CalcProgrammer1
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- 2,363
- Location
- Illinois, USA
I'm wondering if you can turn a PC into an Ethernet switch. Sure, it's easy to find cheap Ethernet switches to add ports to a network, but what's the fun in that?
I have a desktop that I've just crammed full of PCI Ethernet boards I had laying around, a total of 5 NIC's (4 PCI and one integrated). All are functional under Windows and Linux. I know you can bridge them all in Windows, but that makes your PC into a fake DHCP server and builds a subnet of connected devices. I have one line from our main router in the basement to my room, which I have connected to one of my network cards. The other lines go to my other PC, my Xbox 360, and, for now, my old router (just something else to connect, trying to make this thing do stuff).
I want it to act more like a switch than a router, letting the main router in the basement take care of IP addresses and forwarding requests properly, so that a PC connected to my router-desktop will see itself on the same LAN as a PC connected directly to the router.
Is this even possible? I thought it'd be an interesting project if I could get it to work, and may come in handy when I get a computer room in the basement for my old machines. This PC I eventually plan to turn into a 24/7 Internet/LAN file server so adding routing capabilities seems like an appropriate thing for this particular PC.
I have a desktop that I've just crammed full of PCI Ethernet boards I had laying around, a total of 5 NIC's (4 PCI and one integrated). All are functional under Windows and Linux. I know you can bridge them all in Windows, but that makes your PC into a fake DHCP server and builds a subnet of connected devices. I have one line from our main router in the basement to my room, which I have connected to one of my network cards. The other lines go to my other PC, my Xbox 360, and, for now, my old router (just something else to connect, trying to make this thing do stuff).
I want it to act more like a switch than a router, letting the main router in the basement take care of IP addresses and forwarding requests properly, so that a PC connected to my router-desktop will see itself on the same LAN as a PC connected directly to the router.
Is this even possible? I thought it'd be an interesting project if I could get it to work, and may come in handy when I get a computer room in the basement for my old machines. This PC I eventually plan to turn into a 24/7 Internet/LAN file server so adding routing capabilities seems like an appropriate thing for this particular PC.
