Hub/Switch

[SnKz]

hello everyone, i was wondering whether someone could give me some advice. I just placed an order for one of these:
http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/produ...duct_uid=26038 and I am wondering whether this is going to work with my NTL cable broadband? people of other forums seem to think that it will work with a switch or hub. can anyone please confirm that this is or isnt true please and maybe recommend a good replacement, which is wired and would preferably work with more than 4 pcs.
thanks in advance.

[MovedGoalPosts]

Hi &

Your ntl broadband STB or modem can only support one connection from a PC at a time. To support more than one at once you need a router between your STB / modem and computer(s), unless you have one PC acting as a server connected to the modem, with all other PCs connected via the swithc to the server PC.

If you connect everything as is to the modem, via the switch, you would need to reboot the modem each time you changed with PC is in use. As you can only have 3 PCs logged with ntl that places a limit too. The router is the best option.

Have regard to the T&Cs or AUP whcih limits the number of computers (including games consoles) you can have conected to ntl broadband.

[Indians]

If you want to share your broadband connection amongst PC's you need a router, a switch or hub will not work, switches / hubs are ok for networking PC's together but to make that shared connection to the Internet you should have a router. There are other ways of doing it, with 2 NIC's in the PC connected to the BB but the router is the best way.

Edit:- Welcome by the way !

You might want to look at this thread....http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/showthread.php?t=8269

[Tezcatlipoca]

To add to MGP & Indians' excellent advice:


Suggestion for a cheap router: Linksys BEFSR41, £32.74 at Amazon. It's a wired 4 port NAT router. If you need to connect more than 4 devices to it (although you are only really allowed to connect a maximum of 3 under the AUP ), you can plug a hub into one of the router's LAN ports to extend it.

Originally Posted by MovedGoalPosts

Have regard to the T&Cs or AUP whcih limits the number of computers (including games consoles) you can have conected to ntl broadband.

Have regard also to the fact that, while you should of course always follow the rules, there is very little chance of them being able to find out how many devices you have attached to your cable modem, if they are all the other side of a router.

[MovedGoalPosts]

Originally Posted by towny

Have regard also to the fact that, while you should of course always follow the rules, there is very little chance of them being able to find out how many devices you have attached to your cable modem, if they are all the other side of a router.

Very true, until you phone CS with some silly problem that gets an engineer round your house and he see's your array of servers

That 3 pc 'limit' is little more than a "covering their backs" type clause in case they catch you trying to run loads of machines off a single connection (like in a block of flats).

ntl don't have the resources (or ability) to know or care if a normal domestic user happens to have 5 pc's connected in their home instead of three.

Most routers have 4 or less Lan ports - so to connect more machines than this you need to expand one of the ports out into a switch [like the one you have ordered].

Originally Posted by MovedGoalPosts

Very true, until you phone CS with some silly problem that gets an engineer round your house and he see's your array of servers

Aah, so that's why stuartbe keeps 'em locked in his shed.

[SnKz]

ok thanks for all your help. could you please recommend a good router either wired or wireless for ntl cable broadband please? perhaps a setup that somebody is already using? is that correct that i could connect a hub to it and then have more than 4 connections on the router without any problems?
thanks again

Originally Posted by SnKz

ok thanks for all your help. could you please recommend a good router either wired or wireless for ntl cable broadband please? perhaps a setup that somebody is already using? is that correct that i could connect a hub to it and then have more than 4 connections on the router without any problems?
thanks again

I use the one that Tez recommended

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/...851021-7832437

I have just 2 pc's sharing the connection, but it was a doddle to install & has been totally reliable.

[AdeRickus]

Second that, recommended

[SnKz]

ok thanks, just cancelled other order and ordered that one along with a switch, which i presume can just plug into the router and work the same way?

[AdeRickus]

configuration is easy, just follow the instructions on the router,


If you have an uplink port on the switch, just plug that into the router and bobs your uncle. If not you can configure one of the ports on the back of the router to plug into any of the ports on the switch,

The lights on both devices should show a connection if you get it wrong

ADE

[dragon]

Originally Posted by AdeRickus

The lights on both devices should show a connection if you get it wrong

ADE

Are you sure? wouldnt they show a connection if you get it right rather than wrong?

[AdeRickus]

Originally Posted by dragon

Are you sure? wouldnt they show a connection if you get it right rather than wrong?

O R

Oops,