1. Someone should probably verify the functional capability of your equipment. Are they just a modem and switch or do they have additional functionality built-in. If you "post" the model name, product number, and hardware version for your equipment (look for info on back or bottom), perhaps someone can pull the specs off the internet for:
a. HughesNet Satellite Modem
b. Dynex Ethernet Switch
2. Unless there's something special about a "satellite" modem and that switch, you should return it. Standard best practice when setting up a home network is to connect the modem to a home router not a switch. (Actually the home router has a "switch" component built-in to the back end of it).
While there are many things you can configure in a router, most people don't (they should but they don't). The configurations are there to make your network and data more secure. (A switch offers no security at all.) All of the major vendors provide user manuals with setup instructions either on CD, on their website for download, or both. Many people have home routers for their networks. It's expensive to pay someone to set them up or maintain them, so don't. Do it yourself. Once you work through it, you'll be able to maintain it for the lifetime of your network.
If you have a laptop, you should consider a "wireless" home router. They still have four "wired" ports, but also include a wireless access point component. While I have concerns about the physical safety of wireless signals, they do provide a configuration option to disable the wireless component. (Hopefully this actually disables all wireless signal propagation). Last approved wireless mode standard was 802.11g. Most wireless sold today is for the proposed 802.11n standard which has not been finalized. I bought my wireless 802.11g Linksys router about four years ago on sale for about 50 dollars US. Your laptop probably has a wireless network adaptor. You should check to see what wireless modes it supports. My point - you can get an 802.11g wireless router for less than that switch.
3. Cost. With the time, effort, and money (additional software, labor) you'd have to spend to get the switch to not work well (and it will never work well); you'd be an unhappy person.
Most ISPs will "lease" you one "public" IP address for Internet access. If they provide more than one, be prepared to pay extra for it. Without additional software or configuration, if you connect two computers to a switch which connects to a modem, you'll need two IP addresses from the ISP. If they do something funny like provide special software for one of your computers to act as a server to the other, you might get by with one address from the ISP; but it might require the server computer to always be on to operate.