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1 router but 2 Ethernet cables

#Post
1

Is this possible? With lockdown continuing my son wants his Ethernet cable back so he can play Xbox - his doesn’t have wifi - but I also need to use it to work from home on my work desktop which also doesn’t have wifi. Is there a splitter or adapter that I can plug into the Ethernet port and then connect 2 cables.

sarahb5 - 2021-08-20 17:41:00
2

Most modems have 2 or 4 network ports, or is yours a really old one with just 1? If only 1 you can get a cheap network switch.

loud_37 - 2021-08-20 18:19:00
3

Yep, called a "network Switch"
Available in 4/5/ 8/ 16/ 24/ 48 ports switches.

All you will need is a basic 4 port switch & some Cat6 cable
You can get network switches that have WiFi on them as well.
For home usage, even old commercial 24/48 port switches will do what you need & are often free.

mrfxit - 2021-08-20 18:24:00
4
loud_37 wrote:

Most modems have 2 or 4 network ports, or is yours a really old one with just 1? If only 1 you can get a cheap network switch.


It has more than one port but only one LAN5 port - can I use one of the other ports? The modems about a year old I think

sarahb5 - 2021-08-20 18:58:00
5
mrfxit wrote:

Yep, called a "network Switch"
Available in 4/5/ 8/ 16/ 24/ 48 ports switches.

All you will need is a basic 4 port switch & some Cat6 cable
You can get network switches that have WiFi on them as well.
For home usage, even old commercial 24/48 port switches will do what you need & are often free.


And in English please?

sarahb5 - 2021-08-20 18:59:00
6
sarahb5 wrote:


It has more than one port but only one LAN5 port - can I use one of the other ports? The modems about a year old I think

You can use any port labelled LAN

loud_37 - 2021-08-20 19:38:00
7
sarahb5 wrote:


And in English please?


Google search "Network Switch" then use the "Image" tab on that google search result.

mrfxit - 2021-08-20 19:53:00
8
sarahb5 wrote:


It has more than one port but only one LAN5 port - can I use one of the other ports? The modems about a year old I think


What brand & model is your modem.

Any model under 5 years old will have 4 "network" ports (Ethernet ports)
Thats where you plug in your cable between the modem and your computer.
These are also likely to be of a yellow color

mrfxit - 2021-08-20 19:57:00
9

You don't need any new bit of equipment ALL modern routers/modems have multiple LAN ports. Just plug another cable into another LAN port which is the same color.

nice_lady - 2021-08-20 20:11:00
10
nice_lady wrote:

You don't need any new bit of equipment ALL modern routers/modems have multiple LAN ports. Just plug another cable into another LAN port which is the same color.


Thanks - it will save a lot of grumpiness

sarahb5 - 2021-08-20 20:31:00
11
mrfxit wrote:


What brand & model is your modem.

Any model under 5 years old will have 4 "network" ports (Ethernet ports)
Thats where you plug in your cable between the modem and your computer.
These are also likely to be of a yellow color


Thanks - that’s all I need to know

sarahb5 - 2021-08-20 20:32:00
12
sarahb5 wrote:

Is this possible? With lockdown continuing my son wants his Ethernet cable back so he can play Xbox - his doesn’t have wifi - but I also need to use it to work from home on my work desktop.


All routers these days are 4 port.
Have you looked?

lythande1 - 2021-08-21 09:42:00
13
lythande1 wrote:


All routers these days are 4 port.
Have you looked?


Yes but only one is marked LAN5 which is what I was told to use

sarahb5 - 2021-08-21 09:46:00
14

Keep it simple, leave yourself connected as you are, and add Son to any of the other (probably yellow) free ports. Get him a nice long ethernet cable and dispatch him to a distant corner to leave you in peace :-) Watch OSH - no tripping over the cords!

cookee_nz - 2021-08-21 10:23:00
15
sarahb5 wrote:


Yes but only one is marked LAN5 which is what I was told to use

So told you to use LAN 5 ? And why ? They obviously had no idea what they were talking about. If you looked you would find since theres a LAN 5 there would be a LAN 1-2-3-4 also. They're all the same. It's just like a multiplug powerboard but its data travelling thru the wires.

nice_lady - 2021-08-21 10:25:00
16
cookee_nz wrote:

Keep it simple, leave yourself connected as you are, and add Son to any of the other (probably yellow) free ports. Get him a nice long ethernet cable and dispatch him to a distant corner to leave you in peace :-) Watch OSH - no tripping over the cords!


The current Ethernet cable is 10m - he’s in his room, I’m in the office which is opposite his room so we’ll have 2 Ethernet cables snaking down the hallway but the only trip so far has been the dog chasing his ball across it.

sarahb5 - 2021-08-21 10:43:00
17

put a mat on top of it

nice_lady - 2021-08-21 10:52:00
18
nice_lady wrote:

So told you to use LAN 5 ? And why ? They obviously had no idea what they were talking about. If you looked you would find since theres a LAN 5 there would be a LAN 1-2-3-4 also. They're all the same. It's just like a multiplug powerboard but its data travelling thru the wires.

I'm wondering if it's a router with a single 1Gb port, and the rest are 100Mb? (I've seen them), if so, and the Desktop also had a 1Gb LAN adapter, then that might make some sense, although unless OP is doing something data intensive you'd likely not notice the difference. Gaming on the other hand would really like the faster connection. Without knowing the Router and Port labeling it's hard to be sure about much.

cookee_nz - 2021-08-21 13:22:00
19
sarahb5 wrote:


The current Ethernet cable is 10m - he’s in his room, I’m in the office which is opposite his room so we’ll have 2 Ethernet cables snaking down the hallway but the only trip so far has been the dog chasing his ball across it.


Depending on the house, you might be able to run those cables underneath the floor and really tidy things up. It would require a hole being drilled at each end, alternatively, a sparkie could fit data outlets on the wall at each end for the ultimate result. But as the saying goes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Edited by cookee_nz at 1:26 pm, Sat 21 Aug

cookee_nz - 2021-08-21 13:26:00
20
nice_lady wrote:

put a mat on top of it


Not possible - it’s duct taped to the floor

sarahb5 - 2021-08-21 13:35:00
21
cookee_nz wrote:


Depending on the house, you might be able to run those cables underneath the floor and really tidy things up. It would require a hole being drilled at each end, alternatively, a sparkie could fit data outlets on the wall at each end for the ultimate result. But as the saying goes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.


I don’t think either of us will be crawling under the house to do that

sarahb5 - 2021-08-21 13:36:00
22
cookee_nz wrote:

I'm wondering if it's a router with a single 1Gb port, and the rest are 100Mb? (I've seen them), if so, and the Desktop also had a 1Gb LAN adapter, then that might make some sense, although unless OP is doing something data intensive you'd likely not notice the difference. Gaming on the other hand would really like the faster connection. Without knowing the Router and Port labeling it's hard to be sure about much.


Mmmm that would make sense & the gamer kid wants the 1gb port to himself or he's done some port forwarding for his games & doesn't want any body else getting that port

mrfxit - 2021-08-21 21:36:00
23

NAT port forwarding doesn't work like that. you forward to an IP address.

bitsnpieces2020 - 2021-08-23 19:23:00
24

TCP/UDP port.

Edited by spyware at 7:58 am, Tue 24 Aug

spyware - 2021-08-24 07:57:00
25

Still a bit of speculation here - all of which could have been avoided and a very definitive answer supplied if the OP had included the make and model of the router. It's surprising how often this doesn't happen. It's really basic info which one should supply given the HUGE number of different routers out there.

nice_lady - 2021-08-24 08:20:00
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