I want to set up a wired network in my house but whats the difference between a.....?

Question

Ethernet Switch and a Ethernet router. I ordering the stuff I need online and I wanna make sure I get the right stuff. I wanna set up the network so me and my room mate can be online at the same time.

Thanks

Answer 1

A router is what you need if you want to be able to connect all your computers to the internet.

A router provides Network Address Translation (NAT) - This means that it transfers information from your local network to the internet and vise versa (allowing an internet connection for example).

A switch is a "smart hub" in that it broadcasts data only to the port that it needs to. A hub broadcasts on all ports.

Answer 2

A router is "smater" then a switch. A switch is intended for connecting PCs within one single network, and so does have all the "routing" abilities of a router. A router is intended to create a local network and then connect it to the Internet.

Of the two, you want the router.