Hi,
Can you tell me if there Cisco has comparable products to Netgear's FVS318G wired router, GS116E switch, and GA311 PCI Ethernet Adapter? This is what Netgear has recommended to me but I do not like the reviews I am seeing about Netgear. So, I thought I would look elsewhere but...others..Cisco, ZyXEL, D-Link, and TRENDnet are nto as clear in info as Netgear is. So, I cannot easily find comparable products. Thanks for the help.
Background info as to what I am trying to do...copied & pasted from what I sent Netgear customer service
Hi, My house is 100% cat 5e wired. I need a larger switch. I currently have a 4 port Netgear switch but I can only have 3 rooms connected at once: 1 input, 3 outputs. I need to have about 10 ports minimum, plus maybe 2 - 3 more for possible expansion: minimum needs: 1 living room, 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, 1 theater room, 1 exercise room, 1 game room, 1 garage, 1 DirecTV satellite connection. I would like to have a NAS added to the existing a/v & computer equipment in 2012, to be able to stream Netflix, Hulu, Apple TV, etc. I want to share music to any room in the house, and I want to watch movies in any room in the house. Also, it would be nice to be able to watch a different movie and listen to different music in any room in the house simultaneously. So, starting out I think a larger switch is the best place to start. What do you think? And, I want to use the structured wiring in my house to the fullest extent possible before branching out into the wireless realm.
Hi, Thank you for the response. I had a question, however. Is a switch truly what I need, or do I need a router? I found the following info at:
http://compnetworking.about.com/od/homenetworkhardware/f/routervsswitch.htm
It states multiple computers cannot access the Internet simultaneously with just a switch, and that a router woudl allow this. What are your thoughts, and would Netgear havea 16-port gigabyte Ethernet router, to compare to the GS116NA switch you recommended? "In contrast, neither hubs nor switches are capable of joining multiple networks or sharing an Internet connection. A home network with only hubs and switches must designate one computer as the gateway to the Internet, and that device must possess two network adapters for sharing, one for the home LAN and one for the Internet WAN. With a router, all home computers connect to the router equally, and it performs the equivalent gateway functions."
Hi Vince,
Sorry for giving the wrong impression. I do not have a router in my house, unless there is one built in on my laptop or desktop PC. I do not think there is, however. I have just the current 4-port switch. I do not want to use wireless since my house is completely hard-wired with Cat 5e. Does Netgear make a wired router that can also handle the switching capabilities I need, or do I need to buy a router with like 4 ports and then connect the switch you recommended initially to the router?
At this point the recommendation was the 8 port gigbyte wired router, the 16 port wired switch, and the PCI adapter.
Also, does Cisco have anything like their Gearhead 24x7 tech support or like NeoTV?
Thanks again for the help.
