Need just one more network port than you’ve currently got available (often: none)? A splitter can do the trick; just spend a few extra bucks to make sure you’ve made the right pick. I’ll begin this teardown with an analogy. Imagine you’re grilling weekend hamburgers for the family. After the patties are cooked (medium-rare, of course), you slot them in buns and load them up with per-recipient preferred extras—lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, onions, mustard, and the like.