Best networking solution with limited options?

[BlackHoleFox]

First, sorry for the vague title, not sure else to put into it.

 

Anyway, a year or so ago, when building my basement I installed Ethernet.. I used an 8-port TP-Link gigabit switch at the time. Now I am running into the issue that I am out of Ethernet ports, with my desktop and 2 servers. The source cable to the switch is running through the ceiling from the main router upstairs, so it would be a pain to run another cable down. Would it be best for me to buy a new larger switch or maybe add a switch to the one I already have?

 

Thanks

[brwainer]

either a larger switch or a second switch will be fine. If you get a second switch, make sure that there is only one cable connecting it to the first one, otherwise you will cause a loop and that will prevent anything on those two switches from getting online, and may affect the rest of the network too.

[BlackHoleFox]

1 minute ago, brwainer said:

either a larger switch or a second switch will be fine. If you get a second switch, make sure that there is only one cable connecting it to the first one, otherwise you will cause a loop and that will prevent anything on those two switches from getting online, and may affect the rest of the network too.

So, I can plug a second switch into the old one and if all the cables are all gigabit, ill still get gigabit speeds across the board?

 

[brwainer]

1 minute ago, BlackHoleFox said:

So, I can plug a second switch into the old one and if all the cables are all gigabit, ill still get gigabit speeds across the board?

 

yeas, as long as you understand that the connection between the two switches will be gigabit. If you would be doing lots of large data transfers between devices on the two switches, then a single larger switch would probably work better, because inside of a switch, it can usually handle at least half of the ports communicating at once for lower end switches, and higher end switches can handle all ports communicating at the same time in both directions.

[BlackHoleFox]

On 2/21/2017 at 10:52 PM, brwainer said:

yeas, as long as you understand that the connection between the two switches will be gigabit. If you would be doing lots of large data transfers between devices on the two switches, then a single larger switch would probably work better, because inside of a switch, it can usually handle at least half of the ports communicating at once for lower end switches, and higher end switches can handle all ports communicating at the same time in both directions.

Thanks! Your help is greatly appreciated