this post was submitted on 29 Nov 2023
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Does something like a 1 to 2 Ethernet cable sort of device exists ? Searched earlier on Amazon but it's never clear what their product is used for

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 9 months ago

No, the only things you'll find is a toggle to switch between the two. It's not possible to split the connection.

You can buy a little 4 port switch like this. Plug ethernet from the router into this and then both computers can take a port from this.

Note: The speed will be split between both computers based on usage. If they're both downloading something, it'll split it evenly. If one computer is idling, the other could have full speed.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago

This is like asking baseball players if something exists to hit a baseball.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago

It's a switch. Older, now obsolete versions were called hubs.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago
[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Yes they’re called splitters or cable economisers and are used in pairs at either end of the structured cabling

https://cpc.farnell.com/pro-signal/rj-econvv/cat5e-utp-voice-voice-cable-econ/dp/CS13871?mckv=s_dc%7Cpcrid%7C491098866158%7Ckword%7C%7Cmatch%7C%7Cplid%7C%7Cslid%7C%7Cproduct%7CCS13871%7Cpgrid%7C100371159038%7Cptaid%7Cpla-983526113913%7C&CMP=KNC-GUK-CPC-SHOPPING-9262013734-100371159038-CS13871&s_kwcid=AL!5616!3!491098866158!!!network%7D!983526113913!&gclid=Cj0KCQiA35urBhDCARIsAOU7QwmYmn9rA6Sc6kN3kSnIsVPHjFjCOgcOf8zr_OKRXdHe5IK4H5Ou5ZsaAs4qEALw_wcB

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

That's the physical thing he's drawn, but it doesn't provide the functionality he wants.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago
[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Sigh Go to Amazon and buy a passive splitter. Dont buy a switch, switches are too mainstream. Always use HUBs. Everything on one Collision domain is the only way forward. Who needs to use everything all at once anyway. plus you will only need a single IP.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

I don’t think they sell hubs anymore. A non managed gigabit switch is cheap.

https://www.amazon.com/Ethernet-Splitter-Optimization-Unmanaged-TL-SG105/dp/B00A128S24

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

Don't do this. Get a cheap networking switch to extend something. Watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgrVVyIzecM

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

Yes, but then you only have 2 pairs, thus only 100 Mbps.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago
[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

Lots of replies, but not a lot of product recommendations.

Netgear GS105 5-port Gigabit Ethernet Switch - $40

TP-Link TL-SG105S 5-port Gigabit Ethernet Switch - $20

There's no particular reason to choose one over the other. The TP-Link is cheaper, but some people like the darker color of the Netgear. Not sure it's worth twice the cost though.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

It would be a switch

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

A four port ethernet HUB is what you are looking for. I haven't seen one that is three ports. Plug three cables in and you are off to the racers, no fuss no muss.

You could use a switch, but, it doesn't make sense unless you add a third or more devices and those devices will interact with each other. A switch is intended to allow multiple data paths simultaneously whereas a hub is a shared link and only one device can "talk" at a time - but don't worry about that, the devices themselves and your router will manage the traffic ie "conversations"

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

Very confused by the picture do you mean something like a splitter?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

A splitter? Not really and not recommended when you can buy a GB switch for maybe $20

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

All I see is a penis trying to fuck Mario’s overalls.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

So, you want a switch (as others have stated).

Here’s why: The two computers will share a single point which requires half duplex comms. Most switches assume full duplex comms. So you might have issues with network collisions and everything will be super slow. Think 50 mbit per second instead of 1 000 mbit per second.

You’ll also potentially lose things due to electrical noise depending on exactly what you use in your solution.

If you just want to tap you’re looking at something similar regarding losing data to noise.

The best and cheapest solution is to buy an unmanaged switch. Avoids data collisions, preserves electrical signal integrity, and allows for traffic to not be spammed all over the network because it’ll send traffic to the correct location (after it’s learned where the “correct” location is).

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

A switch would be preferred.. however, there is a workaround. You can buy and pair of Ethernet splitter that will take a normal 8 conductor Ethernet cable and split it into two four conductor cables. The downside is with four conductors you are limited to 100Mbps. I used them back in the day when we needed two ports.

I’d still recommend a switch.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

Why not just get a 4 way switch? Theyre about $10.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

Try a network switch

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago
[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

Get a switch. Ethernet splitters are notorious for packet collision issues and such. Linus tech tips made a great video about it - https://youtu.be/QgrVVyIzecM?si=inXqKOTb9NX2zHTX

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

Here you go buddy:

https://lazyadmin.nl/home-network/home-network-diagram/

There’s a diagram of a home network with a “switch” after the Router and before the wired computers ….

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

You need an R34 cable 👀

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

Yes, a switch.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

Something like that does exist, but it's an extremely specific use case scenario. What you need to make 2 network connections out of 1 existing plug, is a switch. Just a simple $20 4 port will do it for you.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago
[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

wtf am I looking at

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

We used these lots in early 2000's when we were converting from dumb terminal to computers and they ran a single cat5 cable to an office that needed two computers eventually. So we ran these and they ran at 10 Mbps usually, which was plenty back then. You had to have one upstream also to plug into the switch.

Later they rewired everything with cat5e and had at minimum two dual-port wall jacks per office and some had 4 dual-port wall jacks.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

Purchase one of these

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

You won't be able to find an unpowered adapter, it needs to be signal processed and will need hardware such as a switch

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

It's called a 4-port network switch.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

Network switch brother

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

A switch is the answer.

Though, purley recreationally you can technically split a single ethernet line into two different computers. Though each computer would be limited to 100mbps. Here is a video of LTT talking about ethernet splitters and making one towards the end starting at 5:40 in this YT video

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

I'm just thankful the sketch specified RJ45.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

A few manufacturers do make what you asked for: https://www.officedepot.com/a/products/943638/StarTechcom-2-to-1-RJ45-Splitter/#Description

But you really don't want to do this. As most said, a switch is what you really want.

I worked in a place that used a ton of these ~16 years ago. We had limitations on "dumb" switches due to 802.1x wired port authentication and these made sense because we only had 100Mb switches anyway.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

Yes Linus tech tips found one Google it

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

The red thing is a castle?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

Is this one of those pictures a therapist holds up and asks.. What do you see?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Why can't hubs with higher speed exist? WiFi is essentially hubs in the air, and it got pretty fast

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

They do. Newer technology “multi gig switch” is what they are called. That can be used if your devices/nics can support multigig.

https://www.amazon.com/D-Link-5-Port-Unmanaged-Gaming-Switch/dp/B0C5S1C35Z/

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

For giggles a few years ago I made myself one of these hubs:

https://www.eeweb.com/building-a-passive-ethernet-hub/

On Amazon you'll find "ethernet splitters". They might be what you're looking for, (I treat them as a last resort thing if you can't lay multiple long cables or a local switch):

RJ45 \                                          / RJ45
      splitter ------long cable ------- splitter  
RJ45 /                                          \ RJ45

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

If you want more than 100 mb/s don’t do this ever. If you want poe, don’t do this ever.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

A splitter does exist. The way it works is that Ethernet cables have 8 individual wires in them. A minimum of 4 are required for basic connectivity. You can use a splitter to go to 2 computers but would not be able to transfer power (PoE) and you would be limited to 100mb throughout, as opposed to gig.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

A hub, back in the day, 100Mbit to 1Gbit and above. For at least the last 20+ years, a network switch, with as many ports as you want. 8 ports are very common at gigabit level, $20 is commonplace. 2.5Gbit and 10Gbit are falling in price these days, as are the ethernet cards for PCs, as folks want faster LAN and WAN speeds. Top line motherboards these days are coming with 2.5Gbit interfaces, I'm having a new Win11 PC built and its commonplace at the higher end, and the nosebleed levels have 10Gbit. As I move large files around on my 1Gbit network I dream about 10Gbit! Pricing for switches at that level with at least a couple of 10G ports are around $300 or so.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago
[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

No. you should invent one. you will be rich.

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