connecting two ethernet cables

[revron]

i'm volunteering at a non-profit to purchase/install three new computer systems to replace four older systems. personnel comes and goes and the new exec director knew little about the old configuration.

she wants the three pc's networked and said the old systems were not. so, i went off and purchased three new systems and have been backing up the old and restoring the data files to the new.

as i began removing the old pc's, i found that they had been networked prior and that there was a switch that was even powered on and had four ethernet cables plugged into it. then i looked around some more and found that the whole building was cabled with ethernet and that each of the four drops were left coiled on the floor at each respective drop location.

now, the new exec has recently added a dsl to her office (on one end of the building) and she had no router. the old switch was in the office next to hers and the other two drops were in the other end of the sairly small building.

i purchased a new wrt54g linksys router to add to her dsl and had planned to go wireless to the two other pc's. the middle room (where the old switch is) has a new pc (two users) that has a built-in wireless and it works well on lan and wan.

the pc that is on the other end of the building is where i have a concern over wireless distance that will be traveling around cinder block walls.

can i take the far room's ethernet cable that is wired to the middle room and connect that cable to the exec's old ethernet cable that also is wired to the middle room and connect the cables with something and end up with one long ethenet cable that i'll plug into the router???

what exactly do i need to buy? would it be a short female to female ethernet cable? would the old switch work? how? i'd have one cable from the far pc to the switch and then the other cable from the switch to the router. (i don't even remember what kind of switch was present and i have no documentation for it. i think it may be an etrend or datatrend and i think it has eight jacks. if i can use the switch, what ip address do i need to set it to and so forth??? (it seems much simpler for me if i can use a female to female ethernet cable to join the cables.)

lots of words for trying to do something simple.

and, yes, i realize i could move the dsl into the middle room but the exec director really wants the dsl in her office.

thanks in advance!

ron

[revron]

so, i should have looked first: what i apparently need is a modular inline coupler (female to female).

ron

[rjfvillarosa]

Have you found an inline coupler? and if so does it all work?

[glc]

The easiest thing to do is try to educate the director - just replace the existing switch with a router and put the DSL modem in there with it. Look at keeping it SIMPLE.

[revron]

Originally Posted by rjfvillarosa Have you found an inline coupler? and if so does it all work?

i saw one when googling. it was 4.99 w/6.00 shipping. so, i figure i may be able to get one at radio shack or at a local micro center store.

and, i realize that glc's advice is the proper advice ... to move the dsl to the middle room and put the router there as all the wires lead to that room.

ron

[sgtspector]

It may be cheaper to pick one up locally. I have used one and it works fine to connect two cables together. Just keep in mind the total length of the cables together can't exceed 100 meters. Also the connector will add a degree of attenuation (loss of signal), as will other factors, so if you are close to that distance you may have problems. But GLC's recommendation is the way to go.

[revron]

Originally Posted by sgtspector It may be cheaper to pick one up locally. I have used one and it works fine to connect two cables together. Just keep in mind the total length of the cables together can't exceed 100 meters. Also the connector will add a degree of attenuation (loss of signal), as will other factors, so if you are close to that distance you may have problems. But GLC's recommendation is the way to go.

i purchased a coupler fo $9.99 and it works fine. now all three pc's are networked. two are wired and one is wireless.

thanks for your suggestions.

ron