[meem]

I'm looking too get a wireless/wired access point all the ones that I saw if not wireless were routers and ones with wireless were switches. the one I saw which was recommended is Linksys wireless with 4port switch. I'm just curious more than anything else but if anyone can recommend another one please do.

[Scotttheking]

If all you want is an access point that plugs into your current network, then you want a linksys WAP11 or equivalent.
The router/switch combos can have the routing component turned off, and their price isn't bad, which is why they are usually recommended over a just an access point.

[ghporter]

In current, common terms a "router" is a switch that allows sharing of a single Internet connection. The router part is the link between the WAN and the LAN. The LAN side is a switch that connects all the LAN ports.

The Linksys device you had recommended is probably a BEFW11S4, a "gateway router" with a 4-port switch and an 802.11b access point. This is a pretty good box, from what I hear (I have a separate Linksys router and access point-I bought them at different times).

[SPiNdustrious]

Originally posted by meem:
I'm just curious more than anything else

Since you're curious, here's a full answer. The other responses have addressed your specific configuration, but I'll take a shot at filling in the details.

A router connects two networks and is the most sophisticated form of consumer-grade networking hardware. Routers can be configured to handle data in any number of ways. Have an internet connection that only gives you one IP address? Put a router downstream from your cable/DSL modem and instruct it to keep your local network private. In this scenario, it is connecting your little network to your ISP's greater network. Because they are configureable (to a point...), routers give you a good deal of control over the way your local network interacts with bigger networks upstream.

A hub is the cheapest and least savvy species of networking hardware. It is a quick and easy way to create a local network. But, because they are the cheapest of the bunch, they lack the components that enable switches to keep track of which computer is connected to which port, requiring every data packet to be sent to every computer connected to it. Only the intended recipient pays any attention to it, but this "spray-n-pray" method of data routing wastes a certain amount of bandwidth.

Switches keep track of the systems connected to it and simply route each packet they receive to the proper phyiscal ethernet port. Since they are only marginally more expensive than hubs, I always recommend switches over hubs because of the performance difference. Hubs aren't dreadfully slow but there's an inherent limit to their throughput under heavy loading.

I hope that satisfies your curosity without supplying any misinformation .

As far as wireless routers go, I have a beautiful Netgear MR814 here that does its job well. It has a four port wired switch.

Peter