Direct Access to Router or Ethernet Switch Advice

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toucan8

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Apr 15, 2016
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Hi all,

I have read through the forums and other websites about ethernet switches and how they generally work. My main issue is more of whether it makes sense to do this:

I have one 50 ft cable running from the top floor to the basement that's connected to the router. It's been damaged so I have to replace that cable; however, I was thinking that since we have multiple items that use the ethernet in the basement (PC and Xbox One), but it's shuffled back and forth between the 2, is it better to have 2 ethernet cables running down (taking up 2 out of 4 slots from the router) or should I run one cable down and use an ethernet switch (http://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-TL-SG1005D-1000Mbps-Gigabit-Capacity/dp/B000N99BBC/ref=sr_1_10?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1460735709&sr=1-10&keywords=ethernet+switch) and then plug those items into the switch?

And if you do recommend the switch, do I then get a gigabit switch or a 10/100 Mbps switch? My PC and router are able to use the gigabit network. I currently get 75/75Mbps from my ISP, so I'm not sure if that's necessary for me yet. It seems more like it can future proof my home networking in case we ever get it.

Thanks for your advice/suggestions!
 
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Calculagator

Calculagator

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Nov 18, 2014
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I would run the one cable and use a switch. Sharing 1 gigabit between two devices should be fine-especially for home use. I would get a gigabit switch. They don't cost much more and will be much more useful for things like streaming video or games over your local network. If you ever add shared network storage, it will be noticeably faster.
 
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Calculagator

Calculagator

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This is a bit confused:
You do need either CAT 5e or CAT 6 cable. You don't need any sort of special shielding for full speed unless you have very unusual interference for a home. You shouldn't mess with the MTU unless you know what you are doing. It will be configured automatically. If you are using a Cable or DSL modem, your ISP doesn't really use an MTU that you should care about.
 
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USAFRet

USAFRet

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1 cable, and a 10/100/1000 (gigabit) switch.
A current 10/100/1000 switch isn't that much more expensive than a 10/100, so why not.
 
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T

toucan8

Commendable
Apr 15, 2016
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Which switch would you recommend in that case?
 
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T

toucan8

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Apr 15, 2016
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I also have the cat6 ethernet cable picked out, it was priced the same as the cat5e (unless I'm looking at the wrong one)? A 50 foot ethernet cat6a is $15.99 and the cat6 is $12.99. Was the cat6a what you meant about cat 6sftp being the best? What are the differences between the two?
 
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toucan8

Commendable
Apr 15, 2016
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I'm confused about the MTU. What is it and how do I make it match my ISP MTU?

 
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toucan8

Commendable
Apr 15, 2016
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Perfect! I'll get that one then.
 
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toucan8

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Apr 15, 2016
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Is that not the same as this? http://www.amazon.com/Cable-Matters-Snagless-Shielded-Ethernet/dp/B00HEM61KA?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=ox_sc_act_title_1&smid=A1AMUYYA3CT6HJ
 
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T

toucan8

Commendable
Apr 15, 2016
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I understand the cat5e ftp, I guess I misunderstood you in regard to the cat6 since some are advertised as cat6a (SSTP/SFTP). I thought that it's the same as the cat6 SFTP. Is that true?
 
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Calculagator

Calculagator

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Nov 18, 2014
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I'm not sure if I'm hitting a language barrier or if conditions are very different in a different locality: I'm sorry if that is the case.
The information that Sprados is giving is wrong.
Unless there is very unusual electromagnetic interference, you do not need shielded cable of any sort. If you were bundling hundreds of wires together or had high-voltage power lines in your home, you might want it, but a normal home with a single wire does not require shielding. Any wire rated CAT 5e or above will work for full gigabit speeds. CAT 6 is fine. So is CAT 6a. CAT6 wire has some sort of plastic spline in it that CAT 5 lacks. For the length you are using, the most basic wires will be sufficient. Basically any network wire you buy will be sufficient for home use unless it is actually defective. Just get what is cheapest.

Also, ignore the advice about MTU. End users should not mess with it (unless your ISP tells you to). If you were running a file server on your local network, you might look into jumbo frames, but you aren't and don't need to. Your ISP will configure all of the MTU stuff without any intervention from you. You could break things by changing your MTU, but you won't get a faster connection.
 
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