Using 4-port NIC as a switch?

[suchamoneypit]

Is there a simple way to make a 4 port PCI card a Switch on my network? It seems its easy to do on ubuntu server, but There seems to be a lot out there for windows, and any specific videos are regarding Windows Server. Can this be done easily using Windows 10? Or is this something I need Windows Server for. My goal is to have a home server, and be able to plug in my PC to the 4 port card and connect to my network just as if I connected to a normal switch. Are there any drawbacks If I do this?

[littlepigboy5]

I could tell you how on linux, but on windows, I could make an attempt at explaining.  Basically you would need to set up the nic(and if you are only going to have a few things plugged in, maybe aggregate 2 of them together to get some extra speed, but not super important), so that it is able to send and receive data, which is default in windows.  You know how when u connect to a network and it asks if u wanna share ur device with other devices on the network?  With windows, if you do that, and allow ur device to be shared a NIC in a PC with data on it can send data to PCs connected to it if you simply connect them via ethernet cable, nothing complex to set up.  The pc will show up as a network drive.

[suchamoneypit]

6 minutes ago, littlepigboy5 said:

I could tell you how on linux, but on windows, I could make an attempt at explaining.  Basically you would need to set up the nic(and if you are only going to have a few things plugged in, maybe aggregate 2 of them together to get some extra speed, but not super important), so that it is able to send and receive data, which is default in windows.  You know how when u connect to a network and it asks if u wanna share ur device with other devices on the network?  With windows, if you do that, and allow ur device to be shared a NIC in a PC with data on it can send data to PCs connected to it if you simply connect them via ethernet cable, nothing complex to set up.  The pc will show up as a network drive.

it will show up as a network drive but can it access the internet and plays game normally too?

[littlepigboy5]

yes, if you set it up as a server and make sure your connection is passing through and being replicated evenly through all your ports, linus's most recent networking video may shed some light on this for you.  You could also probably google the question and find some sort of tutorial, but if u set up the server with pretty default settings, you should be fine

[Blake]

42 minutes ago, suchamoneypit said:

Is there a simple way to make a 4 port PCI card a Switch on my network? It seems its easy to do on ubuntu server, but There seems to be a lot out there for windows, and any specific videos are regarding Windows Server. Can this be done easily using Windows 10? Or is this something I need Windows Server for. My goal is to have a home server, and be able to plug in my PC to the 4 port card and connect to my network just as if I connected to a normal switch. Are there any drawbacks If I do this?

Yes, Just open the network adapter page in network and sharing center, select the ports you want to turn into a switch, right click, and there will be an option to bridge the devices, give it a few seconds to think, and you will now have a switch. it'll use a shit tonne of power but it'll act like a switch. also the device will need to be turned on and windows loaded for it to work, so if you turn it off, don't wonder why the other devices can't get internet.

 

[suchamoneypit]

1 hour ago, Blake said:

Yes, Just open the network adapter page in network and sharing center, select the ports you want to turn into a switch, right click, and there will be an option to bridge the devices, give it a few seconds to think, and you will now have a switch. it'll use a shit tonne of power but it'll act like a switch. also the device will need to be turned on and windows loaded for it to work, so if you turn it off, don't wonder why the other devices can't get internet.

 

what do you mean it will use a lot of power? like wattage wise? how much could a NIC possible use?

[dalekphalm]

Just out of curiosity, why not simply buy a really cheap 5-port gigabit switch? You can find them for like $15-$20 or often less.

 

You could bridge the connections (each port) to share the incoming connection. You would basically choose one port as the master. This port would then connect to your router or modem. The other ports would be bridged to the master port, and it would provide all the others with internet and network access.

 

Performance would not be great though I imagine. You could do actual routing, rather than bridging, but not sure on how that would work on Windows 10 - if even possible.

 

Either way, unless you're doing this specifically for the "fun" or "tech" factor, then it's not really worth doing.

[suchamoneypit]

1 minute ago, dalekphalm said:

Just out of curiosity, why not simply buy a really cheap 5-port gigabit switch? You can find them for like $15-$20 or often less.

 

You could bridge the connections (each port) to share the incoming connection. You would basically choose one port as the master. This port would then connect to your router or modem. The other ports would be bridged to the master port, and it would provide all the others with internet and network access.

 

Performance would not be great though I imagine. You could do actual routing, rather than bridging, but not sure on how that would work on Windows 10 - if even possible.

 

Either way, unless you're doing this specifically for the "fun" or "tech" factor, then it's not really worth doing.

im going to build the server and I would heavily prefer to utilize it to do the switching. I know I could just get a really cheap switch too, but you are correct a big part is the fun/tech factor.

[dalekphalm]

26 minutes ago, suchamoneypit said:

im going to build the server and I would heavily prefer to utilize it to do the switching. I know I could just get a really cheap switch too, but you are correct a big part is the fun/tech factor.

If you're dead set on running your own server as a switch, then I'd recommend joining into a pfSense server. You can probably run it as a VM along side a Windows server in VM if you need to (hosted by something like Ubuntu).

[suchamoneypit]

Just now, dalekphalm said:

If you're dead set on running your own server as a switch, then I'd recommend joining into a pfSense server. You can probably run it as a VM along side a Windows server in VM if you need to (hosted by something like Ubuntu).

well its not going to be a big thing, it will just have a 4 port NIC that if needed I can plug deviced into. This will not be its main use the server will be used for other things.

[Blake]

1 hour ago, suchamoneypit said:

what do you mean it will use a lot of power? like wattage wise? how much could a NIC possible use?

you using a computer to do the job of a Switch.

Computer idle TDP: ~50w (most likely more).

Switch MAX TDP: 5w (lets ignore POE for now).

 

[suchamoneypit]

8 minutes ago, Blake said:

you using a computer to do the job of a Switch.

Computer idle TDP: ~50w (most likely more).

Switch MAX TDP: 5w (lets ignore POE for now).

 

oh yeah well im fine with that. The server isn't just for switching, It will be hosting game servers, making renders for solidworks, hosting TS servers, ect.

[Blake]

30 minutes ago, suchamoneypit said:

oh yeah well im fine with that. The server isn't just for switching, It will be hosting game servers, making renders for solidworks, hosting TS servers, ect.

Wait... are you just trying to bond the links together? because this wont work without some sort of link aggregation protocol (LACP is the most common).

 

Just confirming you want it to act as a dumb switch?

[suchamoneypit]

2 minutes ago, Blake said:

Wait... are you just trying to bond the links together? because this wont work without some sort of link aggregation protocol (LACP is the most common).

 

Just confirming you want it to act as a dumb switch?

im not sure how the terminology works but the scenerio I was to happen is to have my server connected to my router, and be able to plug my PC into this PCI NIC and be a part of my network (and be able to access the internet normally).

[dalekphalm]

14 minutes ago, suchamoneypit said:

im not sure how the terminology works but the scenerio I was to happen is to have my server connected to my router, and be able to plug my PC into this PCI NIC and be a part of my network (and be able to access the internet normally).

Bridging the two network ports is probably the easiest way to achieve this.