, typically includes at least a rudimentary firewall, etc.


    Why is a switch better under your circumstances? You won't have to mess with disabling a second router's DHCP server, you won't have to mess with setting up any subnets, and a few other similar sorts of reasons. A switch, or a hub, will uplink with your router and it won't require any configuration at all on your part. A hub would do the same thing, but there's really no reason to go and purchase obsolete technology when there wouldn't be any considerable financial savings....

    I'm sure I've left some stuff out and probably even glazed over some relevant details, but I've covered the gist of it.
  • dragonV8dragonV8 not here much New
    edited March 2004
    Good stuff there Jake. Sally will have a better understanding of it now as she is the keyboard person,lol. Me, i just lift heavy weights and use a phillips screw-driver, hehehe.

    Thanks to Michael (Dancer), whom i managed to contact via MSN. Just finished talking to him and he said, once he had model # for Ritmo, that it is perfect for our needs.

    As long as the shop has the parts in stock they quoted me, Sally could be upping the ante in the WU game. So much for trying to find out about AMD.

    Thanks again guys. Looks a lot easier now with a bit of extra knowledge.

    Jon
  • mmonninmmonnin Centreville, VA
    edited March 2004
    Yep a switch would work for you guys. Another 4 port or 8 port will do.
  • Straight_ManStraight_Man Geeky, in my own way Naples, FL Icrontian
    edited March 2004
    dragonV8 wrote:
    Good stuff there Jake. Sally will have a better understanding of it now as she is the keyboard person,lol. Me, i just lift heavy weights and use a phillips screw-driver, hehehe.

    Thanks to Michael (Dancer), whom i managed to contact via MSN. Just finished talking to him and he said, once he had model # for Ritmo, that it is perfect for our needs.

    As long as the shop has the parts in stock they quoted me, Sally could be upping the ante in the WU game. So much for trying to find out about AMD.

    Thanks again guys. Looks a lot easier now with a bit of extra knowledge.

    Jon

    MANY routers actually can also switch.... The reason Cisco does not say too much about this is that they have enterprise, or huge scale, networks. But, a baby router can run as a client to a gateway router, and the baby ones that are decent can switch in a tree structure.

    Basicly, you set up layered subnets internal to your baby router setup. You cna hook a 4 port to an 8 port, the 8 port needs to DHCP feed, and the four boxes on the second router need to have a different subnet. The secondary router grabs DHCP from the primary, and the primary can grab DHCP from the WAN or web, in this case the modem for boardband if the broadband will tolerate DHCP to and from modem, ie does not need PPPoE. yuo want a fixed IP for modem, as fixed as possible.

    Floating by connection IP will cause many reboots at Window's end or use of dynaimic routing at node to allow for that change in DHCP parms on a live basis. Easiest ways to do that are a proxying or domain controlling server that tracks this, or a Linux or BSD box that can act as a proxy and caches DNS and accepts and forwards DHCP.

    Switch could be used, but switches are best used to segment a LAN with one or two gating routes to WAN or world or web. But, logically, you can tree a mini-WAN with routers and hook end node boxes without having to use hubs or switches that are separate boxes. A router that lets boxes on its peer ports also connect is essentially a router\switch combo. If boxes can only connect to WAN, then it is not a combo box. The netgear RP614v2 is a combo box. some of the Linksys's are also, and the wireless capable multimodal ones which also accept hardwired connects use switching as part of media conversion between hardwired part and the wireless part.

    A baby router AUP or modem connect can be hooked to the inward part of a baby router that is hooked to a modem (cable used is not a straightthrough wired cable, and if the routers are different brands and\or models you will get to custom build a cable). If both routers are combos, you can set things up so you can remote manage all boxes, if not you then get to have one management box per subnet or physical router and a KVM switch to get from the subnet management boxes.

    John D.
  • JakeJake Alec Baldwin's Chest Hair
    edited March 2004
    Ageek wrote:
    MANY routers actually can also switch....

    While I won't debate what you just said, John, trust me on this: in Jon & Sally's case, a switch is a far better, and simpler, solution. 'Nuff said.
  • Straight_ManStraight_Man Geeky, in my own way Naples, FL Icrontian
    edited March 2004
    Right, but if they have a router, and want to add a small number of nodes, a mixed network with a switch\router pair will also work. Depedns on whether their router is actually a router\switch combo.

    Will take you word for it, though switches share bandwidth evenly out to hooked up and live-to-NIC ports at switch and routers share out to ACTIVELY IN USE ports. Switch with many PCs on it would be slower on average for each end node than a router\switch combo device tree would be. Switch uses number of hooked up ports per segment times number of segments in switch if switch is a managing switch to determine per-port share out, router uses only discrete active ports to limit bandwidth per port from available pool. I said what I said due to collision potential with random access that needs to succeed for WU exchange for folding clients. HUB is absolutely out. Collision would put whole subnet in a wait state.

    With a router\switch combo device tree you use web-based management to manage all boxes at end-node level or a KVM switch. sinlge switch for all nodes gives you collision per segment or if all one segment a collision per all devices hooked to it potential plus a slowdown per port. Folding clients are very tightly timed for fail and repeat.

    John D.
  • dragonV8dragonV8 not here much New
    edited March 2004
    1 1/4 hrs till the shop opens. From what i now know and understand, a hub is OUT. A switch/router is IN. My 8 port Ritmo is ok to use in that case. Only one hiccup sofar. I have the 8 port sitting on my desk and cannot find the rotten little 240/12v tranny. Can't for the life of me remember where i put it. I'm sure they are not very expensive, so i'll get another one. Don't know if any particular one stands out from the crowd, so i guess i'll have to rely on the sales person to steer me right.
  • mmonninmmonnin Centreville, VA
    edited March 2004
    A hub would work just fine as well, esp for a FAH only network if thats all the extra computers will be used for.
  • dragonV8dragonV8 not here much New
    edited March 2004
    mmonnin wrote:
    A hub would work just fine as well, esp for a FAH only network if thats all the extra computers will be used for.

    Got the parts, yeehar!! I should be able to use what i already have, as i actually found the little tranny for the Ritmo. Sally's puter folds x 2 (HT) and is the main puter to do everything. With the new one i'm putting together as i type, we will have 3 dedicated folding units and my laptop, which i take to the mine and also use at home during my week off.

    Hope we don't have too many drama's setting it all up. Thank goodness for Short-Media.

    Best i get back to the new puter and stop talking,lol.

    The sooner it works, the sooner it folds. :fold::fold:
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