In the living room, the primary router is connected to the modem. There are also several devices wired into that router. In the back of the house, I have a switch which is hardwired to the primary ...

Standing in the networking aisle of an electronics retail store, anybody could mistakenly pick up a router instead of an Ethernet switch or vice versa. The product packages as well as the devices ...

Just this last week several customers have ironically all asked me the exact same question. “Can we use an Ethernet switch instead of a router for our Internet EBGP peering to our ISP(s)?” While ...

The easiest way to understand the difference between a network switch and a router is to consider how "smart" they are, or their ability to intelligently connect devices together. A network switch isn ...

Joel is an internationally recognized expert in the areas of security, networking and messaging. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @joelsnyder. Picking the right edge and top-of-rack switches ...

There are many things that upgrading to a new router could improve on your network, whether that's to replace the rubbish ISP router and regain control, or if you want new Wi-Fi capabilities. But not ...

Ever look at the back of your router and ask yourself “WHY!?!?” There are only four ethernet ports there. Four. How can anyone live and thrive with such a measly amount of wired network connections?

Good features cannot stand in for poor placement.

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Technology journalist specializing in audio, computing and Apple Macs. If you’ve got a mesh Wi-Fi network set up in your home, you ...

When it comes to complexity of network connectors, you have got multiple levels, with a switch (hub) at the bottom and a router at the top. A hub is an astonishingly dumb gadget. It accepts a packet ...