TR Forums

Okay, many of you will have read my previous post about networking equipment that seemed to go on and on forever, if not, <a href="http://www.tech-report.com/forums/viewtopic.php?topic=128&forum=14&28"> go here </a> to find out what I'm going to be using and the needs of it, because they are far too complex for me to bother at the moment hehe

My question now is this: I saw a 10/100 hub/switch (can't remember which, and yes, I know that rhymes) a few days ago that was in the reigon of £140!!!!

Yet on the same page there was a 12Mbps hub/switch, this time for about £40!!!

12Mbps / 8 = 1.5 MBps correct???

I was just wondering if this will be enough for a small network of the size I am planning to implement? It would mean that I spend about £70 instead of £170...

Thanx for the help,
IntelMole

If you're satisfied with 12 go with 12, if you know you won't be satisfied with 12 either now or sometime in the next couple of years go with the 10/100. I'm also kind of curious as to what manufacturer makes the 12 since I've never heard of a 12MB hub before.

What the hell is a 12 Mb/s hub? It doesn't sound like 10BaseT or 100BaseTX to me....

12Mb doesn't sound like ethernet to me. In fact it doesn't sound like any network type I've heard of. If you're going to be transferring large files on a regular basis, go with 100Mb - you won't be sorry.

Sounds like USB or Wireless to me.

Personally I think 100Base switches are the only way to fly, but I do heavy file transfers.

Could be USB like Ryu said, 802.11b is 11MBs so it's not wireless. Besides you wouldn't find anything wireless for that low of a price.

Intelmole:
If you could post a link to the page, it would be helpful. However, I am inclined to believe that the 12 Mb/s hub is a USB 1.1 hub of some sort.

Actually, I did remember the USB speed tops out at 12Mbps, it was on a dabs.com brochure I got so I can give you the quiklinx...

http://www.dabs.com/products/prod-info. ... 0080&ad=DM

AH! Just looking at the quiklinx tells me all I need to know... it's a USB hub, not a network one, but I didn't even consider this as it's on the same page as this...

http://www.dabs.com/products/prod-info. ... 0040&ad=DM

... which co-incidentally is the same wireless 11Mbps type you was talking about Ryu

Oh well, bugger. Back to the question, will I need the full 100Mbps network if all I'm going to need it for is to share the printer and maybe scanner, and sometimes link in my sister's bf's laptop so he can print out files every so often...

Can't see any great need for sharing files since it's highly likely that only one computer will be on at any one time...

Is it worth getting 10Mbps stuff then, for cost reasons? The printer is parallel port, so transfer speeds there should be satisfied shouldn't they?

Aaaah I'm beginning to hate networks hehe,
IntelMole

Have just been looking at some of the stuff on dabs and come up with a 10BaseT 4-port hub for just over £21...

http://www.dabs.com/products/prod-info. ... cklinx=6JZ

Although 4 ports might be scraping it a li'l, it should let me put a printer server, 2 computers, and a laptop into that...

Opinions?,
IntelMole

Found a print server:

http://www.dabs.com/products/prod-info. ... klinx=15PQ

If you remember my last discussion (the link is above somewhere), you remember that I had a problem with PCI slots in the "old" pc... I think I might have found a solution to that with an ISA NIC, just checked and I have a free ISA slot, anyone have any experience with them?

http://www.dabs.com/products/prod-info. ... cklinx=F2N

A PCI NIC for the new pc:

http://www.dabs.com/products/prod-info. ... klinx=110Z

Total cost of networking = £81.06 + cabling, which I can't find on the site

However, I have found a starter kit for £35 with 2 network cables, 2 PCI cards, and a 5-port hub:

http://www.dabs.com/products/prod-info. ... cklinx=QZK

Total cost = £110.44 inc. cabling minus fuss

Plus I get an extra PCI NIC that I can flog to an unsuspecting someone in the papers for £15 hehe...

Alternatively, http://www.dabs.com/products/prod-info. ... cklinx=R12

Cheap at about 60 times the price ,
IntelMole

IntelMole:
I dont know if you can get them over on your side of the pond, but the Siemens Speedstream series broadband routers include an integrated CAT5/RJ-45 10/100 switch (the number of ports varies by model, they have 2, 4, and 8 port versions) and a print server with DB-25 parallel interface. This integrated solution would save you some $$$, as opposed to buyin gth print server and switch (or hub) seperately. And, if you decide to go broadband in the future, you have that capability as well. Even if this model is not available to you, there are other manufacturers with similiar products, butthis the one with which I have personal experience.

Thanks lenzenm, any links or price details?

Sounds promising,
IntelMole

Buy a 100BaseTX switch - it's only slightly more expensive than a hub, but the performance increase is worth it.

I think there's a language barrier here, but I think that the problem is that the old PC doesn't have a spare PCI slot for a 100Base-T NIC. Apparently cost is an issue too.

If cost is important, I wouldn't even bother with a printer server. Even the cheapest ones, the kind that plug into the parallel port, cost quite a bit. And if it's using the parallel port, speed isn't going to increase any by plumbing it through Ethernet. So what's the point? Same thing for any USB-Ethernet adapters or USB networking stuff. Why pay lots of money for poor performance? The specs say 12MBPS, but you'd be lucky to see 6.

For the bare-bones cheapest setup, get a used ISA Ethernet card for the old PC, and buy or make a crossover cable. You'll be stuck at 10MBPS since Fast Ethernet (100MBPS) is pretty much limited to PCI cards. The good news is that you're spending £5 or so if you shop around.

A more workable setup involves making a free PCI slot. Get rid of a card, get an ISA equivalent to replace the PCI one (like a sound card), something. Then instead of the ISA NIC get a 10/100 PCI one. You can use a crossover cable to start, or buy a hub.

If a dead uncle leaves you some cash, then get a switch. For that matter, throw out the old PC and be done with it.

Speed: He wanted his sisters BF to be able to plug in to though if needed so a crossover won't do, 10/100 switch at the minimum I would say. As for the printserver Linksys makes some nice combo switch/printers. Here's a link
http://www.linksys.com/Products/product ... 7&prid=133
Pricewatch has em for about $114USD, if you don't plan on going broadband in the future this is the simplest way to get everything you want. even if you do plan on going broadband it would be easy to add the modem and/or a router to the setup. If you were thinking about maybe doing wireless in the future also Linksys makes a router/switch/printserver/wireless AP, pricewatch has it at about $182USD, here's a link for it http://www.linksys.com/Products/product ... 3&prid=171


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: ANApex on 2002-03-04 08:40 ]</font>

I used to have this switch back in New Zealand. Worked fine, and not much dearer than a hub.

Do a quick search on http://www.ebay.co.uk - you'll find 10/100 switches quite cheap. I picked up an 8-port rackmount Kingston unit for under £50.

Bruce

What's a BF?

boyfriend

I see. The boyfriend wants to "plug in"...that's sick!!! Eeeeewwwwwww....

Specifications on said product:
http://www.speedstream.com/products.html#broadband
Looks like I was mistaken, the 2-port doenst have the integrated print server. Only the 4-port has it.

I got my 4-port at CompUSA (I know, not an option on your side of the pond) for $49.99 on sale + rebate. Regular price was $119.99, which isnt bad given its features.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: lenzenm on 2002-03-04 19:48 ]</font>

Speed, it's YOU that's sick

Anywayz, the reason I need two pcs is that I'm probably taking the new one with me when I go to uni campus... it's going to be an all in one jobbie with a tv tuner etc., because my bedroom is VERY small... This will also help when I go to uni...

Oh yeah, the print server is needed because I need the printer decentralised from the machines...

I wanted to know more about what "average" tranfer rates between computers were...

In a business environment with 100+ computers, I can see the need for Fast Ethernet, however, the 10Mbps hub is a LOT cheaper Hence the point about parallel transfer rates and other file transfers...

The way I work it, 10Mbps = 1.25MBps, which should be easily enough if I just want to tranfer a few word files and pictures about (I had the idea of backing up each computer on the other...), and sending some files to the printer...

And I'll probably be long gone before British Telecom get their thumb outta their ass ,
IntelMole