Just one cable is necessary, one end of the cable will need to be in an uplink port, the other end in a standard port. Doesn't really matter which end is which.

As far as wiring goes, a switch is no different than a hub...

;( What? A hub is shared bandwidth. That is why you can have several collisions on hubs. Switches gives each connection the ability to use all bandwith the port can handle. IE. a 100mb 5 port switch would allow all 5 ports to talk 100mb at the same time where a 100mb hub would only allow one port to have all 100mb at a time. This is why when you want to add more users to a network it is better off to connect the hubs to a switch.

I agree, but I don't think the original question was in a large scale network environment, just a home network. At least that's what my impression was.

correct. I was just correcting the prev post that there is a difference between a hub and a switch.

But he said "as far as wiring goes"... so he was referring to wiring, which is the same. However, you are correct the bandwidth sharing is far different.
 
And on the uplink to regular port... I think that is supposed to be a straight through cable, but if connecting two switches or hubs; or a switch and a hub together without using an uplink port on either device I think you can use a cross-over cable. Not sure but I think you can.

Quote:And on the uplink to regular port... I think that is supposed to be a straight through cable, but if connecting two switches or hubs; or a switch and a hub together without using an uplink port on either device I think you can use a cross-over cable. Not sure but I think you can.
That's correct, although in my opinion, it's always preferable to use an uplink port. FYI, I picked up a new netgear 8 port switch a few weeks ago, and supposedly *all* the ports are auto-sensing for uplink. Cool, huh..

Quote:correct. I was just correcting the prev post that there is a difference between a hub and a switch.
As Hellbringer said, I only meant for wiring purposes. When considering how to connect them, such as whether to use a crossover cable or a straight-through, when to use the uplink port, etc., you treat a switch exactly the same as you would a hub.

I agree though, that when you hook many hubs and switches together, that the switches should be used as center nodes, and the hubs placed as perimeter "leaves"...

Its all a part of networking architecture... there are specific and logical ways to do things as I have/am learning in a Cisco networking class. The topology of a network is very important for performance and easy of administering that network.
 
And of course... if you have an uplink port, don't waste it.
 
On the subject of uplink ports, I don't know if it is just my switches or all... but it seems that when something is in a uplink port that the port right next to it does not function. For example, on one of my switches, a D-Link DSS5+ I have my DSL Router/Modem plugged into my switchs' uplink port via a crossover cable. But the 1x port does NOT work. I have to move everything over to 2x and beyond... I'm not sure exactly why it is but that wastes a perfectly good port and that is quite annoying to me. Does anyone else have this or know what the deal is?

Quote:On the subject of uplink ports, I don't know if it is just my switches or all... but it seems that when something is in a uplink port that the port right next to it does not function.
Most uplink ports are shared with the port directly next to it. Not all... But most, even more so with 'consumer line' networking equipment.

Ahh well that makes sense... I have a Cisco Catylist 24 port switch and its uplink is not shared then. Well it's not a big deal. At least I know now more about how that works.

Those are sweet switches.. I wish I could afford one!
PS Thanks for the sig...

Actually I won it at a network convention in San Francisco. It was fun and I won something! First time I won something in my life too.
 
LOL that sig is much better...