ArmorAlley
Well-known member
I'm setting up a gaming LAN for up to 6 Mac Mini G4s (running 9.2.2 & 10.3). It won't (necessarily) be online and will have its own little NAS. A secondhand 8-port 10/100 switch from someone like NetGear or LevelOne is what I'm looking at getting.
The thought occurred to me that the choice of switch might make a difference. I have a functional knowledge of switches. They work for me. Some are manageable and least two of mine are (they have PC-style serial ports). I know that I don't (yet) know about Jumbo Frames, QoS or why the big Cisco switches have slots for RAM inside them.
Mac Mini G4s have 10/100 ethernet, so a gigabit switch doesn't seem to bring much to the party.
My questions are:
1. Will any old 10/100 8-port switch be up to the job?
2. Are there any options on a managed switch that would noticeably improve gameplay?
3. Since the no. of combinations within a 4-port switch is fewer than that of an 8-port switch. Since most of the time, there will be 4 people or fewer playing, would a 4-port switch be faster than an 8-port switch?
4. Aside from the fact that modern switches has gigabit (or higher) ethernet packet-switching, do they perform better than older 10/100 switches?
5. What specific attributes of a switch should I pay attention to?
6. Are there any manufacturers that make good quality switches whom I should look out for?
I have just read of the Wikipedia entry on switches [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_switch] and this entry on gaming switches [https://gadgetsenthusiast.com/gaming/accessories/best-ethernet-switch-for-gaming/] but I am really not much wiser afterwards.
Thanks for your help.
The thought occurred to me that the choice of switch might make a difference. I have a functional knowledge of switches. They work for me. Some are manageable and least two of mine are (they have PC-style serial ports). I know that I don't (yet) know about Jumbo Frames, QoS or why the big Cisco switches have slots for RAM inside them.
Mac Mini G4s have 10/100 ethernet, so a gigabit switch doesn't seem to bring much to the party.
My questions are:
1. Will any old 10/100 8-port switch be up to the job?
2. Are there any options on a managed switch that would noticeably improve gameplay?
3. Since the no. of combinations within a 4-port switch is fewer than that of an 8-port switch. Since most of the time, there will be 4 people or fewer playing, would a 4-port switch be faster than an 8-port switch?
4. Aside from the fact that modern switches has gigabit (or higher) ethernet packet-switching, do they perform better than older 10/100 switches?
5. What specific attributes of a switch should I pay attention to?
6. Are there any manufacturers that make good quality switches whom I should look out for?
I have just read of the Wikipedia entry on switches [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_switch] and this entry on gaming switches [https://gadgetsenthusiast.com/gaming/accessories/best-ethernet-switch-for-gaming/] but I am really not much wiser afterwards.
Thanks for your help.
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