Accessing all machines

Now I don't know if I am in the right place but I have a four outlet TP-Link router and have been wanting to
a) be able to print from any machine without having to plug a machine in one at a time can this be done ? tutorial (have looked)
b) what is needed when one wants to have more than four machines hooked to the router at one time, I do believe there such a thing as a switch but a Google and Wikipedia - ing have just left me confused as to what they do or what to do.

Am not good with the tech jargon and hope there is some tutorial in here - if there is I can't find what I want could someone shove me in the right direction please?

If you come out of one of the 4 ports, you can link to 5, 8, 16 port Hubs or switches. Then even link some more off of them depending how many computers you want on the network. Make sure all are in the the same workgroup, printer sharing is turned ON.

Hey thanks Doc for two things - one you made it so simple for a simpleton and I can relax now knowing there is another place in the world that draped with cables etc

Thanks James I will have to look out here for those as Newegg don't ship to us worst luck.

Still at least I know what I am looking for now.

A hub is a "dumb device" meaning that it never learns which computers are plugged into which port...thus when a collection of computers is plugged into a hub, the machine has to broadcast the data to all of the machines and only the machine that it's intended for will grab it. Also, hubs operate in a collision mode at half duplex...meaning that if 1 computer is sending data, or receiving data...the other computers are unable to send and receive. Essentially, the computers all "share" the bandwidth.

A switch is a "smart device" meaning that the first time 2 computers attempt to communicate, just like a hub, it has to broadcast to all ports. But once the receiving computer reponds, the switch "learns" the mac address of the sending and receiving computers, and now whenever traffic needs to be sent to that second computer, the switch can send it directly to the port that it's plugged into without bothering all of the other computers. A switch is a full duplex device allowing sending and receiving at the same time at full speed. Thus, multiple computers can communicate at the same time all at full speed.

A router is a device that allows you to connect 2 distinct network and route traffic between them. In home use situations, 1 network is the ISP and other includes all of the computers you have plugged into your network. You are connecting your network and the ISP's network and routing traffic.

Most home routers also have switches built into them. So, they have a WAN and LAN port (that's the router port) and they often have 4 network ports (that's the switch part).

To add more capacity to your network, just connect 1 switch to the other switch via a network cable and keep right on plugging in ports. Just keep in mind that everything on switch 1 must go through that single uplink cable to switch 2. Thus, you are sharing that bandwidth between the 2 devices...but since it's full duplex that could be as much as 1 gigabit per second in each direction (send and receive).

Hope that helps.

Thanks pparks , James, and Doc things are looking a bit clearer now.

So I have the choice out here from the people I usually deal with and that is a 100mbs 8port switch and a 8 port Gigabit switch - both TP-Link like my router.

After doing some Googling would I be right in saying that the Gigabit switch will actually download / upload faster than the 100mbs switch. Or am I limited by what the router can deliver now.

The difference in price is not an issue - $15 & $35. I also saw some remarks like future readiness or something like that relating to the different types. So if the Gigabit at $35 would give me more speed or make me ready for any future improvements to the delivery that my ISP now is providing - it is the obvious choice? The cabled broadband service out here where I live is mediocre to say the least.

In any case the Gigabit is backwards compatible isn't it?

Thanks James will do that - like you said for $20 it would (and did seem to me) to be a touch mad not go Gigabit.

I have learnt a great deal in such a short period from you fellows thanks to you all I do so much appreciate it when things are kept relatively simple. Sometimes the jargon leave me treading water to be honest but am getting higher in the water LOLZZZ!!

I would go with gigabit myself. But keep in mind, this will only increase the speeds between the computers on your own local network. This will NOT make the Internet faster. Your internet connection is likely between 2 megabits per second and 20 megabits per second. That's going to be your limiting factor.