Adding Ethernet Ports with a Network Switch

[@RoboNuggie]

A back to basics guide on an essential need for those of us who perhaps prefer non-wifi connectivity when we have a choice! Thank you Chris, have a great Sunday.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Perfectly said! :)

[@dougr.8653]

Hey, RoboNuggie. Thanks for the challenge of using FreeBSD in 2023. I’m testing NomadBSD and it is awesome. Nice to see my two favourite content creators in the same comment section 🤣

[@Reziac]

@@ExplainingComputers Which brings to mind... maybe you'd find a topic in comparing the BSD desktops (I've never had any luck with them myself).

[@ExplainingComputers]

@@Reziac A "FreeBSD Week" video remains on my slate! :)

[@VauxhallViva1975]

I still prefer hardline wherever possible. WiFi bands are getting VERY clogged up with everything now wanting their slice of the bandwidth, and I find that hard-wired ethernet is simply the most reliable, with the least number of problems - compared to WiFi connections. WiFi has it's place, sure, but if you have a device that has an ethernet port on and and WiFi also, USE THE ETHERNET PORT if you possibly can.

[@brysi]

I was hoping you were gonna touch on POE switches when describing the different kinds but this was great and very informative.

[@ExplainingComputers]

A very good point. I must return to POE.

[@terrydaktyllus1320]

@@ExplainingComputers I agree, POE is definitely worth covering in a bit of detail, particularly in reference to Raspberry Pi and SBCs. So far for SBCs there are: 1. A couple of models that support POE natively (I can't remember which ones but I have definitely come across it), 2. Some boards support it with the addition of a board or a hat, as Raspberry Pi does, and 3. You can buy "splitters" that will separate the POE into standard Ethernet and a separate USB or barrel jack to power the device that way.

[@SeanBZA]

@@ExplainingComputers Yes POE is becoming very common as homes get IP cameras and such installed, which all then only need a single cable run to the device. While IP camera prices are dropping, you still find it common to have cameras that use coax cable, though there you also have use of UTP cable as well and a balun at each end, so 2/3 pairs are used for power to the camera, and one pair is used for video back, allowing you to have 2 cameras at a single point, and only run one low cost cable. There I have often used CCA wire, as the cable is very cheap, not that great for flexibility, but as it will be installed once, and left alone, cheap in that you can run 2 or 3 to all locations for future expansion, as the hardware is upgradable, and the biggest cost of installing them is laying the cable, not the actual cable itself. I have used entire boxes for a 4 camera install in a small house, just having those spare cables tucked up out of sight meant the future upgrade to 8 or 16 cameras was very low cost to do.

[@tedoyle61]

Yep with all the network cameras and what not.. that could be quite interesting.

[@SeanBZA]

@@terrydaktyllus1320 The splitters are common on CCTV, powering a camera that is non POE, or to allow you to put in single POE cameras without needing to spend a lot of money in upgrading a switch, often a more expensive managed one still with a lot of service life on it, to POE. Seen them a lot with one or two IP cameras running POE, and the server has a 48 port manages switch that is not POE capable, but the replacement is likely to quadruple the cost of the install.

[@Reziac]

I have three of those TP-Link 8-port switches. Literally the most painless hardware I've ever owned -- just plug everything into whatever port is convenient, and it all works. (They also have cable-sensing, so any cable will work.) In fact I have them daisy-chained (something like your setup) with almost every port occupied, and still no issues whatever. Also, that switch runs very cool -- no need for a fan. An excellent example of how to make home networking easy for anyone.

[@JeffGeerling]

5:15 thank you for your excellent translations for those of us not in the UK :)

[@SebLukaTech]

YES, appreciate it also, while @Jeff Geerling, hope your recovery goes brilliantly. Peace all!

[@lesliedeana5142]

You know that you are obsessed with computers when you outgrow your 2nd 16 port switch!

[@ExplainingComputers]

Hi Leslie. And yes, that does strike of obsession. :)

[@Reziac]

LOL, I have this problem... three 8-port (the big brother of Chris' switch) and ... I think I need to buy another.

[@montecorbit8280]

@@ExplainingComputers At 3:16 types of switches.... You haven't mentioned it yet, and I haven't finished the video....but this might have been a good time to mention hubs and the difference between hubs and switches. I don't know if you can even get hubs anymore, but you mentioned 10 and 100 megabit switches, if you can get them you can probably get a hub....

[@reecebower9934]

I was recently gifted a 48-port gigabit tp-link. I used to have multiple 8-ports. Really nice to cut down on clutter and power cables.

[@Reziac]

@@reecebower9934 I have a pair of 24 port someone gift me, but I use the 8-ports because my PCs are all over so it's actually less clutter -- fewer cables!

[@Colin_Ames]

An excellent guide to the basics. I had to do something similar when I moved into my current house. My ISP’s gateway is in the kitchen, and it’s logistically not possible to run an ethernet cable to a room above the attached garage. The ISP provided what they called a “pod” which connects wirelessly to the gateway, and which I have upstairs (like a mesh network). The pod has two ethernet ports, and is also wireless, but my original XBox needs ethernet, as does my desktop PC, so a simple switch provides that functionality.

[@jgurtz]

Good basic info here for those raised on wireless! One thing I learned the hard way over the years when connecting an outbuilding with Ethernet is to make sure the mains ground is also connected between the two buildings. If not, ground loops can form and some devices will experience odd and difficult to troubleshoot connection issues. Another issue is if the local weather includes thunderstorms: depending on the nature of the buildings the Ethernet connection can be a path for lightning to infiltrate. For these two reasons, I now do building to building connections only with fiber. It is kind of annoying having to get media converters or pricier switches, but it does prevent these kinds of issues. There are also Ethernet optical isolators available which can solve ground loop-related issues.

[@harrkev]

Hmmm. The Ethernet standard is supposed to allow for stuff like that. All incoming data is sent straight to a transformer, so a common ground should not be necessary. This is how you can plug a computer into a POE switch without frying it.

[@m8hackr60]

@@harrkev This ^^ But funny enough, I had POE fry a port on a cheap switch. I can tell you that I was pretty worried about my POE switch on the other end... But a few months later and I think I'm gtg. 😉

[@srtcsb]

I've got at least one hub and one extra switch packed away somewhere (don't really need them anymore). I guess if I had more RPi units going, I'd need to use my switch, but I don't really bother with all that lately. This is useful information though. Thanks for another great video.

[@Kevin-mx1vi]

I have an identical setup to connect the router in the living room to the attic where I have rather too many computers. Our house had been wired for data when we moved in, though for some reason there was no ethernet socket near the incoming phone line. A little rerouting of an unused cat5 cable that terminated in the attic solved the problem, and it now connects to a 5-port unmanaged switch that supplies an internet connection to 4 computers. 😄

[@ExplainingComputers]

Cool.

[@johncundiff7075]

Great video once again!! I have 7 unmanaged switches all through my house and garage! My computer work room has an 8 port switch that connects to all 3 bedrooms, my living room HTPC and my garage PC. Such a fantastic and inexpensive way to make your entire home a wired network!! I have a cable modem, then a wired/wireless switch. I had to change the ip address of the wired/wireless gateway to make all the PC's work. I'm going on 10 years now with this elegant solution!! Perfect video as always!

[@harrkev]

Don't forget to mention the physical layout of the switch. Some are great for desktop usage. All of the ports and power connections are on the back, and the lights are on the front. Others have ports and lights on the same side (like the one you got), but the power connections are on the other side.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Good point.

Having the ports on the front and the power connection in the back is better for a switch on a test bench, because the ports are all where you can easily reach them. If you are using a desktop switch to permanently install multiple devices on a single desk, you might prefer the ports and power in the back and the lights on the front, or if you find the blinky lights distracting you might prefer everything to be in the back. If you're going to wall mount the switch, where the ports are doesn't much matter; you'll almost always install it with the ports on the bottom because the network cables will hang more neatly that way, and the other stuff will just be wherever it is. If you're doing a larger scale wired network installation for a house or small business, it's also likely to involve a patch panel. That would be a subject for another video!

[@GEOsustainable]

Funny you should mention lights. I am on a quest to remove as many lights from my life as I can. The few I do have all have electrical tape covering the lights. The one's I can get to, I snip with pliers to disable them. The night never looked better, I can finally see the stars from my window again. I don't need a light to tell me if something is working, that is why I keep a hammer on the desk, to motivate electrical things. JK. Note to all designers, lights are just phantom loads and should be eliminated. The power consumed by phantom loads across America must be in the gigawatts.

[@iankearns]

We had a young noob start in our team earlier this year and didn't have any concept of cabled or wired ethernet. Only ever used WiFi for mobile devices, smart devices and even gaming.

[@mr.dingleberry4882]

Hello Ian, do you mind telling me what is it that your team does? I'm looking forward to a career as a network technician/sysadmin, so in case thats your occupation I would like to know what topics would you consider as essential to be educated in for those fields?

[@seallustrator]

Thank you sir. Now I've got some ideas on how these equipment works.

[@martinsmith5028]

Thanks Chris, another great vid. PnP unmanaged was how I added extra ports to my home office (mancave)

[@freepress8451]

A really helpful video and a timely find for me. I started with the ISP's router, added an 8-Way then another and now have a 24-Way unmanaged - in background been adding NAS for backup. This week decided to move away from Pci-e DAS to NAS (better error detection). My poison:-Dell, D-link and Synology

[@Nza420]

Years ago, when I had DSL, the modem lived on the first floor, at the rear of the house. I needed connectivity for the front of the house on the second and third floors. I crawled under the house, sent the patch cable up through a hole I drilled, and then proceeded to army crawl the hundred feet or so to the front of the house with the reel of cable. I used a hub on the second floor and ran another cable from the hub up to the third floor. A few years ago, my brother pulled those cables out, only to discover that wifi in a Victorian era house doesn't really work that well... needless to say, he expressed his regret. Even though it was 24 years ago when I pulled those cables, the rating was Cat5e, which still is capable of 1 Gbit.

[@perrymcclusky4695]

Information that is good to know! Looking forward to your next video!

[@ExplainingComputers]

Greetings Perry.

[@mrmimeisfunny]

I saw this video in my feed and remembered how most people don't know as much as me about computers. That was quite an xkcd/2501 moment of realization.

[@TomMannCenturia]

I have the 8 port of that switch, amazing how quickly you can fill it up.

[@idowebwork]

Another amazing guide for those looking at their router and needing to add more ports. I originally started with turning an older router into a switch, but now have several dedicated switches.

[@Saavik256]

I use a 24-port managed switch at home, in which I recently had to replace the fan because it started sounding like a turbine. It's ridiculous how loud a 40mm fan with a busted bearing can be!

[@daveac]

As always a very useful guide. I have for some time an unmanaged Network Switch (sitting behind) my UHD TV which has an Network port (that I find better than wireless) for streaming 4K movies. As well as the TV I connect my YouView (Freeview) Box, my Humax Satellite Box and my Apple TV Box. The powered box works seamlessly with them all.

[@GizmoFromPizmo]

The TP-Link brand of networking hardware is very good and very reliable. If I have a choice between TP-Link and any other brand, I'll choose TP-Link every time. I've had a lot of success with that brand.

[@GutnarmEVE]

*edit* thanks again for a well-thought-out video; had you posted this like 2 months ago, I'm damn sure my dad would've got it and sorted out things on his own. due to your neglect of timely publishing, we had to socialize and have dinner aswell. now that i think about it: thanks again ;) anyways. still wanted to mention this: bandwidth is shared between connected devices on a "hub" - quite extinct in today's networking world (last i've seen was a 10mbit ether+bnc combo), but still a familiar concept with usb devices. networking switches have a stated backplane switching capacity/bandwidth; basically, how much parallel traffic they can handle between their ports. if you daisy-chain them, the obvious bottleneck is that single connection point limited to that port's bandwidth. "pro"+ switches tend to have a couple extra ports with higher bandwidth for exactly that reason (like, a 48-port 1gbit switch having a pair of gbic slots, or proprietary "up/down" connectors at the back)

[@CommodoreFan64]

I recently did this as I upgraded my home network with a TP-Link Deco X20 3 base mesh router setup that only has 2 ports one going to the modem, and the 2nd for whatever, but I needed a port for my desktop, and MagicJack Home phone adapter, and I got a newer version of this TP-Link switch that has all the ports including the power port on the back for nice tidy look, and I also recommend TP-Link to anyone upgrading their network either on a budget, or looking to deck it out with the latest, and greatest gear, as it just works, and works well. As always Chris thanks for another great back to basics video. 👍

[@ericbarlow6772]

I’m old. I remember they were called hubs. Just remember an unmanaged switch doesn’t have collision management. For 99% of homes I don’t see that as an issue for the foreseeable future; however it might not be a viable solution for a small business as it grows so it’s good to plan your network and future proof it if you can.

[@valiantvanadium6996]

What do you mean by no collision management? That sounds like the scare stories from IBM in the 1980s during the Ethernet/ token ring wars.

[@thenotred]

Very useful video explaning the network switch! Just got one myself to expand connections between my computer, mesh WiFi, and the main router. Soon, might add a network printer and a NAS.

[@ElmerFuddGun]

One other point... is a _switch_ doesn't share a 1Gbps (in this case) limit between all the ports. ie. Port 1 can talk to port 2 at 1Gbps at the same time as port 3 is talking to port 4 at 1Gbps. This is the big advantage of a switch over older hubs that would bottle neck by sharing its total bandwidth. This is especially important for networks with many more connections. Imagine how a 24 port switch can still keep 24 computers all happy at the same time.

[@6581punk]

Yep, what you have described is the difference between a hub and a switch. For a busy network you look for a wirespeed switch as that has enough processing power to service all ports at full speed.

[@terrydaktyllus1320]

@@6581punk There's one more important difference that people often forget - a hub is half duplex transmission whereas a switch is full duplex.

[@Reziac]

Thanks. That explains why I've never observed any bottlenecking among my mess of PCs and switches. (Randomly daisy-chained every time I ran out of ports.) And sometimes several are busy at the same time.

[@RottnRobbie]

@n n I don't know of anywhere you can buy a new hub, but old stock certainly does exist. And in _very_ limited circumstances, can be useful. I have an _unpowered_ hub in my laptop bag for the rare case where I need to work on a network issue for somebody in a location where there's no extra power or ethernet outlets. All switches require power, but some very basic hubs like mine are essentially like line splitters. It's slow as heck, but it's small and light enough not to matter, and with it and a patch cord I can tap in anywhere there's an RJ-45 cable connection.

[@JeSuisUnePatate]

I still have the first gigabit switch that I bought almost 25 years ago and it's still working fine! It's the only computer component that I ever bought that it isn't obsolete or died yet. 🤓

[@SubhrajyotiAcharyyaDSB]

God this video came at the perfect time. I'm getting my first NAS and i need to get a switch and i was looking at this exact model.

[@brucefay5126]

I am generally amazed that small switches intended for desktop use have the ports on the front (opposite side from the power connection). This makes sense for rackmount equipment, but not desktop, where the cables are coming in from behind. I use several Netgear unmanaged switches that have all connections on the back and status lights on the front. Perfect for cable management.

[@aurvaroy6670]

Yeah all the small desktop switches are different. Some have everything on one side, others have either power connection on the opposite side or LEDs on the other side. Definitely something to consider when shopping for desktop switches

[@MrMoonpie001]

5g has a lot of limitations and the answer (but not a good one) is to get an extender. I would much rather have a more stable ethernet connection. I also have found that using to many bluetooth type or Wifi connections that are located in the same proximity causes the devices to lag. I experienced this with my bluetooth keyboard and mouse. I would often get skipping but my hub is located about two feet away and there are no fewer than 8 devices, maybe more pulling on it. I went back to the pugin keyboard and mouse and all is fine. Thank you again for some great but underused solutions that people will need going forward with this internet of all things concept. Rich

[@Rouxenator]

Excellent switch, I use the same, the power draw is so little that if you buy a USB to barrel plug cable you can power this switch off a USB port.

[@Edscomment]

Great video, covers all important points ! 👍

[@levyroth]

TP-Link are my favourites too. Their new networking equipment models are great. I wish they released updates more often, but at least they have some.

[@terrydaktyllus1320]

A friend of mine gave me a 48 port POE switch a few years ago when his office had a clear out - that now sits nicely in a 19" wall cabinet in the garage/man cave along with my home server, PFSense firewall, Pi-Hole and Nextcloud server. Having had most of the house cabled for Ethernet, it's great to be able to plug an SBC straight into an Ethernet socket and power it up straight from that without worrying about a separate PSU for it. It also made fitting cameras on the outside of the house very easy too. But from a security perspective, Ethernet devices are far less visible than wifi devices so I would recommend separating the two if you can - using a router or firewall.

[@shawnvines2514]

Thanks for this video. I'm sure it will be very helpful for people. I don't now if it would generate traffic but I've been using a KVM switch I have two laptops, a desktop and a Raspberry Pi 400 that I use for completely different needs. It makes thinks so much easier especially since I can work with the laptop monitors closed.

[@m8hackr60]

Excellent video, Chris! This is a very essential guide for anyone who is getting started with computers, and/or who is building a lab at home. Never underestimate the value of a decent POE switch... APs, other switches, SBCs, etc., can all be powered, with a single cable. Very clean and nice to have.

[@GEOsustainable]

Essential gear for posting memes to FB.

[@jamescarrico1233]

I love that I can watch a video of you explaining a topic that I’m already intimately familiar with but still be immensely entertained

[@deadlinerhorus]

Some Switches do have the feature to show the Link Speed by blinking LEDs in a different color scheme. Won`t miss this simple but useful feature today!

[@Uniblab8]

I use switches on my network. Very convenient and cost-effective plus they work very well. This is a good video that validates my limited knowledge of how these things work and if I did, indeed, make the right decision in employing them. Perhaps do a video on bandwidth (if you haven't already) for those who confuse how router speed and bandwidth work. I suppose there are many ways of explaining this to those with limited knowledge of how these are affected by how many devices are being used at the same time versus the advertised speed of the router itself.

[@davidgunther8428]

This video was great timing! Yesterday I started looking for what I needed to expand my network.

[@Zactivist]

Great video as always. I have several 16 port switches and haven't added to them in years, even though they are full. I've found since I've had a mesh network with ethernet backhaul my wireless speeds are just as fast. I never thought I'd operate most new devices wirelessly, but that's been the case for several years. (My desktop computers all wired except one for my wife in the kitchen- all streaming devices, laptops etc wireless).

[@LeeZhiWei8219]

I'm taking a computing course in school and we just covered networking last week with Gigabit Switches and LANs. What a coincidence. Awesome video. Love your stuff. PS I think I used this switch too.

[@anthonydyer3939]

I bought an 8 port switch to go into my electrical cupboard. At first it was connected to just one device and I thought it was overkill, but now it’s used for my solar inverter, electric car charger, raspberry pi automation server, kitchen internet radio and I’m reckoning by the time I get round to installing heat pumps and their control systems, I’m going to start thinking about needing a bigger switch. I always prefer wired solutions for fixed devices.

[@plumberski8854]

Excellent! You made my day. I got a new router for my TV streaming with only 1 useable LAN port. I was told to get a LAN switch. Your video covers what I need to know very well.

[@plumberski8854]

I explored using my old router as a LAN switch. After some reading and attempts, I finally got it running! Bingo. My main struggle was getting into the old router to change the ip address. After many attempts, I realised my mistake. The tendency is to plug into the old router's internet port. No, it should be to one of the LAN ports for PC access.

[@jjk-9]

Network switches are so useful, I have an 8 port switch in my bedroom with all my consoles, pc, TV and media centre plugged in. Not had a problem with it in the few years since I added it and my connection is much more reliable than when I used wifi.

[@texascameron8483]

Is this good for Xbox 360

[@jjk-9]

Yes its fine for the 360, pretty much anything that uses an Ethernet port to connect to the internet will work great with a network switch. Its just a way to take one ethernet connection and splitting it into multiple allowing more devices to connect to the internet.

[@jimbrown9542]

I don't know if anyone has mentioned this but double check the ports on your router, older routers especially, can have a mix of 100M and 1G ports on the back. I have 3 of these switches dotted around my house and they are invaluable in use, even for those devices that have both wifi and wired connections, I always use the ethernet connection first.

[@RoshiGaming]

Even if I already know the content of the videos, I always enjoy watching your videos Chris, nice and concise! This video, like many, also got me thinking about my own setup at home, and I somehow forgot about an 8 port cisco switch I had laying around upstairs that will help quite a bit with expanding my home network for free!

[@brianwood5220]

Thanks for sharing Chris, I'm sure this info will be helpful to many people who have never realised they could extend their ethernet network.

[@michaelclement1337]

I used a discarded modem as a 100mb switch at the end of a 20mtr cable and it’s perfect for zoom regardless of whatever is happening in a house of tech savvy kids. Perhaps when I get into file servers I’ll do the upgrade but until then I’ll stick with the ewaste I’m using

[@ExplainingComputers]

A good solution. I too like avoiding e-waste.

[@billythekido1414]

Useful guide Chris. You haven't updated or built a new PC in while!

[@ExplainingComputers]

You are right -- a build must be on the cards. :)

[@welshtechie6832]

Funny thing I have been doing this for years! Need a switch on the router and by my PC as I am forever testing PI's, fixing laptops etc. Nice to see a video on it though Chris!

[@waynenewark5363]

When I moved my router to a central location in the house I installed 2 unmanaged switches so like you I had access to multiple wired connections in 2 other rooms. I prefer wired connections for both speed and reliability. I hate it when a device complains of no internet access because they cannot connect wirelessly to the router. With a wired connection I can log into the router to check its status and reboot it if necessary.

[@peterloader974]

I brought the 8 port version of this brand a few days ago. It works great.

[@r1273m]

That was very informative and interesting. It's something I really ought to do. The wireless speed in my upstairs office next to the router and hub is about 148Mb/s but downstairs that drops to under 40Mb/s. The biggest problem is actually installing new cables, lifting carpets and floorboards etc.

[@dj_paultuk7052]

Use a Ethernet PowerLine adaptor. This will run ethernet as an encoded signal over your house RingMain. They are cheap and are an ideal fix for this type of issue. So Router into Powerline adaptor upstairs. Then another Powerline adaptor downstairs connected to an additional AP, or switch to feed TV etc.

[@r1273m]

@@dj_paultuk7052 Thank you for that though it has been suggested before. However, my house has 3 Ring Mains, one for upstairs, one for downstairs and one for the kitchen. I was under the impression that these units had top be installed on the same Ring Main, though some people have suggested that as each of the Ring Mains are connected to the same consumer unit it should be OK. I have not been able to get a definitive answer to that one.

[@ThomasBrisco]

Thanks, Chris! You have a way of making complex topics very straight-forward!

[@gwgux]

As a network engineer, I approve of what this video covered. Clear, concise and back to the basics of how to expand an Ethernet network. While not touched on this video, I don't recommend daisy-chaining a lot of unmanaged switches together. When something goes wrong, and we must always plan on that happening, it will become very difficult to troubleshoot and find which switch went down in that scenario. Instead, look at getting managed switches. Managed switches are essential for larger networks involving multiple switches as they can give a lot more information on what is going on with the network when you're troubleshooting. You're going to have to shop around a lot more when it comes to managed switches as some aren't as helpful as others, but if you get the right ones, it can make managing your home network much simpler when things go wrong.

[@redmach12003]

Agreed.

[@Eternal_Tech]

Are there any particular makes or models of managed network switches that you recommend?

[@gwgux]

@@Eternal_Tech They're a bit more pricey and may be overkill for most home networking needs, but I do like UniFi products. Netgear, D-link, TP-link, and TRENDnet are OK, but can be hit or miss. I've had some products die on me after a few months and some WiFi routers drop signal repeatedly. When looking them up, pay attention to reviews (check reviews from multiple retailer websites for the same product too) and be mindful of their specs. On the consumer line, you'll often see things marketed as "gamer" or "pro" grade gear, but these terms mean nothing for networking. What really matters is their specs and capabilities, and how reliable the WiFi signal is for routers and APs. Sometimes you'll see a lack of detail specs for a product online. When you see that, it's a caution flag for the quality of the product. If they don't want to be forthcoming for the detailed specs of what the product can do, they're probably treating it as a "cheap throw away" product and these are really hit or miss for long term reliability. A good router or switch will last you at least 5 years through multiple cellphone and computer upgrades. Pay attention to and end of sale or end of life products. Products with those labels will stop getting security bug fixes from the manufacturer sooner than their newest model so avoid the temptation of the sale and get the newer one. The only time it may be OK to get an older router is if you're planning on installing 3rd party firmware on it like DD-WRT or others and even then, you're rolling the dice on how long the hardware will last. Ideally it'll last a long time, but consumer grade networking equipment isn't built the same long lasting components of business class gear so keep that in mind.

[@Eternal_Tech]

@@gwgux Thank you for your detailed reply. I appreciate it. Concerning the Ubiquiti products, when I was researching them years ago, they did not have a Web-based interface, like the Netgear, TP-Link, D-Link, and Linksys gear. Does the current UniFi model line have a Web-based interface, or do you have to install an app on your computer or phone in order to access their control interface?

[@gwgux]

@@Eternal_Tech Yes, it's all web based now and they have an app for your phone too. The way they do their web interface is they have a centralized controller that manages all the devices for one view into the entire network. This can be a local VM/server or a hardware machine, and I think they may have a cloud one too, but the way I've done in the past was to spin it up on a Linux install somewhere. This is a lot of why they're overkill for most home networking needs, but depending on what you want to do, you may find it very useful. Depending on your needs, you may be better with Netgear, TP-Link, etc., as those tend to be simpler to set up.

[@donkeyk1988]

Always find your home networking content really informative, hardwiring the house is something I’d like to do at some point. Perhaps a series of videos on the subject?

[@ExplainingComputers]

An interesting idea . . . will keep in mind. :) For others, my Ethernet wiring video is here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/q3elgqaLrNaslck

[@donkeyk1988]

@@ExplainingComputersyeah I found that video helpful too - it was that video and this one that gave me the idea to suggest a series on it. Not sure what the viewing figures would be like but I’d certainly watch it!

[@chriholt]

Another great primer Chris! Second nature for many, but I'm sure there are also many who will really appreciate seeing how easy it is to add additional ports in this way. FWIW, I have always used the *last* port on the added-on switch to connect to the existing switch/router/gateway. Just a personal preference :)

[@NiebaumCurran]

I currently have a 24 port smart switch sitting at the centre of my network with 6 other small managed switches going off to different parts of the house. Once it was set up I hardly touch it, it all just works.

[@mr.dingleberry4882]

What an amazing video! As someone who is into computers, I am embarrassingly uneducated when it comes to networking and have only recently started to work on that so this type of content is very valuable. I also appreciate that you clarified this 5:28 because the meaning of these terms can be rather difficult to tell apart for someone in my position. You also answered every single one of my questions with that "Speed Bottleneck?" segment before I even had a chance to ask them! I remember seeing someone mentioning "Explaining VLAN" as a video idea on your 2022 channel update, and I believe I'm not the only one who wishes for more networking content in general as it seems to be an unexplored frontier on your channel. There is so much stuff to learn there, and I think many people would love to learn them from you!

[@ExplainingComputers]

Thanks for your kind feedback.

[@MichelMorinMontreal]

A presentation that technology schools should suggest to their students!

[@ExplainingComputers]

This was very much made with that audience in mind -- some of my videos are widely used in schools. :)

[@MichelMorinMontreal]

@@ExplainingComputers Well, there will be some lucky students!

[@graphosxp]

unmanaged switch also work great when paired with MOCA Adapter for Ethernet Over Coax.

[@joeg3950]

That’s the same model I bought. Had to upgrade a few months to a 16 port switch. Thanks for the video.

[@wildbill23c]

I just use an old Linksys Router as a dumb switch at the other end of my house...runs from the DSL modem into the spare bedroom....gives plenty of additional connectivity.

[@gcolombelli]

I got an TL-SG108E years ago and it works like a charm, it even supports IGMP snooping and works with the IPTV boxes my provider sent to connect to my PON ONT. Very quiet and doesn't get hot, very reliable. Despite being unmanaged, it still got some limited features that plain old "unmanaged" switches don't usually get, like assigning VLAN identifiers to each port and also port mirroring, so I guess it's on the "smart switch" category. The only thing I think would be nice to have that is missing is 802.1X (PNAC), but then, that's not something most people would miss having in their home network. 8:20 oh no, if it's going outside, consider using a pair of media converters and optical fiber, the 8-bit Guy used to just run an UTP cable like you between his house and his parent's house next door and after one lightning strike nearby, he had some massive damage to stuff connected to ethernet. Some 8P8C connectors even fused into the ports on one of the switches if I recall correctly.

[@rutkowskir]

Thanks Chris. I have a managed switch which allows me to monitor ports, lock ports out, and mirror ports via the switches web interface. These are just a few examples. The mirror function is intriguing if you are interested in seeing everything coming in and going out of your network. I hard-wire my laptops Ethernet port to port #2 on my switch for example. I then mirror port #1 (which is my Goggle Fiber WAN port), to port #2. Then running Wireshark to monitor my laptops Ethernet port, I can see the packets rapidly increase. This is helpful if you ever have the need to troubleshoot unwanted traffic. Anyway, thanks again for another nice tutorial! Rich

[@ExplainingComputers]

Greetings Rich. :)

[@rutkowskir]

@@ExplainingComputers Hi Chris! Hope you had a great weekend! Just a thought... Did you ever think about making a video on Mechanical Computing Machines? I have a Curta Calculator which is an amazing hand-held machine. I think your viewers may find the roots of modern day computing interesting. I know you have the year planned out already but maybe this would be something you may consider doing in the future. Best -Rich😀

[@ExplainingComputers]

@@rutkowskir This is a cool idea. I will have to ponder the practicalities.

[@rutkowskir]

@@ExplainingComputers Thanks Chris! Just throwing an idea out there. Rich

[@danielboals9602]

Nice. Best video you have done in a while. Thanks.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Thanks 👍

[@AMDRADEONRUBY]

I learned in the past about servers etc was really nice and love Ethernet switch etc watching it Right now have a nice Sunday

[@ExplainingComputers]

Greetings!

[@ElmerFuddGun]

Please invest in a keyboard with a *PERIOD KEY.* ;-)

[@ExplainingComputers]

Ah, yes -- indeed! :) I'm so glad we all say "dot com".

[@michaelgkellygreen]

Nice video Chris, i have about 5 of these switches in my home and they never let me down. Ethernet so much better than wi-fi if at all possible.

[@rv6amark]

Thank you for staying with a basic switch installation. I had installed the very same switch in a room where I have 4 computers (you can never have enough computers in a room, can you?). I apparently did everything correctly, because it exactly matches what you did and works great. Consider a video on POE switches for the future since POE boards are available for many of the Pi's now, including the zero W!

[@ExplainingComputers]

Lots of requests here for a PoE video. Noted!

[@calabrais]

You have almost a million subscribers and still take the time to like or comment on almost everyone's post. Simply amazing

[@ExplainingComputers]

Greetings!

[@infolearner9058]

Bravo, Bravo, Bravo Mr Barnatt 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏😃

[@001delight9]

still using the DSL modem, i've missed the old days of DSL since 2008, until last year, i've got the fiber, it's mandatory in my country on my telco provider that all former DSL subscribers to convert to fiber

[@Vampier]

I use TP-link for everything network related in my home with several NAS server and ProxMox instances running - never had a problem - except my main router needs a reboot every once a while, but that's nothing a TP-link power switch can't automate ;)

[@dj_paultuk7052]

Worth pointing out that most modern House builds do have CAT6 to most major rooms. And its surprising how many people do not use this. You really should use Ethernet directly to your modern SmartTV's. It really helps if your watching 4K stuff on Netflix where a continuous data stream can be around 40mb. If using WiFi you could run into issues if in a area of high wifi contention. Such as a block of apartments where you are surrounded by 30 other Wifi AP's from neighbours.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Totally agreed.

[@neilhughes3823]

“you’re watching “ not “your watching “

[@ridefast0]

A very practical intro, thanks. On bottlenecking, you could contrast a hub with a switch, and maybe a mention of home networking IP addresses (V4 anyway) might clarify things for people - class C or /24 addresses, fixed addresses versus DHCP etc.

[@terrydaktyllus1320]

Hubs and switches aren't really the same thing anyway, and you could probably slot "bridges" in between the two. For example, hubs are only half duplex whereas switches are full duplex.

[@JohnAlbertRigali]

Solid and straightforward presentation. 👍🏻 In the case of that particular model of network switch, although it doesn’t really matter, port 5 is the designated uplink port.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Thanks for this. But you are incorrect to state that the designated uplink port for the TL-SG105S is number 5. When making the video I checked the manual and all documentation -- as available here: www.tp-link.com/uk/support/download/tl-sg105s/ No designated uplink port is indicated, although the manual very clearly shows the router being plugged into port 1 -- just as I did in the video. If you are referring to the fact that the 5th port looks different, it is because 5-bank RJ45s are not manufactured, so they have to use a 4 and a 1. I must have answered this here at least 50 times now! And yes, I am getting fed up about being told that I used the wrong port. I didn't! :)

[@JohnAlbertRigali]

@@ExplainingComputers OK, I stand corrected. In all other 5-port network switches that I’ve seen (which are many), every manufacturer that bothered to designate an uplink port designated the 1-bank RJ45 as that, regardless of whether it was port 5 or port 1. I guess that TP-Link chose to be the unicorn.

[@temyraverdana6421]

Wow, very very interesting lesson. Thanks a lot

[@GizmoFromPizmo]

The ports and cable connecting two Ethernet switches are generally called "uplink". So the ports are called uplink ports and the cable would be called the uplink cable. In the old days, switches and hubs used to have dedicated uplink ports but modern devices are able to auto-detect whether they are connected to a straight through Ethernet port or an uplink port - rendering a dedicated uplink port unnecessary. Back before auto-detect was a thing, we had to make or buy a special uplink cable if we wanted to connect two hubs or switches that did not have an uplink port. Back in the old days, simply plugging a computer into a switch often took a little "smarts" to get it right.

[@JohanDee]

Thanks, just what I wanted to know!

[@SISSYPUSS]

I have a lot of network gear, starting with a stack of Cisco business class CBS350-24 port managed switches with multi-gig SFP. The nice thing with managed switches is not so much all that software, but that the print on the box is the configuration, no manual required! I keep a 4 port TP Link at the desk with each PC, it really does come in handy. POE varies from unit to unit but have that and wireless. I've used a cell plugged into a charger for months at a time for ISP access, it works great with an appropriate data plan, a Windows PC can manage that connection type, too. Nice and timely video, thank you!

[@stevejacob7158]

A very easy to follow tutorial, thank you and I'm so pleased that you don't begin with "High Guys What's Up"

[@marksterling8286]

Chris another excellent video, this will help When I am trying to explain networking to people. Once they have a good understanding it’s easier to explain the exceptions and rule breakers. Thank you

[@ExplainingComputers]

Greetings Mark. :)

[@jaycahow4667]

You should probably add a few more questions to your initial three" 1) body material (plastic is cheaper but fine for most cases but can overheat easier as metal radiates heat better) 2) fan or no fan (fans can be noisy especially in larger switches or POE switches but they run cooler) 3) power draw (can add up on larger switches or POE switches, better switches have power management options) 4) mounting positions (not all switches have wall mounting options, especially cheap ones or come with rubber feet) 5) rack mountable (many people these days have home racks and like the ability to mount them inside) 6) jumbo frames (some switches do not support these and all switches connected need to in order for it to work) 7) POE (how many ports support POE if any and what power can each POE port supply as POE end devices differ) 8) size (many switches with the same number of ports vary considerably in size in all three dimensions) 9) brand (some vendors have better construction, warranty, instructions, firmware updates, etc...) 10) parts (can you get replacement power adapters as they can fail) 11) system (many people have multiple switches and vendors have systems for them to work better together) Not everyone will care about all these options but you can easily spend over a hundred dollars (if not many times more) on a single switch so it pays to do some research and think out your purchases and network layout ahead of time.

[@ahmad-murery]

I like simplified home networking videos, I remember I used 2 Micronet 8 ports switches with Asus router to 16 Gaming PC in the past, Thanks Chris, I'm looking forward to more networking videos

[@robertlock5501]

Interesting that this was on the top of the list (recent video) - I was just thinking about switches yesterday. Anyway, wired connection is my preferred way to roll, too.

[@petergibbons607]

oh boy, finally the first video on youtube to explain this, maybe you can also make one on cooking pasta

[@Grant_S_M]

Excellent info, Chris!

[@kelviskelvis7140]

Nicely explained - thank you Chris.

[@ptzzz]

Took me a while to find time to watch this and I don't regret watching it. Chris your explanations are always nice and clear. And makes me consider getting an umanaged switch myself at some point. It would probably be from TP-Link in case I need more than the 4 (already used up) ports on my TP-Link Archer C80 router (or "rooter" as you said it, which I found funny). Though for now the 4 ports is fine as its 2 of my PCs and 2 for when someone in the house needs a wired conenction.

[@parrotraiser6541]

The slow oozing of network kit over the diminishing desk space makes me wonder if some hardware vendor is missing the opportunity to provide a modular switch set-up like Lego, or the elegant computer setup that Motorola produced in the 1990s, just before they quit the business. That interlocked physically to form a tower, automatically making connections.

[@ExplainingComputers]

A very nice idea.

[@ianide2480]

My latest upgrade was to a fully managed switch with POE (48port 1gb and 4port 10gb). This gives me 2 file servers on 10gb and everything else in house on 1gb, with the ability to power IP cameras and even other small switches over ethernet. Honestly wish I would have started with a managed switch and POE, but I do admit I have much different expectations and uses than most "normal" homeowners.

[@maxdiamond55]

Great video Chris. Thanks.

[@tonysheerness2427]

Unlike computer rooms with false floors and ceilings, it is a pain to run Ethernet cables. That is why the lesser secure Wifi is so popular. However the explanation is simply the best. Cables and me do not get on always a rats nest.

[@James_Knott]

Back in the late 90s, when I first got a cable modem, my ISP actually ran a couple of runs of CAT5. They had to run the coax from the living room, where the cable came in, to my "office" at the other end of my condo. While they were doing that, I had them pull in a couple of pieces of CAT5, which I had purchased. They fished the cables up inside the wall, along an air duct, over a closet and bathroom, across my laundry room ceiling, down the wall behind my water heater and through the wall into my office closet, where I terminated the cables on keystone jacks, in a wall mounted box. They did a very nice job and even patched the drywall, where they had to cut it.

[@paulanderson7796]

Most corporate building centric LANs can work with smart switches. There are arguments for switching at layer 3 even if your hosts on each VLAN don't exceed that by private IP class. Corporate networking is very different from domestic and SME networking.

[@xybersurfer]

Great video! Very educational. I may get one in the future

[@channelite]

I was so excited when I learned about the switch.

[@aaronbedell3753]

Great Video! love how you explain things. . . I honestly forgot about shared files in hardwired devices. I literally walked over (via usb drive) a few files from a PC to a second which were both hardlined to the same network. . . Anyway love your work, cheers.