Aquired a data switch...

[TonyC]

I have "acquired" a Cisco Catalyst 2950 data switch.

Can I just hook up my NTL Cable modem and my 2 pcs to the box, or do I need to use my brain and do something technical???

Do I connect the main PC to the Console socket at the back of the box, or just plug it in to any port?

Any advice welcome.

TonyC

[Stuart]

I have "acquired" a Cisco Catalyst 2950 data switch.

Can I just hook up my NTL Cable modem and my 2 pcs to the box, or do I need to use my brain and do something technical???

Do I connect the main PC to the Console socket at the back of the box, or just plug it in to any port?

Any advice welcome.

TonyC

Looking at the Cisco site, that switch appears to be for large companies. You will be able to connect your 2 PCs to the box, but as the switch cannot do Network Address Translation. Let me explain that.

Your NTL cable modem has one IP address (IP addresses are a standard method of addressing a computer on the Internet) it can use to communicate with devices. If you have 1 PC, you can plug that straight into the cable modem, as it will only need one IP.

If you have two PCs that you want connected to the modem at the same time, it will need to assign an IP to each. It cannot do this. Most home switches include a device called a "router". This device includes hardware that provides services to attach your internal network to the Internet. Usually it provides a firewall and server to allocate IP addresses to your network. It will also control how the data is routed (hence the name) to and from the devices connected to your network. So, if someone on PC2 wants to browse a web page, for instace, their PC will send the IP address of the page requested to the router. The router will then find a route to this server . The server will send the data for the page back to the router, which will then redirect it back to PC2.

Most commercial switches will not include software to do this (and it looks like yours doesn't) as services like routing and IP address allocation will be provided by external servers.

You can actually use a Windows PC with two network cards (the Cable Modem connected to one, the switch connected to the other) running Internet Connection Sharing will provide the functionality of the external servers.

Put simply, you will be better off buying a home cable router (such as the D-Link DI-624, which I use).

[Aragorn]

scastle just saved me adding a long reply ;)

Cisco Catalyst work great in a corp environment, but not on their own at home.

A Linksys wired router will cost ~£40. £60 if you want wireless as well.

[TonyC]

Thanks both - I thought it might be too good to be true!

I had to replace the Data Switch about a year ago at a customer's site, and nobody could tell me where to return the removed kit to, despite several phone calls... well, if they didn't want it back, I figured I could use it, posession being 9/10s of the law...;) Replacing it didn't solve the problem, so it seems to be good.

Anyone want it in the area Herts/Beds/Bucks/Cambs/Northants/Oxon??? For the price of a couple of beers? :)

[Stew]

How much do you want for it? :)