So my mom wants to hook her Blu Ray player to the Internet so she can watch things on netflix. she decides to try and do this herself without asking me for assistance first.

She hooks everything up but it doesn't work. I drive 3 hours today to try and fix it but I'm not having any luck. Either the Internet connection to the computer works or the connection to the Blu Ray player works but never the same time.

So I asked her for the box and realize she had bought an ethernet switch instead of a hub.

Is this what is causing the issue?

If I buy a hub, I shouldn't need the switch correct?

4/25/2015 4:09:04 PM

The switch should work just fine. Is it basically setup like this?


MODEM ----ethernet cable---> WAN port of Switch

COMPUTER ----ethernet cable---> LAN port of Switch

BLURAY ----ethernet cable---> LAN port of Switch

4/25/2015 6:27:27 PM

There isn't one dedicated as a WAN.

the instruction guide to the switch shows a setup that runs a line from the modem to a hub then from hub to switch and then several lines running from the switch to different devices.

The switch has 5 places you can plug ethernet cables into. None of them are labelled as anything other than 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. None are labeled as LAN or WAN

4/25/2015 9:39:19 PM

This is the one she has...

http://mobile.walmart.com/ip/3910252?wmlspartner=wlpa&adid=22222222228001141805&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=m&wl3=41023990712&wl4=&wl5=pla&wl6=61973703563&veh=sem

4/25/2015 9:44:38 PM

This is how it's set up.

Cable --> modem --> switch

Switch --> computer
switch --> Blu Ray

I try to get the Blu Ray player to detect the Internet settings but I get the 169.Blah ip address. But for some reason if I unplug the power from the switch for 30 seconds and then plug it back in, the Blu Ray gets an ip address and connects to the internet. However, the computer won't connect to the internet. And will give me the 169 I address.

I then unplug the ethernet cable from the modem and plug it back in. The computer works again but the blue ray does not.

4/25/2015 9:57:51 PM

You need something that can assign IP addresses. Take the switch back to Walmart and get a router with the 4 port switch built in (almost all are like this.). A switch cannot assign IP addresses.

This will work
http://mobile.walmart.com/ip/Netgear-N150-Wireless-Router/11084824?type=search

[Edited on April 25, 2015 at 10:20 PM. Reason : Link]

4/25/2015 10:18:24 PM

I will tell my mom to do that tomorrow. I don't know why I didn't think about a router especially since I use one at my house to connect different devices. Going to hope she checks to make sure she can plug ethernet cables into the router since I don't feel like walking her step by step on how to set up a wireless one

4/25/2015 10:26:59 PM

once you have a router you can split it with a switch right ?

4/27/2015 10:22:36 AM

yes

4/27/2015 12:42:08 PM

Say your modem is one of the built in router ones from TWC and you get a 24 port switch..

Is it better or worse to plug multiple ports from the router into the switch?

4/28/2015 8:24:05 AM

Methinks that's how you cause a loop.

So, worse.

[Edited on April 28, 2015 at 10:09 AM. Reason : ]

4/28/2015 10:08:47 AM

I figured.. i didn't know if you'd be paralleling or if it would go all derp on you.

4/28/2015 10:40:31 AM

For an actual router worse (loop). but the idea you are thinking is LACP aka port-channeling. Which is better. But it only works on normally managed switches, or "routers" that are really switches that do L3.

4/28/2015 1:19:11 PM

yeah the router/modem is an arris tg862 and i don't know the best way to connect it to the switch i'm getting ready to set up.

Thank you,

bill.

4/28/2015 4:20:03 PM