[NTLUG:Discuss] Router or switch?

[Joel Sinor]

On Sat, 03 May 2003 07:44:22 -0400
Rob Apodaca <rob.apodaca at attbi.com> wrote:

> On Sat, 3 May 2003 07:00:22 -0500
> Michael Farnham <mfarnham at acm.org> wrote:
> 
<snip>
> You will only need a crossover cable if you intend to uplink two or
> more hubs/switches which do not have uplink ports OR if you intend to
> connect two computers directly together - with no hub/switch in
> between.
> 
<snip>

I have recently found that a lot of switches being sold these days in
the $30 range have no uplink port but any individual port can
automagically become an uplink.  They call this feature auto MDI/MDI-X
Crossover Detection.  Essentially an uplink or a crossover reverses two
pins on the normal ethernet cable, so with this auto MDI-X feature the
switch switches the pins automagically whichever way they need to be for
connections to happen.  I bought an 8-port off brand from Fry's this
weekend for $35 which had this feature.