Router Only Has Two Ports

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Joined
15 Jan 2006
Posts
404
Location
Scotland
Hi,

We have a brand new router from our ISP which only has two ports. It was enough until recently when we bought a Smart TV.

I now have to crawl about under the desk changing the ethernet cable from the laptop to the TV every time we want to go on the internet with the TV and vice versa with the laptop.

What do I need to sort this? I have heard about switches and hubs, but not sure which is best?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Axel
 
The broadband provider I do support for at the moment offer a single port ethernet based ADSL router for their Broadband standard customers. I suppose they must be a tad cheaper than the 4 port wireless routers available for the Broadband extra customers.

The switch shown above would allow you to extend your wired network to an additional 4 devices, and could be daisy chained if wanted.

For around £20-£30 you could also buy a wireless access point with the same 4 or 5 ports and have some devices connected wirelessly if that's of interest to you. You could also but a wireless router/modem for around the same price. Or check freecycle as there are always some people trying to shift old modems and routers on there.
 
Hi thanks for that.

How do I connect them?

1. Plug my desktop straight into the router along with the switch cable and then plug my laptop and TV into the switch unit?

2. Plug all three into the switch unit?

Or does it make no difference?

Axel
 
The only time it matters is if the router has 100Mb Ethernet LAN ports, and the switch is gigabit, in which case it would be ideal to have all your LAN devices on the switch, and 1 cable from switch to router. If the router has gigabit LAN ports, then it doesn't really matter.
 
Sounds like a router we had from "Utility Warehouse" which was really TalkTalk, cheap nasty thing, used to cut out if you downloaded large files over wireless or ethernet.
 
The router is a D-Link, DL-2680. It appears to work fine apart from the occaisional drop out but I am willing to consider something better.

Any comments or suggestions?

Axel
 
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