LAN switch question...

[Mini-Me]

Hi all.
:)

In my current network, there is one 8-port switch with all computers connected to it in a point-to-point arrangement. The ADSL modem is also connected to the switch.

I want to add a couple more computers at the other end of the house, and want to use the existing CAT5 link as a "Backbone" to feed another switch down there with those computers on it. The idea is to save me having to run three more feeds.

Is this allowed?

Just want to check, as networking is not really my specialist area...

[jlreich]

You can piggy back switches. I have two in my LAN, one upstairs by the modem and one in the basement. Also have a wireless router that has DHCP turned off in the back bedroom, so I guess that is really just a switch and a wireless AP so I have three really. You end up losing one port on each switch in order to connect them together, but other than that...

[classicsoftware]

Check carefully as some switches deactivate the port next to the up-link port unless the port self senses if it's a PC or a switch.

[Mini-Me]

Cool - thanks guys. :)
So it would seem that it's not a no-no then, so will plop a switch in there, and see what happens. ALL machines on my home network have manually assigned IP addresses, and the DHCP is not used. I have a chart(spreadsheet) pinned up on my wall, with the IP addresses on it, so I know what has been used, and every computer has it's IP address on a sticker on it to help keep track of them, so I don't assign the same address twice!!! :p Machines I want to let into the Internet have the gateway IP of the broadband router specified, those that I don't want to have Internet access(just internal network access) have no gateway specified at all, and this seems to work, as those machines with no gateway specified certainly cannot get Internet access. Is that an acceptable configuration, or should I look at changing that at the same time?