Net Gigabit

Net Gigabit

Home networking query?

I currently have a Netgear ADSL Firewall Route DG834GSP but am upgrading my mother board to either the gigabyte 1155 UD7 or Asus P67 Deluxe both of which have dual ethernet ports for teaming and are also gigabit ports. I believe my current modem is only 10/100 while these ports are gigabit that is correct?
Now would it be beneficial for me to get a gigabit modem and use teaming? Or as I am around 2km away from the exchange with ADSL2 and am only getting 5.5Mbps from speedtest.net would I experience no difference or not enough to warrant change?
I currently have 4 ports so will have to get a new modem with 5+ ports or maybe a switch if I want teaming. It is my understanding that I can get an unmanaged switch from the modem to add more ports. Now if I use a switch, all ports on it will be slower than the ones on the actual modem correct?
Also what type of filter should I be using?
Recommendations for modems/switchs would be appreciated thanks.

None of the home networking improvements you mentioned will make any change in your Internet (WAN) speed of 5.5Mbps.

The best way to answer your question is to state the purpose of a router.

A router is designed to connect two different networks together. In your case the LAN, or your local network of computers and the WAN, or the Internet.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Router

http://communication.howstuffworks.com/convergence/router.htm

The Ethernet and wireless speed of your router is the LAN speed. The LAN consists of all the computers and devices hooked to your router in your house. Connections will always default to the slowest device. For example if you have a wireless N router (300Mbps) connected to a wireless G laptop (54Mbps), then the laptop can communicate with the router at 54Mbps. If you wanted to copy a file from your laptop to a desktop connected to your router via a Ethernet (100Mbps) cable connection, then you could do that at the laptop's wireless G speed of 54Mbps.

Now for the ADSL speed. The Internet is the other network connected to your router via your ADSL modem. The Internet is a Wide Area Network or WAN. Your ADSL modem can communicate with your Internet provider at the speed of the plan that you purchase. Let's say it is a maximum of 6Mbps. This connection bandwidth is shared by your entire LAN via your router. If one user is utilizing 4Mbps of the bandwidth that only leaves 2Mbps for the rest of the users on the LAN.

Upgrading your home network will increase the speed that you can transfer files around on computers and devices in your LAN. Direct CAT5 Ethernet connections are 100Mbps, there is also a newer Gigabit Ethernet (1000Mbps) which uses special CAT6 cabling and Gigabit devices and network adapters. As with the wireless devices it will always default to the slowest standard.

However none of these improvements will increase the speed of the WAN (Internet). Only way to do that is to upgrade to a faster broadband plan.

"I can get an unmanaged switch from the modem to add more ports." You are correct and you won't notice any difference in Internet speed.

The connection to the ADSL modem should have no filters installed on it. All of your other active phone line devices such as telephones, answering machines, FAX, satellite receiver, etc., should have a filter installed between it and the phone jack.

Good Luck

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