Gigabit Network Setup Help for Home
Yes - with caveats. The main one being that you need to ensure you have good auto-sensing switches - otherwise (like with WiFi) the whole network gets dragged down to 100Mb/s - which is a pain.
Thanks. So as I see it my setup would be Router (bt homehub) - Gigabit switch (Netgear as above) then all hardware to switch all via cat5e or 6 cable. Just to confirm if any one piece of hardware attached to the switch is not gigabit rated the whole speed is reduced to 100mbps? If this is true I have a SB Touch which is only 100mbps so how would that work (two separate networks?) but in any case the extra bandwidth which gigabit networks provide will be available to me.
It's right and wrong 
The issue is whether or not your router or switch is "Smart" and can run different ports at different rates. If it is, then no problem, if it isn't, then you need to make sure all devices connected to it run at one speed. I know the NetGear switches I mentioned are like that, I can't 100% recall if the BT HomeHub is - I think the latest ones are.
Yes - with caveats. The main one being that you need to ensure you have good auto-sensing switches - otherwise (like with WiFi) the whole network gets dragged down to 100Mb/s - which is a pain.
Thanks. So as I see it my setup would be Router (bt homehub) - Gigabit switch (Netgear as above) then all hardware to switch all via cat5e or 6 cable. Just to confirm if any one piece of hardware attached to the switch is not gigabit rated the whole speed is reduced to 100mbps? If this is true I have a SB Touch which is only 100mbps so how would that work (two separate networks?) but in any case the extra bandwidth which gigabit networks provide will be available to me.
It's right and wrong The issue is whether or not your router or switch is "Smart" and can run different ports at different rates. If it is, then no problem, if it isn't, then you need to make sure all devices connected to it run at one speed. I know the NetGear switches I mentioned are like that, I can't 100% recall if the BT HomeHub is - I think the latest ones are.
If the switch you mention can handle different port speeds then can I connect all hardware (100 and 1000) to that so 1000 will kick in when all 1000 rated but drop to 100 when not?
Yes - with caveats. The main one being that you need to ensure you have good auto-sensing switches - otherwise (like with WiFi) the whole network gets dragged down to 100Mb/s - which is a pain.
Thanks. So as I see it my setup would be Router (bt homehub) - Gigabit switch (Netgear as above) then all hardware to switch all via cat5e or 6 cable. Just to confirm if any one piece of hardware attached to the switch is not gigabit rated the whole speed is reduced to 100mbps? If this is true I have a SB Touch which is only 100mbps so how would that work (two separate networks?) but in any case the extra bandwidth which gigabit networks provide will be available to me.
It's right and wrong The issue is whether or not your router or switch is "Smart" and can run different ports at different rates. If it is, then no problem, if it isn't, then you need to make sure all devices connected to it run at one speed. I know the NetGear switches I mentioned are like that, I can't 100% recall if the BT HomeHub is - I think the latest ones are.
The issue is whether or not your router or switch is "Smart" and can run different ports at different rates. If it is, then no problem, if it isn't, then you need to make sure all devices connected to it run at one speed. I know the NetGear switches I mentioned are like that,That's a somewhat ambiguous statement, are you saying the Netgear switch WILL run at different speeds or won't?
- The throughput of a readynas duo is around 35MB/s (280Mb/s) so gigabit will give a slight boost.
- On your readynas duo, disable journaling and enable jumbo frames as shown here
http://www.readynas.com/?p=177#Performance
- buy some cat5e cables (£0.96) each (at least 3x)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cat5e-RJ45-Ethernet-Network-Cable/dp/B000IAHNVG/...
- buy a 5-port gigabit switch like this for £12.99
http://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-Link-Gigabit-Unmanaged-Desktop-TL-SG1005D/dp/...
- Buy a usb gigabit ethernet adapter for your laptop £24
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Plugable-Gigabit-Ethernet-Network-Adapter/dp/B00...
- Plug your laptop and nas into the switch, and the switch into the router using the cat5e
The issue is whether or not your router or switch is "Smart" and can run different ports at different rates. If it is, then no problem, if it isn't, then you need to make sure all devices connected to it run at one speed. I know the NetGear switches I mentioned are like that,That's a somewhat ambiguous statement, are you saying the Netgear switch WILL run at different speeds or won't?
As ever, you're right - poor English.
The Netgear smart gigabit switches I mentioned will support devices running at 10/100/1000Mbps plugged into them simultaneously and each will be unaffected by the speed of the other.
- buy a 5-port gigabit switch like this for £8.54
http://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-Link-Unmanaged-Desktop-TL-SF1005D-Plastic/dp/...
Errm, that's a FAST ethernet switch - 10/100Mbps only.
I think you mean to link the slight more expensive £12.99 TL-SG-1005D (G for Gigabit, rather than F for fast) here
EDIT: See you've spotted the error already... 
already done it
The issue is whether or not your router or switch is "Smart" and can run different ports at different rates. If it is, then no problem, if it isn't, then you need to make sure all devices connected to it run at one speed. I know the NetGear switches I mentioned are like that,That's a somewhat ambiguous statement, are you saying the Netgear switch WILL run at different speeds or won't?
As ever, you're right - poor English.
The Netgear smart gigabit switches I mentioned will support devices running at 10/100/1000Mbps plugged into them simultaneously and each will be unaffected by the speed of the other.
So if I have a gigabit rated laptop and Nas in the switch ports I'll get gigabit speeds when they're are communicating even though my SB Touch is in another port on the switch?
already done it
Easy mistake to make - they all look alike and only one letter different! I use a TPLink for my main firewall / switch, but stuck with netgears for the routers as although they're a little more expensive, they're a bit smaller - the GS105 is tiny!
The issue is whether or not your router or switch is "Smart" and can run different ports at different rates. If it is, then no problem, if it isn't, then you need to make sure all devices connected to it run at one speed. I know the NetGear switches I mentioned are like that,That's a somewhat ambiguous statement, are you saying the Netgear switch WILL run at different speeds or won't?
As ever, you're right - poor English.
The Netgear smart gigabit switches I mentioned will support devices running at 10/100/1000Mbps plugged into them simultaneously and each will be unaffected by the speed of the other.
So if I have a gigabit rated laptop and Nas in the switch ports I'll get gigabit speeds when they're are communicating even though my SB Touch is in another port on the switch?
That's the theory...
The issue is whether or not your router or switch is "Smart" and can run different ports at different rates. If it is, then no problem, if it isn't, then you need to make sure all devices connected to it run at one speed. I know the NetGear switches I mentioned are like that,That's a somewhat ambiguous statement, are you saying the Netgear switch WILL run at different speeds or won't?
As ever, you're right - poor English.
The Netgear smart gigabit switches I mentioned will support devices running at 10/100/1000Mbps plugged into them simultaneously and each will be unaffected by the speed of the other.
That's alright then, I've got one of those Netgear switches. I have only got one Gigabit capable device though, so it probably doesn't matter!
That's alright then, I've got one of those Netgear switches. I have only got one Gigabit capable device though, so it probably doesn't matter!
Reminds me of that joke about Alexander Graham Bell - who did he talk to after he invented the first telephone...
Yes - with caveats. The main one being that you need to ensure you have good auto-sensing switches - otherwise (like with WiFi) the whole network gets dragged down to 100Mb/s - which is a pain.
Thanks. So as I see it my setup would be Router (bt homehub) - Gigabit switch (Netgear as above) then all hardware to switch all via cat5e or 6 cable. Just to confirm if any one piece of hardware attached to the switch is not gigabit rated the whole speed is reduced to 100mbps? If this is true I have a SB Touch which is only 100mbps so how would that work (two separate networks?) but in any case the extra bandwidth which gigabit networks provide will be available to me.