Best switch location / setup

mricon

Commendable
Feb 18, 2017
23
0
1,510
I've just purchased a Gigabit Ethernet switch which I bought to connect my QNAP TS-251 NAS to.

I bought it because my ISPs router only has two outputs one links to a powerline adapter (500 MBs) which feeds several other devices around my house (PCs, cameras, TVs etc) - probably 7 or 8 in total. The other connects to my set-top box for on-demand / streaming.

I just wondered if the switch is best placed directly into the router?

Anything else I should do to help make sure my network is optimal for the NAS and in general?

All help and views appreciated.
 
Solution
What you may want to do is place the NAS near the device that needs the performance the most. That way at least 1 device would not have to pass over the powerline networks. All the others would pass over the powerline network but they should go directly. When you have more than 2 powerline networks devices they pass directly. So they would not do powerline----router----powerline. This means the delay caused by the powerline is the same as if you had the nas on the router.

Running more than a single pair of powerline unit does degrade the total speed but adding your new switch/nas will not make it worse
I am going to guess the connected to the router is best. It depends on your traffic. I am unclear how you have the powerline connected. If this is just a single pair of powerline with all the remote device connected to that powerline via a switch then you are better off likely putting you nas in the remote location also. If you have multiple powerline devices then connecting to the main router is going to be best.

The slow path in your network is going to be the powerline network. You want the nas and any equipment that uses it connected directly together via the switch if that is possible. It will work over the powerline networks but not as fast
 


Thank you.

Yes, the powerline next to my router feeds to three others around the house. My main PC gets it's internet via powerline (not ideal but it is hard for me to wire directly). I do worry that my powerline has too many things on it but am struggling for a better solution.
 
What you may want to do is place the NAS near the device that needs the performance the most. That way at least 1 device would not have to pass over the powerline networks. All the others would pass over the powerline network but they should go directly. When you have more than 2 powerline networks devices they pass directly. So they would not do powerline----router----powerline. This means the delay caused by the powerline is the same as if you had the nas on the router.

Running more than a single pair of powerline unit does degrade the total speed but adding your new switch/nas will not make it worse
 
Solution