Point of confusion: connecting e2000 router to my pc

Mortar

I've recently started studying for the CCNA exam and one of the first things you learn is the type of cabling required between devices. (Hubs and Switches vs Routers, PCs, etc.)


Basically, I got curious and checked to find that my PC and e2000 linksys router are connected via a straight-through cable. It's the same story with my xbox and ps3 (also wired directly to the router via straight-throughs). Aren't they suppose to be connected via crossover? How are my devices even working?


It might not be overall important to my Exam, but I do want to understand the relation between devices and connection to avoid confusion in the future.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

Roguetadhg

It may be auto-sensing.

Some switches are auto-sensing. So It's possible that the router is also auto-sensing the type of wiring.

azaghul

Its usually a cross-over cable required for like-to-like devices (eg: PC-PC, switch-switch, router-router) as you are crossing-over the transmit pair on one device to the receive pair on the other, and a straight through cable for unlike devices (eg: PC-switch, router-switch).

Though with anything in IT, there are of course exceptions (MDIX ports on switches that auto-negotiate the cross-over come to mind).

Roguetadhg

PC and Router are classified as "Like" devices, in my ICND1 book. I actually said they were "different" devices.

Routers and Computers are like. Switches and Computers/Routers are different.

PCs. Tx on 1/2. Rx on 3/6.
Switches. Tx on 3/6. Rx on 1/2.

JeanM

op - ports 1-4 are switch ports, think of the e2000 as a router + switch all in one.

Mortar

Thanks guys,

So for future reference, is there any way to know (by checking a router's technical specs) whether or not I'll need crossover or straight-through cables to connect to a PC?

EDIT: Cause I was checking the specs for my e2000 and there was nothing mentioned except that it had 4 Ethernet ports.

azaghul

There is probably no hard and fast rule, but a rough guide would be:

1 Ethernet port, you'll need an external switch or could connect to the router via a cross-over
>1 Ethernet ports, there is an integrated switch, and you can connect via a straight through cable.