For some reason, I was not notified of your second reply, so sorry for not seeing that before my first reply.
A few comments/questions relating to this reply:
Yeah, I noticed that thing about not working with Roku devices in the Amazon listing for the UGreen Ethernet Adapter - but figured that I'd give it a try seeing that it was on Roku's compatibility list. So far, it does appear to be fine with the Express devices - to the limited extent that I can use them so far.
I'll look into that OTG once I get up to speed with the Roku basics. Thanks for the heads-up.
Your assessment of the Cable Modem situation correlates with my observations. (More specifics in my earlier reply).
Also see my earlier reply about the state of activation of my Roku's. Presumably, they have any LAN IPs set up at this point - although possibly they both got the same one. I guess it's worth trying one (or both) again on the Switch at this point - just to see if anything useful happens. As you say, though, it may not really avoid the need for a Router. (Darn!)
I prefer to avoid Wi-Fi for three reasons: 1) potential RF interference with other on-site RF receivers, 2) I prefer to minimize the RF that flies around inside the house (and my body), and 3) Security risks. However, I'm not adverse to getting a router that has Wi-Fi capability that can be disabled (so that only the ethernet can be used) - if that would provide the more practical/economical solution.
My plan speed is 100 Mbps (actually tests around 115 Mbps). I was getting satisfactory results for my laptop(s) using a previous (lower) rate, so I'm guessing that the needs of the Rokus will drive the speed requirements going forward.
At this point, it appears that the buy-my-own-Router route is the more practical way - once I figure out the appropriate Router(s). There seems to be some difference of opinion on whether a Switch can be used successfully to cascade off the Router in order to provide the extra two ethernet ports that I'll need. Seems like it would be right back to the issue of shared IP for the leg to the Switch, though. I'm also curious whether a Wi-Fi Router can serve four ethernet ports simultaneously with two Wi-Fi "ports" - which might be a "sneaky" way to support all six devices (if I can overcome the Wi-Fi aversion). I wonder whether the individual Wi-Fi channel transmitters "sleep" when they're not in use... (Sorry... I am almost completely unfamiliar with Wi-Fi operations).
Thanks for the analysis and suggestions!
Ok, good deal, looks like you are making progress. I will try to do this in some basic steps for you. (if you get lost/confused just post back and I will try to clarify further - no worries).
1. Regarding the Roku activation. Just use your cellphone if you have one (not laptop) in order to proceed through the activation and setup using the phone's web browser.
2. Regarding wifi. Using a wifi router is going to give you the greatest number of options to access a home network and the internet for any connected device. You will be able to connect your cellphone to your network over wifi, any printers, etc. You will not be limited to just having to use wired/ethernet capable devices of connecting to your network.
Wifi routers will also be cheaper normally than a wired router. You can also disable/turn off the wifi 2.4ghz and 5ghz radios and use the wifi router as a wired router. (ie. just use the ethernet ports that will come with the router).
I would personally consider using an AX router (wifi6) since this is a newer protocol and does have some increased security benefits when using wifi (wireless) connected devices. (namely WPA3 authentication). Just note that Roku devices do not currently support the WPA3 security protocol, so your AX router will just have to be configured to also use the more traditional AC (wifi5) WPA2 security protocol. Most AX routers are shipped in this default configuration. Your Roku devices will work with an AX router, just mentioning this as an FYI.
However, since you are wanting to use your Roku in a wired configuration, you will just be plugging it into one of the LAN ports anyways. The WPA2 and WPA3 settings only apply to wireless/wifi connected devices, and does not affect or have anything to do with wired/ethernet connected devices.
3. A wired router will usually cost a bit more but here is a nice starter TP-Link (TL-R605) wired router you can consider for about $60. Here is TP-Link webpage for more detailed info. https://www.tp-link.com/us/business-networking/omada-sdn-router/tl-r605/.
Unfortunately, with a wired network you will need to either add a "wireless access point" or use your laptop as a wireless access point (ad-hoc hotspot) if you ever need to connect a wireless-only device to your network for some reason.
There are a few different methods to add wireless connectivity to a wired network, but for most users, just using a wifi router in their network will provide the easiest method (and less hardware and technical knowledge).
4. The purpose of the router (wired or wireless) is its ability to create a private network. The router will handle all your connected devices (by giving each an independent, private LAN IP address via a DHCP server in the router) and then manage all the network traffic. A router extends the ability for multiple devices to access the internet through a single/public WAN IP address. (some technical NAT operations then occur which directs internet traffic to the proper device and proper sharing).
The router is what allows many connected devices on a network to use/share your internet access (WAN IP address).
Another benefit of the router is that it will usually contain a firewall and other security features that are absent in a modem.
5. Regarding your switch. The switch is just extra ethernet ports. You will plug this switch into your new router (into one of the LAN ports) and now have extra LAN/ethernet ports available. If your router comes with 4 ethernet ports and your switch has 4 ethernet ports, your network now has 7 ethernet ports available for devices to connect to the internet. (one is being used up by the switch).
6. The modem is just the "gateway" to the internet. The router will handle and protect the network traffic (all your devices) and the switch will just allow you to keep adding wired connections to the router.
In any network, if you did not need internet access, you would just use a router and a switch/hub so all the devices on the network could potentially discover and communicate with each other. By adding a modem to the network, you are giving all these devices access to the internet.
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In summary your new setup will look like this... Modem --> Router --> Switch
You can then plug all your wired devices into both the router and the switch. If you need even more ethernet ports, you can either add another switch (preferably to another of the router's LAN port again), or just purchase a switch that has more LAN ports. In practice, you can add a switch to each of the router's LAN ports if you wanted to. The router will know what to do with each switch automatically.
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Hope some of this helps explains some basic networking for you. Feel free to post back if needing more help.
Just one note of clarification to the excellent replies fom AvsGunnar :
The "switch" he is talking about in his Point #5 adds additional Ethernet ports that are always connected to the system and each is always available for use.
Don't confuse these with simple devices that act as selector switches. They are used to connect multiple devices to a single Ethernet port and choose which of them will be connected at any one time.
makalguy:
The Switch that I obtained for my first try is a Netgear GS308 (unmanaged 8-port Switch). My (very) limited understanding of the function of such Switches is that the Switch has enough "smarts" to route traffic between ports that are "requesting" the traffic. Consequently, I thought that it might serve as a pseudo-Router allowing the several ethernet devices to independently access the Internet - and thus avoid the expense of getting a Router. Also, the Switch has enough ethernet ports for all the branches that I need, where the typical 4-ethernet-port Router comes up short on ports.
Now, for the most part, I won't need all six ethernet devices connected to the Internet at any given time (typically only one or the other group of two or three at any given time - upstairs and downstairs). So, perhaps some sort of "manual" ethernet selector Switch(es) would suffice - although they would be a bit of a pain to change manually as frequently as needed.
Thanks for the heads-up.
First, you will keep the Hitron en2251 modem just like it is. (this is your "internet" connection, aka "gateway").
Second, you can use any router you wish. The only time you need an "ISP approved/compatible" router is needed is if you are using a router and modem "combo" unit to replace an ISP modem. That is, the new router will serve both as a router and a modem/gateway. For you, your new router will only be used for routing, and not serving as a gateway. (you will continue to use your Hitron en2251 as the gateway. (the Hitron en2251 is only a modem - it does not have any routing capabilities. Some ISP modems are actually a modem and router, but this one is not. It also lacks wireless capabilties(wifi). This really is more of a business modem, than a typical residential modem.). It is a good modem, so keep it in place and you are good to go.
Third, the built-in ethernet ports on a router is basically a "switch". The switch is just built-in to the router. It is more economical to buy an additional unmanaged switch (like your Netgear switch) to add and extend additional ethernet ports, than it is for router manufactures to produce a router with 8-10 physical ethernet ports that may go unused. Also, it gets to be a "rats nest" of wires in larger wired networks to have to run all the ethernet cables back to the router from all across a building.
Normally, you would just run one cable from the router to the switch (and place the switch in some central location) and then run all the wires to this switch.
A switch does not have any routing capabilities. (it lacks a DHCP server which hands out a LAN IP address to a connected device). A switch just builds a MAC address table inside the unit to distinguish the different connected devices so they can communicate with each other as needed. Each connected device comes with its own unique MAC address.
All ethernet wires connected to a switch make up one network. (the same network). Whereas you can connect ethernet cables to a router and create multiple networks. (ie. connecting another switch to the router gives the user an ability to create an additional/seperate network).
Because of their different functions, switches are usually going to be much faster than a router with data transfer. Routers have a lot of tasks to perform, whereas a switch just transfers data.
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Trying to not get too far into the weeds here. (probably too late).
To make your life simple, I would just purchase the wired router (if that is your preference), and run an ethernet cable from it to your Hitron en2251 modem. Then run an ethernet cable from your Netgear 8- port switch to the new wired router. This really should give you plenty of expandibility for awhile.
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In the future, if you need a wifi connection, you can learn how to use the hotspot on your phone or look into how you can use your laptop to act as a wireless hotspot by using your internet connection (this is an ad-hoc hotspot) . If a Windows user, instructions can be found here. https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/use-your-windows-pc-as-a-mobile-hotspot-c89b0fad-72d5-41e8-f7ea-406ad9036b85
edit... Missed all the other replies here while typing. You should now have plenty of info to get going from makaiguy and atc98092 .
AvsGunnar:
Thanks for your detailed descriptions! They brought up some things that I'd like to clarify:
Re Roku Activation: I have a Cellphone but do not have a Smartphone; My cellphone has Internet "capability", but it is a nightmare to use for any serious Internet activities. I should be able to access my WebMail via this capability (although I have not yet attempted to do so - so who knows whether it will work well enough to accomplish the Roku activation. Consequently, I may have to wait until I can get an appropriate Router, allowing the Laptop and Roku's to all access the Internet simultaneously, in order to complete the Roku activation).
Re Wi-Fi: Undoubtedly Wi-Fi has advantages in convenience and scalability, and perhaps ease-of-use - but for my expected needs, these advantages don't seem to outweigh the disadvantages. So, my initial attempts will be to implement a wired "network". I say "network" because the only purpose of the ethernet would be to allow various individual devices to each connect (separately) to the Internet - as opposed to "networking" amongst themselves via a local network. (This assumes there is no need for the Rokus and Laptop(s) to interact with each other locally).
As you say, I've noticed that the ethernet/Wi-Fi routers are less expensive and more available than ethernet-only Routers, so I expect that I'll have to go that route - and a WiFi6 unit would make sense in case I must succumb to the Wi-Fi temptation in the future for some now-unanticipated reason(s).
At this point, my Router compatibility concerns are more in the arena of the Spectrum Modem than with the Roku devices. I need to avoid getting one that won't work with the Modem.
In the past, I've used various Netgear ethernet devices, and one or two Linksys devices - but I have no experience with TP-Link stuff. Come to think of it, I don't recall any TP-Link Routers on Spectrum's "approved" list. If so, I wonder if they are not compatible with the Spectrum Modem (or service)? T.B.D. Thanks for the links, though.
I suspect that any future need for a Wi-Fi hotspot or connection(s) would be accommodated by enabling the Wi-Fi portion of the Router - although my cellphone supposedly can create a Wi-Fi hotspot (although I've never been able to figure out how to set that up).
Re Router and Switch functionality: Not being familiar with the purpose of ethernet Switches (being neither Hub nor Router) I was thinking one might serve as a means to allow multiple devices to connect separately to the Internet (via the Modem). Apparently, this is not the case, so I'm left puzzled about the actual functional purpose and capability of a Switch. And, if the Router is responsible for assigning local port/device addresses, then how can a Switch "expand" the ports/devices - without running into the same individual addressing problem as when the Switch connected directly to the Modem. Is the Router able to "manage" a cascaded Switch, or...??? (Not quite "getting" this aspect).
About the expansion port-count, the Routers typically have four ethernet ports, so connecting a four-port Switch to the Router would provide a total of six available ethernet ports, correct? (One port on the Router and one port on the Switch are required for the connection between them)?
Re Firewall: Yikes! I had assumed the Cable Modem provides a firewall - and/or there is a "soft" firewall in the laptop's security suite. If the Modem doesn't provide this, then I'm even more "exposed" than I'd imagined!
Thanks for all the great info!
JKasten wrote:Re Router and Switch functionality: Not being familiar with the purpose of ethernet Switches (being neither Hub nor Router) I was thinking one might serve as a means to allow multiple devices to connect separately to the Internet (via the Modem). Apparently, this is not the case, so I'm left puzzled about the actual functional purpose and capability of a Switch. And, if the Router is responsible for assigning local port/device addresses, then how can a Switch "expand" the ports/devices - without running into the same individual addressing problem as when the Switch connected directly to the Modem. Is the Router able to "manage" a cascaded Switch, or...??? (Not quite "getting" this aspect).
About the expansion port-count, the Routers typically have four ethernet ports, so connecting a four-port Switch to the Router would provide a total of six available ethernet ports, correct? (One port on the Router and one port on the Switch are required for the connection between them)?
Re Firewall: Yikes! I had assumed the Cable Modem provides a firewall - and/or there is a "soft" firewall in the laptop's security suite. If the Modem doesn't provide this, then I'm even more "exposed" than I'd imagined!
Thanks for all the great info!
Switches do not provide any routing, firewall or DHCP functionality. They provide additional Ethernet ports, period. Some higher level switches do have more advanced features, but those are not typically used in a home environment. Yes, you can cascade switches to provide additional ports. I have a 16 port switch in my garage near the modem and router that feeds cabling throughout my house. I have additional switches in my den and family room to provide additional ports in those areas, along with wireless access points that increase my WiFi range. All DHCP functionality is handled by the single router in the garage that provides my firewall to the Internet.
Under its default configuration, the cable modem does provide a firewall between your home network and the cable company's network which in turn connects to the Internet. It provides the DHCP service that offers IP addresses to connected devices, and the Network Address Translation (NAT) functionality that hides your local network from the outside. But as I mentioned, some cable companies restrict your access to some of the settings in the modem, so you don't have full control of your network security. That's why I changed the Xfinity modem to bridge mode (which doesn't provide any firewall protection or network services) and instead use my own router for that function.
atc98092:
Regarding your second reply, the functionalities of Switches are becoming clearer - although I'm still a bit puzzled about how the Router can "oversee" devices that are connected via a cascaded Switch. I also wonder whether Switches can be cascaded off of other Switches and still work properly. (This would help with physical cable routing, because I could run just one cable upstairs, and feed a Switch there - instead of running three separate cables from a Router/Switch combo downstairs. Also, it would help the cabling aspect if I could feed a second Switch also from the Router to feed the two Rokus planned for downstairs - which are physically separated from the Laptop feed. Putting Switches near the grouped devices would reduce the number of long-run separate cables - although it might negatively affect performance).
If a Router's firewall is as effective and controllable as an owned Modem's firewall, then it may be more practical to see if my Modem can be bridged as you mentioned (versus getting an owned Modem).
Thanks!
