'The Message'
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Why do you need a router with more than 4 LAN Ports?
Because I need more than 4 LAN ports in that location, and I'd rather not have *three* chained network devices in my bedroom if I can just have two.
You could just get a switch.
Do they make wireless switches with DNS and DHCP or that run DD WRT? If so, I could just get a switch. But I didn't see any indication that those devices exist. Can you point me in a good direction? The DD-WRT wiki isn't giving me any love.
I'm pretty sure you won't find a switch to do that, I just meant to take care of your need for extra ports.
If a switch would work, it sounds like you're wanting a bridge rather than routing to another network? In which case who's doing DHCP right now?
Well, since I don't think a switch will do everything I need, I don't think a switch will work.
But, honestly, what I want is what I have, but with two to four more LAN ports and maybe some more memory, since I'm right up at the 2MB boundary of the Linksys right now. I don't want a whole 'nother electrical device.
The router does DHCP and DNS, and lo all is almost happy in ita !'s network land. But I'm topped out with devices, and I can't work out if my Win 7 machine dropping off the network is the Win 7 machine, or something to do with the router too.
I have to say, my NAS is doing pretty well--I'm feeling much better about backup, although I haven't done a test restore yet. Still, I'm closer. I just wish it could serve up AVIs with uPNP already. Jesus. Fix my fucking network, will you? I don't want to have a transcoding job running 24/7.
I think you're pretty much stuck with getting a switch if you need more wired ports unless you're going to get an expensive router. 'Course you could convert a PC to wireless to free a wired port.
I've got a 16 port switch and a 5 port switch on my home net to deal with the problem of too few ports. I'm not quite to the point of wanting to rack-mount things.
This is my bedroom, though. I'm constrained with both power and space and just plain aesthetic considerations.
I wonder if I could work out a way to excise my Linux box from the network. Or maybe move it into the front room and free up a port that way. It's really not being efficiently used. But I'd need to make it properly headless...
I have 8 or 9 wired devices in my apartment. I'm guessing that's excessive, since I think I should be able to take care of that with two routing devices, but they're both pretty much full up.
Why two routers? I'm not understanding that part. Do you need two networks?
Not a router, just a hub. But that's in a separate room, so it makes sense. Hooking a router directly to a hub or a switch (since the cool kids are switching now) RIGHT THERE pisses me off.
What's your current network configuration? I can't put it together in my head. If you have 8+ wired devices and a WRT54G then you must already have a hub/switch.
Is it that the WRT54G is in your bedroom and the hub/switch in another room and you're out of ports on the linksys?
Many of the router/switch guys have little slots on the backside for screws. If you have a desk, you could screw it to the underside of the desk, to reduce the aesthetic problem in the bedroom. Just an idea.
Is it that the WRT54G is in your bedroom and the hub/switch in another room and you're out of ports on the linksys?
Yup.
I decided to map it out (also to make sure I am efficient doling out static IP addresses, and getting the old phones out of the system), and the bedroom ports are taken up with:
and then all the other wired devices are on the switch in the living room: