Member Avatar for Digimon

which kind of router can be used to connect the LAN with about 100 pc to internet? i think the LAN is like school network or company network. if i use the normal cheap router with 4 ports, is it ok?

p.s. in my opinion about the network i want to design, only 1 core switch that is connected with many distribution switch connects to the router, but i dunno if it works.

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Short answer: a consumer 4‑port NAT box is fine for testing or a very small office, but not recommended as the production gateway for ~100 simultaneous users. For a reliable school/company LAN it’s better to use a purpose‑built router/firewall (or a supported firewall distro on properly sized hardware) so the gateway can handle the expected Internet throughput, NAT/state capacity and any inspection/VPN features required. (docs.netgate.com)

The hierarchical access → distribution → core model that suggested is the right approach for scale and manageability. Put 24‑port access switches in wiring closets, aggregate those up to distribution/core switches, and present the core to the Internet edge. Avoid letting all client traffic hit a single 100 Mbps uplink: use at least gigabit uplinks (or 10G where justified) and use link aggregation (LACP/EtherChannel) for bandwidth and redundancy between switches and the edge device. (cisco.com)

Cabling: standard twisted‑pair Ethernet channels are specified for 100 meters total; use fiber when runs exceed that, or when 10 Gbps uplinks are needed between closets and the core. Copper is convenient for short access runs, but backbone uplinks are commonly fiber for distance and higher speed. (cisco.com)

Operational notes that fill gaps in the thread: pick an edge device sized for WAN speed and for the expected number of concurrent states (firewall state tables consume RAM); plan VLANs and where inter‑VLAN routing happens (router subinterfaces vs. a Layer‑3 core); consider HA for the gateway (CARP/VRRP/HSRP or appliance HA) if uptime matters; and instrument the network (simple throughput, state, and interface monitoring) so bottlenecks are seen before they become outages. If budget is tight, a well‑built Linux/pfSense/OPNsense box can work—but size NICs, CPU and RAM to real traffic, and test failover behavior first. (docs.netgate.com)

Practical checklist (short): select gateway by required WAN throughput and concurrent states; use managed switches and VLANs; aggregate uplinks with LACP; use fiber for long/10G runs; add HA if needed; and validate with traffic tests before going live.

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Member Avatar for kc0arf

Hello,

A router, by definition, is a device that connects two networks together. Either from a private 10.x network to a public network, or from a private 10.x to a private 192.x, or any combination thereof. If the IP address on one side is on a different subnet than the IP address on the other side, you have a router.

What your question is really asking What kind of router do I need for a 100 node network? Well, the answer/solution all depends on what kind of performance you would like to have on the network. If you have a bunch of devices using UPLINK ports, and then come to the network router, your clients are going to suffer.

The following is an example. Note it may not be the best solution for what you are looking for:

* Have a router / firewall (one device can do both) to start out with
* Determine if there are any public-access machines that need inbound access, such as a mail server, or web server. This area is known as a DMZ, and while it is not as locked-down as the internal network, it does receive protection.
* Have a 24-port switch for each classroom/lab. Uplink that data to a "master switch" that also has your servers on it.
* Have the master switch talk to the router.

Ideally, you will not have more than 3 - 4 hops between your internet connection and your end device (computer). Otherwise, you risk being able to order a pizza before that web page completely downloads. Also remember that 10/100 base T Cat 5 cabling is only good for 100 meters, and that assumes that your wiring crew maintains the crucial twists in the wire. No twists, and your cat 5 rating goes out the atmosphere.

Oh, and if you don't want to get specialized hardware for a router, you can use a simple linux box with 2 NIC cards installed. You can have the linux box do the routing, along with firewalling and DMZ management.

I hope this helps.

Christian

Member Avatar for Digimon

* Have a router / firewall (one device can do both) to start out with
* Determine if there are any public-access machines that need inbound access, such as a mail server, or web server. This area is known as a DMZ, and while it is not as locked-down as the internal network, it does receive protection.
* Have a 24-port switch for each classroom/lab. Uplink that data to a "master switch" that also has your servers on it.
* Have the master switch talk to the router.

i appreciate your explanation. well, if i want to set up about the network you mentioned, i only has one master switch to connect the router for the requirement. so 1 port of router is used , isn't it? is a 4 ports router needed to set up this network? also do i need to use optical fibre to connect the master switch to router?

Member Avatar for kc0arf

Hello,

Unless cost is a significant factor, I would go with the multiport router. It is a hell of a lot easier to add on later than to replace the unit.

You will not need optical cable to connect the router to the switch, unless you have significant (100 meter) distance between the two, or an ungodly amount of electromagnetic interference in the immediate area. You can get Gigabit over Copper quite inexpensively.

You will see fibre connecting communications closets, but that is often because the main closet is over 100 meters from the sub closets.

Hope this helps.

Christian

Member Avatar for harpalmomi

i m student of computer field . i want to know about router. that how to arrange router plz, can u give me a link of how to use & config a router .
my email id
SNIP

Edited by happygeek because: email snipped
Member Avatar for jingda

Google is your best friend you know? Anyway check out this link

Member Avatar for Cross213

Cisco is always the answer

Member Avatar for nuwan4u

You can Have a CISCO Router.

Member Avatar for jingda

Who are you guys referring to? The OP had already been long gone.

Member Avatar for maninaction

A router is commonly used as a gateway. It has all the functions of a switch and more besides. If you want to have wireless internet in your house, you need a wireless router. It can act (to some extent) as a firewall. It allows you to have DMZ's. Qos. VPN's. It allows you to bridge 2 seperate networks. A cheap linksys router flashed with some decent firmware is a must for anyone wanting to get a start with networking. I really cant recommend this enough.

Cisco is best one i always prefer. Go for it without second thought

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