access LAN over router when internet is down?

[dazz williams]

I'm not at home right now, but I suppose I could try this out by unplugging my router when I do get home... However I'm curious as to other people's experiences.
I know that a switch or hub doesn't necessarily have to be connected to a WAN or public internet in order to computers on the LAN to share files or printers, but is that true of a router as well? I just realized I've never tried it. If the internet is down (or you simple unplug the router from the cable/DSL modem) are you still able to access files on other computers on the LAN?
dazz.
PS - I guess I could try this at work by unplugging the cable/DSL modem... but then everybody would be offline for my little experiment... and that would be evil... like Mordac the Preventer of Information Services!

[redhead]

It is possible, if the router has several Ether ports, and the other computers are connected to those.
(Or in absence there of, a switch is connected to the router, where every computer is connected)
Todays routeres which typicaly provide 4/5 ether ports, are actualy routers with buildin firewall/dhcp-server/switch capabilities, which means as long as the computers connected are within the same IP-segment ie: 172.16.0.0/12 or 192.168.0.0/16 or 10.0.0.0/8, the switch part of the router handles the request, and the router part of it dosn't do a thing.

I guess I could try this at work by unplugging the cable/DSL modem... but then everybody would be offline for my little experiment... and that would be evil... like Mordac the Preventer of Information Services!

Havn't you been influenced by BOFH aka Simon Travaglia ??