Mike McCarty wrote:
To put it another way, I was trying to help a newbie understand the
tradeoffs which would enter into a decision of whether to use
a crossover cable, a hub, a switch, or a router. I find that
many don't really know the differences or even appreciate that
there are differences between hubs, switches, and routers.
Mike
In the interest of helping the newbie(s), it's also worth mentioning
that you should make sure about what you already have before you decide
what you need to buy. I say that because sometimes ISPs provide ADSL
modem/router combinations and people don't always realize that their
ISP-provided modem is also a router. Mine is, complete with the
standard html configuration interface that usually comes with home
routers and all the typical capabilities (firewall, etc.). The
modem/router has only one ethernet port, so I needed a switch to connect
two machines and make a little network, but the modem/router does the
NAT. For me, it would've been a waste of money to get another router --
and probably more difficult to set-up. (I've never tried to connect two
routers, maybe it's trivial, but for a simple home network it seems
excessive.)
--
Michael M. ++ Portland, OR ++ USA
"No live organism can continue for long to exist sanely under conditions of absolute
reality; even larks and katydids are supposed, by some, to dream." --S. Jackson
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