What can I use to split one ethernet wall jack into at least 3?

BH217

Reputable
Feb 17, 2014
7
0
4,510
Hello,

I am a college student and my dorm room only has 1 ethernet jack. The university does not allow desktops to be hooked to the campus wifi for some reason. This policy is the same for apple TV boxes and xbox 360s. My roommate has an xbox and I have a desktop and apple TV. How can we hook all 3 up in our room using only the 1 ethernet port? Will something like this work?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FNFSPY/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Thank you for your help
 
Solution
Give the crowded WiFi environment at dorms, you are probably better off putting the desktop on the wired connection anyway. As university computer user, I always followed the ask forgiveness rather than permission rule. Although my experience was as a grad student in an office, not a dorm, so YMMV.

Buy an inexpensive switch and see if it works. If it does, then all is good until and if ever the admin tracks you down. If not, you can return the switch and see what the school recommends. If necessary make a special pleading (AKA begging) for your research needs. And always remember, they are overworked and under payed, so use your best and most polite manners when insisting they put you to the head of the queue or do the...
As stated a switch is the easiest way to turn one ethernet port into multipe.

Now since this is a campus network they could have easily implimented security measures to only allow the issuing of 1 IP address to a port, thus even with 4-5 devices pluged into the switch, only the first one you pluged in would work.

Switches are cheap so you can try it, or even call up and ask your campus IT department if they have any port security agianst you using a switch.
 

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
Further:

1. You are not the only one on campus trying to do this. What are your neighbors using?
2. The campus IT dudes are seriously overworked with all the new people showing up with 'issues'. Be patient if you need to ask them.
 

Pooneil

Honorable
Apr 15, 2013
1,222
0
11,960
Give the crowded WiFi environment at dorms, you are probably better off putting the desktop on the wired connection anyway. As university computer user, I always followed the ask forgiveness rather than permission rule. Although my experience was as a grad student in an office, not a dorm, so YMMV.

Buy an inexpensive switch and see if it works. If it does, then all is good until and if ever the admin tracks you down. If not, you can return the switch and see what the school recommends. If necessary make a special pleading (AKA begging) for your research needs. And always remember, they are overworked and under payed, so use your best and most polite manners when insisting they put you to the head of the queue or do the impossible.
 
Solution