"kony" <spam@spam.com> wrote in message
news:63e9q3t5ce121u80evbhodh97q6ks7km2m@4ax.com...
> On Sat, 2 Feb 2008 10:26:39 -0800 (PST),
> "jameshanley39@yahoo.co.uk" <jameshanley39@yahoo.co.uk>
> wrote:
>>
>>If it only has 2 ports, there is no need for it to do any Routing.
>
> Depends on how you look at it, what the requirement was. If
> there were only two ports and no routing would you even need
> a standalone box instead of a PCI card type modem?
> Providing I had a free PCI slot I'd certainly rather the
> card than a separate box, all else being as equal as
> possible.
>
> Otherwise, it being a router is still a pretty desirable
> feature for the added control and isolation of a windows box
> from the internet.
>
>

Actually the Routing process is not limited to the number
of ports on the box. You could have your Router route
the packets from your WAN (or any other external net)
through one port to daisy chained switches with many ports,
to the devices on your LAN. Of course the most common
external net that people want to connect their own network
to is the Internet, for that some kind of modem will normally
be needed, based on the physical method of distribution.

As was so apply stated by "Rookie":
"You choose switches to connect computers within your
network, routers to connect your network to another."


This is a switch that I have found works great to cheaply
turn a 5e cabled 100Mbps LAN into a Gigabit LAN:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16833129013

(I use 4500 Jumbo Packets so I don't know how it actually
is with 9000 Jumbo Packets, but it runs fast and trouble free.)
[The part # on mine is 751.8129, and I've had mine for more
than a year before the posting about different internals. Mine
runs on 9V 1amp. So it could be that I just got a good one.]

http://www.provantage.com/smc-networ...t~7SMCS01F.htm

I just plug the switch into my existing router to have the Internet
available to the equipment on my LAN.


Bottom line you should have a Router to provide a connection
to, and some protection from, the Internet - but have a switch to
provide the interconnections to the devices on your LAN.

Luck;
Ken