router question

[Comos]

note: I already posted this on another section as well

I recently bought a wireless router, have 3 pc's to connect to em the wired way, 1 laptop wireless. Now I don't realy have a problem or anything, but to connect 2 pc's I use a cross-over UTP cable, for 1 pc I use a straight UTP cable. I don't see any difference, they all work fine. Is there a difference btw? Cuz whenever I go to LAN parties I have to bring a straight one, and the way I connected the 3 pc's before I had a router was directly from ethernet adapter to ethernet adapter using network bridges, I used cross-overs for that, straight wouldn't work.

For the router, does it matter what I use then? As both seem to work.

 

[Ardrias]

It depends on the hardware if it's selfswitching or not.

 

[Custodian]

In a nutshell....

PC to PC = crossover
Hub/switch/router to PC = straight
(your router probably has a 4 port switch or hub built in)

If you don't connect them this way then the connectors won't be carrying the right signals to the right pins and so they won't work.

hub/switch/router to hub/switch/router = depends if one has a uplink port ... and I can't remember which way round that works

That's all I worry about, and my networks always seem to work

 

[Cyradix]

http://www.winplanet.com/article/2645-.htm

http://www.tomax7.com/aplus/APlusCD/Crossover vs Patch.doc