[SOLVED] Can i use a switch instead of a router?

guayabo

Reputable
Dec 17, 2017
32
2
4,535
So i just got a 300MB connection from my ISP, and realised that my TL-WR740N only has 100MB ports, so its obviously a bottleneck situation.
I was looking to buy the Tp-Link TL-SG108 switch, which has gigabit ports, however from the videos that i saw people usually use this kind of device to transfer data between machines and such, but i just want better internet. Can i connect my modem to the switch and then to my computers and trust it'll do the same job as a router does? (i've seen in the following graphic on the products box http://prntscr.com/vese78 that the connection goes modem>router>switch>pc's and that wouldnt make sense for me obviously, because the bottleneck is still there and i want to rule the router out of the equation, hence the question)
Thanks in advance!
 
Solution
So i just got a 300MB connection from my ISP, and realised that my TL-WR740N only has 100MB ports, so its obviously a bottleneck situation.
I was looking to buy the Tp-Link TL-SG108 switch, which has gigabit ports, however from the videos that i saw people usually use this kind of device to transfer data between machines and such, but i just want better internet. Can i connect my modem to the switch and then to my computers and trust it'll do the same job as a router does? (i've seen in the following graphic on the products box http://prntscr.com/vese78 that the connection goes modem>router>switch>pc's and that wouldnt make sense for me obviously, because the bottleneck is still there and i want to rule the router out of the...
So i just got a 300MB connection from my ISP, and realised that my TL-WR740N only has 100MB ports, so its obviously a bottleneck situation.
I was looking to buy the Tp-Link TL-SG108 switch, which has gigabit ports, however from the videos that i saw people usually use this kind of device to transfer data between machines and such, but i just want better internet. Can i connect my modem to the switch and then to my computers and trust it'll do the same job as a router does? (i've seen in the following graphic on the products box http://prntscr.com/vese78 that the connection goes modem>router>switch>pc's and that wouldnt make sense for me obviously, because the bottleneck is still there and i want to rule the router out of the equation, hence the question)
Thanks in advance!
Nope.
You can just replace the router and/or modem.
 
Solution

kanewolf

Titan
Moderator
They're not that expensive.
They're obviously more expensive than switches, but that's because they're a switch, an access point, a router and a modem.
Not usually a modem. A router is more often a device that expects ethernet as the input. A combo device would have coax, DSL or fiber as input and have the modem built-in. It sounds like the OP has ethernet as input, so a plain router is appropriate.
 
Not usually a modem. A router is more often a device that expects ethernet as the input. A combo device would have coax, DSL or fiber as input and have the modem built-in. It sounds like the OP has ethernet as input, so a plain router is appropriate.
right.
wait, but didn't OP say him provided modem/router combo don't have gigabit functionality, so he can't get the full speed he pays for?
If that is the case, he needs to either buy a modem, or ask the ISP for a new one right?