Using an Ethernet Splitter for 2 computers

Hi there
If you don't need wireless some of these switches will connect directly to the optical fibre cablebox - so you don't need a "Classical Router" in all cases. Wireless is of course another issue or those ISP systems that still need a "classical Router".

If you have more than one PC or device say at a workbench / desk then using a Switch in any case is far better than individual connections to a router whether or not the switch is connected to a Router or to the fibre cable box directly. So a for a group of devices - use a switch, leave other users in your building etc to connect "classically".

I've upgraded from the cheaper 5 Port switch --using more devices -- to an 8-port switch - installed yesterday.

I have now on my new 8 port switch 2X Linux NAS servers, 2X laptops, 1X SKY box (which connects to central SKY Q Box) , 1X fire TV box, 1X smart TV -- switch works brilliantly and all with 1 short bit of LAN cable from switch to megafast latest generation Nighthawk Wifi extender (rated at 1.3 Gbs) !!

Cheers
jimbo

jbcarreon123 said:

Without an Ethernet splitter, you can use the "Bridging" option on the PC.
Problems: SLOWS DOWN internet

More information: Bridging (networking) - Wikipedia

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I was searching through threads on bridging prior to beginning a new thread and saw this thread.

Are you saying that if I bridge my ethernet connect and wi-fi connection it's going to slow down my Internet speed? If so, that goes against what I've been reading on the Web.

jvickers said:

I was searching through threads on bridging prior to beginning a new thread and saw this thread.

Are you saying that if I bridge my ethernet connect and wi-fi connection it's going to slow down my Internet speed? If so, that goes against what I've been reading on the Web.

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Yes. Also, it will not usable when the machine you used to run is turned off.

jbcarreon123 said:

Yes. Also, it will not usable when the machine you used to run is turned off.

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I'm not bridging out to other systems, though. I'm attempting to use my wi-fi and ethernet at the same time for one system - i.e., a bridge. This video doesn't address that that I could see.

Thanks for sharing, though.

JMedlock83 said:

Now that I think about it, i don't think it will work, because both computers can't have the same IP Address, unless there's a way to give each computer its own static IP until I get my router back.

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Hi there
easiest way is to use a cheap 4 / 5 port "unmanged switch" -- simply route eaxch computers ethernet cable into the switch and then connect one of the ports on the switch to your Router / Wifi extender.

If Router is broken you can temporarily make an access point via a mobile phone and connect the wifi extender to your access point. Using DHCP each computer will have its own IP address -- no problem using these switches. (Run a LAN cable from the switch to the wifi extender and use a browser to connect the wifi extender to your phones access point -- then you can use your computers just as before until you get a working router back again).

If you already have access to wifi then you don't need the phone access point -- still connect though via a switch and wifi extender.

I woudn't waste your time messing around trying to get wifi and ethernet to work concurrently on the same computer - especially using Windows. It can be done using a VM where you can create 2 Virtual NIC's - one for ethernet and one for the wifi but then you are going to get into the messy area of subnets etc -- it's not worth the hassle --honestly !!!!

Cheers
jimbo

A Guy said:

You can split with that, but internet would only work on one PC at a time. If you tried to use internet on both at the same time it would crash your internet

A Guy

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Hi there
You aren't often wrong -- assuming you said a switch wouldn't work -- if that's not the case -- then I mis-understood your post.
A switch will treat 2 or more computers as separate machines -- it will send and receive the appropriate signals to / from the "Internet access Device" - be it a router / wifi extender. So long as DHCP is enabled on the "Internet access device" IP addresses will be assigned and the switch ensures that the relevant signals are sent to the appropriate computers.

I have 4 machines on such a device -- 1 LINUX NAS mult-mdia and file sharer, 1 test Windows box, 1 TEST linux NAS server and 1 spare for messing around with.

They all have their own unique IP addresses. The wifi extender takes input from the switch - only 1 port needed and it is so simple that it's genuinely "plug'n play".

3 machines currently switched on at the moment - all connected to the switch which then goes to Wifi extender -- I'm in "The Shed" out of the way of the main house at the moment. No probs with Internet access on all the machines - decently fast too. Nice Blackhawk Netgear wifi extender with LAN input ports as well.







Cheers
jimbo

There are more than one type of network splitter ...

A network switch has internal electronics to aid it the signal data being routed to the correct output port, however there are also Hubs that merely split the input signal and direct this equally to every output port. This is a basic fact that applies to any "splitter" from the simple two way to the 32 port,(or more), professional models.

The hub will rely upon the sending and receiving ports on the sending and receiving devices handling the handshaking and so will, all things being equal, be slower than a switch, where the handshaking will be automatically handled by the switch itself

jimbo45 said:

Hi there
You aren't often wrong -- assuming you said a switch wouldn't work -- if that's not the case -- then I mis-understood your post.


Cheers
jimbo

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Hello Jimbo, Happy Birthday The OP posted this as what he wanted to split with



I was replying to that, not if a switch would work, which was mentioned in following posts

A Guy

@A Guy

Bill there are several types of connection options, using the one you show it could be a hub or a "switched Hub", a switched hub has a physical switch on the case that you use to select the required output, this would work exactly as you say, (I have seen these with a three way switch 1 - 0 - 2 where 1 and 2 go to a specific device and 0 works as a standard Hub ), the advantage of these is that you can force the data to a specific output which results in all the data arriving at full strength, rather than being attenuated as it could be when using a hub. the disadvantage is the one you rightly state, that they only work to one device at a time

In the case of a standard hub the packets of data sent from the source include a "TO" address which can be anywhere local or internet and a "from" address which is the location of the sending device.

This is included in the data sent to all of the OUT ports on the hub, ( in a regular hub with multiple ports the In port can be any physical port and the out ports are all others on the hub). When the data packet arrives at the destination it strips out the "from" Address and uses this as the "to" address for the return data packets,

These arrive at the "in" port of the Hub, (Via the router) and are distributed to all of the other ports on the Hub, but only the originating device accepts the data as it includes it's address. any other ports just dump the data.. This is one of the reasons that switches were developed- to reduce the wasted data and the fact that splitting the data also causes degradation of the signal.

The above is all basic network theory, in real life you hear the words Hub, , Switch and even Router used interchangeably which they are not

The router is just a special type of switch that is designed to contact DNS servers to better "Route" data in the wider network such as large organisations or of course the Net, it can be local to the user or can be at the organisational level where direct lines are used for consumers

Because of their better efficiency these days you see mostly switches and routers in use but when I started in industry it was a case that Hubs were used for office level and switches for departmental, routers were usually built into the server to control internet traffic although some were used specifically for multi site organisation

There is also the Managed, Router (or switch), where the device can be set to use a specific port for specific traffic type which can be useful in busy systems to direct important data to the faster routes

Hello Nigel, the one the OP asked about, pictured above is just a passive one in, 2 out


I'm aware of what would work But he asked will this work, referring to this specific splitter

A Guy

If you are looking for "Fall over " protection you will need special software and or specialist hardware, recently in the UK one supplier BT now provides fall over protection for a line failure by automatically switching to a Mobile service should the Fibre line Fail.

This could be achieved in home for a similar system but requires a specialist router to control the switching and settings in each device

A Guy said:

Hello Nigel, the one the OP asked about, pictured above is just a passive one in, 2 out

https://www.amazon.com/guohanfsh-Ethernet-Network-Splitter-Adapter/dp/B088X2K78X

I'm aware of what would work But he asked will this work, referring to this specific splitter

A Guy

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They must be purposely setting it up this way as just physically splitting the cable to one in two out should work as the originating device tags the packets - the simple answer is to pay a few extra dollars and purchase the TP-Link switch on the same page