setup of dell powerconnect 2016

[ashevillecomput]

through a strange set of circumstances i now have a Dell PowerConnect 2016. Unfortunately, I am only able to connect a single computer at a time to this switch.
Can someone please inform me how to set this up so that I can connect multiple computers to the same switch?

Thank you,
bam

[Roadrunner777]

Asheville... I have family in Flat Rock. Anyway... have you tried to reset the switch back to factory defaults? I don't know how to do that, but Dell is pretty good about making their manuals available on-line.

[bAdWaYz]

Here is a link to the user guide for that switch and the 24 port model...

http://docs.us.dell.com/support/edocs/network/7h905/en/ug/7H905en3.pdf

There really isn't much there however. What do you mean by

I am only able to connect a single computer at a time to this switch.


What happenes when you connect more than one computer?

[ashevillecomput]

Yes, Asheville is the BEST place in the US to live (that I have found so far anyway!)... but dont tell anyone ok?
Yes, I attempted to reset the switch, only I didnt really read any instructions on the topic and the user guide that badwayz points out is not helpful at all.

By "I am only able to connect a single computer at a time to this switch." I mean that when I connect the desktop through the switch I am connected to the internet through this computer. When I connect the laptop through the switch I am connected through that computer.. But I cannot get BOTH computers to connect to the internet OR to the LAN neither.

Please advise,
bam

[bAdWaYz]

I assume you have a router in place and are plugging the router into the switch? If you have broadband "cable/dsl" most ISP's will only give you one ip address to use, so if you don't have a router and just use the switch to connect both computers it won't work. After doing some reading and looking around the net I believe that switch is just a dumb switch. What I mean by dumb is that its not a managed switch it doesn't do anything other than switch packets thats all. I don't think you can reset it or anything it is what it is.

[ashevillecomput]

well, my router is not responding, meaning it will not allow my computer to get connected through the router to the cable modem.
I was attempting to use the switch in place of the router.
I read that you are saying I will still need a router. Whats a switch used for? Please explain...

[Archangel122184]

The switch is the reason you can only connect 1 computer at a time.

A switch does exactly that. I looks at the hardware address of a packet and sends it out the port it knows the address to be on (that is the most simplistic way of looking at it leaving out a ton of steps but its a good description).

A router separates networks and "routes" traffic to the proper network based on IP addresses.

The reason the switch won't work for you it because ISPs will only give you 1 ip address. With a router thats fine because you have your own network to play with... when you are using a switch you are basically just adding your computers to their network so you would need an IP address for each computer.

Edit: post some details about your router and we'll see if we can get that to work.

[bAdWaYz]

Thanks for making it clear AA. I guess I need to brush up on my "being clear" skills.