Hi - see below :) On 21 May 2012 13:38, Brian Smith <br...@briansmithonline.com> wrote:
> Many thanks for your replies. > Your help is much appreciated. > > My understanding of networks is pretty poor. May I clarify a couple of > things please? > > 1. With a phone line, or indeed a TV aerial, you can just plug in a > splitter and it shares the line. This is obviously not possible with a > network. Am I right that this is because each connected device needs its > own IP address (and will already have its own MAC address). > its more to do with the technology than IP or mac addressing, each cable has 8 separate wires that do different send and receive requests (indeed it is possible to wire two computers directly together with a "crossover" cable). However splitting the signal (which is what a HUB does - as opposed to a switch), is not the same as using a "splitter" lite a TV Aerial (athough the concept is similar), its not exactly the same. http://www.meyercomputer.net/Article-Hubs&Switches.htm > > 2. I used the word 'ports' to refer to the four yellow network sockets on > the back of the home hub. IS that the right word? I also used the word > 'socket' to refer to the access point fixed to the wall into which I can > plug a cable. Is that right? > Yes, its a confusing world we live in, but yes you are right, if you want absolute clarity, its best to refer to those ports as "ethernet ports" or "network ports" - for things like "Apache listens on port 80", we refer to as TCP ports. I never understood sockets other than "electrical sockets".... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_socket > > 3. I realise that this is very basic networking stuff and I'll freely > admit that I'm an absolute novice. But the ability to ask and receive your > answers is great. > > Hey no worries, its what we are about, I also feel your pain, - we all do - you have to learn and start somewhere right? If there's anything else you need help with let us know! :) > Thanks again, > > Brian > > > > > On 20 May 2012, at 23:47, Johnathon Tinsley wrote: > > > > >> 1. Yes, but you need to get a switch or a hub to split the signal, and > >> however many more cat 5 cables with themn plug into the switch or hub, > >> For example: > >> > >> > http://www.amazon.co.uk/Netgear-Prosafe-Ethernet-Unmanaged-Switch/dp/B00009015U/ref=sr_1_cc_3?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1337552799&sr=1-3-catcorr > >> < > http://www.amazon.co.uk/Netgear-Prosafe-Ethernet-Unmanaged-Switch/dp/B00009015U/ref=sr_1_cc_3?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1337552799&sr=1-3-catcorr > > > >> > > > > It's worth noting, daisy chaining cheap switches is a fast way to cause > > you some interesting laggy network problems that you'll spend an age > > tracking down[0]. Don't chain more than 1, and avoid running too many. > > If you can, just put a single switch with your Home Hub, and run more > > cables from there. > > > > [0] The switch's mac routing table space gets overfilled, since it's > > handling far more devices than it was designed for. Then you find either > > things just go slow, or machines drop off the network randomly, with no > > apparent cause. > > > >> 2. Yes a Wireless Access Point. For example: > >> > >> > http://www.amazon.co.uk/Edimax-EW-7228APN-150Mbps-Wireless-Extender/dp/B004JV42A0/ref=sr_1_2?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1337552831&sr=1-2 > >> < > http://www.amazon.co.uk/Edimax-EW-7228APN-150Mbps-Wireless-Extender/dp/B004JV42A0/ref=sr_1_2?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1337552831&sr=1-2 > > > >> > >> Hope that helps :) > > > > These are handy! If you have more than one, and their signals can > > overlap, make sure to manually set their transmit channels to give > > enough bandwidth space between them. Realistically, you should only have > > things on channels 1, 6, and 11, or another set that'll give you clear > > spectrum space between them. See the chart and graph on this page for > more: > > > http://www.radio-electronics.com/info/wireless/wi-fi/80211-channels-number-frequencies-bandwidth.php > > > > -- > > All postal correspondence to: > > The Positive Internet Company, 24 Ganton Street, London. W1F 7QY > > > > The Positive Internet Company Limited is registered in England and Wales. > > Registered company number: 3673639. VAT no: 726 7072 28. > > Registered office: Northside House, Mount Pleasant, Barnet, Herts, EN4 > 9EE. > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Peterboro mailing list > > Peterboro@mailman.lug.org.uk > > https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/peterboro > > > _______________________________________________ > Peterboro mailing list > Peterboro@mailman.lug.org.uk > https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/peterboro >
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