Upgrading to Gigabit network

[mikesgroovin]

most cheaper gateway/routers that are gigabit usually still have a 10/100 gateway port anyway. so, the real benefit would only be communication from the client to the switch portion of the gateway/router. good for LAN parties, but you may not see the performance boost that you are hoping for. i usually do not recommend d-link products, but i haven't used this product before.
D-Link DGL-4100

 

[langers]

"your runnin' cat 5 cable?? i thought cat 6 was required for giga??"

Cat 5e will support gigabit speeds but it utilises all the wires within the cabling.

cAT 6 is a little future proof (read3-4 years) as it delivers gigabit speeds with available cabling to spair, it also has increased shielding and is required as a minimum for the soon to be released 10G speed networks.

 

[Hybridchemistry]

Cat 6 is rather future proof as some one said, but it is a sure pain in the ass to crimp it your self, took me 3 tries or so to get it to fit in the head

 

[staincafe]

i think i found the switch I will use, not sure which one. which brings me to another question?
whats the difference between managed and unmanaged and why would you want that? is it worth it?
i think around 300-400 cdn
http://www.linksys.com/products/product.asp?grid=35&scid=42&prid=568

around 400-450
http://www.linksys.com/products/product.asp?grid=35&scid=40&prid=672

for some strange reason they dont have a giga bit router (unless broadband is that)? still looking for one....


I found this quote

What is the difference between a managed and unmanaged switch? How do you configure a managed switch? QUESTION POSED ON: 07 SEP 2004
QUESTION ANSWERED BY: Sudhanshu Gupta Managed switches have more capability than unmanaged switches. They generally offer SNMP for monitoring the status of connections, STP and other advanced features like QOS, VLAN, etc. These features may vary between manufacturers and models. Managed switches are also quite a bit more expensive. Setting them up may take a little longer as compared to unmanaged switches, which is generally plug-n'- play. Managed switches have a remotely accessible console (CLI or web interface) and allow things such as turning ports on or off.