Home Network Advice...

[oHUTCHYo]

So currently I have;

Virgin Superhub 2.0
- Laptop (next to Superhub)
- Acer Revo XBMC OpenELEC (downstairs lounge)
- 3TB WD Live NAS (next to Superhub)
- 3TB WD Live NAS (next to Superhub)

My PS4 is currently running wirelessly, but want a wired connection.

I have someone coming on Monday to run a second cat5e cable to the lounge, the same as I have currently from the Superhub (which is upstairs) down to the lounge and in to the Acer Revo.

As the Superhub only has 4 ports, I need to free another up for a cat5 to go to the lounge to the PS4. Therefore I have tried just using the laptop wirelessly instead. It's all fine, barring when I'm playing music from my NAS wirelessly, there is some delay when scrubbing through tracks.

Now, to answer the obvious question, why do I want a second cat5e cable going down in to the lounge when I can just add on a network switch to the one that is already there? For some reason, the three switches I've tried just lose connection frequently and 1 just failed completely. Something isnt right but am not prepared to keep spending money on various switches. I've tried TP link, Netgear etc. etc.

My question is; how with 4 available ports and 5 devices, is there some other way I can use my laptop wired. Maybe not a switch but some sort of 2-into-1 network cable adaptor? I appreciate I may not be able to use those two devices at the same time, but if one was off and the other was one, would it work?

I can perhaps buy another switch to try again, but upstairs rather than all the way downstairs? It's only a 3-bedroom semi so didn't think cat5e distance would be the root cause of the issues?

TL;DR I have 4 ports in the router, I need 5, what can I do outside of using a powered switch?

 

[Terrier_Jimlad]

A small 5 port gigabit switch is your perfect solution here. Seems odd you suffered issues on both of your previous ones - which models were they and were they both gigabit models?

 

[Quartz]

It sounds like the switches aren't talking to the router properly. I've seen this before: try putting the same brand of switch at each end. That is, your Virgin Superhub plugs directly into a switch via a 1m flylead, then the cable goes from that switch to a second switch in your lounge.

That said, you should look at the route your cable takes and see if it goes past anything interesting, like the mains junction box, as a possible source of interference.

BTW I always go for 8 port switches: it's always good to have a few spare.

 

[chris6273]

So currently I have;

Virgin Superhub 2.0
- Laptop (next to Superhub)
- Acer Revo XBMC OpenELEC (downstairs lounge)
- 3TB WD Live NAS (next to Superhub)
- 3TB WD Live NAS (next to Superhub)

My PS4 is currently running wirelessly, but want a wired connection.

I have someone coming on Monday to run a second cat5e cable to the lounge, the same as I have currently from the Superhub (which is upstairs) down to the lounge and in to the Acer Revo.

As the Superhub only has 4 ports, I need to free another up for a cat5 to go to the lounge to the PS4. Therefore I have tried just using the laptop wirelessly instead. It's all fine, barring when I'm playing music from my NAS wirelessly, there is some delay when scrubbing through tracks.

Now, to answer the obvious question, why do I want a second cat5e cable going down in to the lounge when I can just add on a network switch to the one that is already there? For some reason, the three switches I've tried just lose connection frequently and 1 just failed completely. Something isnt right but am not prepared to keep spending money on various switches. I've tried TP link, Netgear etc. etc.

My question is; how with 4 available ports and 5 devices, is there some other way I can use my laptop wired. Maybe not a switch but some sort of 2-into-1 network cable adaptor? I appreciate I may not be able to use those two devices at the same time, but if one was off and the other was one, would it work?

I can perhaps buy another switch to try again, but upstairs rather than all the way downstairs? It's only a 3-bedroom semi so didn't think cat5e distance would be the root cause of the issues?

TL;DR I have 4 ports in the router, I need 5, what can I do outside of using a powered switch?

Seems very weird you've had that many issues with switches - I've never had an issue with different vendors of equipment when doing LAN work.

I'd try another switch.

Re: 2 into 1 network adaptor - No, please don't. This causes major problems when the two devices are used at the same time. Some adaptors also split the cable into two pairs for each port which some devices don't support - You'd need one at each end as-well.