COULD SOMEONE PLEASE EXPLAIN TO ME THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A "ROUTER" AND A SWITCHER?" A router allows you to take 1 IP address like provided by your DSL or Cable company and then assigns multiple new IP addresses (most routers do up to 256 new IP addresses) so multiple users can access the internet at the same time. A router usually requires some setup through a web browser. A hub or switch like another post said is basically dumb. All it does is split the signal out to multiple computers. No setup is required, just plug it in and go. Since you already have a router assigning new IP addresses, you can now just hook up a hub or switch to one of the ports on the route and add more computers. Think of it like the telphone line coming into your house. Only one person can use it at a time, no matter how many extensions are in the house. Same with a hub. Only one person can use the internet at a time even though multiple computers are plugged into the hub. A router is like adding more telephone lines into your house with new numbers. The router becomes the switching station creating the new numbers for you to use. So you can add more users at your own whim. This of course does not increase your bandwidth in any way. You still only have whatever is coming into the router from the telephone or cable company to use even though you have multiple users. HTH Chris
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