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Thread: LAN Hub for Gaming?

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    LUSE Galant's Avatar
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    LAN Hub for Gaming?

    What would be the best kind of a hub/router or whatever if I just wanted to connect a few PC's together for some lannage?

    I know 4 seems to be the minimum, I'd like more than that, I just don't want to by some hardware and then not use half of the features since they don't apply.

    I'm entirely new to this, so I figure if you guys can give me a name or type of hardware, I can look it up on pricewatch or something.

    Thanks.
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    Banned Shogun's Avatar
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    All you need is a 8 port switch. Can be had very cheaply. Any will do really

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    LUSE Galant's Avatar
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    Reputable brands/models?

    What's the difference between a switch, a hub and a router?

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    Banned Shogun's Avatar
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    Iirc, switch = 100mb, hub = 10mb , router = 100mb normally but you don't need one, this is only if you are going to connect an ethernet modem to it. My modem has a router inbuilt so i just have an ethernet cable running from the modem to the switch.
    Im using a generic switch and its been working fine for 6 months now, just get the cheapest one you can find, they all work the same

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    Cable Guy Jonny M's Avatar
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    <hp fanboy mode>
    The HP 8 port desktop switch is very good
    </hp fanboy mode>

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    Ah, Mrs. Peel! mike_w's Avatar
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    A switch is different from a hub since a switch is faster. When you try to send information across a hub, it sends it to all computers, regardless of which computer needs the information (the computers that don't need the information just ignore it). A switch will only send the information to the computers that need it. A switch is faster since the bandwidth is not being used up by data that does not need to be sent.

    I think a router is for connecting several computers to the internet.
    Last edited by mike_w; 13-08-2004 at 09:11 PM.
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    A hub is a dumb repeater with repeats anything sent to its uplink port across all the other ports and anything sent to its ports to the uplink port.
    A switch is any intelligently routing hub which means that its only sends the packet to the computer that it is meant for which means that time isn't wasted sending the same packet to every port.
    A router routes (no ****) packets between two networks.

    A decent switch can be had for about £20/£30 for home use, take your pick :
    http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/produ...C&subcat_uid=8

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    HEXUS.social member Agent's Avatar
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    The 3com stuff is a good price at Ebuyer, and good stuff
    Quote Originally Posted by Saracen View Post
    And by trying to force me to like small pants, they've alienated me.

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    I'd agree with Mr. Agent. 3com is top kit. switches can also come in managed varieties which basically intelligently route or switch packets.....but that's for serious networks not just your average LAN stuff....

    Also BTW, use static IP's for gaming.....much better!
    Old puter - still good enuff till I save some pennies!

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    HUB: Gives every packet it recieves to all ports (no matter where they come from). This only allows a Half Duplex connection, which means its 100Mb shared (up and download)

    SWITCH: Sends packets to a location based on MAC address, but still allows broadcast packets. This is a Full Duplex connection, which allows 100Mb upload and 100Mb download simultaneously. This is the best option for a LANing enviornment.

    ROUTER: Used for interconnecting networks, they rely on IP addresses for sending stuff, and are slightly slower (because they have to crunch the IP address and subnetmast and choose where to send it)... this would be useless in a LANing enviroment.

    THAT was the most detailed post I have ever done.. (CCNA Semester 1 and 2 wasnt a waste after all )

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    iMc
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    I take it that wireless access points act as hubs, in that the 54mbps is shared between upload/download.
    HEXUS|iMc

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    Yup and the distance also makes a difference

    EDIT: Also you wont get any where near 54mb becasue of the way wireless does error checking Youll get around half i believe...

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    Quote Originally Posted by Shogun
    Iirc, switch = 100mb, hub = 10mb , router = 100mb normally but you don't need one, this is only if you are going to connect an ethernet modem to it.
    quite sure any modern hub/switch/router will give you 10/100mbps

    imo, 8 port netgear FS108 (£25 from ebuyer), or even FS105, (5 port for £18) best networking pro duct ive ever bought, auto uplink, never had any troubles and well.. its good :> i like me netgear stuff, always feels higher quality than any dlink or 3com ive had, metal case etc

    oh and wireless = stupid idea for gaming. especially if its just desktop machines, a cable is fine, less troublesome .. and faster.
    er, if your northbridge fan is humming loudly, disconnect it. _dont_ kick the side of the case, it _will_ break it.
    i know :/

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    Quote Originally Posted by arsen
    imo, 8 port netgear FS108 (£25 from ebuyer), or even FS105, (5 port for £18) best networking pro duct ive ever bought, auto uplink, never had any troubles and well.. its good :> i like me netgear stuff, always feels higher quality than any dlink or 3com ive had, metal case etc
    You've got to be joking !
    3coms products are a lot better than netgear. So much more reliable
    Quote Originally Posted by Saracen View Post
    And by trying to force me to like small pants, they've alienated me.

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    Drop it like it's hot Howard's Avatar
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    3Com > All

    And whoever said hubs are only 10mbit and switches are 100 was wrong.

    Hubs can be any speed. 10 or 100. Switches ditto.

    Switches are just better than hubs in the way that they send the data to the specified PC only whereas a hub splits it between everyone. You don't get collisions with switches and if you've got a moderate sized network with every computer using a fair bit of bandwidth, it's gonna perform better overall.

    Galant, just get an 8 port 3Com, Netgear, Dlink or SMC switch. They're the well regarded brands and you won't have any problems with them.
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