BT Home Hub - Connecting Many Computers?

Big.Wayne · 2 Sep 2007 at 22:03

Hi,

I am setting up a clients office at home, he currently has just one computer but this is being upgraded to two computers and one laptop.

He is using the BT Home Hub which I have heard of loads but never used before. When I took his old system apart he had both a USB connection and an Ethernet connection both attached to his pc. When I put his system back together I connected only the ethernet wire and everything seems to be working.

Anyway I'm just wondering how many P.C's I can hook up to this hub?

I understand most of the ports at the back but I'm not sure what the two USB sockets are for?

So I'm not sure if I can just link up the two pcs to the net and each other just by connecting them to [Ethernet 2] and [Ethernet 1] and then maybe try and link up the laptop via wireless or I just read someone say you can connect a network switch into the ethernet port on the back of the Home Hub and then just use the switch for linking several PC's?

Could you plug *two* 8-Port switches into both the ethernet sockets?

Lastly is it true that I don't need to install any software if I am just connecting via ethernet? . . . if so that's cool!

GeForce · 2 Sep 2007 at 22:16

Anyway I'm just wondering how many P.C's I can hook up to this hub?

Two via ethernet, one via the USB-B port.

I'm not sure what the two USB sockets are for?

The USB-B is for a USB internet connection. The USB-A is unused. BT say it will be used for something in the future.*

So I'm not sure if I can just link up the two pcs to the net and each other just by connecting them to [Ethernet 2] and [Ethernet 1] and then maybe try and link up the laptop via wireless

Wireless is definitely an option, but I never managed to get it working on mine. Connection constantly dropping out and wouldn't take WPA security for some reason.

or I just read someone say you can connect a network switch into the ethernet port on the back of the Home Hub and then just use the switch for linking several PC's?

Yup, you can just stick a standard switch into either of the ethernet sockets to expand the number of PCs you can attach to the hub.

Could you plug *two* 8-Port switches into both the ethernet sockets?

If you need that many connections!

Lastly is it true that I don't need to install any software if I am just connecting via ethernet?

Yup. Don't need to install anything at all.

Hope that helped a bit! Anything else, just ask

Jon

*You can actually attach some USB devices to this port and they become network accessible. I did it with a Canon iP3000 printer, a WD External Hard Drive and a standard USB stick. Could then access all these devices from any system on the network. I don't think BT intended it to work like that, but it does. Doesn't work with older USB devices, or ones that require specific drivers, because you can't install drivers onto the controller (ie. the hub). If you want any help etc. messing around with that "feature" (I use the word lightly!) then give me a shout. I played around with it quite extensively when I was using my Home Hub.

Big.Wayne · 2 Sep 2007 at 22:28

Haha the *mother* of all answers, thanks a lot Jon! :cool:

I did have a search/read of the forums before posting this but a lot of the posts were "Arrggh I hate the Hub!!" etc

Well it seems to be quite straightforward then, the two 8-port switches were hypothetical of course but we have some laying around.

I do actually need to attach a USB external Hard drive to the network for backup purposes so that sounds like an interesting option with the USB port?

Thanks again and I'm sure I can think of some more questions soon

GeForce · 2 Sep 2007 at 22:33

Haha no worries

Yeah a lot of people have had problems with the hub. But then a lot of people have found it perfect for what they need, so hopefully it will be the latter for you!

The hub's DHCP server will handle the switches etc. fine, nothing to worry about there. No config needed either, it will do it all itself.

Yeh that USB-A port feature is a tad odd, and by no means guaranteed to work. But it worked like a charmed with my WD External, so it's definitely worth a shot. Saves spending money on a NAS enclosure

That feature actually exists because the hub is built on another router (a Speedtouch one IIRC) and BT didn't disable that particular feature. But on the other hand, neither did they advertise it.

Hope it all goes well setting up!

Jon