Router/Switch Configuration

Hello,

I am using a 4 port (Linksys WRT54G2) router, and I need to add more ports. I'm considering purchasing a 5 port switch (D-Link DES-1105). I'll have the switch plugged into the router, and the router plugged into the cable modem. This leaves me with the following:

3 open ports on the Linksys Router
4 open ports on the D-Link Switch

I'm wondering how I should connect my devices. I have the following:

3 computers (wired, not wireless)
3 VoIP phones (wired, not wireless)

Does it make a difference which devices I plug into the switch and router? Will i have less bandwidth on the devices connected to the switch, compared to those connected directly to the router?

Thanks in advance for the help.

Sean

*As a side note-

According to the instructions, my VoIP phones need to plugged into a router. They will not work, for example, if plugged directly into the cable modem.

I'm not sure if this is relevant, but I thought I'd mention it.

On such a small scale, it doesn't really matter which device you plug your stuff into. Use all the ports on the router first, then start connecting stuff to the switch!

VoIP phones should go on the router in my Opinion since VoIP requires high QoS. But like the post above said... It's not really a big deal with this size of a network.

since QoS is done via port numbers it still doesnt matter where they go on the switch.

QoS can be configured either based on port numbers or MAC address. And let's not forget about SPI (Stateful Packet Inspection) since these two working together can make or break a VoIP-setup in a small environment that is heavily overloaded with P2P traffic.

Echo problems and choppy performance are the first signs of a crappy VoIP setup that struggles with latency issues, missing packets, and jitter (packets arriving out-of-order), especially on heavy Internet usage (torrents on client computers). Aside from implementing a QoS-based prioritization (give voice packets priority over other data), you should conduct tests on both topology scenarios.

Based on my experience, under most circumstances filling up all of the available slots on the router with the VoIP phones first and plugging the computers in the switch would be the best situations. Testing these scenarios is the only way to see how well the devices work together. And when I'm mentioning tests, I'm referring to VoIP bandwidth, latencies, and packet-statistics (missing/out-of-order).

I see you are using Linksys router. You may want to look into Sveasoft / Talisman firmwares. They add lots of new features, functionalities, and enhance overall stability. Look here.