How To Add Fast Ethernet Port In Packet Tracer

Several Ethernet cables connected to an internet router — Proxima Studio/Shutterstock.com

While about of us rely on wireless at home, wired internet is often a amend choice. The but catch is that almost home routers only accept a handful of ports. Calculation more than ports is piece of cake, merely at that place are a few things to consider when setting things upward.

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Add Ports With an Ethernet Switch

You can add more ports to your router using an Ethernet switch. Think of these like power-banking concern extensions: they plug into an existing Ethernet port on your router, only they add a range of additional ports depending on what you go for. The more you spend, the more ports you get (higher speed switches too tend to toll more).

To aggrandize your range of Ethernet ports you first need to buy an Ethernet switch. This switch will be connected to any of the spare ports on your router. From there you lot can connect additional devices to the switch. You can add more than one switch to your router but for efficiency, you should avoid daisy-chaining switches.

Though it's possible to repurpose an onetime router into a switch, these switches are cheap and cheerful, costing a fraction of what you'd pay for a new router. A cheap four-port switch might cost between $10 and $20, or cheaper if yous don't need gigabit speeds. Like a router, you'll need to power a switch using a wall adapter.

When buying a port keep in mind that most models will utilize 1 of the ports to make the connection to your existing router. Then an Ethernet switch that appears to have five ports will only provide 4 additional ports for you to plug devices into.

Most switches will come with a suitable Ethernet cable to make the connection to your router. You lot volition need to provide additional cabling to connect your existing devices (like computers, smart TVs, and network drives). Call back: not all Ethernet cables are equal, and higher speeds can only be attained with faster cables.

Consider Device and Port Placement Carefully

Ethernet switches work by sharing the available bandwidth of the port they are connected to on your router. So if your router has gigabit Ethernet ports and you buy a suitable Ethernet switch that adds four ports, that gigabit of bandwidth will exist shared betwixt those four ports whenever those devices are used concurrently.

The of import thing to note is that the bandwidth is simply shared when those devices are all using your network. Using this information you lot can try and fix upwardly your switch in a manner that avoids saturating a unmarried port.

For example, you might not use your work PC and games console at the same fourth dimension, so connecting them both to the same switch would have little event on performance. However, if you lot accept a gaming PC that you use at night while streaming movies from a network drive, these two devices should ideally be connected to entirely divide ports on your router (not to different ports on the same switch) since the limited bandwidth introduced by the switch may affect the operation of either one.

With a little careful planning, you can connect only devices in a switch that would be used at unlike times. You tin can also grouping low bandwidth devices (like printers) into switches, even if you lot use something more bandwidth-hungry at the aforementioned time (similar a computer).

Faster Ethernet Ports Deliver Better Performance

Nigh routers should accept gigabit Ethernet ports past at present, and some offering 10Gb networking. If yous're leaning towards a wired network for your home or part, consider investing in the fastest possible equipment that your budget allows. This may involve replacing your router with a faster version, but also ownership faster Ethernet switches to remove bandwidth limitations.

This is especially truthful if prioritizing devices based on usage is non possible. For instance, if y'all take multiple computers in a single function continued to the same switch, or a family unit room with multiple consoles that are likely to be used to play online games at the aforementioned fourth dimension.

If your router only supports 100Mb networking and then it's probably time for an upgrade anyhow. Gigabit Ethernet means 1000Mb, which is ten times faster than older standards. 10Gb Ethernet improves available bandwidth tenfold again. Just be sure that you friction match your switch's speed to your router's maximum throughput.

The Best Wi-Fi Routers of 2022

Best Wi-Fi Router Overall

Asus AX6000 (RT-AX88U)

TP-Link Archer AX3000 (AX50)

TP-Link Archer A8

Asus GT-AX11000 Tri-Band Router

ASUS ZenWiFi AX6600 (XT8) (two Pack)

Google Nest Wifi (2 Pack)

NETGEAR Nighthawk CAX80

Linksys WRT3200ACM

TP-Link AC750

Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE11000

This might not make much sense if you don't have devices that can back up the faster speeds, but newer devices already be that do support them. Microsoft'south Xbox Series X and Sony's PlayStation 5 each have gigabit Ethernet ports, and Apple tree sells the M1 Mac mini with an optional 10-gigabit Ethernet port if you need information technology. It's not unusual to notice devices with in-between speeds similar 2.5Gb either.

If y'all're non sure what your router supports, check the underside of the unit. Many have the speed of the ports listed, while others will take a model number you tin can search to discover out for sure. Don't forget to ensure you lot purchase the right speed Ethernet cables to accept advantage of faster ports.

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Yous Can Place the Switch in a Different Room

Y'all don't need to leave the switch in the same room equally your router. Ethernet switches are useful in that they tin can provide a whole room with additional wired ports without having to move your router from its usual resting place.

At that place are a few ways to go about this: utilize an Ethernet extension cablevision, employ an Ethernet over coax adapter, or use Ethernet over powerline. The first is adequately unproblematic, but ofttimes unsightly unless y'all're prepared to practice some plastering to hibernate cables in the wall. Ethernet-over-coax (MoCA) allows you to apply coaxial cables which you lot may already take in your walls.

You might take coaxial cables in your wall if your home has been wired for cable services. These connections provide faster speeds than wireless, with fewer of the drawbacks encountered by powerline adapters. Since every home isn't wired for cable, they may non be an pick.

Ethernet Over Coaxial Kit

Ethernet over powerline as well uses existing cables, but speeds may not be guaranteed. Many Ethernet powerline adapters annunciate a combined speed. That means a speed of 1200Mb/sec may simply be 600Mb/sec either mode. The age and quality of the cables, interference, as well equally how much you spend on the adapter will all gene into the speed you're likely to receive.

Ethernet Over Powerline Kit

The further your destination from the adapter, the more speed y'all are likely to lose. Some rooms may be on different circuits, which is great for conducting piece of work on the wires in your business firm but terrible for carrying an Ethernet connexion through the walls. Even just plugging in another device alongside an adapter tin can impair operation.

And then you've got to cistron in bandwidth saturation, equally previously discussed. Powerline adapters are a convenient mode of extending a wired network without laying unsightly cables or getting the renovators in, but they come at the cost of efficiency and yous should keep that in listen if raw speed is important to you.

RELATED: How to Speed Up Your Internet Connection

Ethernet Problems? Check Your Cables

Wired networking is still the about reliable style of connecting your computers, smart devices, and games consoles to the internet. Wired networks aren't equally susceptible to interference as wireless networks, with much college theoretical speeds possible if you lot're prepared to open your wallet.

Brand sure you lot understand the limitations that switches and powerline adapters introduce, and remember that many problems with wired networks tin can be solved but by swapping out a few cables.