Adding another comp to my network. - Tech Support Forums

Bizkitkid2001 · August 5th, 2003, 03:45 PM

I have a 5th comp that i want to add to my netowrk, but all 4 ports on my router are taken. How can I add a 5th comp to my netowrk without have to pay a lot of money for a switch/Hub. I was hoping that there was some sorta splitter that could make one of those ports into two ports but i haven't had any luck in trying to find one. Also its only going to be like this for a month or so and thats why i don't want to pay a lot of money on a switch or hub.

Thanks,
Biz

meese · August 5th, 2003, 03:49 PM

I think you will just have to disconnect one when you hook up this one.

Urban_Squrill · August 5th, 2003, 04:05 PM

Add a second nic to one of your comps and get a crossover cable. I think that will work.

tgxiii · August 5th, 2003, 04:33 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Urban_Squrill
Add a second nic to one of your comps and get a crossover cable. I think that will work.

Yeah, this will work. I did this to my network at home. I connected one of my computers to the router through the onboard LAN on my Abit IS7. I installed a PCI ethernet card on it and connected it to my 5th computer with a crossover cable. When you do this, though, make sure you bridge the two connections through Network Connections.

Telexen · August 5th, 2003, 04:33 PM

You wouldn't spend a lot of money on a hub/switch if you found a cheap one...you can get a 4 or 5 port for $10 - $20

Urban_Squrill · August 5th, 2003, 04:35 PM

But you can make add a computer for free(if you have the cable and extra nic.

Telexen · August 5th, 2003, 04:37 PM

You'd likely spend just as much on a NIC as a switch.

meese · August 5th, 2003, 04:45 PM

Yea and plus the time to get it working. Switches are cheap. Thats the easiest way. My way doesn't cost anything though. Do you need all 5 connected at once?

Bizkitkid2001 · August 5th, 2003, 04:49 PM

yes I would want all 5 connected at once. Also, what is the difference between a Hub and a switch?

We have an old 4 port D-Link hub, but the only computer that would work going through it was my laptop. If I connected any other computer through it they weren't able to connect to the internet or the network. What would cause this?

meese · August 5th, 2003, 04:55 PM

There are 7 layers to the TCP/IP stack. A hub uses layer 2 and a switch uses layer 3 (I believe). Hubs will pass all packets where a switch is smarter an only passes the packets detined for a certain nic.

I would think the hub is faulty.