Ethernet Splitter vs Switch – Understanding the Difference

ethernetnetworkingsplitterswitchwireless-networking

I have one Ethernet port that is wired directly to the router on another level. However, I want to run a desktop and a server both off this one Ethernet port. Can anyone tell me the difference between an Ethernet splitter and a switch?

Also, will either the splitter or switch slow down the connection as opposed to just one connection?

Best Answer

An Ethernet splitter takes advantage of the fact that 10MBit and 100Mbit Ethernet only use 4 wires, even though the cable (almost certainly) contains 8 wires. The splitter consists of two pieces (see picture): one is connected to each end of the existing cable, providing the appearance of two ports at each end. Each link has 4 dedicated wires, so there is no risk of packet collisions. Gigabit Ethernet does require all 8 wires, so 100MBit (full duplex) is the limit through a splitter; a Gigabit switch would be required to increase the bandwidth. Also, if your router only has one Ethernet port, then using a splitter is not an option.

Ethernet splitter

Referring to your other question, I've listed the main pros and cons of each option:

Ethernet splitter

  • + Ought to be cheapest
  • + Passive; doesn't require a power supply
  • - Limited to providing one extra port, at 100MBit/s
  • - Destination switch/router must have two free Ethernet ports

100MBit/s switch

  • + Potential for many extra Ethernet ports
  • - Requires some set-up
  • - Requires a power supply (unless powered by PoE)

Gigabit switch

  • + Higher bandwidth
  • - Most expensive
  • - Requires the rest of the network (LAN) to support Gigabit to benefit

Hub

  • + Relatively cheap, but...
  • - ...not significantly cheaper than switches
  • - Very poor performance, especially as network load increases (due to collisions)
  • -\+ May or may not require a power supply
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