need ethernet switch

[diablo11]

i have dsl, i have westel a90-7500 wireless router

is that westel router   100 or 1000 Mbps?

Im wondering what i need for a ethernet switch?  i have a wall port in my room and have two computers in that room and want to add a switch to hook up both computers instead of keep switching the cable back and forth to both computers.

i have cat 5e  cable thoughout the walls..

also if the westel router is just capable of 100Mbps can i get a gigabit router and will my speed increase, will the bottleneck open up ?

or does verizon dsl top out at 100Mbps? where i dont have to worry about getting any gigabit equipment? my LAN Chipset in my computers are  Realtek 8111E Max LAN Speed  10/100/1000Mbps.

thanks

[Hubrisnxs]

I picked up several dlink ethernet switches for 1.99 each 10/100 when they were on sale.  If you have heavy needs, like transferring mammoth files (video's usually) then get a gigabit switch.   if you aren't going to be doing a lot of pc to pc transfers, or they aren't mammoth files, then you can afford to go with a 10/100 switch.   

[diablo11]

from what ive read the westel 7500 transfers and tops  out at 100 Mbps and verizon DSL transfer speeds are 1 -4Mbps so getting a giagbit switch is waste of  money? am i correct? so even getting a gigabit modem router and replacing the westel 7500 wouldnt even help get faster..  

[Hubrisnxs]

That's right, the gigabit switch would only be important for internal transfers from pc to pc or pc to mobile device etc.... 

Once on the internet, the connection only goes so fast, so a gigabit switch is not and wasn't meant to be a gigabit WAN switch, it's a gigabit LAN switch, for your Local area connection.    

For me, I have mammoth amounts of movies and music, and the extra speed going from pc to pc through out the house is noticeable vs a 100mb switch.  BUT I don't expect it to make my internet faster.. 

[diablo11]

so a gigabit switch will increase transfers from pc to pc?  how much will it increase, can it go over 100Mbps? if i buy a gigabit switch instead of one 10/100mbps switch

[diablo11]

" the gigabit switch would only be important for internal transfers from pc to pc or pc to mobile device etc.... "

so i f i get a gigabit switch and add it to the router i have now which is the westell 7500 10/100mbps will i still be able to transfer large files from pc to pc to mobile thru the gigabit tansfers or do i have to change my westel router modem to a gigabit moden router?

[dslr595148 · Accepted solution]

#1 As far as I know the max LAN speed that your current modem combo, with a four port switch built into it, can support is: 100 Mbps.

So, what this means is...

a) If you connected a gigabit switch to the one of the LAN ports of it and you connected all of your computers to that gigabit switch, all of your computer(s) that have a gigabit NIC could go up to gigabit speed.

b) If you connected a gigabit switch to the one of the LAN ports of it and you connected some of your computer(s) to that gigabit switch, the computer(s) connected to the gigabit switch could up to gigabit speed but the other computer(s) connected to this modem combo would only go up to 100 Mbps.

#2 If you got a modem combo up and running that can support up to gigabit speed on the LAN, as long as your switch that you get supports gigabit, all of your computer(s) that have a gigabit NIC could go up to gigabit speed on the LAN.

#3 As addressed by other users in this thread, a gigabit NIC/switch or even a gigabit router (including a gigabit modem combo), will only affect the LAN speed. It will not get rid of a bottle neck(s) on the Internet.

[diablo11]

all my cables are plugged into the switch, only one cable goes from the swtich to the router modem.

so what your saying when im transfering large files from p's to pc's it will only go thru the switch and wont go thru the router modem at all? so the router doesnt mattrer

[dslr595148]

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@diablo1 wrote:

all my cables are plugged into the switch, only one cable goes from the swtich to the router modem.

so what your saying when im transfering large files from p's to pc's it will only go thru the switch and wont go thru the router modem at all? so the router doesnt mattrer

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Yes, I believe that to be correct.