Router with more than 4 ports.

I've been trying to find a product like this anywhere with little success.

I'm looking for a standard router for cable / fibre connections but I need there to be more than 4 ports.

At the moment I have a big PC, a NAS server and a PS3 connected with ethernet.

I'm considering getting maybe another NAS server and adding an Apple TV.

I don't want to make my PS3 wireless if I can help it. Also, sometimes I need to connect the two laptops that are in my house for various purposes.

All help greatly appreciated.

Edited by deleted (Tue 12-Jul-11 00:37:04)

I'm not sure there is such a beast. I've not seen anything with more than 4 (maybe 5) ports.

Your best bet is to just buy a switch and cascade that off the router to give you more ports that way.

Here's the one I have but it's not for a beginner!

http://linitx.com/product/13133

All you need is a simple unmanaged switch such as this one below

http://www.microdirect.co.uk/home/product/42723/16-p...

Peter

In reply to a post by Anonymous:

All you need is a simple unmanaged switch such as this one below

http://www.microdirect.co.uk/home/product/42723/16-p...

Peter

agreed, keep your existing router and just get a cheap switch!

As others suggest - get a small, 8 or 12 port switch. Feed a single port from the existing router into the switch and then connect everything to that. Let the switch do the work and not the router - leave that to manage the modem/DSL interface, firewall and DHCP server function. You may have to leave the WAP function on the router, or as I have done, three separate WAPs connected to the switch

A colleague and I did some experiments - he had four devices running off a router (server/NAS) and three PCs. Set various scripts running including a backup, web access, downloads &c and we watched the performance. A speedtest was running (to get a high data rate NOT to check the link speed) but the DSL link would not run at full speed (visual from TBB meter and task manager) - obviously the router was too busy to manage the full traffic flow.

We then left the server/NAS on the router and put the three PCs on a small switch - everything was fine until the backup started and that hogged the switch to router link and also caused the DSL data rate to drop as there was congestion on the router to switch link and data could not get from router to PC in a timely manner.

The third test was everything was connected to the switch and just a single switch to router link. The result was that the performance was better all round. It was possible to have the DSL link running at maximum for 10 to 20 minutes, the backup sped along &c &c.

agreed, except

get a small, 8 or 12 port switch

get a small, 8 or 12 port gigabit switch

In reply to a post by ggremlin:

agreed, except

get a small, 8 or 12 port switch

get a small, 8 or 12 port gigabit switch

Agreed!

Also, for a little future proofing, the OP should look at how many devices he wishes to connect now, add on what he believes will arrive in the next 12 months (new printer, DVD player &c) add 4 then round up to 12, 16 or 24

Thanks very much for all your advice.

I think it's going to be the following network layout

Modem > Wireless router > Switch > ethernet devices.

How about this switch here ?

It should be fine ... but what about future expansion?

What about the CIsco 8 port ? http://www.broadbandbuyer.co.uk/Shop/ShopDetail.asp?...

or if your budget will stretch, a 16 port? http://www.broadbandbuyer.co.uk/Shop/ShopDetail.asp?...

Regarding the Cisco 8 port, I see no difference between that and the ZyXel 8 port one.

At least no massive difference...

ZyXel are a good brand as are Cisco ... Yes teh headline specs are similar, and without delving too deep there will not be massive differences at the level you will be operating at.

Once advantage with Cisco could be warranty and support. My Linksys 24 port switches (now Cisco) have lifetime warranties and support - even for the silly problems where I messed something up.

Perfect - I think I'll order the Cisco 8 port one. I can't really justify the 16 port cost bearing in mind for the next 2 years it'll probably only have 6 ports at most occupied at any one time.

So If I have say a laptop wireless to the router, it can still communicate with the devices that are connected through the switch as if there was no switch there?

Yes you can. The DHCP server is still running in the router and that allocates all of the local IP addresses. Simplistically, the switch will look at the IP addresses of connected devices and remember which port they are connected to, then when a packet arrives it will check the destination IP address and if it is one that is sitting on a port, it will send the packet directly there. If it does not recognise an IP address it will ask the DHCP server for information and then route accordingly.

Also, when you want to add another 8 ports, the new switch connects to the original.

If it's of any use, I've been running one of these for ages with no problem at all. Prior to that I used the same one but fast (10/100 as opposed to 1000) for three years. They have never given me a moments problem and both are still working fine.....

http://www.amazon.co.uk/8-Port-Unmanaged-Gigabit-Des...

A bit late to this, but if you do buy a switch with lodsa ports, think about where it will live - the larger switches often have an internal fan,. and you may not want any noise where you plan to put the switch.

In reply to a post by craigglawson:

Regarding the Cisco 8 port, I see no difference between that and the ZyXel 8 port one.

At least no massive difference...

I've had a Zyxel Gigabit switch for over a year & its been fine, far better than the Netgear switch it replaced.