Setup gigabit home network using 100mbps Router but Gigabit switches

Yes. - Short answer.

Long Answer:

PC
PC
PC - Gigabit Switch - Router - Modem - Internet
PC
PC

If you have any wireless clients obviously they will be constrained by 54mb anyway so the fact the router isnt on 1gb doesnt really matter.

I use:
http://www.netgear.co.uk/rangemaxn [...] nr854t.php
as well as a 10/100/1000 Switch, this means the wireless clients can stream @ upto 300mb and the gigabit line to the server can support that no problem...

I am not sure I agree with that. If you are routing your DSL through the router first which is standard 10/100 mps than through Gigabit switch you are creating a bottleneck through the router. Your switch maybe showing 1 gbs to the computers but it is slowing to 100 mps through the internet connection.

RaisinKain....
Computer to computer will be 1Gbs
Computer to internet will be max 100Mbs from switch to router and probably max 10Mbs router to modem and internet.

this isn't working for me. i have it setup like the above diagram. the 100mbit wireless router is assigning the ip's, not my gigabit switch (of course right?). it seems that data transfer is stepping down to 100mbit btwn PCs, going through the router. how do i make it bypass? also, when one of the PCs is not authenticated with the WEP on the wireless, it can't talk to the others at all.

Here is how my network is laid out. I think it is exactly what you're looking for, except I have some additional hardware installed. Heres the layout
I assume your set up will involve two routers or a 100Mbps router and a 1000Mbps switch/hub.

1)Cable/DSL router
2)Connect a cable to any port on the DSL/Cable Router
3)Take the gigabit router and plug the cable from step to into the WAN port
4)Determine the IP address the gigabit router receives from the Cable/DSL router, log into the Cable/DSL router and assign that IP address to the DMZ
5)Plug any additional gigabit hardware (hubs/switches) into the Gigabit router

What this does essentially, is sets up two networks. The first network being your connection to the Internet, only serves one "client" device, the gigabit router.

By adding it to the DMZ, you bypass any port forwarding needed on the router provided by your ISP. At this point, any port forwarding that would need to be configured would be on the gigabit router itself.

If both routers have wireless modules, you would want to disable the wireless module on the router provided by the ISP. Users that connect to the gigabit router would be able to see clients connected to the ISP router, but the clients on the ISP router would not see the clients on the gigabit router, which will cause frustration and headaches trying share data.


If using a 1000Mbps switch instead of a second router, just ignore the stuff about the WAN port and DMZ. Adding a switch is a fairly simple process and will allow anything that is plugged into the switch to function properly at 1000Mbps, assuming the clients drivers and settings are configured properly. Any clients connected to the ISP router would be limited by 100Mbps, or by wireless protocol a/b/g, depending on the clients connection.

I hope this was helpful.