Steve and All,
Jeff Banks Melco Embroidery Systems
I don't post here much but I'm a network administrator as my full time job and do embroidery on the side so I would like to put my 2 cents in. I do agree with putting in a switch instead of a hub solely because a switch will manage network traffic better. There are many makes and models of switches and it really depends on your budget and the speed you want. I would like to recommend getting a gigabit switch because the uploading of the files to your machine will be much faster than a standard 10/100 hub. (You will wish you had gigabit switch when uploading a 100,000 stitch jacketback and you are in a hurry) Since these are fairly new to the market they are still kinda pricey. This one at BestBuy is $150 http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=5727948&type=product&id=1056281313362
Your speed will still be retricted by the type of CAT cable you are using so make sure you are running CAT5, CAT5e or CAT6 in order to get speeds faster than 100mbps. CAT6 is fastest but if you have any of the previous 3 types, it really won't matter that much with a gigabit switch. If price is a concern then go with 10/100 switch for $53 http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=4088276&type=product&id=1051384241857 We just moved everything to gigabit network at work and it is amazing how much faster everything is now. You shouldn't need to buy anything except the switch unless you have network cables older than CAT3 (no one really uses them anymore) The cable should say what type it is printed on the side of it.
You may find a better price if you shop around. Linksys makes very good products, I use them at work and at home. Most switches are 4, 8, 12, 16 ports and higher
From: "E. Orantes" <e3m@xxxxxxx>
To: <amayausers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 25 Aug 2005 08:22:08 -0500
Herb,
If you are moving into multiple machines, I agree with John on the
switch as opposed to a hub. Although a router would work for you too.
Know this...!!!! When considering how many ports you'll be needing for your
new "switch/router", make sure you include your PC as one of the ports on
the new device, not only the number of machines.
Example: If you have five Amayas and say to yourself, "all I need is a
five port hub (a lot of folks still refer to a switch and router as a hub
out of habit), then you will have one machine that will not communicate to
the PC. Even though there are enough connections for all of your cables,
the last outlet on the switch is called an "uplink" which is used to connect
to another switch/router if you need to expand. Hence, if you have 5 Amayas
and one PC, you will need a minimum of a 6 port switch/router. To which you
would buy an 8 port switch because they don't make a 6 port device - at
least I haven't seen one as of yet.
I believe we have a five port switch from Netgear that I paid $30 bucks
for and run our three Amayas without any troubles. ...maybe I shouldn't
have said that out loud. Hope I didn't jinx myself.
How does one spell "jinx" anyway???
Ed Orantes