# Connecting Hub to Router



## Night-FoX (Aug 28, 2004)

Ok here's my problem, i got a D-Link DI-624 wireless router with 4 ethernet ports.

Now i come to need more than 4 ethernet ports. I just happen to have a Linksys 10/100 5 port HUB with another UPLINK port.

What i've tested is, trying to connect the HUB to the router using an ethernet cable and plugging it in the uplink port.

i've also tested connecting the hub to the router using a cross-over cable and plugging it into an ethernet port instead of the uplink port and then connecting the other end to the router.

i've also tested my HUB, to ensure that it isnt the problem, what i did was:
i connected 2 computers to the HUB using 2 ethernet cables and tryed to ping each other to see if the hub is working, WORKED marvellously

i also know that it is not the computer the problem as i changed computer and plugged an ethernet cable from the computer to an ethernet port in the HUB and from the HUB i connected a ethernet cable into the uplink port and the next end to the router... didnt work.

i also connected the other computer to the hub using an ethernet cable and then put a cross-over cable into a normal ethernet port on the HUB and the next end to the router, DIDNT work.

i then tried to connect my computer directly to the router. worked MARVELLOUSLY.

What all these testings made me realize is:
That port #1 and #2 on my HUB are working great.
That all ports on my router are working great.
That my ethernet cables are also working.
What i couldnt check:
if the uplink port on my HUB was working. (i don't know how to check this)
if the CROSSOVER cable was working. (it should work so i didnt bother testing it)

Please only reply if you know what i am talking about and if you think that you do know the answer. Please don't answer me with answers like *did you check if the cable was connected properly ?*
and for your information yes I did and several times.

I suspect it would be in the router configuration but i dont know what it is that is wrong with my router configurations.

Also the problem that i encountered was that when i wanted to repair my connection it was unable to RENEW my IP adress, i even tried restarting.

Thank you in advance for your help.


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## johnwill (Sep 26, 2002)

Plug the crossover cable into the uplink port and connect two machines as in your earlier tests. The only thing an uplink port does is swap the same two pairs. Also, many hubs have the uplink port shared with the adjacent port, so you can't use both.


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## Night-FoX (Aug 28, 2004)

hmm.. dont really get what you're saying.
you're saying to connect 2 computers on the hub and connect the crossover cable in the uplink port ? but then the crossover cable will act as a normal ethernet cable in an ether port.

also yes i am fully aware that the uplink port and port#5 of my hub are shared. thats why that for my testing i didnt use them. i only used port #1 and #2 + the UPLINK port.


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## johnwill (Sep 26, 2002)

If you want to connect two computers using the hub, you'd use two straight patch cables, right? So, if you want to connect two computers and use the Uplink port for test, think about what you have to do. Swap the two pairs, right? That's what the crossover cable does for you, connect it to the computer and the uplink port, connect a straight patch cable to the other computers.


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## Night-FoX (Aug 28, 2004)

oh ok i get what you mean... yeah i just tried that.. and it did work.. so my crossover cable works.


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## Volt-Schwibe (Jan 12, 2003)

which means that the normal cable you used works, and so do both of those network cards, and that uplink port, along with the other normal port(s) you used to test it.

now we know all those parts work.


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## Night-FoX (Aug 28, 2004)

so what we know now is that the router works fine
the hub works also fine
the network cards works too
the ethernet cable works too
the crossover cable also works.

now that we know its not the hardware the problem.. i may suspect that it may be the hub's firmware???
as the router's firmware is the last available version.


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## Volt-Schwibe (Jan 12, 2003)

hubs have firmware?

that's something i was never aware of.

one question that comes to my mind....

if the hub works, how could it's firmware even be the problem?

to me, it's obvious that it's a software/settings issue.


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## stanthecaddy22 (Aug 19, 2005)

hubs are passive and multi-port repeaters, they have no firmware, are you using DHCP from the router for the IP configuration?


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## johnwill (Sep 26, 2002)

Yep, unless this is a managed hub, no firmware, just a couple of chips. :smile:


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## phubeone (Aug 23, 2005)

Couple things you might want to check:

- Are you getting a link light on the port when you plug the hub to the router? if not then there is something going on between the router and the hub.
- Are you getting a link light when you plug the computer to the hub? If not then check if the hub is 10/100, half or full duplex.

- If the link between the hub and the router is fine then I would try locking the network card speed down. Go to your LAN properties and you'll see the network card there, click on configure.
- There should be an advanced tab, go there and look for link and duplex or something similar to that (ie speed, etc...) It should be on auto-dected right now but you can lock it down to a certain speed.
- Try 100mbps Full Duplex click on OK to get out and property window
- Then click on start>run, type in CMD and click on OK, at the command prompt type in ipconfig /release press return, wait till IP address is released and type in ipconfig /renew and return. If you are getting an IP address then try to connect to the internet again (169.254.x.x and 0.0.0.0 are not valid).
- If it doesn't work then try locking the speed of the network at 100mbps Half Duplex and repeat the above steps, then try 10 Full and 10 half.

Let us know what the outcome is.


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## Night-FoX (Aug 28, 2004)

ok 1st : stanthecaddy22 : yes i do use DHCP for the ip config.

phubeone: here's how the router links react.
When i plug my ethernet cable from the HUB(in the UPLINK port) to the router port #3 (the other`s are occupied). The light is steady and in the ROUTER's setting it says port #3 is connected.
However, when i connect with an ethernet cable the HUB(port) to the computer. The router's light at port #3 is blinking every 2-3 secs. and in the ROUTER's setting it says port #3 is disconnected.

When i plug the computer to the HUB without anything else plugged in the HUB, the light on the HUB is steady. My HUB is 10/100 and i think it's full duplex.

and i am going to try to lock the speeds of the network card.


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## Night-FoX (Aug 28, 2004)

locking the speed didnt do nothing:
when i tried reneing ip, it gave me a timeout error.


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