Router or router and switch?

[Guest]

I've got a question. I'm currently installing a fiber connection (100Mbps) and I'd like some opinions on how to set things up... They've installed a box where the cable enters the house and I belive this is a fiber to ethernet converter and a 4 port gigabit switch.

My idea is to connect this switch

port 1 -> directly to the settop box for IPTV
port 2 -> directly to the phone for VoIP (via converter of course)
port 3 -> Netgear WNDR3700 router -> D-Link DGS-1005D 5 port Gigabit switch

and then connect the D-Link DGS-1005D 5 port Gigabit switch using

port 1 -> PS3
port 2 -> NAS
port 3 -> Netgear WNDR3700 router (on the middle floor acting as a wireless accesspoint as well as beeing connected to my workstation)-> workstation.
port 4 -> Netgear WNDR3700 router (on the top floor acting as a wireless accesspoint, we have thick walls and floors so one per floor is necessary).

Alternatively I could connect the PS3, NAS and two wireless accesspoints directly to the router and remove the second switch...

I guess I'm asking if, since the NAS, the PS3, my workstation and laptops/netbooks do a lot of sending and receiving to and from eachother without needing an internet access, will it be better to connect them all to eachother via a gigabit switch and let the switch be connected to the router or will performance be the same if I let them communicate with eachother via the router?

Any thoughts on this (and on the setup in general would be grately appreciated.

Regards Andreas

 

[Brian_tii]

I like your proposed setup best. Internet will be at best available speed which I'm sure will be < 100mbit, so you're not bottlenecking anything there, and your devices that do a lot of streaming and heavy traffic will be gigabit. I think it's pretty solid logic.

 

[derrickwmartin]

One thing you NEED to do when you set up the other two routers to act as access points; is to MAKE SURE they have their DHCP option turned off. If they are left on, all three routers will think they are the only router on the network and start to issue out IPs to all network devices. This will cause major conflicts and not allow you to access anything else on the network.

 

[TheKurrgan]

Best method in my opinion: get a simple dumb Gigabit switch, plug the router into it and all the other devices into the switch, including a dumb access point. In my experience, this is the most expensive way, but it yields the highest throughput and lowest latency between devices -- Wired in particular. The "gigabit" routers i've used off the shelf at Staples / Bestbuy have never delivered gigabit speeds (210,max for me) where as my dumb gigabit switch does a pretty consistent 500 - 530mbit on a 8 device wired network. As far as wireless goes, if you're a speed demon get a Ubiquity Nanostation M2HP and set that up at one end of the house. Disable airmax and set the power to 17dbm. (You can go higher, but there is no benefit since most devices dont transmit beyond that) -- It cruises for me at the advertised 802.11n rate to my laptop, where nothing else has. The antenna is also a much higher gain than is found in regular access points. The setup isnt as easy, but for a wireless network there is no other way I'd recommend going. These are designed for PTMP fixed, but work great for me as an AP.