which one do you think is better this one or the one above
Uh, how about you first decide what you want? The two links you posted are to a regular 4-port router and a similar device that also has 802.11b wireless. Do you want wireless or not?
You probably shouldn't choose this particular wireless router, because it's only about half or third as fast as the newer 802.11g devices ("Airport Extreme" in Apple brand language). The 802.11g devices are backwards compatible, so even if you only have the older 802.11b ("Airport") hardware for now, you should probably go with a 802.11g router for future compatibility.
As soon as the guys at the store heard what happened with the three D-Link routers, they compensated for the D-Link in full and sold me a slightly more expensive SMC 2804WBR V2. The SMC router is running fine and the configuration was okay. I can finally get back on track after a week of installation hell.
D-Link actually managed to screw me over one last time. They informed me that they want to send me a replacement router and take my unit in for proper error checking. I immediately called them and told that I have already agreed to return the router to the store, so they must not send the new router (it hadn't yet shipped at that time). Well, two days pass, and a DHL courier brings me... the replacement D-Link. It's not a big bother to return it, but it surprised me that they could manage yet another screwup at a point when I've already told them we are *through*.
I was looking at Routers today, and I noticed that some were called "routers", and some were called "switches", but both seemed to do the same thing (as from what it said on the back of the box). But I did notice that the "switches" were a lot cheaper than the routers.
What is the difference between the two? I am looking at networking the home Mac and PC.
Hubs forward all packets to all computers. They are rare now that switches and routers are so cheap.
Switches forward packets only to the proper destination computer. These are needed rather than a cheap hub when there is enough network traffic that rebroadcasting all packets to every computer wouldn't be possible.
Routers are like switches but with the ability to share an internet connection with multiple computers. Your router will log onto the internet and your home computers will log onto your router. When information is received from the internet, the router will make sure it reaches the correct computer.
With all this talk of routers, will the new Apple AirPort Express work? If both your PC and your iBook (I use those as an example because that is my set up) have wireless cards, could you use the Airport Express as a router to share the internet and such?
With some cable providers you can use a hub or switch to share your single connection. That is if you don't want the firewall protection a router can provide.
I have adelphia cable up in Buffalo, NY with an RCA cable modem that is set to allow 10 computers connected to it though it has only one ethernet port. I discovered this by going to the modems diagnostic page at http://192.168.100.1. Other modem brands may use a different diagnostic address though.
After I noticed that the cable modem would allow 10 computers to be connected directly at once, I disconnected my router and hooked up an old hub I had, and plugged in 3 computers. Sure enough each one had access to the internet, and the diagnostic page said the modem detected 3 computers connected instead of just 1, as it had detected with the router connected.
Maybe not real useful information, but a bit interesting.
Comments
Originally posted by krisneph
I also found this one and it's cheaper why
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...564768-6923060
which one do you think is better this one or the one above
Uh, how about you first decide what you want? The two links you posted are to a regular 4-port router and a similar device that also has 802.11b wireless. Do you want wireless or not?
You probably shouldn't choose this particular wireless router, because it's only about half or third as fast as the newer 802.11g devices ("Airport Extreme" in Apple brand language). The 802.11g devices are backwards compatible, so even if you only have the older 802.11b ("Airport") hardware for now, you should probably go with a 802.11g router for future compatibility.
As soon as the guys at the store heard what happened with the three D-Link routers, they compensated for the D-Link in full and sold me a slightly more expensive SMC 2804WBR V2. The SMC router is running fine and the configuration was okay. I can finally get back on track after a week of installation hell.
D-Link actually managed to screw me over one last time. They informed me that they want to send me a replacement router and take my unit in for proper error checking. I immediately called them and told that I have already agreed to return the router to the store, so they must not send the new router (it hadn't yet shipped at that time). Well, two days pass, and a DHL courier brings me... the replacement D-Link. It's not a big bother to return it, but it surprised me that they could manage yet another screwup at a point when I've already told them we are *through*.
Give it to me!
What is the difference between the two? I am looking at networking the home Mac and PC.
Les.
Switches forward packets only to the proper destination computer. These are needed rather than a cheap hub when there is enough network traffic that rebroadcasting all packets to every computer wouldn't be possible.
Routers are like switches but with the ability to share an internet connection with multiple computers. Your router will log onto the internet and your home computers will log onto your router. When information is received from the internet, the router will make sure it reaches the correct computer.
Les.
I have adelphia cable up in Buffalo, NY with an RCA cable modem that is set to allow 10 computers connected to it though it has only one ethernet port. I discovered this by going to the modems diagnostic page at http://192.168.100.1. Other modem brands may use a different diagnostic address though.
After I noticed that the cable modem would allow 10 computers to be connected directly at once, I disconnected my router and hooked up an old hub I had, and plugged in 3 computers. Sure enough each one had access to the internet, and the diagnostic page said the modem detected 3 computers connected instead of just 1, as it had detected with the router connected.
Maybe not real useful information, but a bit interesting.