NETGEAR switch

My telecom company provided me a NETGEAR FS105/v2/FS108v2 switch. in 2012.
What is the difference, if any, between a switch and a router?
Is this model dated or still current?
Will I see any improvement in speed by replacing this switch?

Bill Gates Jr. said:

What is the difference, if any, between a switch and a router?

Click to expand...

https://askleo.com/whats_the_difference_between_a_hub_a_switch_and_a_router/

- Nick

If it is 802.11n it is current and as fast as you are going to get. Either they work or they don't period.

If it is dual channel run it on 5GHz.

In networking, there are seven "layers" (as depicted by what is known as the OSI 7-Layer Model). A switch operates on layer 2 and a router operates on layer 3. In a nutshell, a switch can handle traffic on your local network, allowing connected devices to talk to one another. Once it's determined that the "other side" of a computer-to-computer conversation lives off of your network (like being somewhere on the Internet), then a router must be used to transfer the traffic from your local-area network (LAN) to the wide-area network (WAN). The switch that they provided to you is a 10Mb / 100Mb switch - it is able to provide either a 10Mb or a 100Mb connection to a hard-wired device, including the modem. It provides NO support for wireless devices. And, it's possible that they provided you with the switch because you have support for multiple devices connected to the Internet at the same time.

For home use, routers also typically include switch ports to connect hardwired devices, the wide area link (cable modem or similar) and a Wi-Fi radio for wireless devices to connect. The local switch ports and the Wi-Fi connections all exist on the LAN. The only port for the WAN is the one that connects to the modem. When you upgrade a router, the single most common and useful benefit for home use is the improved speed and functionality for the Wi-Fi connections. It's possible that you could have a very high speed Internet connection (200Mb) that would need a router with a gigabit WAN port to take full advantage, and that could be a reason to upgrade.

If you do not currently have a router, I would absolutely suggest that you get one and use it exclusively for all of your device connections - do not use the Wi-Fi in any device that the telecom company provided to you.

Thanks Nick and Ember1205.
Ember, can you explain why I should not use the WI-Fi of my switch as I am currently doing? Any suggestions on what model router I should purchase? Would my IP address change with a router or would it remain the same?
Thanks in advance. Pete

The switch that you listed doesn't have WiFi in it. If you're getting WiFi service, it's almost certainly coming direct from the modem. When it comes to networking (and security), I place the bare minimum level of requirements on the provider and take on as much as possible myself. It is never in their best interest to keep your configuration and firmware up to date, and you often have no ability to manage and of that if you're relying on the provider's equipment.

At a minimum, I would put a router in between the cable modem and the rest of your network, and use the WiFi in the router only. In fact, I would get the provider to completely shut the WiFi off on the modem or I would buy my own modem that has no WiFi and get rid of the provider's modem and their rental fee.

If you have current iOS devices, and maybe even fairly current Mac equipment, I would suggest looking into an AC router (as in 802.11ac). I ended up buying an ASUS AC3100 that is working out reasonably well for me. There are a couple of quirks with it if you enable a lot of the "safety features" (it causes minor delays in page loads while it inspects the pages), but is otherwise pretty solid. It's about a $300 piece of equipment and includes 4 gigabit ethernet ports. For about the same money, you can get the R68 version of the router which is identical except that it has EIGHT gigabit ports.

Ember1205 - As far as I know, I have no modem. Just the NETGEAR FS105/v2/FS108v2 switch. Maybe it has a modem built in. It does have Wi-fi as it shows a Wi-Fi key number on the unit. That key number is what I used when setting up my Wi-Fi. My cable jack connects directly to the switch. It is connected via a data (Green) cable to a small white plastic box (2" x 3" x 1") that I believe is an adapter, that change the data cable to a telephone jack. (If it is in fact a modem, it is the smallest and cheapest looking one I have ever seen). That connects to my telephone wall plug. The grey output cable from the switch connects directly to my iMac. I do have WI-FI as I have two Win laptops and my iPad connected via Wi-Fi.
Seems it would be easier to include the modem within the router. I did look at the AC3100 today at Costco. Does it have a modem built into it or do you still need to purchase a modem? I always thought wrongly that a modem was a single output device and a router was a multiple output device, among other things, and you would use one or the other. My Netgear unit is called a switch, but I always thought of it as a router. Still have much to learn.

Sounds like you have DSL service of some sort. DSL Modems are not terribly large, and it is likely the small box you refer to that converts the Ethernet to Phone Line.

I can not find any reference of that switch having WiFi in it - if there's a sticker on it, it likely was put there by the provider and not Netgear, and might actually be the key required for WiFi in that secondary device.

The AC3100 is a router. It is not a modem. It would insert into your network exactly where your Netgear switch is and then you would use all of the components in THAT. As far as the modem portion, it isn't likely you would easily find a replacement modem, but you could likely get the provider to put it in "bridge mode" instead of acting as a router and then you could rely 100% on a router that you own and install yourself.

Ember1205. First, my apology. I was looking at a paper on an old modem that I no longer use. What i actually have is a Pace 3801HGV. It is a DSL connection via my phone line (2 wire). I use HITELCOM as my provider. The input is from the phone line and the adapter changes it to ethernet and input to the device. As i have TV, Phone and internet it also has a cable out jack and 4 output ethernet ports. I believe this is a modem and not a router. It does have Wi-Fi. One article I read told how to make this into a bridge (pass through) modem to a router. As I have 4 ethernet outputs on my modem, what would the advantages of using a router after the modem? If I use a router, would it be correct to say my wi-Fi and ethernet outputs would be from the router and no longer from the modem? Would I have to notify my dsl provider if I install a router after the modem? There is a manual for the Pace 3810HGV and I will be downloading it. Also the article on turning the modem into a bridge modem. May need the geek squad to help with all that.

Ember1205- The Pace 2801HGV is a 802-11b/g Wi-Fi device. If I use it as a bridge modem and use an Netgear AC1900 or AC3000 Router, does that mean the specs of the modem would not effect my router and I would be able to run at 802.11ac (5GHZ? Don't believe my dal provider would allow me to drop the Pace modem and use another modem instead...they like the monthly modem fees.
Pete

Don't believe my dal provider would allow me to drop the Pace modem and use another modem instead...they like the monthly modem fees.

Click to expand...

If they complain or give you a bad time, tell them you'll file a complaint against them. According to the current FCC rules guiding internet providers, you have the right to use your own equipment provided it meets the standards for whatever service you're receiving. Just like in the old days, AT&T did not allow anyone to own their own telephone handsets. The FCC clamped down on them and ended that monopoly.

Ember1205 - Now much confused. The ATT 3801HGV is listed as a modem-router. Looks exactly like the Pace unit. According to specs (see below) it also has 802.11ac. The wireless mode default on the Pace is 802.11b/g according to the manual. Will see if I can get into the software without screwing anything up to see if 801.11ac is an option. Pete
Item Information
Category : Home Networking & Connectivity > Modem-Router Combos > 2Wire Id number: 9422
Brand: 2Wire Number of LAN Ports: 4
MPN: 3801HGV Type: Cable
Model: 3801HGV Network Connectivity: Wired - Ethernet (RJ-45), Wireless - Wi-Fi 802.11a, Wireless - Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Wireless - Wi-Fi 802.11b, Wireless - Wi-Fi 802.11g, Wireless - Wi-Fi 802.11n

Item ID
Brand 2Wire
Model 3801HGV
General Features
Wireless Technology Wireless G
Port Speed 10/100
Connectivity Wired & Wireless
Port Qty 4-port

802.11b/g was great for its time. It's 2.4GHz frequency, though, and lots of other stuff can now interfere with it (like baby monitors, cordless phones, etc.). The a/c routers open up additional bandwidth and new frequencies (5GHz) for the newer devices and operate more "cleanly" for those devices to communicate. Before I installed my ASUS router, I was running a Linksys WRT54G and a NetGear WRT54Gv8 on a common SSID in my house. I -thought- everything was working ok until my wife started complaining that her iPad would lose connectivity.

Digging further into it, I realized that all kinds of disruptions were present.

I now easily support four iPad's, five iPhones, two MacBook Airs, and about a dozen wired devices without any issue at all. With the old setup, I was CONSTANTLY running into functional problems that were transient (you never knew which device was going to give you a problem).

You absolutely need a MODEM to convert the DSL signal to Ethernet. Beyond that, the provider's devices should provide you with NOTHING - do everything else with a router of your own.

My Telcom provider is telling me I can run an 802.11ac off of one of the ethernet ports of the current device. I believe this will limit my 5Ghz device to 2.8Ghz. He claims i can't turn it into a bridge modem as I would lose my Tv signal. I'm sure there are ways around that. I'm waiting for his reply to my threat to go with cable. He also tells me I have much, much slower speeds the I measured on Speedtest. My neighbor uses his own modem (no monthly fees) and his own 802.11ac router with the cable company. He has TV. And it is cheaper.

It is possible that putting the modem into bridging mode could effectively "cut off" the TV devices - totally depends on how they're set up.

You can ALWAYS put your own router on the network and plug into whatever Ethernet handoff they give you. I don't understand the comment about limiting 5GHz devices, though, and there is no 2.8GHz frequency for wireless.

'm not an expert at this so...I initially thought that being the 3801HGV is an 802.11b/g modem-router, it does not run at 5GHZ. If that is so...and I am guessing here...that would mean the Wi-Fi i have is running on 2.8 Ghz.
My comment about limiting the 5Ghz add-on router was that being the 5 Ghz router is plugged into the 2.8 Ghz 3801HGV modem-router, The 5Ghz signal would be be affected by the 3801HGV. But, since the port speed is 10/100, that would make no difference. Correct?
My signal comes from my phone jack, not the cable jack. The 3801HGV has a cable output that connects to the cable jack in the house. I get my internet from the 3801HGV either from one of 4 ethernet plugs or Wi-Fi.
The 3801HGV uses VDSL, not ADSL Not sure if routers are either or... or if I need to find a router that has VDSL capability. Thanks for all the help.

Bill Gates Jr. said:

'm not an expert at this so...I initially thought that being the 3801HGV is an 802.11b/g modem-router, it does not run at 5GHZ. If that is so...and I am guessing here...that would mean the Wi-Fi i have is running on 2.8 Ghz.

Click to expand...

You are correct that this is not a 5GHz capable router. The 2.8GHz has me confused, though - I'm not sure where you're getting that. It's considered a 2.4GHz router, even thought the actual frequency is configurable between 2.4 and 2.5GHz.

Bill Gates Jr. said:

My comment about limiting the 5Ghz add-on router was that being the 5 Ghz router is plugged into the 2.8 Ghz 3801HGV modem-router, The 5Ghz signal would be be affected by the 3801HGV.

Click to expand...

No. You're expecting that one wireless frequency and rate affects the other and that isn't the case.

Bill Gates Jr. said:

But, since the port speed is 10/100, that would make no difference. Correct?

Click to expand...

This is more accurate. You have to sort of "follow the flow" of traffic. The Internet connection (at whatever speed you pay for) comes into the 2-Wire modem and has the opportunity to connect to two different places - one is the WiFi, which you wouldn't be using. The other is the Ethernet which will handle up to 100Mbps in Full Duplex (send AND receive, simultaneous). The next step in the chain would be a "new" router. This device would ALSO talk at AT LEAST 100Mbps (which would match the 2-Wire). Outputs would be, again, to the WiFi (5GHz and higher throughput) or 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet).

Bill Gates Jr. said:

My signal comes from my phone jack, not the cable jack. The 3801HGV has a cable output that connects to the cable jack in the house. I get my internet from the 3801HGV either from one of 4 ethernet plugs or Wi-Fi.
The 3801HGV uses VDSL, not ADSL Not sure if routers are either or... or if I need to find a router that has VDSL capability. Thanks for all the help.

Click to expand...

VDSL, or VHDSL as it is also known, is signaling that primarily uses telephone lines. AT&T markets their service as "U-Verse" so as to avoid all of the bad connotations of DSL, but DSL it is.

If you need it, here's a link to a manual for your modem / router: http://www.danwilsonsoftware.com/dl/3801HGV.Manual.pdf

Bill Gates Jr. said:

What is the difference, if any, between a switch and a router?

Click to expand...

Back when I first started getting interested in networking, I also wanted to know the difference between a "hub", a "switch", and a "router." There were lots of sources for answers, but they always made the answer way more complex than it needed to be.

Here is an answer that I hope that you find to be a bit easier to understand than all the others.

A hub just sends the same signal down all the wires connected to it. It is a repeater. All devices hear all of the traffic, and sometimes the traffic collides (requiring a re-send, and slowing things down). Only one device can "talk" at a time.

A switch is a smart hub. It monitors which devices are plugged into which ports and tries to minimize where it echoes the signals to. Because of this it can sometimes have multiple "talkers" at once if the talkers and senders don't have to share any wires. This is, of course, more efficient, and results in better performance.

A router is basically a special purpose computer inside of a switch. It can manage multiple subnets and limit very explicitly how they can talk with each other. It is a firewall as well as a switch. Some kinds of traffic can be allowed, some can be blocked, and it can "translate" internal IPs and ports to external ones and vice versa.

I hope this helps.

Ember1205 - You are right it is 2.4 Ghz. Misnamed it 2.8 Ghz. That happens more often at my age. Already downloaded the manual, but thanks for that info. I'll be stopping by Costco tomorrow and will be picking up a router. Probably the Netgear AC1700 or 1900...I forgot the exact model they carry. They also have the AC3000 I believe, but that would probably be overkill for me.
I have to install it and change my wifi connections to the new router. Not sure how i choose 5 Ghz over 2.4 Ghz but the install instructions should tell me. Seems the default should be 5 Ghz.
I have to spread it around before I can add to your reputation, but it was much appreciated.
Also thanks to everyone else who helped me out. Unfortunately, much of my problem was self inflicted as i had the information paper for an old Netgear switch and started the post with that and not my Modem-router 3801HGV.

Netgear and Linksys both have an AC1900 model, and Costco sells both. I had tried one of the more current Linksys routers a year or so ago and have nothing good to say about my experience. I was very disappointed, too, because I have always had good usability from my older Linksys. The Netgear AC1900 gets decent reviews overall, but I have no experience with that generation of router. My experiences with the WGR614 in its various forms was decent.

When you have a dual band router, you'll be setting up TWO WiFi networks. Not all devices support the 5GHz network, and that frequency has a shorter usable distance than 2.4GHz. If your devices are stationary (like a media box for the TV), try using the 5GHz network (it will have a different name than the 2.4GHz network). If it doesn't work, set up the 2.4GHz network.

On your phone, tablet, and similar devices, configure BOTH networks in the device (if it sees both) and the let the device choose which one to use. If you find yourself having performance problems while you're connected to the 5GHz network, you can "forget" that network and use only the 2.4GHz one. The 5GHz network connections are much faster, but you have to be closer to the router for them to work (mine degrades quickly just two rooms away because I'm going through walls and one is the center wall of the house with a lot of electrical in it).

Let us know how you make out with all of it and if you have any additional questions about swapping things over.