External Switch (Why would you use one with a Wired or Wireless Router)

The router is designed to handle packets the data being sent in bits to and from. The reason to use the external switch was to balance the load. The router can only handle so many packets, VPN tunnels, BT connections, downloading, uploading. streaming large media files, VOIP, TVOIP, gaming an etc.

Here comes the external switch is like a mini computer which is has speed data transfer as does the router switch ports does, but think of this device as helper. It can take over the job to manage 10/100/1000 devices.

For each port on the router, think of it as a live network drop connection.

1 = drop direct line to 100mb/s wired devices
2 = drop direct line to (wireless g access points)
3 = drop direct line wireless n access points for 300mb/s)
4 = drop direct line to 10000mb/s devices

Now drop direct line would be Ethernet cable cat 5e

Each would go into an external switch dedicated to 100, wireless access point g54, wired 1000mb/s or wireless access point n150, n300, n450.

To get better throughput it's better to use the external switch to not to allow degradation or very low MS lag as when one PC1, PC2, PC3, PC4, PC5, PC6, PC7, PC8, PC9, PC10 all try to communicate in packets to each other or to send data to network printers. From the time you press print the printer should begin printing unless it was in the sleep so it would have to warm-up first.

The performance of the switch will depend on the packet memory buffer size their are also TX/RX buffers ususally smaller. Some switches have 1GB, 2GB data sizes. I am talking about unmanaged switches are set to full-duplex to operate at full speed ahead. managed switches you have to control the port speed. 10, 100, 1000 full, half, closed, open. That's how it's done at corporate companies. Those that outsource there IT department have these vendors that control the ports and charge you for using them. Charge for turn them on and off and daily usage. It's big money that goes on behind those ports at your job or the jack box under the desk or on the desk wall.

If you start added your own switches to the ports near your desk it can degrade the domain network that way too. The way everything should be done is from the router.

The router of prior years just had one port coming out and that's pretty much was the idea back then to use a switch to extend the range and devices. Today my network has grown and will get larger as my needs require it. Below is what I had design at work just a doodle of what I had going on here. Still most of what you'll see is in use today. Some are not.

The router is small and limited RAM in this case 16MB does get used up very quickly. Most prefer 32MB and 64MB larger packet buffers also. So the usage of the switch helps maintain the network data flow smoothly. If one of those ports go bad on the switch you can fallback to another port. If that was on the main router a bad port then you're down from 4 to 3.

But anyway the switches provide users and clients:

Extra memory buffers: Eliminates the need for external buffer memory while maintaining high peak load performance
Ensures maximum data throughput in highly loaded networks
Optimizes network performance (digital streaming A/V, VOIP, POE, IPTV an etc..
8K mac address stores a large amount of stations at wired speed Gig switches has Jumbo Frames