MDI vs MDIX

[scottatwittenberg]

i just got this old 3com superstack II 24 port hub.. i tried to use it and couldn't get it to work right.. i was reading a bit and it has an mdi/mdix button.. from my understanding mdix is like using a crossover cable.. so in theory, if i enable the mdix it will turn ports 12 and 24 into "inputs" for lack of a better word?

i am trying to connect it to a router so i can plug in more than 4 things... would i run a cable from any of the ports on the router to 12 or 24 with mdix to do this?

i guess i should try it again.. but i went and put the old t10 hub back and decided to read up again...

maybe i shouldn't use it at all though since its a hub.. my old wired dlink router switch would probably be faster, wouldn't it? i will try to see what the big differences are between a hub and switch.. i know know that a switch is faster..

so yeah.. am i on the right track or not?

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Yes...the MDI-X basically takes a standard port, and makes it an uplink port..so you don't need to use a crossover cable. If you flip the port to "X"...you'd uplink it to a standard port on another hub or switch.

Most new switches these days are all auto MDI-X....so this is sort of a legacy thing you needed to do back in the early days...you don't see this on most new switches.

For a home LAN of under 12x or so PCs..you're not really going to see much of a difference in performance between a hub and a switch. But yes..switches can handle traffic better.