Ethernet splitter, hub, or switch?

[BunnyHunter67]

I already have an ethernet cable running to my computer. But I also have a switch and a playstation that I'd like to have plugged in. What would be the best way of atleast wiring the switch and the computer at the same time (I want to avoid bottle necking my pc as much as possible. So if only having the switch and pc is better than all 3 for speed, I'd rather do that). Thanks. 

 

Edit: Also what ethernet cable would I need. I have no clue what the difference would be between cat 6,7 etc. and the cable I have was installed just a few months ago for gigabit internet.

[Lurick]

You want a gigabit switch. Any Cat5e or Cat6 cable will be fine.

You can pick up a 5 or 8 port switch for under $40

[BunnyHunter67]

Just now, Lurick said:

You want a switch. Any Cat5e or Cat6 cable will be fine.

With a switch I could plug in all 3 and have the same bandwidth as if I had just the two plugged in?

[Lurick]

Just now, BunnyHunter67 said:

With a switch I could plug in all 3 and have the same bandwidth as if I had just the two plugged in?

With a switch you plug in a cable going to the router and then all the devices. If they are all going over the uplink at once then the bandwidth will be divided among them. For example if the switch is pulling something down at 50Mbps and the computer needs something then at most it will get around 950Mbps (assuming perfect conditions). If you add in a third device and the switch is pulling 50Mbps, the computer is pulling 450Mbps, then 500Mbps will be left over for the third device. Obviously this is a simple example but should get the point across

[BunnyHunter67]

2 minutes ago, Lurick said:

 

Ok, so it doesn't evenly distribute the maximum bandwidth then? It only allocates what each connection needs? (sorry im dumb)

[Lurick]

Just now, BunnyHunter67 said:

Ok, so it doesn't evenly distribute the maximum bandwidth then? It only allocates what each connection needs? (sorry im dumb)

Not without a more expensive switch with QoS to guarantee the bandwidth per device. Obviously there is going to be some contention between devices regardless but for the most part a dumb switch is going to just operate in a FIFO (first in, first out) model. If you've got a gigabit connection though I wouldn't worry too much about it since 99% of the time you won't saturate it anyway unless you're doing downloads non-stop.

[BunnyHunter67]

1 minute ago, Lurick said:

 

https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Ethernet-Optimization-Unmanaged-TL-SG105/dp/B00A128S24/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1544270454&sr=1-3&keywords=ethernet%2Bswitch%2B1000&th=1 So something like this should be fine?

[Lurick]

1 minute ago, BunnyHunter67 said:

https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Ethernet-Optimization-Unmanaged-TL-SG105/dp/B00A128S24/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1544270454&sr=1-3&keywords=ethernet%2Bswitch%2B1000&th=1 So something like this should be fine?

Yup, that will be perfect

[mariushm]

Yeah, a switch is all you need.

 

As for bandwidth questions, the switch doesn't reserve a particular amount of bandwidth to each device connected to it, it simply combines the data packets as they arrive inside and sends them to the port that goes into your cable modem, router, whatever.

So each device can have up to 1gbps, if other devices don't transfer data.  How much speed you actually get will depend on your actual internet provider and how fast the servers at the other end of the internet are (for example, you may have 100 mbps internet from your ISP but if the other computer is somewhere in China connected to the internet using a 128kbps modem, you won't get speeds higher than around 10 KB/s )