SageTV HD + USB Wifi or Ethernet Wifi bridge

[scottwed]

Has anyone found a viable method to add wifi connectivity to the SageTV HD box?

Back in the early wifi days, there were USB wifi adapters that you could configure using your computer, and then plug into other devices that didn't have a display.

There also used to be wifi ethernet bridges that were used on various game consoles. You ran a short ethernet cable into a small external box that provided the wifi client.

I'm considering upgrading to the latest wifi (802.11n), and adding more HD theater boxes in rooms without Ethernet drops.

Whatever I end up using should be capable of HD streaming, but I'm curious if anyone has got this working and can recommend any specific hardware.

[paulbeers]

I can't give you specific hardware, but there are many devices that can act as a wireless repeater/access point. Using these types of devices work a lot like the game adapters you mentioned in that you just run an ethernet cable from the ethernet device to the wireless access point and voila! Now what hardware works well for this with the HD200, I will have to let someone else chime in as I refuse to use wirelesss for anything beyond the occassional file transfer and internet access.

[cenwesi]

Interesting that you brought up this topic again. Just last week i received my second HD200. I already have one in the living room with Cat5 cable connected to the router in the basement (what a pain having someone to come run that cable). Anyway this one was going upstairs in one of the rooms and i knew running the cable was going to be hard. I looked at repeater/access point/bridge and realized quickly that any of those will WORK as long as you don't do any HD stuff. That of course wasn't going to work for me since i got a taste of HD and never went back to SD..... So you have two choice in my opinion:

1) Run cat5 cable to to your router/accesspoint/bridge/switch and then to your HD200 box.
2) Netgear powerline adapter (200mb version).

The first option seems way cheaper but a lot of times running the cable or trying to figure out how/where to starts tends to push people and their projects away for a long time. This is why a lot of people opt for the wireless solution and find out immediately that wireless and HD just don't work too well.

The second option is the best if you do not want to run wires and deal with wireless issues that will arise... I TESTED two versions of the Netgear Powerline adapters this last Sunday, the 85mb one and the 200mb version. The way this adapter works is you simply plug one of the adapter to any of your power outlet next to your router and plug the cat5 cable to the adapter and to your router. Next you plug the other adapter to the outlet closest to your HD200 or any outlet, plug the cat5 cable onto the adapter and then the other end to your HD200 and now you are ready.....

Keep in mind that my goal was NOT to run wires from the room upstairs to the basement and to be able to STREAM my HD contents. Not just recorded tv shows but also MOVIES. The Netgear powerline adapter (85mb) version worked and can stream HD contents but after couple seconds will start to stutter. Test the 200mb one and streamed HD contents without 1 stutter. Even had the other HD200 in the living room running while testing this and still not one. So for about $130 at Newegg this is the way to go not to mention there is unlimited possibilities for me now with this adapter.

PS here is a video on youtube if you want to know more about the adapters...

[Clift]

Another option would be to use a MoCA (Multimedia over Coax Alliance), which runs ethernet over your existing cableTV/coax lines. People have had good success with those. Essentially these are what Verizon FiOS and AT&T Uverse use for their STBs to talk to one another...

About $200 from Newegg, or about $20 cheaper if you look for deals through froogle.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16833122243

Or you could also buy the actiontec units piecemeal
http://www.google.com/products?q=hme...l=en&scoring=p

[othy]

I've had an outstanding experience with the Netgear WNHDEB111 kit. It's basically two -n access points packaged together and is effectively like the bridge you're describing. I got it after it came up in a thread on wireless stuff and I couldn't be happier. Took about 5 minutes to set up and has worked flawlessly for over a month (95% HD material, from both HDHR and HD-PVR).

In my case, the signal is going through several walls (and a floor) but is not covering much linear distance. Performance on my wireless connection is indistinguishable from the performance of my other extender on a wired connection.

HD over wireless is very much a YMMV situation. It seems many can get close but can't quite squeeze out enough throughput for good results. If there's ANY way to run a wire, do that. If you try wireless, I'd suggest buying gear from someone with a reasonable return policy.

Tim

[Taddeusz]

Wireless can be a very dodgy situation for getting HD to your extender. I had a wireless bridge going to my HD100 and it would work fine until someone else was using the wireless. Wireless bandwidth is shared so if the bandwidth needed is just on the edge of usability someone just simply web browsing could get you in the stutter zone.

The ethernet over coax seems to be the way to go if you don't want to run more cable. Ethernet over power is very hit or miss and in my case was actually slower than the wireless.

[Slipshod]

I just setup a wireless bridge last night and it's working great for all my HD Homerun QAM recordings. I work for an enterprise wireless company, but even though it's not consumer gear you can still get good results.

Here's the keys to making it work:

1. Don't use 11b or 11g. Just don't. In fact, don't even consider anything that runs on the 2.4GHz spectrum. There's just too much interference from your neighbors, phones, microwave ovens, and random gadgets. Not to mention just having one 11b device nearby cuts your throughput in half even if it's just sitting there idling.
2. 11a is the minimum, and 11n on 5GHz is ideal. I'm running an 11a bridge (for the moment) and had to turn off some of the animations and background clutter to get to what I considered an acceptable UI experience, but the video has all worked fine. I haven't tried OTA ATSC (might not work), or Blu-Ray (definitely won't work), but the HD MPEG-2 QAM off of the cable company works fine.
3. Make sure your normal wireless network is on a different channel set than the bridge link. This is very easy in 5GHz land, where each channel is non-overlapping (more or less, avoid adjacent ones if you can).
4. Don't run anything but your HD Extender over the bridge. No web browsing, no file copying. Nothing. If you stick another PC on there you're asking for trouble.
5. If you have a 5.8GHz phone, you may need to try a different channel. Test it out as soon as you set it up: put the base-station and phone in the same room with one end of the bridge and try to talk on the phone and watch TV at the same time.

Having said that, WiFi bridges seem more expensive than other potential solutions, especially used MOCA gear on Ebay.

[evilpenguin]

I tried going wireless for a while, but it ended up being more frustrating than it was worth. I'd say, for me, about 20% of the time the drop outs, connection losses, and signal quality were so bad that I couldn't even watch TV.

Obviously that percentage will vary depending on your environment, but any number besides than 0% is unacceptable to me. I plan on picking up one of those MOCA kits next time I hit up Frys.

[MitchSchaft]

WiFi does not belong in the HD realm, IMO! Drop some cables, people.

[cenwesi]

I still say PowerLine....Much cleaner solution

[Slipshod]

Originally Posted by cenwesi

I still say PowerLine....Much cleaner solution

I tried poweline (the newer 200Mbps phy rate gear) and in my house it was complete crap. Couldn't get more than 17Mbps real throughput between the two areas I needed to connect, and then one of the adapters died mysteriously after around 6 months of usage. Seems like it depends an awful lot on your electrical wiring.

I'd go for Moca instead of powerline if you can't run ethernet or get reliable wireless.

[gplasky]

Interesting new product.

Gigabit Powerline

Designed for HD.

Gigabit Powerline HD Starter Kit (F5D4076) – $149.99

* Ideal for ultrafast high-quality transmission of multiple video streams, reducing online gaming latency and quickly transferring large data files
* Includes one single-port Adapter for a gaming console, HDTV, or a computer and another single-port Adapter to plug into a router
* Stream multiple HD movies and game online
* Improves Internet connectivity in remote rooms or places hard to reach with wireless connections
* Provides a secure, stable networking signal
* Push-button security
* Plug-and-play setup
* Mesh network:
o Adding a third (or more) Belkin Powerline Adapter enables Gigle’s xtendnet™ feature that provides increasing networking stability and performance by creating a transparent mesh network.
* Compatible with HomePlug&regAV products

*NOTE: The standard transmission rate—1000Mbps—is the ideal physical data rate. Actual data throughput and distance will be lower, depending on interference, network traffic, building materials, and other conditions.

Gerry

[Fuzzy]

I've never understood the aversion to running some cat5 where you need it. It makes everything so much simpler, and smoother. It's a one time labor thing, that will save you endless headaches in the end. Leave wireless where it belongs... for mobile use (laptop you want to use anywhere in the house, for instance). For a stationary item like an extender, I don't see the reason NOT to run some cable.

[rrhorer]

I'll offer at least one reason for not running cat5 -- a single story home with a flat roof and no basement. This is quite common in Arizona.

[othy]

I agree that wired is always the best option, but sometimes it just isn't an option. There may be physical obstructions that make running wire impossible or prohibitively expensive, people who rent the property and either aren't allowed to run wires or will not stay long enough to justify the cost, etc. I'm sure there are others.

In my case, I went without Sage upstairs for a year and a half because I couldn't run ethernet and everyone said that wireless wasn't worth trying (and reviews of powerlines implementations seemed nearly as mixed as wireless). After a couple of success stories got posted I decided to give it a shot. Lo and behold, for $99 including shipping and (literally) a few minutes of time I now have Sage in the master bedroom. And it's an implementation that is not just "adequate"--my wife can't tell the difference between it and the wired extender.

Of course this comes with the same disclaimer as diet ads on TV: "Results not typical." But if ethernet, powerline, or coax aren't options, it may be worth a shot.

Tim

[fyodor]

I'd recommend MoCA. Virtually everyone seems to have good experiences with it, whereas powerline tends to be much more hit and miss. If you're comfortable with a little bit of basic router configuration, you can get a pair of Actiontec routers for $25 each and configure them as MoCA bridges. Works great for me (I also have a NIM100 bridge in another room).

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1145636

[Narflex]

We will be adding support for a USB wireless N adapter with the HD200 in the next couple months.

[Fuzzy]

part of why people have mixed results with powerline adapters, is, at least in the states, there are two power lines in your house. This is due to the split 220/110 power system we use. devices on one leg should have no problem talking to devices on the other, but without a bridge connecting the two legs, the signal will not get to the other side. So, for instance, you might get great connection between the two halves if, for instance, you electric oven is on, but not it if it off. The same phenomenon is seen with X10/Insteon Home Automation devices.

[babgvant]

Originally Posted by MitchSchaft

WiFi does not belong in the HD realm, IMO! Drop some cables, people.

I had a really good experience with a dlink N AP (DIR-825) & adapter (DWA-160). Worked great - even for BD rips - plus the AP supported dual band so the client had dedicated 5GHz spectrum.

That said, I got tired of the blinking lights on the adapter and ended up drilling holes and dropping some wires (not fun)

[tenkan]

I use Netgear moca adapter set for a year - and when it comes to streaming 1080p from the second floor to the basement, it beats all my attempts with wifi.