The Official PC building thread -3rd Edition

Modem - self explanatory, doesn't do any routing, think of the old fashioned diallup modems, they make a racket (ah, memories!) then connect to wherever, but that's all

Switch - I can't remember the exact terminology but suffice it to say a device plugged into a port on a 100mbit switch has the full 100mbit on that port, and the data is intelligently sent where it needs to go, whereas ~

Hubs - transmit that data to all ports or something. Hubs are pretty much irrelevant these days hence why my knowledge is rusty. I have an old Netgear 4 port hub somewhere that sometimes used to get used on Unix servers as there are times when a Hub can save the day, sorry can't think of a relevant example off the top of my head, haven't used a hub in a very long time.

Obviously if you have hardly any devices you can run everything off the 4 switch ports that most modern routers provide. I have more than 4 devices so i use as many switches as required. Cat5/5E Ethernet (which is all i use as i don't bother with gigabit at home) has quite a long workable distance, something like 300 feet or so, but of course extra switches can provide convenience.

There's managed switches where you can configure VLANS and whatnot, i am not a networking freak nor does my area of Unix cover much networking over and above what is required to build and administer Enterprise level servers (as you usually have dedicated network engineers, or there's system engineers who do a bit of everything. and various other people/roles but you get the point, at work there's Copper ethernet, Fibre Channel etc etc, but again i'm a bit rusty on all that good stuff, i've configured failover & fault tolerant connections, some servers have quad ethernet cards or multiples of quad cards, etc etc; these things are server-side hence why i know how to do these things, whereas there's some network configuration on the network side that someone else would take care of).

But anyways, there's also unmanaged switches where you don't have to configure anything, they're 'dumb' to a degree. The most you have to do on these is flick them into uplink mode as some switches have a fit if some switches aren't in uplink mode ie they clash.

Router - routes traffic, usually incorporates a 4 port switch. Modem Router usually incorporates a 4 port switch and obviously a Modem, plus does Routing.

'Gaming Adapters' - basically a dumbed down/stripped down router, basically a ripoff.

Access Point - basically a dumbed down/stripped down router i think, i don't bother with them, i just use standard routers and configure them as necessary. For instance, i just checked my main router and it has the following modes - AP, Client, Client Bridge, Adhoc, Repeater, Repeater Bridge.

There's loads more to it all but that's the easiest way i can describe everything. Got to go eat dinner but i'll come back and edit the definition of switches and hubs properly , i'm sure Sam (for instance) can probably verbalise hubs and switches better than me, instead of me googling them, i always have trouble describing the two things. I've probably generalised above re Routers, there's NAT etc but i don't trouble myself with every detail on all subjects, i'm a great believer in knowing (more than) enough to be knowledgable but some things i just filter out if i don't need to know them, i research such things as and when i need to. Can only fit so much in the old brain you see, i tend to run out of RAM

 

I think that describes it all well enough (i've no doubt over explained some things as that's my way). Anyone feel free to correct anything i posted, i regurgitated virtually all that off the top of my head.

 

Your money, but they're both only capable of WPA security. WPA/TKIP's days are numbered... you should really have bought something that supports WPA2/AES. Ah well, can't say i didn't tell you so

From Newegg's meagre list of routers i'd have picked this ~ Linksys WRT54GL
As to a PCI card i've have picked the Linksys WMP54G which i know is totally linux friendly, can't remember if it works under WIn7 though. Pricy from Newegg though. But at least that and the Linksys router support WPA2...

 

The trouble with wifi is that there's too many people out there with sticky fingers, idiots who like to hack into neighbours' networks just because they can see them via a simple network scan. She was obviously more secure before on a wired connection, now she'll be visible from outside in the street.
If someone gets onto her connection they could be downloading or visiting places they shouldn't be and your mum would get the blame.
If you can't change them it's done now but if it was me i would only buy WPA2 capable stuff. People get taken to court often, even if it's blatantly obviously they wouldn't download certain things or visit unsavoury places, you only have to look in AD's news articles to see examples of that..

 

Off topic - Am settling down for a night of news articles, people such as this make my blood boil, it's no wonder i can never sleep and it's no wonder i can't find work. Crooks such as this sit there and brazenly refuse to say where $2 trillion of taxpayers money has gone. We have the Bank of England who i believe are exactly the same as your Federal Reserve, ie private central banks above government reach. I don't always find enough detail on the UK side of things, it's easier to research the US goings on. I need to go calm down and make a coffee!, sorry but this stuff makes me see red. This is part of the reason i live on the internet, researching the crooks. Until people like Ron Paul get to audit the Fed, and people over here start waking up to all the bank looting what chance have i and other got, of getting off the net and in keeping with the thread title, 'PC building'. How long has it been since many people have spec'd up machines to build, a blumming long time.

SEC Engages in Conspiracy with AIG to Hide Bailout Evidence


On topic - Just looking out for you OM7

edit- what Sam said