How to I hook up and use a desktop switch?

[soarwitheagles]

Hi all.

I obviously know little to nothing about networking.

Here's my situation:

I am trying to set up a security system in my shop. I would like to hook 4-8 HD IP cameras.

My security computer that I recently built is running great.

I connected to the internet wirelessly via an extender.

I have purchased a ship load of desktop switches, some with PoE, some without.

I have never even touched a desktop switch ever before.

I tried to connect my desktop switch to the ethernet jack in the back of my computer. But I still cannot see the switch anywhere in my system.

Is there some way I can connect this desktop switch directly to my computer or must I have my computer connected to a router first, then the switch to router?

Here's one of the switches I am trying to get to work:

T-Link TL-SF1008P 8-Port 10/100Mbps Desktop Switch with 4-Port PoE.

I am totally lost.

Help me if you can.

Thank you!

Soar

 

[hornedturtle]

Are you connecting to the computer via a PoE port or non PoE port?

 

[soarwitheagles]

Are you connecting to the computer via a PoE port or non PoE port?

I have tried both!

 

[DistraughtSysop]

That's an unmanaged switch, so you're not going to see it anywhere in your network or device list. There isn't anything you can do with it - you just plug devices into the ports. You're not going to see any icons or popups, or anything.

Your PC is connected to the switch as soon as you've connected the switch port to the PC's LAN port. Now the PC will have network access to any other network device that is plugged into the same switch.

 

[hornedturtle]

Ahhh. So for his problem would security cam software such as ispy be able to detect the cameras?

 

[soarwitheagles]

That's an unmanaged switch, so you're not going to see it anywhere in your network or device list. There isn't anything you can do with it - you just plug devices into the ports. You're not going to see any icons or popups, or anything.

Your PC is connected to the switch as soon as you've connected the switch port to the PC's LAN port. Now the PC will have network access to any other network device that is plugged into the same switch.

So are you saying it should work with a switch directly hardwired to my dedicated security computer or must I first have a router connected to my computer, then the switch to the router?

 

[hornedturtle]

It should work directly to the computer

 

[DistraughtSysop]

So are you saying it should work with a switch directly hardwired to my dedicated security computer or must I first have a router connected to my computer, then the switch to the router?

Well, your computer is already connected to the router through wifi.

Either way will work. Connecting the switch directly to the PC means that only the PC has direct access to anything that is connected to the switch. If anything else is going to gain access, it'll have to go through the PC. Connecting the switch to the router means that anything on the network potentially has access to anything on the switch. It won't make much of a difference for the typical home or small business network.

Accessing any network devices that are connected to the switch will be a different matter, but the user manual should explain how to do it. I would guess that you'd be accessing them through a web interface.

 

[ultrapulse]

Hi all.

I obviously know little to nothing about networking.

Here's my situation:

I am trying to set up a security system in my shop. I would like to hook 4-8 HD IP cameras.

My security computer that I recently built is running great.

I connected to the internet wirelessly via an extender.

I have purchased a ship load of desktop switches, some with PoE, some without.

I have never even touched a desktop switch ever before.

I tried to connect my desktop switch to the ethernet jack in the back of my computer. But I still cannot see the switch anywhere in my system.

Is there some way I can connect this desktop switch directly to my computer or must I have my computer connected to a router first, then the switch to router?

Here's one of the switches I am trying to get to work:

T-Link TL-SF1008P 8-Port 10/100Mbps Desktop Switch with 4-Port PoE.

I am totally lost.

Help me if you can.

Thank you!

Soar

You need to connect it to the router first as in ROUTER --> SWITCH --> COMPUTERS.

otherwise you will not have internet access on other devices connected to the switch

 

[ultrapulse]

So are you saying it should work with a switch directly hardwired to my dedicated security computer or must I first have a router connected to my computer, then the switch to the router?

Set the ip of the security cameras to the routers ip as their default gateway and then port foward the packets to your computer from the router