[PLUG] Home Network Hardware Choices

Richard C. Steffens rsteff at comcast.net
Fri May 25 21:44:07 UTC 2007


I currently have a mix of 10 and 10/100 routers, switches, and hubs.
(Actually, 1 of each, and it's only the hub that is limited to 10 Mb).

I'm considering the best solution for replacing the hub. Simplest would
be a 10/100 hub, but it looks like hubs are too old school anymore.

The next simplest solution is to just get another 10/100 switch to
replace the hub. The question then, is what brands to avoid. The C-net
switch has never given me any trouble, at least none that I know of. The
Netgear Router has also been reliable. ENU has a no-brand 8-port 10/100
switch for $22, and a Trendnet 8-port 10/100 switch for $24. After that,
the speeds go up to 10/100/1000, and the price doubles.

Does anyone have experience with the no-brand from ENU, or the Trendnet?

The topology (50 cent word -- I hope I'm using it correctly!) is:

Cable Modem -> Netgear Router - both on the second floor

Netgear Router (10/100)
	-> 8 port C-net Switch
	-> Hub
	-> Brother MFC7820N Printer
	-> Wife's XP machine

C-net Switch (10/100) - in the basement
	-> n/c
	-> Slackware machine
	-> Thinkpad 390 (Win98)
	-> spare
	-> n/c
	-> n/c
	-> n/c
	-> Up link -> Netgear Router

Hub (10) - sitting on top of the router
	-> n/c
	-> eTower 466 (Win98)
	-> n/c
	-> Home made Athlon 2100 machine (SuSE 10.1)
	-> Thinkpad 600e
	-> spare
	-> Acer Aspire Laptop (Win XP)
	-> (Unavailable)
	-> Up link -> Netgear Router

(The difference between n/c and spare, above, is that n/c really has no
connection while spare has a cable connected at the switch or hub, but
nothing on the other end.)

Thanks for any advice.

-- 
Regards,

Dick Steffens




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