Total Noob question I think but not sure

ISHAAM

Ok I am a complete noob to Cisco stuff but I took the plunge and got a Cisco 2801 router and a 3750 48 port switch. I have the console cable a db9 adapter and have logged in and played around with the router and switch for a few days. I downloaded TFTP server program and have putty. The switch and router are just sitting in my place only hooked up to a surge protector. I want to hook them up and be able to SSH into both of them. (I recently found out my switch does not have the cypto service on it but found the IOS file to upgrade it and that is where all my problems and headaches started while trying to get it onto my switch.) I would like to have them hooked up to my network already in my place. I have a Asus AC66 Wireless router and the comcast supplied modem with its own built in wifi. I don't want to take the internet down for my roommates cause i am some network noob. So do I need to connect this to my wireless router? Why does the switch not see my tftp server when I ping it? I am a total noob please give me some direction cause I want to learn.

clarson

first of all i would keep my "already in place network" alone. if anything doesn't work you'll be wondering if it was something you did. And, it will make setting up your labs more complicated to maintain those connections.
2) seems like you currently connect to the internet via a wireless connection from your "pc".
3) hopefully you have an ethernet rj45 connector on your pc.
4) connect your pc to a switch port via a straight though ethernet cable.
5) using putty via your console cable assign a ip address to the switch svi
enable, config t, interface vlan 1, ip address "the switch ip address" "subnet mask" (something like 255.255.255.0 to keep it simple)
use a network that is different than your wireless network something like 192.168.10.10
no shutdown, end
6) assign an ip address to the pc on the nic that the cable connected to the switch is on. something like 192.168.1.8 255.255.255.0
7) you should see a green light on your switch port. and hopefully you will be able to ping the pc from your switch, ping 192.168.10.8

So do I need to connect this to my wireless router? the equipment you mentioned doesn't do wireless
Why does the switch not see my tftp server when I ping it? have you assigned an ip address to the switch?