switches and routers and LANs oh my
 

My friend is going to have a LAN party. He currently uses a 4-port router with PPPoE to connect to his DSL service. He bought this switch, planning to hook all the LAN partygoers' computers into the switch so all could have Internet and we could LAN game. He originally thought that the switch was just like a big router; unfortunately, this is not the case. A switch cannot route internet to the computers on it. I have read that it is possible to pipe the Internet into a switch by using one of the computers on it with MS Internet Connection Sharing. However, he'd like to use his 4-port router plugged into the switch to give everyone Internet access. This is how we are hoping it can look:

Internet -> Wan port of router
LAN 1 port of router -> a port on the switch
various ports on the switch -> partygoers' comps

Will this work?

Yes. Just set the default gateway of the computers to the router.

DHCP should handle this by itself.

cool. so all i have to do is have everyone set their default gateway to whatever local IP the router ends up with?

sweet
thanks

no problem.

But you shouldnt need to do anything if you are having everyone pull dhcp addresses. The router will take care of assigning everything. (assuming that is does dhcp)

Just have anyone who is running a static ip change their settings to use dhcp.

And just a side note:

You may need a crossover cable to uplink the Router to the switch. Sometimes the router or switch will already have an uplink port or a button to make it uplink.

But if you plug in a patch cable from the router to the switch and you don't get a link light, try using a crossover cable.

that's how our home netowrk is configured, and it works fine. :) just set the computers on the switch to dhcp like termnl said, and you should be golden. :)

Yep, yep. Like everyone else said. Should work without a problem.

hah, usually the first LAN party ends up being a "How do we network again?" party. Usually, around the second time we all (well, i know) what everyone's equiptment does and get it goin pretty quick. I usually end up being the network admin =P

I know this doesnt help, but it looks like you got your problem solved

Actually, your connections are off. Do it this way...

DSL modem --> Router's WAN Port --> Various computers connected to the router ports --> Uplink port on router connected to a port on the switch...it doesn't matter which one --> computers connected to the switch.

Thanks all. The setup worked, and party went off without a hitch.