hub vs. router - 3com Superstack II DS Hub 500


Recommended Posts

I just obtained a 24-port 3com superstack ii dual speed hub 500, but I'm having trouble getting it connected.

I've always used routers for my networking. What's the difference connectivity-wise with this device?

I already tried configuring my IP address manually, and I can ping myself, but nobody else.

If I tell it to obtain the IP automatically, it says I have "limited or no connectivity", I would imagine because the hub does not function as a DHCP server.

What am I doing wrong and what can I do to get them to connect?

I have same router. My last Linksys had an uplink port. But this one doesn't. I used a hub for while on mine. I ran from regular port to regular port, but for the life of me can't remember if I assigned IP or not. I think I did. Wish I could be of more help.

K, I'm going to assume that the 3com is a hub/switch and that the other device is a router. There is a huge difference between these devices. In ye olde days, hubs put data on ALL the lines. This posed a security risk as it allowed you to "spy" on computers sharing your hub. Switches came along and solved this by only sending data down channels that they know a device is on. A router is an entirerly different beast capable of moving data between different subnets. I highly doubt the 3com device you have is a router. This means it wont do the nifty tasks your mom and pop linksys/belkin/netgear/etc cable/dsl routers do, which are actually route and then some. More likely it is a switch. I will henceforth call your internet cable/dsl thing "router" and your 3com device "hub".

First, if you're going to connect the router to the hub, you either need to use a crossover cable (if using two ethernet ports) or a patch cable (if you use one uplink and one standard port). Without this you'll never be able to connect the router to the hub. This should allow you to recieve DHCP data from the router.

Assuming you still can't get a DHCP address from the router, try manually setting the ip address on all the pcs. They will, of course, all have to be on the same subnet. Once that's setup see if the computers can ping eachother. If they can't something is very wrong.

  HPMCommander said:
It's a hub, not a router.

I'm going to try to make a crossover cable.

585269002[/snapback]

Yeah a crossover might be what you need between the hub and switch port of the router.

You might be able to test the hub out by plugging a cable into two ports of the hub and see if you get a link light on both. I'm thinking a straight through won't get one while a crossover will.

I just realized thats a manageable switch. Not some old crappy regular hub. :p

http://www.3com.com/products/en_US/detail....&sku=3C16611-US

This may provide you with some info.

Look on page 3 of the manual. The button specifies an uplink. You need to use port 12 or 24.

Edited by randy_tho

What happens when you do:

ipconfig /release

followed by:

ipconfig /renew

on the PCs? Also, do you only have 3 PCs or are you leaving the others out of the diagrams for convenience? If you only have 3, stick with the router only. Using the hub would just slow things down.

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Posts

    • I'm sure Denmark would stand to lose a lot if US consumers stopped buying Danish products, whether that's Lurpak butter or hi-fi equipment.
    • JD Vance will be the next President. Who've the Democrats got? Harris again? lol....
    • Microsoft Edge gets new password feature and security fixes by Taras Buria Microsoft has released a new update for the Edge browser in the Stable Channel. Version 137.0.3296.83 introduces a new password feature and fixes security vulnerabilities to make your browsing experience safer. Starting with new features, Microsoft Edge 137 now supports Secure Password Deployment. Microsoft recently announced this for IT admins, allowing them to share encrypted passwords with user groups. This service lets users log into websites without seeing their passwords, thus enhancing the organization's security. You can read more about Microsoft Edge Secure Password Deployment in our recent article here. Security updates in Microsoft Edge 137.0.3296.83 include two fixes for Chromium vulnerabilities: CVE-2025-5958: Use after free in Media in Google Chrome prior to 137.0.7151.103 allowed a remote attacker to potentially exploit heap corruption via a crafted HTML page. (Chromium security severity: High) CVE-2025-5959: Type Confusion in V8 in Google Chrome prior to 137.0.7151.103 allowed a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code inside a sandbox via a crafted HTML page. (Chromium security severity: High) You can update Microsoft Edge to the latest version by heading to edge://settings/help. The browser can also update itself automatically in the background and apply updates between restarts. In case you missed it, Microsoft released Edge 137 by the end of May. The update deprecated quite a lot of existing features, including Wallet, Image Editor, Image Hover, Mini menu, and Video Super Resolution. It also introduced Web Content Filtering and enhancements for the picture-in-picture player and Find on Page in Microsoft Edge for Business. The next feature update for Microsoft Edge, version 138, is expected on the week of June 26, 2025, as part of the standard four-week release cadence.
    • Microsoft commits to upskill 1 million UK workers in AI this year by Paul Hill Microsoft has partnered with the UK government in the latter’s ambitious plan to train 7.5 million workers in AI skills over the next five years. Specifically, Microsoft has committed to upskilling 1 million of those workers by the end of this year. This represents a significant portion of the overall target and within a very short timeframe. The education drive by Microsoft builds on its previous “Get On” program, which has given 1.5 million people basic digital skills. The effort to train up 1 million British workers in AI is part of Microsoft’s broader £2.5 billion investment in UK AI infrastructure. Ensuring workers have the skills to leverage AI tools is important. Microsoft CEO UK Darren Hardman said recently that two-thirds of business people wouldn’t hire someone lacking AI skills, showing just how vital it is to get people’s skills up to date. Microsoft's approach to AI skills development Microsoft has several platforms to offer AI training, including Microsoft Learn, AI Skills Navigator, and through partnerships with non-profit organisations such as Catch22 in the UK. Its educational materials cover everything from the basics of generative AI to helping you prepare for advanced roles like being an AI engineer. With Catch22, Microsoft helps to train people who face various challenges to getting tech skills, including gender and ethnicity barriers, homelessness, mental health issues, school exclusion and disability. Microsoft is also trying to get more women into tech fields through programmes like TechHer, where it has trained thousands of women across UK government departments. Many of the courses that Microsoft offers come complete with certificates that you can show off on your CV when applying for a job to impress potential employers and land a job. Who else is partnering with the UK government? While Microsoft is playing a massive role in the government’s plans, it’s not the only big tech giant helping out. The firms that have partnered with the government are: Accenture, Amazon, Barclays, BT, Google, IBM, Intuit, Microsoft, Sage, SAS, and Salesforce. While all of these firms are helping to train workers, Microsoft’s planned efforts are the most notable. This initiative by the government will help the country brace for the changes AI is expected to bring to the economy. In April, the United Nations said that AI will affect 40% of all jobs, so being ready is a must.
    • Microsoft has an update on Exchange Online Basic Auth removal for Office 365 by Sayan Sen Back in 2022, Microsoft announced the retirement of Basic Authentication as it was moving to modern OAuth 2.0 token-based authentication. The reason was simple, to move away from such simple username-password authentication to more secure sign-ins. While Microsoft had previously planned to "permanently remove support for Basic authentication with Client Submission (SMTP AUTH) in September 2025", the company has now updated this timeline, adding a final delay. Perhaps this was on the cards given that Microsoft recently extended Basic Auth support for High Volume Email to 2028. On the Microsoft 365 Admin Center, a new message has been posted that details the changes regarding SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) AUTH Client Submission. The message says: Thus, starting March 1, 2026, Exchange Online will begin phasing out Basic authentication for sending emails via SMTP AUTH. At first, fewer attempts will be blocked, but by April 30, 2026, this older method will be fully disabled. After that, any apps or devices that want to send email this way will need to use OAuth. The message further adds how admins can proceed with the changes in case OAuth is not supported: Users who have access to the M365 Admin Center can view the message under ID MC786329.
  • Recent Achievements

    • Week One Done
      LagFighterZ earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • First Post
      ThatGuyOnline earned a badge
      First Post
    • One Month Later
      5i3zi1 earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • Week One Done
      5i3zi1 earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • Week One Done
      julien02 earned a badge
      Week One Done
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      540
    2. 2
      ATLien_0
      224
    3. 3
      +FloatingFatMan
      160
    4. 4
      Michael Scrip
      115
    5. 5
      +Edouard
      91
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!