Friday, June 27, 2014

Need networking advice

I have the following devices connected to the ethernet ports on the modem/wireless router:
  • Desktop Computer
  • TV
  • Satellite Box
I want to add the following devices to the network:
  • Printer
  • Blue-Ray Player
  • Networked Attached Storage
Simply adding an 8 port switch didn't work.  I couldn't find anything in the modem/router's software that addressed adding a switch. The plan is to purchase a modem, and a router, and return the modem we got from the Internet provider.  (Renting the thing is a pittance, monthly, but it adds up.  The upside is, if it doesn't work they'll replace it.)

Before we switched to Windows 7 I had a freeware networking app that handled all this, but 7 wasn't supported, and since then it is hit or miss whether the laptop will see the printer on the wifi, even if the desktop is "awake." However, if the printer is attached to the router via ethernet,the laptops won't print at all, even if the "see" the printer.  Same thing if the printer is plugged into the switch, which is plugged into the modem/router.

It would be really nice if I could configure it so that the Android devices could print, and access files stored on the NAS, as well.

Any advice?

Thanks!

UPDATE:  Modem is an Actiontec Q1000.  Provider says bridging is only supported for commercial accounts.  Sounds like I need a new modem and wireless route,r which was the plan anyway.


6 comments:

Anonymous said...

You'll need a network compatible printer, that is wired or wireless and/or Bluetooth (great for bluetooth devices like an iPad or Iphone. The new wireless routers come with a USB port so you can connect an external Hard Drive that you can use as a shared storage; as for the Blueray player, I don't know anything about connecting that to a newwork.

Drang said...

Printer has an ethernet port.

Modem/router has a USB port, but it doesn't seem to do anything. (I tried with both printer and a USB hard drive.)

Unknown said...

Sending email.

Drang said...

Got it, thanks.

LibertyNews said...

That's odd that adding a switch didn't work. All modern switches support automatic uplink so you just plug a cable from the switch into one of the router's ports and Bob's Yer Uncle. Personally, I like Netgear equipment but pretty much anything should work.

Drang said...

I suspect it's because I'm using CenturyLink's modem. That's going to change, the plan was to get my own anyway.