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Need another ethernet port

14 years ago

My Roku is connected wirelessly, but I want to go wired. The problem is

that my router's ethernet port is being used since it's connected to my cable modem.

The research I just did online is pretty confusing. Can someone please explain in very

simple terms what I need to connect the Roku to the router?

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Comments (7)

mikie_gw
14 years ago
Maybe you could tell us your routers make & model.

Typical home router has 1 wan ethernet port that hooks to modem for the main internet connection.

And 4 lan ethernet ports, to divide the main connection up up for multiple devices that connect to the www - like 1, 2, 3 or 4 computers & Roku's with ethernet ports.
crabbypatty
Original Author
14 years ago
Mikie, Router is D-Link Wireless N 150 as you described - 1 ethernet port and 4 Lan Ports.
Only 1 of the latter ports is not being used. Can't find anything describing the LAN Ports as being ethernet.
Roku XD is what I want to connect -- this time with a cable to the computer. Wireless connection has been too erratic.
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I don't fully understand the question, still I offer the following. If you want to install and interconnect two computers via the Ethernet Port you'll need only a CAT5 cable with RJ45 male terminations. This will allow the two computers to directly share files and other resources. I've never done this, but I think it works. If you want to connect three or more Computer via an Ethernet network you need an Ethernet Hub. These are very inexpensive. If you also want to connect to the Internet, then you'll need a Router instead of the Hub. That said, you have to have an interface to the ISP, which will NOT be Ethernet unless you are inside their facility and can patch a CAT5 cable into their router...I say this in "jest", but I read you question to say you don't understand the basics of connecting to an ISP, which has Ethernet involved only if you want to operate an Ethernet network inside your home/business. Now backing off in ignorance, I admit if you have Fiber Optical cable to your home/business, that my have an Ethernet interface... don't know.
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There may be some confusion since this there are a couple posts on this same installation. You can not connect a switch directly to the cable modem unless it is a "gateway" - a router is required. Even if it is a gateway they can be very problematic. The router connects the WAN (from the modem) to the LAN. The switch interconnects the devices on the LAN. Most current routers nowadays are optimized for streaming A/V as one of their features. They monitor their own built-in (switch) ports and prioritize data to help ensure smoother media flow. A switch on a router port, feeding multiple ports, will generally not receive this same prioritization. That is why I recommend connecting streaming media devices directly to the router. Streaming media on a home network from NAS makes no difference. The chain should be: cable modem, router (with it's ports feeding streaming media connections), and a switch connected to one of the router's ports, feeding the other network connections, for best overall performance.
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Cisco/Linksys are more or less "THE" switches, Cisco's one of the first companies to build networking equipment. That being said, Netgear stuff is fine too. Switches are fairly dumb devices, as long as it's gigabit (which you'll only benefit from transferring files across your network unless you have an amazing internet connection, >100 megabits.) Just reading a little more closely, the Cisco one is managed, which means you can configure it to manage data more intelligently and give certain traffic (eg video streaming) priority which may be nice. As others alluded, the modem/router your ISP gave you may already do this for the ports on it, so you may not need this feature in your switch. Another thing to ask your cable tech is whether the gateway (your cable modem/router) will act as a DHCP server for devices on your switch (give them all IP addresses.) I recently discovered the gateway my ISP gave me will only distribute IP addresses to the ports on it. If I want more devices, I need a second router which probably means I should ignore the ports on the modem/router, and keep my whole network on my own router. If you don't mind figuring out how to operate the cisco, go for it, if you want simpler, go for the Netgear. They probably make a managed one as well.
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mikie_gw
14 years ago
Of those 4 ports, if onle one is used.. You're in good shape.
Those are all ethernet ports. The one main, that has its own color on the back... goes to the modem.

The other 4 are color coded all the same blue in the web Picture & are made specifically for ruku's & computers..

You will need a standard ethernet cable of appropiate length to reach beween one of those empty ethernet ports and your rucu's ethernet port. Pretty simple.. just plug it in on both ends.. Hard part is trying to hide the cable from puppies & cats that like to chew & play tug-a-war.

Here is a link that might be useful: http://prntscr.com/5lvru back of Dlink
mike_kaiser_gw
14 years ago
Just to clarify your router has one WAN port and four LAN ports. WAN is Wide Area Network (the Internet) and is Local Area Network (the network inside your home). You use the LAN ports to connect to devices on your local network, which would include computers and other Internet enabled devices like the Roku.
crabbypatty
Original Author
14 years ago
Mikie, Thanks for the fast response. Only one of the LAN ports is open -- the rest are being used.
Anyway, I'm relieved to know that all those ports are ethernet. Was under the impression that they
were just standard ports. You've taken a big load off my mind! Just have to buy the ethernet cable
now so my Roku can be back in business.
You're been a great help and saved me more headaches that I can say. No pets to (further) complicate
things. Will get that cable now. Thanks again.

Mike, I appreciate your explaining more about the ports. The diagram you so graciously provided is
different than my hook-ups, but helpful anyway. (Aside from the cable modem connected to the router,
3 ports are being used for my other computers.)
mike_kaiser_gw
14 years ago
For all practical purposes, home networks today use only two networking technologies - Ethernet (wired) and WiFi (wireless). If you buy a modern router, you're buying one that has Ethernet ports.

The typical hook up is:

Cable or DSL Modem --> Router's WAN Port and the router's LAN (Ethernet) port or WiFi --> Computer and Internet connected devices

For some services the ISP may provide a single box that is both a modem and router. For services like Verizon's FIOS and AT&T's Uverse, that box is called a "gateway" and is a modem/router plus handles the telephone. In either case, the device should have at least one LAN port.

If you run out of LAN ports, you need to add a "switch" to the mix. Think of a switch as being analogous to a power strip for electricity. It just gives you more space to plug things in.
crabbypatty
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks, Mike, for the additional education. Before I started this post, my search for answers
provided terms like "hub," then "switch," then came the "you might have to change the IP address"
and other such daunting ideas. So glad there are people like you and Mikie to assist and simplify!

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