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Do I require an Ethernet switch?,

mjw

mjw

pfm Member
I have a smart TV connected to our router via a 10m (very flat) Ethernet cable that runs around the room under the edge of the carpet. I’ve since bought a new Freesat PVR that I’d like to connect in the same way. I don’t possess any kind of music server but if I did, it would be in the same part of the room.
I’d like someone knowledgeable to check my thinking on a solution, please. If I buy a network switch like this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07VWB347G/?tag=pinkfishmedia-21 , I can power it near the TV, plug my existing flat Ethernet cable into it and then connect the switch to the TV and PVR with shorter cables (I already have a couple of cat5e ‘patch’ cables). If I ever go down the music server route, I could connect it similarly to this switch(?).
Seems simple - have I got that right or am I missing something obvious?
Thanks for reading.
 
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mjw said:
I have a smart TV connected to our router via a 10m (very flat) Ethernet cable that runs around the room under the edge of the carpet. I’ve since bought a new Freesat PVR that I’d like to connect in the same way. I don’t possess any kind of music server but if I did, it would be in the same part of the room.
I’d like someone knowledgeable to check my thinking on a solution, please. If I buy a network switch like this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07VWB347G/?tag=pinkfishmedia-21 , I can power it near the TV, plug my existing flat Ethernet cable into it and then connect the switch to the TV and PVR with shorter cables (I already have a couple of cat5e ‘patch’ cables). If I ever go down the music server route, I could connect it similarly to this switch(?).
Seems simple - have I got that right or am I missing something obvious?
Thanks for reading.
Click to expand...

Yep - you got it right.
I use similar for my front room (long cable from the router - shorter ones for my various bits and bobs)

Mine's a Netgear 8 port, but basically same difference ...
Also used some cat5 for the shorter runs - no difference I've noticed with cat6 of the same length except the cat5 were more flexible.
 
This site contains affiliate links for which pink fish media may be compensated.
At least some routers have switch functionality integrated. Ours (a FritzBox) has four ethernet ports, as did the previous Netgear.
 
what is your broadband speed?

you could run lots of long cables back to your router - how many ports does it have? enough?

if you want to hold fire for a couple of weeks I might have something I can send you for free - how many ports do you need? 4 or 5?

the one linked to on Amazon above would do the trick.
 
Thanks all for the wise counsel and kind offers. We have one of those TP-Link mesh jobs with a single port out - the 10m flat cable occupies it. I found a solution using an old router (which I have) but it involved resets and a worrying world of faff so I’m going for a switch from Amazon.
Thanks again.
 
That'll do the trick alright mjw. I bought 3 of them last night to replace older 100Mbps ones I have been using, as after an upgrade to my broadband speed (above what the switches can handle) they are now limiting the speed of everything connected to them.
 
Ah right, 10x better I suppose?

Guess I need to do some tests on my 10,000 Maniacs collection and create a trolly thread :D
 
mjw said:
Thanks all for the wise counsel and kind offers. We have one of those TP-Link mesh jobs with a single port out - the 10m flat cable occupies it. I found a solution using an old router (which I have) but it involved resets and a worrying world of faff so I’m going for a switch from Amazon.
Thanks again.
Click to expand...
Probably academic unless you have a very low broadband speed, but it's worth noting that connecting an ethernet switch to the non-primary node of a mesh system probably isn't going to give you full throughput. We have a 900 MBPS internet link but are lucky to measure 200 MBPS on the secondary mesh node that serves our living room.

Also, if your old router supports gigabit ethernet, it will be fine, just disable DHCP and the internet connection in the config and you're away. It'll also serve as a wireless access point. I've got a couple of Asus AIMesh routers set up to do this and they are completely stable once set up.
 
mjw said:
I have a smart TV connected to our router via a 10m (very flat) Ethernet cable that runs around the room under the edge of the carpet. I’ve since bought a new Freesat PVR that I’d like to connect in the same way. I don’t possess any kind of music server but if I did, it would be in the same part of the room.
I’d like someone knowledgeable to check my thinking on a solution, please. If I buy a network switch like this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07VWB347G/?tag=pinkfishmedia-21 , I can power it near the TV, plug my existing flat Ethernet cable into it and then connect the switch to the TV and PVR with shorter cables (I already have a couple of cat5e ‘patch’ cables). If I ever go down the music server route, I could connect it similarly to this switch(?).
Seems simple - have I got that right or am I missing something obvious?
Thanks for reading.
Click to expand...

Yes
 
This site contains affiliate links for which pink fish media may be compensated.
mjw said:
Thanks all for the wise counsel and kind offers. We have one of those TP-Link mesh jobs with a single port out - the 10m flat cable occupies it. I found a solution using an old router (which I have) but it involved resets and a worrying world of faff so I’m going for a switch from Amazon.
Thanks again.
Click to expand...

I have 3 of these tp-link mesh things (M5s?), and take out an Ethernet of one of them to connect a Lumin audio streamer. True that TV required a much broader bandwidth but still, anything above 100mbps and surely 200mbps should support a 4K TV + DSD audio.
 
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