Windows 7 - A Few Very Basic Questions Re a Cat 5e Cable

Hello,

Really showing my ignorance here, but please bear with me.

a. When going from my Comcast modem (broadband) to the input of a new
PC, I guess I will need a Cat 5e cable.

Do I want the "Crossover" type ?

(if not, just so I can learn, how and where is a "Crossover" type used ?)

b. Is a "Cat 5e" cable considered an Ethernet Cable ?

c. In a while I'll get a Router. But in the meantime would like to share the Comcast
modem between two PC's in the same room. BUT, not at the same time.

Looked, but couldn't find any.
Might anyone know of a A/B type of simple mechanical switch I could use ?
(Mfg. and Model ?)

Much thanks,
Bob

Hi Bob, I hope I can answer some of your question.
Yes Cat 5e cable is an ethernet cable. you dont need a crossover cable as its mainly used to connect hubs and routers. Ethernet crossover cable - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is what you need to connect 2 PC's to the comcast modem; Belkin : 4-Port Router

You can search ebay for cheap prices.

Here's a link to Google shopping for Ethernet A/B switches:
ethernet a b switch box - Google Product Search

The prices are all over the place, but what you need is a simple ($11 - $17) mechanical switch.

You would want a Cat5 cable or better. 5 can handle 100 megabits per second for lengths of 100 meters (327 feet). 5e can go 1000 megabits per second for the same length. However, Comcast doesn't provide that much bandwidth..so standard 5 is fine.

Price difference will be almost non-existent.

The mechanical switch will work, but are you sure that a) you want that hassle, and b) you won't need to move files between these machines...or need to use them at the same time eventually? You can get a decent router with four 10/100BT ports for $40 or so and that would solve your issue.

You need the router because Comcast (and other ISPs) give you one IP (unless you pay extra) and each PC in your house needs a unique IP. The router gets the IP from your ISP and then issues local IPs to your devices. You can get one fairly inexpensively....as long as you stay away from routers that support Gigabit speeds.

Personally, I like to use a Gigabit switch in my house that is behind the router. I connect the switch to the router with one cable (running at 100BT speeds due to the router's limitations) and connect all the PCs to the Gigabit switch, which allows them to communicate with each other at Gigabit speeds. Actually, I have multiple Gigabit switches, but that's another story.


This approach allows me to move files in the house between PCs very quickly...and stream anything to media streamers in the house without any hiccups..even when other folks in my house are accessing the same file server. Of course, that may be overkill for you...but if you do that, you will want Cat 5e instead of Cat 5.



You can get any number of inexpensive routers for $40-$50:

Newegg.com - Networking,Wired Networking,Wired Routers,$25 - $50


Heck, they even have a reconditioned one for 12 beans:

Newegg.com - Recertified: LINKSYS BEFSR41-RM 10/100Mbps EtherFast Cable/DSL Router with 4-Port Switch 1 x 10/100Mbps WAN Ports 4 x 10/100Mbps LAN Ports



You can also get a decent Gigabit switch for about the same price. I own this one and it works great:

Newegg.com - D-Link DGS-2208 10/100/1000Mbps 8-Port Desktop Green Ethernet Switch 8 x RJ45 8K MAC Address Table 144KB per Device Packet Buffer Memory Buffer Memory - Switches

...and it is $30 (US) after rebate at the moment.



... or you can get this Router with four Gigabit LAN ports for less than $75 (US) after rebate:

Newegg.com - D-Link DGL-4100 10/100/1000Mbps GamerLounge Broadband Gigabit Gaming Router 1 x 10/100Mbps WAN Ports 4 x 10/100/1000Mbps LAN Ports - Wired Routers




I know that may seem like overkill, but the difference between moving large files inside your home network is dramatic.

Just a thought.

Hi All,

Just a quick thanks for all the help.

So nice of everyone taking all the time to answer my questions.
Really appreciate it.

Best regards,
Bob

Hi again,

Sorry to make a pest of myself, but I'm a real beginner with this Wireless router stuff.

Another very basic, and dumb, question.

New Desktop PC (HP Pavilion Elite) will be coming with an internal LAN card.

Is this "all" that is required, assuming I can configure the PC correctly to accept the wireless data stream ? Where is the antenna ? If inside, how can it work in a (full) metal enclosure ?

I'm asking, as I notice so many Laptops have a USB wireless cardof some sort sticking out of them.

Is this also required for my Desktop in addition to the LAN card ?

Thanks again,
Bob

The desktop is going to have a wired LAN connection. You would plug in a cable from the desktop NIC to an available port on your router or switch.

As far as I'm aware most desktops do not have wireless adapters, usually connected via a cat 5 cable. Wireless dongles are relatively cheap and just plug in. Look here:

Computer Hardware - All - Wireless - Scan.co.uk

Asus P5B Deluxe WiFi. When I selected this board, part of me thought I was just being anal. Why would I need three net connects?

Use all 3 of them, all the time.