10-26-2009, 07:39 PM
pdq wrote:
Thanks for the info.
So no problem with that setup? Won't screw up Time Machine backups on computers attached to the switch?
The cable modem converts the internet connection from your cable company to a single IP address for your household. This IP address is "public" in that web sites you visit can see that IP address, like with caller ID on a phone. Think of this as getting a phone number from the phone company.
The Time Capsule acts like the receptionist in an office phone system. It assigns a different IP address (like a local phone extension) to each computer connected to it (wired or wireless) and then routes "calls" to and from each computer over the single IP address the cable modem supplies. The assignment of a local IP address is done by "DHCP" and the connection of each local IP address to the cable modem's "public" IP address is called "NAT". The Time Capsule has to be between the cable modem and the computers in order to do the NAT.
An ethernet switch just gives you more ways to connect wired computers to the Time Capsule. It does manage those connections so that messages don't collide, but it's not really smarter than a traffic light. The computers find each other using the IP address which the Time Capsule assigned, and find the cable modem through the Time Capsule.
Good luck.
- Winston
