Do PCI Switch and Motherboard Ethernet Communicate

[ObsidianObelisk17]

Hello, I am going to set up a small home network in the future, and I was wondering if a PCI ethernet switch would be able to go to other computers, while the computer that hosts the ethernet switch is connected to the internet, and allow the computers connected through the switch to also access the internet? Whether they can or can't isn't problematic to me, as a dedicated ethernet switch would do just fine. Thanks.

 

[Rogue Leader]

Hello, I am going to set up a small home network in the future, and I was wondering if a PCI ethernet switch would be able to go to other computers, while the computer that hosts the ethernet switch is connected to the internet, and allow the computers connected through the switch to also access the internet? Whether they can or can't isn't problematic to me, as a dedicated ethernet switch would do just fine. Thanks.

You can use a PCI ethernet switch and software like this:

http://www.nongnu.org/quagga/

To then configure the computer to act as a router, however thats overkill for a home network. Why not just buy a router with 4 or 8 ports on it and have that do all the work for you? This kind of setup is really for a business that needs ultra tight network controls.

 

[ObsidianObelisk17]

I was bringing up the PCI switcher and ethernet hub as I am going to get into the computer modelling/animating industry, and I am getting low cost parts to make a render farm for personal, independent, or portfolio projects, but I left that part out to keep the question short. I would have the farm alongside a computer set up to store files.

 

[bill001g]

You might as well just buy a switch to connect your internal machines and a router to talk to the internet.

The problem with a multiport PCI card is your main processor and the busses on the motherboard are transferring the data between the ports. In a switch a dedicated asic chip designed especially for fast data switching is doing the work. A general purpose computer will never match a dedicate device. Now they do make PCI switch cards but that is mostly just taking the same chip a external switch uses and putting it on a card. All you pretty much have done is use the computer as a power supply and pay extra because there is little competition to keep the board price down.

 

[ObsidianObelisk17]

You might as well just buy a switch to connect your internal machines and a router to talk to the internet.

The problem with a multiport PCI card is your main processor and the busses on the motherboard are transferring the data between the ports. In a switch a dedicated asic chip designed especially for fast data switching is doing the work. A general purpose computer will never match a dedicate device. Now they do make PCI switch cards but that is mostly just taking the same chip a external switch uses and putting it on a card. All you pretty much have done is use the computer as a power supply and pay extra because there is little competition to keep the board price down.

I forgot to mention this, so it's no ones fault but my own, but the main reason I was asking is I got a cheap Lenovo Thinkserver that came with a PCI ethernet switch inside it. I already have one, I just wanted to narrow down its capabilities.

 

[bill001g]

But is it really a switch or is it a multiport ethernet card. If you would have to bridge the ports to get them all connected you are going to pay a huge performance penalty compared to used a external switch.