house network, shouldnt i want a switch and not a router?

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spincut

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So in my new house they already have Cat5 jacks everywhere for the internet, and basically they wire the modem somewhere out of the way and then i go get a router or somesuch, with however many ports i want to be activated for use.

the thing is i want every Jack used to basically be just like the computer was hooked up straight to the modem. I dont want alot of the security or internal firewall and port forwarding issues that often come along with a router when it is tucked away somewhere anyway. I asked the guy about getting a switch instead, as that still has the same bandwith allocation ability a hub lacks but is essentialy dumber than a router, making it so every jack is effectivey still as unhindered as i would be hooking up straight to the modem.

but the guy said different he said: "As far as internet is concerned a switch can be used but only to add extra ports after a router.

Normally the router is not the issue, the Cable modem is normally what locks up."

this just seems wrong, even though i hate to disagree with an expert (although his field is more general electronics and entertainment).

i mean, since i dont want it to be any different than hooking up straight to the modem, isnt a switch what i want and not a router?
 
the answer depends. If the modem is just a regular modem, then it will only be able to handle 1 device attached to it, because the modem can only issue 1 ip address aquired from the isp. If this is the case, then you would need a router attached to the modem(the modem then would give its ip to the router) to handle DHCP and assign lan ips to the computers connected to the router, so that they can access the internet.

If its a router/modem, then yes you could use a switch for the additional ports, as the modem has DHCP to assign interal ips to the other machines.

And in the second case, you could really just use a hub for the additional ports, again as the router/modem would handle the DHCP duties of assigning ips.

Thats just a couple ways to do things. Another way is if you have a server that can do DHCP and assign ips for the other computers.
 
well i'm pretty surer it's just a regular ol' cable modem

I guess i really didnt think about the IP issue (or i thought a switch did that too), i guess though that aside from that, ideally i dont want a router that is "smart" enough for its own good, as i literally want the router (or switch ,or whatever i use to get multiple ports) to make connecting to any of the active cat5 ports in the house to be as simple and problem free as connecting straight to the modem would be (so no port forwarding or extra firewall issues that i currently have to deal with).

i suppose if i need to get a router due to needing to have unique ip's (which the guy still really didnt mention as the main reason i cant just get a switch) is there a specifically dumb router i can get that does bascially that and functions like a switch? or a switch that just has that feature?
 
>>even though i hate to disagree with an expert

And why would you do that?

I see this question posted every so often by people who don't understand how to setup networks properly. They don't want a router because it's "complicated".

Then don't trouble yourself with the complication of it all and leave it to the paid expert that DOES KNOW WHAT HE'S DOING!

If you came here looking for experts that will tell you to do it your way, you are not going to find any.

Sorry for the bluntness, but it is what it is.
 
well because i know a thing or two about it as well, i dont know why you're getting pissy at me, he's mainly there for the entertainment equipment and since i was citing specific problems caused by the personal router i already use and he's saying the MODEM is what has the heightened security (which i'm trying to avoid since this is very specifically for just getting multiple connections not setting up a full blown network), which does sound flat out wrong, then i can disagree or at least inquire, even if "i hate to disagree with the expert", which seems to have gotten you set on giving me a hard time.

i dont know why you're digging into me about people who dont want routers because of "complications", i literally dont want that, it's not that i cant "deal" with it but i dont want the issues associated with router security and port blocking at all, there will be no networking going on, there is no network setup, i think you're grossly misunderstanding this and if you're just going to lecture me i'd appreciate you not because it isnt helping.
 
>>i literally want the router (or switch ,or whatever i use to get multiple ports) to make connecting to any of the active cat5 ports in the house to be as simple and problem free as connecting straight to the modem would be (so no port forwarding or extra firewall issues that i currently have to deal with).

You don't want to do that.

As I said, sorry to be blunt (pissy, whatever), but if you want to connect all of your machines to the outside world with no firewall (because they have "issues") then you don't understand the function of firewalls.

Wouldn't it just be easier to not have to deal with the complication of putting locks on the doors of the house too? Just leave it all open to the world. Much easier to get in the house that way. Nothing will happen.
 
your analogy is not really making sense since alot of people dont even use a router and just connect directly to the modem, which i would do except i need multiple ports due to the modem being elsewhere (and there being more than one place with internet access), that's all, i'm not looking though to have any of the higher security functions i get from the router, that honeslty often get in the way (or at least are not wanted before i connect to the wall outlets where the internet will be, as i said i want to have the same effect as it would be to just connect to the modem).

i'm not really asking for your opinion on this or how stupid you think it is, i just desire the same environment as connecting directly to the modem, whether you think it's like leaving a door unlocked or not.

and i was making much better progress with kdheads who does not feel the necesity to talk down to or above me about the issue.
 
Sorry if you didn't understand the analogy, but that would follow if you don't understand the need for firewalls. ;)

>>alot of people dont even use a router and just connect directly to the modem

Many times the routers are integrated into the modems. When you have a box like that, then no you would not need another router and a switch would be just fine to expand the number of ports. The people that have their machines getting a public IP are the same ones constantly asking for help with removing bugs and sending the rest of us millions of spams every day.

>>well i'm pretty surer it's just a regular ol' cable modem

If your modem does not have a firewall or at least do NAT, then you definitely DO NOT want to just put a switch behind the modem. As others have said, the ISP will likely not grant multiple public IPs anyway.
 
Got get a router, plug you modem into it, set up the router for DHCP, plug the rest of your cat 5 into it, set your computers up for obtain IPs automatically.
 
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