Installing an auto-uplink Ethernet switch is easy. You just plug an Ethernet cable from the router in to the switch and then plug all your devices in to the remaining ports. The switch does the rest. If your switching isn’t auto-uplink, it may have a separate uplink port for plugging in the cable from the router.

The switch does not have to be in the same room as your router. If you have an attic or basement office with multiple devices you want to wire up, or if you’re connecting multiple devices in your living room, you can run just one Ethernet wire from your base station to the remote location and then use a switch to connect everything.

Running Ethernet wires a long way is easier than you think. If there is an attic or crawl space above or below, you can simply poke through the floor or ceiling, run the wires out of sight, and poke back in again in the desired location; you can use wall plates (like electrical outlet covers) to hide the holes. If you have to run wires within rooms, look for flat, adhesive, and paintable Cat 5e Ethernet cabling that can run unnoticed along baseboards and moldings, such as . Video Products Inc sells that works well under carpets.

[Becky Waring is a Berkeley, California-based technology writer and former MacWeek reviews editor.]