need new router

[thechemgeek]

i currently own/use the linksys etherfast cable modem (befcmu10) and a etherfast cable dsl router (befsr41).

moving into a new house. i'm having cable run and outlets put into several rooms of the house, all of which lead back to the office. in the office there will be a TV cable outlet. so, i will prob use the same cable modem i currently have, but my router doesn't have enough ports (only 4) for all the cables (~11, maybe 12).

so, i was thinking that i could either buy a router with more ports (12-16) or buy a 8 port router (switch/hub??) and just connect the one i have to it.

i like the linksys series for ease of use and am not much for something that will require a lot of config time.

your thoughts?

thanks.

[YeOldeStonecat]

You're not going to find a home market router with more than 8 ports, like the Linksys BEFSR81.

But...I would just get a switch and uplink it.

Snag a Linksys that matches the footprint of your router, will stack right on top of it.

EZXS88W <==8 port model, will yield you 10 free ports, well, possibly 11. Depends on which version of sr41 you have, if it has a separate uplink or shared. The switch will have 1 shared with the uplink too, so you'll lose one.

http://www.linksys.com/products/product.asp?grid=34&scid=31&prid=36

EZXS16W <==16 port model...just a few bucks more, why not, then you won't run out of ports.

http://www.linksys.com/products/product.asp?grid=34&scid=31&prid=154

[thechemgeek]

thanks. i'll prob go with the EZXS16W (16 port) model.

another question, rather than start another thread. i'm going to be staying in temp housing (a suite) for a month that has a data port. i need to leave my router behind at my current location so that my wife can still get online. are hotel data ports secure enough to not use a router or should i buy some cheap one for a months' use?

[YeOldeStonecat]

Originally posted by thechemgeek
thanks. i'll prob go with the EZXS16W (16 port) model.

another question, rather than start another thread. i'm going to be staying in temp housing (a suite) for a month that has a data port. i need to leave my router behind at my current location so that my wife can still get online. are hotel data ports secure enough to not use a router or should i buy some cheap one for a months' use?

I wouldn't risk it. Depends on the hotels setup, but I'd say more than often all the rooms are connected to a big switch, unmanaged, with no VLans per port....so if you plugged your computer in, and some kid in another room was poking around, well, you're on the same network...he could dig around her computer depending on how it was setup. Or if someone else in the hotel had a lappy full of viruses, plugged into the network...they'd be spewing out across the network looking for other computers to hose.

If it's XP at least enable the built in firewall...it's halfway decent. But if she's going to be doing that for a bit...yeah, an el'cheapo router would be good. The little Linky BEFSR11.

[thechemgeek]

thanks again.

i ordered the 16 port switch and 1 port router earlier today. :)