Agreed - I have just tried Ping Plotter across my network which has a Cisco/Linksys 24 port switch. The result is 0 (zero) and with the granularity of the graph it looks to be under 50uS

You can continue to use the hub for wireless and it will all look like one small network and if you want you could patch your games console direct to a port on the hub.


The cleanest way is 2 cat5e cables to each location and those brought back to a patch panel. Use short patch leads from panel to an 8 port switch. If you want to increase in future, just add another switch to the hub.

I think I will follow this route. Install all cables to a patch panel and then patch leads to the HH2.

I intend to buy a better grade router in the near future and will revisit the switch discussion then. Either way giving the Ps3 its own port on the router. Having a future proof router will be the important part I think.

In reply to a post by mrnelster:

Thanks RobertoS.

I assume that I will get a good enough performance for my up to 40meg connection on my existing router (HH2)?

Not necessarily - as I say below, if te HH2 is doing the WAN/DSL interface, firewall, wireless, DHCP server, switching &c and is loaded then interrupts do not get processed immediately resulting in additional latency and a slow down in performance.

As you recognise, you can improve the hub/router and add a switch without any rewiring, just a few patch leads.

So, go with that and you have some future proofing.

The complexity of the discussion isn't helped by BT calling their supplied ADSL routers and now their cable routers Home Hubs .

@mrnelster - I assume you realise your existing HH2 (you are on BT?) won't work on FTTC? BT supply a cable version of the Home Hub, supposedly an HH3 but not always.

Edited by RobertoS (Mon 18-Apr-11 21:04:44)

Further to my post to MHC, with an "@mrnelster" about the HH2, are you going to BT FTTC or another ISP? As I say there, on Infinity, and I assume on their Option3 with Fibre, BT provide a cable version, but other ISPs do not.

You get the Openreach modem and have to buy a suitable router.

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

Further to my post to MHC, with an "@mrnelster" about the HH2, are you going to BT FTTC or another ISP? As I say there, on Infinity, and I assume on their Option3 with Fibre, BT provide a cable version, but other ISPs do not.

You get the Openreach modem and have to buy a suitable router.

No I didn't realise that. I am going with Aquiss, but there must have been some confusion as I believed the HH2 would work as a stop gap to my new router. Oops.

Did this in our upstairs. Was only able to run one cable through the ceiling for some reason (forget why) and had to split it using a simple splitter box included in a networking kit we got out of B&Q or somewhere like that for buttons. Works a treat to this day actually over the cat5 100mbit.

Switches are fine. You won't notice any difference. Your HH2 has one built in

Hubs are the spawn of satan and you'll be wanting to avoid them.

You could do:
HH2 ------single cable-------switch-------<several devices
|__other cable
|__other cable

Not unless it has a WAN port on the back of it...which it probably won't.

There are "infinity" home hubs that have this. The ADSL variety won't work.

You can connect by plugging the modem into a computer directly (I believe) and doing some old school internet connection sharing.