Correct way to use a router?

[wootcat]

New member here. Looks like a nice place.

I've had a home-based network for some time, and recent changes have me re-evaluating it. I think I may have made an incorrect assumption.

Setup: DSL coming into the house. I set up the DSL Router as a bridge so my NetGear WNR3500L router would handle all the heavy lifting. The NetGear has 4 10/100 LAN ports. I also have a separate NetGear Gigabit switch.

Here was my thought process: Since the router's ports were only 10/100, I ignored all but one of them and ran a single ethernet from the WNR3500L to my Gigabit switch, and from there I built out my network. My assumption was that the WNR3500L had ports, not switches and any traffic running through it to other computers in my house could be limited. In my setup, the only traffic running through it would be internet, and all inter-computer traffic would be managed by the gigabit switch.

So my questions:

1. Am I correct, or wrong in so many ways?
2. If I do add some computers to the WNR, and still have some computers connected to the gigabit switch, will they still all be able to talk to one another?
3. What would be your recommendations in making my network better?

Thanks!

 

[coxhaus]

I would say your network is setup correctly. Generally speaking using one port off the router into a switch with the modem in bridge mode is the best way to setup a basic network. You want to make your switch process all layer 2 traffic, whereas you want your router to handle all layer 3 traffic. If you add vlans then you will need layer 3 processing power to handle routing. The best way to do this is by adding a layer 3 switch so your internet router does not to use CPU processing for the vlans. The vlans are processed by the layer 3 switch.
If you add PCs to your router switch they will just connect and work the same as if they were plugged into the big switch. The only issue is using the ports on the router will load down your router to a certain degree.

 

[wootcat]

Thanks for the quick reply, although some of that went right over my head!

Layers and vlans are beyond my scope of expertise.

My network is pretty small, I think. It goes:

---[DSL]---[router]---[5 port switch]

The switch feeds out to:
1- Computer
2- Computer
3- Computer
4- Switch to NAS and printer
5- Switch in another part of the house, which connects to a computer and blu-ray

Does knowing that setup change any of your advice?

Thanks!

 

[coxhaus]

No. I think you are setup correctly. Just use your switch ports over your router ports. If you run out of switch ports and don’t want to buy another switch then use the router ports. If you notice a slow down then the solution is to buy a bigger switch and quit using the router ports.