Motorola Cable Modem / Router with external switch

[KY_Dave]

I just recently switched from ATT DSL to Comcast. I have successfully installed my new Motorola SBG6580 modem / router. Everything is working fine except that I can't seem to get my external switch to provide IP addresses to the devices connected to it.. I still require several hard wired connections and the Motorola only has (4) 10/100 ports. I have one of those ports connected to an external Linksys switch; the one that I previously used with my ATT DSL setup. I have also tried several other switches I have and none of them seem to work. It seems as if the Motorola device is blocking (somehow) the use of these external switches, limiting me to only 4 hard wired connections.

 

[COLGeek]

Your router should be assigning all IP addresses from its DHCP server. It may simply be that you need a crossover cable to connect the switch on the router to the additional switch.

Do wired devices, connected directly to the router, work properly?

 

[reedo_43]

I agree with COLGeek. You must need a crossover cable. There is not much else that it could be unless the cable you are using to connect the 2 is faulty.

 

[KY_Dave]

Your router should be assigning all IP addresses from its DHCP server. It may simply be that you need a crossover cable to connect the switch on the router to the additional switch.

Do wired devices, connected directly to the router, work properly?

All of the wired devices work just fine. All 3 of the switches that I have tried are auto sensing. They shouldn't require a x-over cable and I wasn't using one when I had them connected to the pervious Linksys wireless that I used in my previous DSL setup.

 

[COLGeek]

Have you tried another cable/port to connect to your switch? Also, are any of your switches "smart switches" that can also act as a DHCP server? If so, you'll want to disable that feature on the switch.