Wired connection help please !

[trihuynh1995]

Hello tomshardware,

I am just finished setting up my modem and the speed exceed my expectation (44mbps instead of what I am paying for 30mbps).

But the Modem that Charter gave me only have one port to it, and I need three. So two more ports is needed. What should I buy, a Switch or a Router? Would it be better if I just buy a better modem that have more port to replace the crap one (this way I can run cable straight to my devices without having to use Router/Switch)

And would the internet speed decrease if I run cable from the Modem through the Switch/Router to my computer instead of just running cable straight from the Modem to my computer.

Do you think the NIC built in to my motherboard (Gigabyte Z87 ud4h) would be good enough for HD streaming and gaming?

Thank you for helping me!

 

[navysealbrian]

Generally a router is needed for 1 port modems. Unless the modem has routing built in, a switch won't work.

 

[trihuynh1995]

Thank you for fast reply.
Would you please give me some advice on what router to choose.
If I don't use wifi so I can ignore thoes "Dual band, Wireless G" and stuffs like that right?
This router "http://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-TL-R600VPN-Gigabit-Broadband-Supports/dp/B007B60SCG/ref=sr_1_6?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1385502157&sr=1-6&keywords=router" supports 1 Gigabit WAN port and 4 Gigabit LAN ports provide high-speed wired connectivity. If I plug my desktop into the WAN port, is it going to improved my wired speed connection (getting even more than 44mpbs).
Thank you for helping me!

 

[navysealbrian]

Yes, you can ignore the Dual band, Wireless G stuff if you don't plan on using the wireless. The WAN port is for connecting to the modem, you do not connect the computer to the WAN port. 100 Mb for WAN port is usually good enough, and from what you said, you get 44 Mbps, which is the limit of your modem. So Gigabit WAN port isn't necessary for your router, but it generally doesn't add much cost anyways. Your NIC shouldn't impact you in any way for gaming or streaming, generally the modem and router are usually what will end up limiting it. I've had an issue with a Linksys router which wasn't optimal to host a Counter Strike: Source server since it would over heat and lag up every so often, it was also an issue with torrents since I had a 30 mbps connection back then and cause the connection to drop out every so often. It's something to keep in mind when looking out for routers, make sure they have a fast processor (usually you'll have to dig around for that technical information) and that there are not any considerable amount of reviews about the router dropping connections or lagging up.