A-B switch for Cat5 Network Cabling?

[ritter197]

I would like to have an A-B switch for Cat5 network cable that would allow
me to switch between a "normal for me" installation of Westell 6100 modem
and LinkSys Wireless router to the computer or from the modem directly to
the computer, bypassing the router.

Does such a switch exist?

I have been to Radio Shack and the local Computer store, they do not have
it.

 

[paulmd]

I would like to have an A-B switch for Cat5 network cable that would allow
me to switch between a "normal for me" installation of Westell 6100 modem
and LinkSys Wireless router to the computer or from the modem directly to
the computer, bypassing the router.

Does such a switch exist?

Not as I've heard of. But if you look hard enough, you can find all
sorts of arcane things.

I'm curious as to why you want to bypass the router, though. Online
games?

 

[kony]

I would like to have an A-B switch for Cat5 network cable that would allow
me to switch between a "normal for me" installation of Westell 6100 modem
and LinkSys Wireless router to the computer or from the modem directly to
the computer, bypassing the router.

Does such a switch exist?

I have been to Radio Shack and the local Computer store, they do not have
it.

There should be no need for such a switch and hence, why
they don't exist (at least not as any common part).

What did you intend to do, the gain in using it?
A router should not incur high enough latency to matter and
if you simply want to cut off the rest of the lan you can
either do it with the router, put your system in the DMZ, or
do it with a different router.

 

[Timothy Daniels]

I would like to have an A-B switch for Cat5 network cable that would allow
me to switch between a "normal for me" installation of Westell 6100 modem
and LinkSys Wireless router to the computer or from the modem directly to
the computer, bypassing the router.

Does such a switch exist?

Yes, such a switch exists, and mine cost about $15 a few years
ago when I bought it at Fry's Electronics. It's called an RJ45 A/B switch.
It's a simple mechanical rotary switch mounted in a small metal box,
and being such, I wouldn't trust it with much more than 10Mps data
rates, but for switching between two broadband sources, it's quite
effective. When I had both cable and ADSL internet connections,
I could switch my LAN card between the two modems in 2 seconds.
The cable connection would be re-established automatically, but
the ADSL would require a few more seconds for the protocol to
re-establish the connection. A brief peek at Google reveals this:
http://www.computerhq.com/APC_MANUAL_SWITCHBOX_RJ45_AB/1400/hardware/partinfo-id-30719.html

It's over-priced, in my opinion, and you can probably do well to
go to an electronic switch. But these things are simplicity itself.

*TimDaniels*

 

[kony]

Yes, such a switch exists, and mine cost about $15 a few years
ago when I bought it at Fry's Electronics. It's called an RJ45 A/B switch.
It's a simple mechanical rotary switch mounted in a small metal box,
and being such, I wouldn't trust it with much more than 10Mps data
rates, but for switching between two broadband sources, it's quite
effective. When I had both cable and ADSL internet connections,
I could switch my LAN card between the two modems in 2 seconds.
The cable connection would be re-established automatically, but
the ADSL would require a few more seconds for the protocol to
re-establish the connection. A brief peek at Google reveals this:
http://www.computerhq.com/APC_MANUAL_SWITCHBOX_RJ45_AB/1400/hardware/partinfo-id-30719.html

It's over-priced, in my opinion, and you can probably do well to
go to an electronic switch. But these things are simplicity itself.

*TimDaniels*

The APC unit you linked can be had cheaper, around $15 at
various places like this,
http://www.shopblt.com/catalog/011002008001_B282020P.shtml
but I would tend to agree that it won't be suitable for a
typical 100Mb+ link, and was probably originally designed
with slower telephone equipment/ISDN in mind.

 

[ritter197]

No, sometimes the router says that a cable is disconnected (which it is not)
and when it is only connected to the Modem DSL then it does not come up. But
I want the router to be able to use the laptop anywhere in the house and
outside.

 

[ritter197]

Thanks a lot for the information.

The APC unit you linked can be had cheaper, around $15 at
various places like this,
http://www.shopblt.com/catalog/011002008001_B282020P.shtml
but I would tend to agree that it won't be suitable for a
typical 100Mb+ link, and was probably originally designed
with slower telephone equipment/ISDN in mind.

 

[paulmd]

No, sometimes the router says that a cable is disconnected (which it is not)
and when it is only connected to the Modem DSL then it does not come up. But
I want the router to be able to use the laptop anywhere in the house and
outside.

Sounds like a flaky router. May consider replacing it. It's also
possible you have flaky cabling.

 

[jaster]

No, sometimes the router says that a cable is disconnected (which it is
not) and when it is only connected to the Modem DSL then it does not come
up. But I want the router to be able to use the laptop anywhere in the
house and outside.

Could be a wiring problem between the router and the modem. Make sure
the cable is fitted correctly from the wall to the router. and there are
not filters between them.

Every once in a while the phone company's DSL switch fails to send signals
so my DSL connection goes off line. I try resetting the connection from
my router but sometimes I just have to wait for the reconnect.

Router status shows no connection, "Idle" or "Trying" when that happens.

 

[ritter197]

Cable is new, router probably 12 months old. Works fine with wireless
laptop.

 

[ritter197]

You describe what I get every now and then with DSL.

 

[jaster]

You describe what I get every now and then with DSL.

If the phone works when it happens then it's either the NSA or the ISP's
DSL switch away from your home. You have to check your
router's status to see if it "idle" or "trying". I take "Idle" to mean
the router tried x times to make the connection to the ISP's DSL switch,
"Trying" is trying. When it's "Idle" disconnect the router WAN link
using the router's software and it should start the reconnect process.