Networking Seven Playstation2s

[gcadidas133]

Okay, me and my friends LOVE socom 2. (Clan [BAM])
I'm throwing a socom party and we need seven playstations hooked up this Friday. I just dont know how to hook it all up.

I have a Road Runner connection. So i run an ethernet cable into a router and then one into my parents computer, one to my computer, and one to my playstation. But now we have seven playstations to deal with, and i dont know if certain things are possible.

Items at my disposal consist of:
An 8-port ethernet hub
or
Two 4-port routers.

I want a surefire way that we could get 7 PS2s up and running on friday. Any suggestions?

[Direct1]

Should be pretty easy... Modem to a router > router to 8-port hub > connect all the PS2's... Good luck! :D

[csamuels]

i don't know if this is what direct1 was trying to say but I'd do the following. Connect the modem to the router. Connect the routers with a crossover. connect one router to the hub with a crossover. Fill the router ports first, should be 5. Connect the rest to the hub.

If you connect all your PS2s to the hub, they will all share the same bandwidth of the router port. Also, they will all be in the same collision domain...yuk!

In my scenario, 5 PS2s will have dedicated bandwidth and be in their own collision domains. 2 will share the bandwidth of one port and be in the same collision domain, where collisions may occur but not as frequent as having 7 in the same domain.

[Direct1]

csamuels way is coorect. If you want an easier way, you could pick up a Linksys (BEFSR81) Etherfast Cable/DSL Router 8 port (http://www.z-buy.com/product.asp?item=ET-LI8PRS) = $77 USD shipped. This way, it would be really easy to connect and you could move it house-to-house. If all of you chip in $10... You have the easiest setup. Good luck! :D

[gcadidas133]

So would i be correct in saying that:
since i have a 4-port router now, and i have only three items plugged into it, that each PC/Ps2 is only recieving 25% bandwitch (as opposed to 100% bandwidth being plugged into the modem itself)?

Thanks for the suggestions...

[Direct1]

Well, of course. Each cannot get 100%. It is not divided like that though. If you're only using one PC, you get all the bandwidth. Good luck! :D

[gcadidas133]

i mean, if something is plugged in but turned off does it get bandwidth? or does something thats not plugged in at all waste bandwidth? or does 3 ports filled out of four get 33% 33% 33%?
ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh

[gcadidas133]

oh. i get it now. i bet it just takes it as it needs it... up to about 1mbps. thx

[Direct1]

:)

[gcadidas133]

Whats a collision domain? Or a collision?

[Direct1]

Collision
A condition that occurs on a CSMA/CD (Ethernet) transmission medium when two or more stations transmit signals concurrently.

Collision Domain
A single CSMA/CD network. If two or more Ethernet stations are within the same collision domain and both transmit at the same time, a collision will occur. Ethernet stations that are separated by a repeater are in the same collision domain. Ethernet stations that are separated by a bridge are in different collision domains. The concept of collision domain applies only to half duplex Ethernet. Collisions do not occur in full duplex Ethernet configurations.

http://www.femf.org/education/Summit2000syll/ottglossary.htm - scroll down to find it. Good luck! :D

[csamuels]

by sharing bandwidth, i don not mean sharing the bandwidth of the modem but sharing the bandwidth of the port. The port is usually to either 10Mbs or 100Mbs, i'll leave duplex speed out of this. With a router or switch, the port speed, or bandwidth of the port, is dedicated to the device connected to it by establishing a direct path for the link. With a hub, the data entering the hub is broadcasted, flooded, to all ports. Therefore, sharing the bandwidth of the port with all that is connected.