8-pin switch, full-home Ethernet, your router, and me
8-pin switch, full-home Ethernet, your router, and me
It has been a while since my last need for assistance, but here’s what happened. We moved a lot of furniture and set up our modem and Linksys 8-port gigabit Ethernet switch (LGS108) into our home network. I redirected all the Ethernet wall ports from the phone lines to the switch, with one port linked to the modem. It functions properly for my Windows PC directly from the wall, but connecting my Mac or Netgear router results in IP address lookup errors. I’m struggling to find a clear explanation online and am reaching out for guidance. If you have more details, I’d appreciate them.
The modem typically doesn't include a built-in router. Usually, your ISP provides one IP address, which you then use with a home router to manage private IPs for your network. It makes sense to connect the modem to the router first, and then link that to your switch, rather than connecting directly from the modem to the router.
I also understand OP's point and share the same view: the switch should follow the router, not precede it.
Typically, when the modem features one Ethernet connection, it's intended for wide area networking, which needs to link to an appropriate router. The setup should follow: Modem → router (wan port) → Router → LAN port → Switch → Computer
Regular cable modems don’t support NAT, and home internet usually gets a single IPv4 address.