G+_Joseph Sacco Posted July 3, 2015 Share Posted July 3, 2015 I need some networking help I want to move my router to a more exposed location in my living room but do not want to mess of wires to come with it. I have a Roku 3, Tablo DVR and a Western Digital My Book Live that all need to be connected to it. My plan is to run one ethernet cable between the router and the switch that would be located in a nearby entertainment cabinet, and connect my devices to the switch. I went to Staples.com and looked at the netgear switches. They make managed switches, unmanaged switches and smart switches. Which one do I need, and can I connect the Ethernet cable from my modem into the switch or does that need to go directly into the router. Thanks in advance Joe ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Reed Hanson Posted July 3, 2015 Share Posted July 3, 2015 I use 2 unmanaged switches daisy-chained and they work fine, one switch has my roku blueray and game console and the other has my computers, only problem I have with this setup is I have to unplug the cord coming from my router, to the first switch and re-seat it after I reset my router. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_610GARAGE Posted July 3, 2015 Share Posted July 3, 2015 You really only need an unmanaged switch. Managed switches have the ability to configure QOS, security, link aggregation, and some other fun stuff. I think smart switches are in between, but I'm not sure. The modem HAS TO GO INTO THE WAN PORT OF THE ROUTER. If you don't, you will not have a firewall between you and the outside world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Joshua Hamlett Posted July 3, 2015 Share Posted July 3, 2015 610bob actually, most internet modems are routers with a firewall themselves. What I would say is that you would want to connect the modem to the router and then the unmanaged switches to the router, otherwise, you might end up with a firewall between some of the devices on your network making your WD MyBook Live useless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_610GARAGE Posted July 3, 2015 Share Posted July 3, 2015 Joshua Hamlett You are correct, but the modems I've seen don't allow me to mess with them. And if there is a firewall that I can't manage, or even if I can, but I'm not the only one who can, then the firewall is nonexistent to me. Paranoid, maybe, but do you really trust your ISP? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Ben Reese Posted July 4, 2015 Share Posted July 4, 2015 If you want to find the management IP of your modem, look at the default gateway of whatever is connected to it. If the modem is doing natting, you'll have a 192.x.x.x or 10.x.x.x IP and default gateway. If the modem is passing on the public IP, you should be able to get to the modem at 192.168.100.1. That said, if you're using a router and the router is fine where it's at, leave it there. Run a single CAT-5/6 cable to your media cabinet and put a switch there. Managed, unmanned... It doesn't matter. I doubt you'd need to change any settings on a managed switch, so it would just be extra cost with no added benefit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Joseph Sacco Posted July 4, 2015 Author Share Posted July 4, 2015 Ben Reese?? the modem Is just a modem with one Ethernet port. I need the router for wireless access. I want to move it for better wireless reception Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_610GARAGE Posted July 4, 2015 Share Posted July 4, 2015 It may be easier to just get an access point and disable wireless capability on your router. http://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-TL-WA801ND-Wireless-300Mbps-Repeater/dp/B004UBU8IE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1435976739&sr=8-1&keywords=access+point Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Ben Reese Posted July 4, 2015 Share Posted July 4, 2015 Sounds like you've got it figured out then. Modem >Router>Switch/Access Point. And if you want to leave your router where it is and run an Ethernet to your entertainment system and have both wired and extended wireless, you can use a wireless router as a switch too. Takes a bit more setup, but nothing too difficult. I'm currently using a wireless router as an access point to extend the coverage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Philip Florio Posted July 19, 2015 Share Posted July 19, 2015 Just watched Padre's reply on the show. I have 3 on my network! The router is in my computer room with one of them to share to all the devices and the other 2 are in other rooms. One is to split between 2 computers and the other is in with the entertainment center, that has 6 connections. So does that mean I need to run 6 Ethernet cables to the entertainment center instead of the switch? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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