Router to computer to other computer?

[eobet]

This is such a simple question that it's silly, but I haven't thought about this since we had coaxial cables with terminators...

I have a router in my hallway. I'm forced to use a (10m) cable now to a computer in the office, but the "problem" is that I have two computers in my office.

How do I hook both of them up to the network, using only a single cable to the router?

Both of the computers only have one ethernet port, and only one of them has a thunderbolt port. I really don't want to buy a router that requires external power, and in this case, wireless is not an option.

I bet the answer is very basic, so I'm curious to see how this is solved these days!

 

[thiggins]

The device you need is a switch. Plug the computers into it and the cable back to the router and you're set.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=gigabit+switch

 

[eobet]

Thank you!

Hopefully I can find one which works on USB power, because as I mentioned, I really did not want another device requiring external power.

 

[thiggins]

There are no USB powered switches.

 

[azazel1024]

You could in theory splice in to the PSU in one of the machines to get 12v power to a router.

Not something I'd really want to do though.

Or you could just live with the fact that you need to plug a tiny 5 port switch in to a wall outlet. Hide it behind the computers if you need to.

 

[schill]

There are no USB powered switches.

This is not a recommendation, but I have a Zuni ZS108F 8-port 10/100 switch that can use USB for power. I got it from Newegg several years ago. I've never really used it so I don't know if it's any good. It is very small.

 

[thiggins]

I should have Googled first

I was wrong. Black Box has some
http://www.blackbox.com/Store/Detail.aspx/USB-Powered-Gigabit-4-Port-Switch/LGB304A

 

[azazel1024]

Huh, well you learn something new every day. Not particularly cheap though. Especially since all they've likely go is an additional 5 to 12v DC converter inside of them. I guess the price is because of the tiny market for such a device.

 

[Shrmn]

Typically such small desktop switches consume extremely low power anyway. (A TP-Link box drew only 1W of power with 2 PCs connected if I remember correctly)

The alternative if you really don't want to have another device that requires external power, is to purchase an expansion card to add an Ethernet port on your first computer then share the internet connection. I've had trouble allowing Windows to access my LAN on the secondary computer in such a configuration before though so it'd be slightly tougher configuring this.

If you're using a Mac (assuming Mac since thunderbolt) then you can purchase a Thunderbolt to Ethernet adapter and use your Mac as the primary computer gaining the original internet connection via the Ethernet port, and enable Internet Sharing to share your internet connection through the thunderbolt adapter to the other computer. (Mac makes this in a much more simplified way: System Preferences - Sharing - Click Internet Sharing - Select host interface - check client interface(s) - Check Internet Sharing - Done.


I would really recommend you to get a desktop switch instead. This way, if you do get additional devices in the future in your office (printer/scanner/smart TV/HTPC/new computer), you can immediately plug them into the network. If you still insist on not getting a switch then it is still possible to daisy chain additional thunderbolt to Ethernet adapters but you'll probably be spending more than just getting a switch anyway.

 

[thiggins]

Moved to new thread

Just Checking's question and discussion has been moved
http://forums.smallnetbuilder.com/showthread.php?t=22802