Do I need a switch?

weringo · 27 Sep 2008 at 18:18

I've just moved into halls and I'm trying to get my pc, 360 and ps3 all hooked up to the net. At the moment I just have a RJ45 cable connecting from my PC to the socket in the wall.

I was thinking of getting a router like I have at home but the internet company in the halls don't allow routers for some reason or another. If I bought a switch like the Netgear GS605 would I be able to have that connected to the wall socket and have the PC, 360 and PS3 all connected up to it?

It's probably a simple question but the switch diagrams I've seen have all had a modem connected to it which I don't seem to have, unless theres a universal modem in the building or something?

tolien · 27 Sep 2008 at 19:30

A switch probably wouldn't work - odds are they won't just keep giving out IP addresses for as many devices as you feel like connecting.

Duke · 27 Sep 2008 at 19:57

weringo said:
I was thinking of getting a router like I have at home but the internet company in the halls don't allow routers for some reason or another.

Because they will end up with hundreds of DHCP servers and conflicting IP addresses

You could try a switch, but as tolien said, they may only issue a single IP to you any way.

Chris1712 · 27 Sep 2008 at 20:23

Router and clone your PC's mac usually does the trick.

Teal · 28 Sep 2008 at 10:27

A router probably will work with cloned MAC addresses, but if it violates your terms of service then that may lead to no service at all.

May be worth trying a switch as although the people providing your service can configure it not to provide additional IPs you may get lucky.

csmager · 28 Sep 2008 at 10:41

Duke said:
Because they will end up with hundreds of DHCP servers and conflicting IP addresses

They won't, as no routers run a DHCP server on the WAN port.