"Branch" routing (not sure how to describe it)

[indigo0086]

So here's the deal, I have bellsouth dsl, with a linksys router and three computers hooked up through it, everythhing works dandy, but I have one more thing I want to hook up through the router, an xbox. That wouldn't be hard, but it would be inconvenient because we have long wires running throuhg the house already. I have the xbox in my room, and my computer in my room. Would there be a way to route my connection from the router further to the computer and the xbox, like a splitter or something? Will there be data loss. I want this to keep from having another wire cross from the router, to my room around to the xbox, which I would estimate is about 40 feet or so. I made a little image thingie to show you what I mean, hopefully.

[glc]

Get a cheap switch and put it in the room with the computer and Xbox - move the existing cable from the computer to the uplink port on the switch and plug both the computer and Xbox into the switch with patch cables. Some switches are "auto sensing" and don't have a dedicated uplink port, any port will work as an uplink.

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...180-002&depa=0

[indigo0086]

Originally Posted by glc Get a cheap switch and put it in the room with the computer and Xbox - move the existing cable from the computer to the uplink port on the switch and plug both the computer and Xbox into the switch with patch cables. Some switches are "auto sensing" and don't have a dedicated uplink port, any port will work as an uplink. http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...180-002&depa=0

so basically that little circle in my picture would be where the switch goes, and I treat the cable that is coming from the router in the same way the main internet cable that goes into the router?

Also will I be able to browse the internet at the same time I am using the xbox or no?

[indigo0086]

I was wondering would any router handle that kind of thing or should I stick with my current linksys router?

[indigo0086]

anyone?

[dsl boy]

you linksys is fine, you just need the switch

[Byte 2.0]

Yes, a switch is all you need in your router. You would not want to connect another router as it would complicate the network and might cause a headache getting all the ports you need open.

[indigo0086]

But I'll be able to be on the internet while xbox is also xbox live?

[Byte 2.0]

I am not certain which DSL modem you have, but I am going to take a stab at it, you probably have the westell. I used to do tier 2 support for Bellsouth.

Anyways, you have modem, next Linksys router.

From linksys router you have 4 ports, and ethernet cable.

You can run one of the cables to your room, then put a switch, 10/100, they are cheap. From this switch you can connect X box and a PC.

All the home computer and the X box can be online at once, if all is configured correctly.

The only issue might be having the correct ports for the xbox to get to the outside world, as I don't know what port an X box uses. that would have to be configured in the Linksys router.

Note, I did make a few assumptions about your connection.

[glc]

Xbox Live works fine with Linksys routers without opening any ports.

[indigo0086]

ok guys thanks for all the help.

[indigo0086]

Originally Posted by Byte 2.0 I am not certain which DSL modem you have, but I am going to take a stab at it, you probably have the westell. I used to do tier 2 support for Bellsouth. Anyways, you have modem, next Linksys router. From linksys router you have 4 ports, and ethernet cable. You can run one of the cables to your room, then put a switch, 10/100, they are cheap. From this switch you can connect X box and a PC. All the home computer and the X box can be online at once, if all is configured correctly. The only issue might be having the correct ports for the xbox to get to the outside world, as I don't know what port an X box uses. that would have to be configured in the Linksys router. Note, I did make a few assumptions about your connection.

well got the switch but it turns out I can't connect to live with the switch. One thing is I have my ip's manually set on all the computers, and if I enter the ip used with my computer on my xbox, there will be a "ip already in use" error. Is there a way to resolve this with manually set ip's?

[zack224]

Go into the router settings by typing http://192.168.0.1 or 192.168.0.0 in internet explorer, if you stuck with the ip schema that comes with the router. In there find the DHCP settings and turn DHCP on make a ip pool with a range of about 25 ip address's spanning from 192.168.0.1 or whatever you have running now. Go to each computer and go to the network card properties and change it to obtain ip address automatically. Now unplug router for about 5 seconds then plug it back in, then reboot all computers. then when the xbox is plugged into the switch it will automatically obtain an ip address from the router.

[indigo0086]

Originally Posted by zack224 Go into the router settings by typing http://192.168.0.1 or 192.168.0.0 in internet explorer, if you stuck with the ip schema that comes with the router. In there find the DHCP settings and turn DHCP on make a ip pool with a range of about 25 ip address's spanning from 192.168.0.1 or whatever you have running now. Go to each computer and go to the network card properties and change it to obtain ip address automatically. Now unplug router for about 5 seconds then plug it back in, then reboot all computers. then when the xbox is plugged into the switch it will automatically obtain an ip address from the router.

well I did that a while ago, the dhcp settings. I assigned each computer a seperate ip address and that's how I've been connected to the internet for more than a year or so.

[glc]

Zack, Linksys is 192.168.1.1, not 0.1.

If you manually assign IP's, the Xbox must have a different IP than the computer. Adding the switch accomplishes the exact same thing as plugging the computer and the Xbox into separate router ports, there is no electrical difference.

[indigo0086]

OK, so right now I have the xbox set to 192.168.1.2, which is the same as my computer, do I change that number to another one that's not on the network. Because when Ido automatically connect, it won't connect.

I got it working with the same number as the computer, but every time I connect the computer says that tthere was a network error every so often, but I can still use the internet, it just pops up and sometimes won't let me load a page for a minute or so, but xbox live works well.

[glc]

I will say this one more time - you have to use a different IP - you cannot assign the same IP to more than one device. Every IP device on your network must have a unique IP address.

[indigo0086]

OK, sorry I missed that It turned out well.