How do I connect my PC to the internet by means of Ethernet Cable?

kmcdevitt

Reputable
Mar 2, 2015
3
0
4,510
I've recently just built a PC, and don't have any idea how to hook it up to the internet other then by ethernet. I have a ethernet port in the room where I want to have my PC, and I already have a router on the other port and another computer which is in a different room downstairs. What should I get/do so I connect this to the internet? Do I need another router? Or do I need a ethernet switch or something?

I am also running linux mint 17.1, and have my hardware specs available if there's a need.

Thanks
 
As long as there is an ethernet cable connecting the computer to the router, the computer should pick up the connection on its own. From what I understand, you say there's a port near the computer that connects to the router, so you should just need to connect the computer to this port.
 
If all of the ehternet ports on the router are used, you just need a switch.

I would get an 8 port gigabit switch and then plug router to switch and all the devices to the switch.
This gives you a gigabit inner-network connection so any file sharing or transfers from computers on your network will be faster.
 


So if I were to connect to an entirely different room would I need a router to go along with it? For example, having a completely separate PC in a room without a router, and then another PC with a router connected to it, I would need a router for the separate PC then? Or do I have to connect to the router on the different floor?

 


You only need one router in the house. In reality, the device we call a router has many components inside. It has a modem, which connects to the internet, a router that routes traffic to the correct ports within your local network, a switch that allows multiple ethernet connections, and in most cases today a wireless access point for wireless devices. Since you already have one router to route the internet connections, the next PC you connect does not need another router, just a way to connect to the first one. You can use a switch to achieve this, or you can just connect directly if the router you have still has an open port.
 


How might I connect to the router that I have if it is on my first floor and the unconnected PC is on the top floor? Is there an easy way to connect to it without running a wire through the house, or could I get another router so that I can easily connect my PC to the new one instead?
 


All right, now the question makes more sense :) If you cannot run an ethernet cable from the router to the PC, then you cannot have an ethernet connection. You will need to rely on an alternative connection, like powerline or wireless (if your router supports wireless). If your router has wireless capabilities, then you should just get a wireless adapter; you can in theory get another router and make it work as an access point, but that is somewhat silly if we can just get a wireless adapter for the PC. Otherwise, you ca try to look into using a powerline connection, but they may not be very reliable depending on the wiring of your house.