Modems, routers and switches, Oh my!!

[The Seabat]

My neighbor has a 2Wire series 1000 modem with WiFi built into it from
AT&T internet provider. The modem allows one computer to be hardwired
and a bunch of machines via wireless. Is it doable to just plug this
modem into a switch for the purpose of hooking up a couple more
computers via cable? Or does she still have to purchase a full blown
home router? I thought this would be easier and cheaper than
purchasing/installing a bunch of PCI wireless network cards.
All of the machines have WinXP on them.

Thanks.

 

[FooAtari]

My neighbor has a 2Wire series 1000 modem with WiFi built into it from
AT&T internet provider. The modem allows one computer to be hardwired
and a bunch of machines via wireless. Is it doable to just plug this
modem into a switch for the purpose of hooking up a couple more
computers via cable? Or does she still have to purchase a full blown
home router? I thought this would be easier and cheaper than
purchasing/installing a bunch of PCI wireless network cards. All of the
machines have WinXP on them.

Thanks.

Having wireless as well as Ethernet suggests it's a router and must have
DHCP. So I would have thought using a switch for further Ethernet devices
would be fine.

 

[Mike Easter]

It should work, but I'd prefer having my own router rather than using an
ISP-provided one.

The ISP is providing a gateway device with integrated modem, DHCP/NAT
and wifi AP and presumably replacing it when it breaks at no cost. The
neighbor would be providing her own switch is very economical.

Would your strategy be to (also) provide your own modem and wifi router?

How is whatever you gain worth the difference in initial cost and then
'maintenance' - replacement costs - to the neighbor?

Over the lifetime of my service with my cable provider who provides the
cable modem at no additional cost (there is no such thing as a plan
without modem), my cable modem has been replaced 3 times, not in the
last few years since improvements.

I have replaced my own (economical, residential type, bought on sale)
router twice and successfully re-flashed firmware to fix a router on two
other occasions.

I have never had to replace my switch which is the youngest item of the
bunch.

In my hypothetical scenario, over the same period, the neighbor would be
buying some modems and routers.