What parts do I need to do this, if it is possible to do?

I have a wireless router, a linksys wrt54g, connected to my cable
modem running my local lan, on the 2nd floor of my house, in a room
dedicated to being a home office. All is fine with that, I even get
reception out at the pool in the summertime using the variety of cards
and builtin wireless on the several laptops that my family and friends
and I have. The router also has 4 ethernet ports that I have
connected to various desktop and laptop units in the previously
mentioned office.

On the main floor of the house, I have two tivo units (in the same
room). One of this is connected to the network by a tivo usb to
wireless adapter. Now, I could connect the 2nd tivo to another usb to
wireless adapter.

However, I would like to consider buying something else to connect
said tivos to the network, since most of their network traffic will be
tivo-to-tivo or tivo to internet, and not tivo to pc, and I'd like to
minimize the traffic over the wireless.

I don't think there is a wireless router that has multiple usb ports.
Or is there? How about one with both usb and ethernet connections, so
I could plug a loptop into it and not use the laptops wireless card,
as well as serving the tivos. If not that, is there some kind of
router (a bridge perhaps) that will connect wirelessly and provoide
ehternet and then with usb-to-ethernet adapters allow me to plug the
several tivo units in? What kind of hardware should I be looking at,
and a rough idea of price (e.g. at best buy or cdw or somewhere else
someone might recommend)?

Thanks,
-Chris

> However, I would like to consider buying something else to connect
> said tivos to the network, since most of their network traffic will be
> tivo-to-tivo or tivo to internet, and not tivo to pc, and I'd like to
> minimize the traffic over the wireless.

Wire CAT5 ethernet from each Tivo to the router. If you really want to
isolate the Tivo-to-tivo MRV traffic you could add another cheapie switch
between them and the wifi router.

Thus you'd use wired ethernet USB dongles on the Tivo units, not wireless.

"Bill Kearney" <wkearney-99@hot-mail-com> writes:

>> However, I would like to consider buying something else to connect
>> said tivos to the network, since most of their network traffic will be
>> tivo-to-tivo or tivo to internet, and not tivo to pc, and I'd like to
>> minimize the traffic over the wireless.
>
> Wire CAT5 ethernet from each Tivo to the router. If you really want to
> isolate the Tivo-to-tivo MRV traffic you could add another cheapie switch
> between them and the wifi router.
>
> Thus you'd use wired ethernet USB dongles on the Tivo units, not wireless.

Thank you for the reply.

Unfortunately, I don't want to run cat5 all the way from the TiVo
units to the router. They are on different floors and diferent sides
of the main doorway and both on the front side of the house. I want a
local router connected closer to the TiVos and I want that router to
talk to the main router over wireless. I don't want any new wires
running from any room to any other room. I want my room to room
connections to be wireless.

So, I can understand the point about usb to ethernet dongles. I then
plug the ethernet side of those into the extra 8-port ethernet switch
I'm not currently using for anything else. What do I plug into the
"wan" port of the ethernet switch to connect that switch (wirelessly)
to the wireless net that is already running? Is there a box I can get
that connects to a wireless net and acts like a local switch (or hub)?

Hmmm, would powerline networking be a better solution? I presume
that's just through the existing wall power outlets and dies at the
transformer box to the house. Do I have to worry about lightning
strikes (frequent in my area, take out the power several times a month
during the summer, often close by, taking out trees on our block too)?
I have everything on UPSs to minimize that damage, but I presume
that's a transformer, so that powerline networking would have to be
uptream of the UPS, and thus unprotected from spikes.

Chris F Clark wrote:
> Thank you for the reply.
>
> Unfortunately, I don't want to run cat5 all the way from the TiVo
> units to the router. They are on different floors and diferent sides
> of the main doorway and both on the front side of the house. I want a
<snipped>

Why not do it the easy way? I Got a unit from Tivo (AGO100) basically a USB
dongle made for the tivo unit, that plugs into the back, and connects to the
internet via your wireless network.. With the free service, you can get
messages/guides/updates etc direct to your unit, and if you have the paid
(monthly) advanced tivo service, you can even control it over the internet
(like set it to record from the office), or with TIVO to go, you can watch
what has been recorded on other wireless pc's on the wireless network..

Main starting point go to www.tivo.com click on the left side where it says
"I Have Tivo"... and read about all the neat stuff you can do and free
programs to do it,
as for the usb device
from
http://www.amazon.com/TiVo-Wireless-.../dp/B000ER5G6C
About $50
TiVo Wireless G USB Network Adapter for Series2 DVR (AG0100)
Read the many reviews

I have done it the easy way. I currently have 2 wireless adapters
(one on each TiVo).

However, I have 2 or 3 laptops on the wireless network all the time,
some of them running what I assume are bandwidth intensive operations
(RDP, VNC, and FTP xfers to and from my place of work). I'd just like
to not have TiVos fighting for that bandwidth as I move programs from
the old TiVo to the new one whence I can burn them to DVDs. Moreover,
eventually I will probably set up another compute lab in my basement.
I would also like that lab on its own local hardwired ethernet, with a
wireless connection to the two floors above. So, knowing how to use
wireless as a "WAN" is good for me to know in general.

I don't know at what point wierelss slows down, but I could ensision
having a dozen devices that want to be on the net generally, and I'd
rather most of them be tied to a hardwired ethernet, so that I only
have a few wireless devices, plus the laptop in my hand and the one in
my wife's hand. In addition, I have 4 or 5 neighbors also with
wireless nets that I can see from my house. I'd rather cut down on
the interference with them also, better bandwidth for all involved.

"Chris F Clark" <cfc@shell01.TheWorld.com> wrote in message
news:sddejqbzzok.fsf@shell01.TheWorld.com...
> I have done it the easy way. I currently have 2 wireless adapters
> (one on each TiVo).
>
> However, I have 2 or 3 laptops on the wireless network all the time,
> some of them running what I assume are bandwidth intensive operations
> (RDP, VNC, and FTP xfers to and from my place of work). I'd just like
> to not have TiVos fighting for that bandwidth as I move programs from
> the old TiVo to the new one whence I can burn them to DVDs. Moreover,
> eventually I will probably set up another compute lab in my basement.
> I would also like that lab on its own local hardwired ethernet, with a
> wireless connection to the two floors above. So, knowing how to use
> wireless as a "WAN" is good for me to know in general.
>
> I don't know at what point wierelss slows down, but I could ensision
> having a dozen devices that want to be on the net generally, and I'd
> rather most of them be tied to a hardwired ethernet, so that I only
> have a few wireless devices, plus the laptop in my hand and the one in
> my wife's hand. In addition, I have 4 or 5 neighbors also with
> wireless nets that I can see from my house. I'd rather cut down on
> the interference with them also, better bandwidth for all involved.

have a look at power line networking - you can get several 10s of Mbps
easily on newer types of kit.

Also less affected by walls :)

finally you can use it as a "backhaul" for wireless - i havent used this
stuff yet, but probably will be doing soon.
http://www.netgear.com/Products/Powe...ome+Networking
--
Regards

stephen_hope@xyzworld.com - replace xyz with ntl

stephen wrote:
> "Chris F Clark" <cfc@shell01.TheWorld.com> wrote in message
> news:sddejqbzzok.fsf@shell01.TheWorld.com...
>> I have done it the easy way. I currently have 2 wireless adapters
>> (one on each TiVo).
>>
>> However, I have 2 or 3 laptops on the wireless network all the time,
>> some of them running what I assume are bandwidth intensive operations
>> (RDP, VNC, and FTP xfers to and from my place of work). I'd just
>> like to not have TiVos fighting for that bandwidth as I move
>> programs from the old TiVo to the new one whence I can burn them to
>> DVDs. Moreover, eventually I will probably set up another compute
>> lab in my basement. I would also like that lab on its own local
>> hardwired ethernet, with a wireless connection to the two floors
>> above. So, knowing how to use wireless as a "WAN" is good for me to
>> know in general.
>>
>> I don't know at what point wierelss slows down, but I could ensision
>> having a dozen devices that want to be on the net generally, and I'd
>> rather most of them be tied to a hardwired ethernet, so that I only
>> have a few wireless devices, plus the laptop in my hand and the one
>> in my wife's hand. In addition, I have 4 or 5 neighbors also with
>> wireless nets that I can see from my house. I'd rather cut down on
>> the interference with them also, better bandwidth for all involved.
>
> have a look at power line networking - you can get several 10s of Mbps
> easily on newer types of kit.
>
> Also less affected by walls :)
>
> finally you can use it as a "backhaul" for wireless - i havent used
> this stuff yet, but probably will be doing soon.
> http://www.netgear.com/Products/Powe...ome+Networking

I use the powerline stuff rather heavily.. the 85mbps pair is $129, and you
can have several (you name and password each), I have 3 hooked to my
wap/router, so I can use discrete "private nets" from any ac outlet in the
house (mine, roomies, and a multimedia one).. They make a 200mbps one also
($149), but it only works if you have gigabit ethernet cards.. Even the 85
is faster than wirelss anyway...

"stephen" <stephen_hope@xyzworld.com> writes:

....
> have a look at power line networking - you can get several 10s of Mbps
> easily on newer types of kit.
>
> Also less affected by walls :)
>
> finally you can use it as a "backhaul" for wireless - i havent used this
> stuff yet, but probably will be doing soon.
> http://www.netgear.com/Products/Powe...ome+Networking
> --
> Regards
>
> stephen_hope@xyzworld.com - replace xyz with ntl

Thank you.

Does/Can one connect the WAN port of an ethernet switch (I have an 8
port 10/100 switch I'm not using for anything else) to the ethernet
output of a powerline ethernet adapter. Or can/does one connect it
just to a normal port of the switch? Will I need some sort of
cross-over cable? And, once having done so will all packets directed
to other "segments" of the net pass that way? I just want to make
sure that when my TiVos want to get to the main router and thus to the
internet, they will have an obvious (to them) path.

"Chris F Clark" <cfc@shell01.TheWorld.com> wrote in message
news:sddwt42y3fa.fsf@shell01.TheWorld.com...
> "stephen" <stephen_hope@xyzworld.com> writes:
>
> ...
> > have a look at power line networking - you can get several 10s of Mbps
> > easily on newer types of kit.
> >
> > Also less affected by walls :)
> >
> > finally you can use it as a "backhaul" for wireless - i havent used this
> > stuff yet, but probably will be doing soon.
> >
http://www.netgear.com/Products/Powe...ome+Networking
> > --
> > Regards
> >
> > stephen_hope@xyzworld.com - replace xyz with ntl
>
> Thank you.
>
> Does/Can one connect the WAN port of an ethernet switch (I have an 8
> port 10/100 switch I'm not using for anything else) to the ethernet
> output of a powerline ethernet adapter. Or can/does one connect it
> just to a normal port of the switch?

if it is a real Ethernet switch, then all ports are the same (although maybe
the uplink wiring is "crossed" so you dont need a crossover cable.

1 of the Netgear devices comes with a 4 port switch built in which can make
the setup much more tidy.

Will I need some sort of
> cross-over cable?

maybe - or you may have a port "crossed" in the switch. Easiest way is to
have both cables and try them.

And, once having done so will all packets directed
> to other "segments" of the net pass that way? I just want to make
> sure that when my TiVos want to get to the main router and thus to the
> internet, they will have an obvious (to them) path.

Ethernet switching is designed to be transparent - so the switches learn
which port to use to get to a specific device, and send the relevant
packets.

So - as long as the connectivity is there and the IP parameters are set up,
it should "just work".

only limit may be if your router has some sort of limit to the number of
attached IP devices (simple unmanaged switches shouldnt count, but the
Netgear units may since the have IP adr for setup).

--
Regards

stephen_hope@xyzworld.com - replace xyz with ntl