Gigabit Router

The wiring for my 6 room high definition video and audio and data network is partly complete.

The data network consists of a Cat 6a STP wire to each room from the Lab (aka Computer Room).

There are 5 destination rooms.  Plus the Lab itself typically has two or more computers hooked up.  Therefore, it would be nice to have an 8 port router.

Here's a nice looking 4 port router without wifi.  This is a departmental grade device that has about 5 times more capacity than a typical consumer unit.

Here is a top shelf consumer unit with 8 ports AND wifi with all the latest standards.  But the 35mbps throughput numbers look disappointing.

Here's a ten port manages switch with no wifi.

What I could do is put slow wifi router directly on the internet router.  After all, throughput from the internet is limited.  One of the ports on the router connects to a fast managed switch, which connects to all the high speed connections within my network.  Thereby, bandwidth within the LAN is maximized. And that's where music, video, and other signals need to travel most unimpeeded.

The downside of the arrangement is that wired connections are now a hop away from the actual internet.  But with a fast switch like the ten port unit above, or something better, the added delay should be minimal.  And meanwhile the LAN can fly.  Alternatively the switch can connect directly to the internet, and have one of the ports connected to a wifi access point like this one.  I think I like this latter idea better.

I can run the CR->Kit ethernet straight into the Mac.  That way I can get gigabit connectivity from switch to Mac.  Then, Sonos and all the other slower stuff can take the trip first to living room Sonos box, then to Kitchen router that connects to Sonos and other slow devices.

Here's a nice looking 8 port switch, supports DHCP (which it needs to do for cable modem connection).  I could even continue to use old Linksys for wifi...it works mostly. But note this new $287 switch (high end prosumer, the typical consumer 8 port switch would be $100) species only CAT5 and CAT5E.  That's all you need for 1000T gigabit ethernet.

Here's an inexpensive 5 port switch without management. It's non-blocking. This is probably all I would need at vertices in the network, and maybe at front, following a managed wifi router.