- My Forums
- Tiger Rant
- LSU Recruiting
- SEC Rant
- Saints Talk
- Pelicans Talk
- More Sports Board
- Fantasy Sports
- Golf Board
- Soccer Board
- O-T Lounge
- Tech Board
- Home/Garden Board
- Outdoor Board
- Health/Fitness Board
- Movie/TV Board
- Book Board
- Music Board
- Political Talk
- Money Talk
- Fark Board
- Gaming Board
- Travel Board
- Food/Drink Board
- Ticket Exchange
- TD Help Board
Customize My Forums- View All Forums
- Show Left Links
- Topic Sort Options
- Trending Topics
- Recent Topics
- Active Topics
Started By
Message
Home Networking Problem: Samsung, Plex, Roku, Etc. Need Help
Posted on 11/6/14 at 12:05 am
Posted on 11/6/14 at 12:05 am
Ok here's the thing: I just moved a long distance for a job, which means costs, costs and more costs. So a new TV is a ways away, I have to make due for now.
The situation: So I have an older Samsung Flatscreen which has served me well for 4 years. Still no dead pixels, it's been through 4 moves now. No problems, no issues. I like it and I'm a cord cutter so I run Netflix and Plex through it constantly. But it's wired connection only, which I really prefer for all the streaming I do.
I'm also a gamer, and like my desktop wired as well. This has never been a problem until....now. The TV and the Computer are about 150 feet apart, I have a 100 ft. long CAT5 that's run around some rooms before, but #1 - It's not long enough, #2 It would have to cross a hallway, three doors and a few other things, just not optimal and, well, ugly. Currently the router is by the computer and printer. Router = Asus RT66U, so nice speed, dual band.
LONG STORY SHORT: I need two things wired to a router across an apartment that are just too far away to connect. I need the option that provides the fastest connections for gaming and streaming. I'd do anything except buy a new TV.
But I need both wired.....right? I can think of a few options, but could use some help.
1) Buy a Roku and ditch the TV apps. Is the Roku 3 fast enough for wireless to be in HD? I have 50 Mbps internet, so it should be fast enough, but I just don't trust wireless for streaming. Am I too old fashioned?
2) Second Router. I'm sort of tech savvy. \Would a bridge work best? I think so Or DD WRT as a bridge? But that's essentially wireless (I had an old modem with TOmato so I'm comfortable flashing/installing new firmware.) Dedicated or hacked, I'm good either way.
3) Wireless card for the computer. I plan to built a new computer soon (it must trump the TV) but I could move the router to the TV and get a wireless card, but much like streaming, I just feel more comfortable gaming on a wired connection.
4) Suck it up and wire the TV across the universe. I mean I could, as a last resort.
Any thoughts? Anything I'm not thinking of?
The situation: So I have an older Samsung Flatscreen which has served me well for 4 years. Still no dead pixels, it's been through 4 moves now. No problems, no issues. I like it and I'm a cord cutter so I run Netflix and Plex through it constantly. But it's wired connection only, which I really prefer for all the streaming I do.
I'm also a gamer, and like my desktop wired as well. This has never been a problem until....now. The TV and the Computer are about 150 feet apart, I have a 100 ft. long CAT5 that's run around some rooms before, but #1 - It's not long enough, #2 It would have to cross a hallway, three doors and a few other things, just not optimal and, well, ugly. Currently the router is by the computer and printer. Router = Asus RT66U, so nice speed, dual band.
LONG STORY SHORT: I need two things wired to a router across an apartment that are just too far away to connect. I need the option that provides the fastest connections for gaming and streaming. I'd do anything except buy a new TV.
But I need both wired.....right? I can think of a few options, but could use some help.
1) Buy a Roku and ditch the TV apps. Is the Roku 3 fast enough for wireless to be in HD? I have 50 Mbps internet, so it should be fast enough, but I just don't trust wireless for streaming. Am I too old fashioned?
2) Second Router. I'm sort of tech savvy. \Would a bridge work best? I think so Or DD WRT as a bridge? But that's essentially wireless (I had an old modem with TOmato so I'm comfortable flashing/installing new firmware.) Dedicated or hacked, I'm good either way.
3) Wireless card for the computer. I plan to built a new computer soon (it must trump the TV) but I could move the router to the TV and get a wireless card, but much like streaming, I just feel more comfortable gaming on a wired connection.
4) Suck it up and wire the TV across the universe. I mean I could, as a last resort.
Any thoughts? Anything I'm not thinking of?
This post was edited on 11/6/14 at 12:45 am
4
Posted on 11/6/14 at 12:50 am to Freauxzen
quote:
Is the Roku 3 fast enough for wireless to be in HD? I have 50 Mbps internet, so it should be fast enough, but I just don't trust wireless for streaming. Am I too old fashioned?
Roku 3 can stream in HD over wireless with much less connection than what you've got. No issue there.
quote:
difference between an access point, a repeater or any other setting.
Any router you're thinking of will likely do all the things you need. The mode you want is "wireless bridge mode" and there are actually a fair number of "media wireless bridges" out there (I have zero firsthand experience with them), but i have run routers in bridge mode. Think of it like a an ethernet wireless adapter (as opposed to a usb wireless adapter) for your computer (or any other device that's got your cat5 port and no wireless). It catches your main router's wifi and puts it out through its ethernet ports (just like a switch would, but without the wire connecting them). If you're going to do this, it's really a similar concept to the roku- you're using a wireless signal to stream. You would have to determine whether price point and quality are worth it. I'm not on top of my cheap routers at this point, but the Roku (and most of its competitors) offers a fairly decent wireless connection. I would probably go with the cheaper of the two. Or maybe you're the kind of person who's big into remote control reduction and the bridge is a better idea. It's style points, mostly, though the Roku likely had a better processor than your TV. I can't promise that, though. Or that it would have an effect.
quote:
Wireless card for the computer.
I'm not a gamer, but I'm pretty sure the answer is to keep the gaming rig and media server wired, rig the TV wirelessly.
quote:
Anything I'm not thinking of?
Power ine adapter. They're not cheap (I think $75 for a 200mbps model was the most recent I've seen. No firsthand experience again so maybe someone better versed will correct me). They're inconsistent though. Some electrical wiring works great. Some works poorly.
quote:
Any thoughts?
You say "apartment" so I'll assume it's rented and that poking holes in the wall are a no-go. If that's the case, I would probably go with a wireless media bridge for fairly cheap since you are happy with the TV apps. It won't add another remote/more clutter. Roughly the same price as a cheap one of these would be a Chromecast. Many love them. I dislike mine and find the app to be rather nonresponsive. I use it still. I think Roku and AppleTV (no plex) are better boxes. I will have access to a firetv stick in January and can comment on one then, but for now, of the available boxes, a Roku is probably the best bet. It's more expensive, though. I don't have a recommendation on a cheap or good bridge, though. I know that Linksys makes some. If it were me, I'd probably buy a used router from Craigslist in the $20-40 range that was wireless N or better that either had a bridge mode or could be flashed with one of the popular powerful router firmwares (like dd-wrt).
Posted on 11/6/14 at 9:21 am to Freauxzen
Posted on 11/6/14 at 9:26 am to wolftiger
quote:
600 Mbps Mini Powerline AV2 Gigabit Adapter
Guess 600Mbps is better than what you get now...
Not sure why they call it Gigabit though...
Posted on 11/6/14 at 9:34 am to wolftiger
Posted on 11/6/14 at 9:35 am to CAD703X
quote:
half that price
1/3 the speed
ETA: I have never used a product like this, and am interested in how true to the speeds they are
This post was edited on 11/6/14 at 9:36 am
Posted on 11/6/14 at 10:14 am to Hopeful Doc
quote:
Roku 3 can stream in HD over wireless with much less connection than what you've got. No issue there.
And Plex on Roku is fast and responsive? It actually isn't on my Samsung (nothing is on that thing), but I don't want bigger troubles.
quote:
You say "apartment" so I'll assume it's rented and that poking holes in the wall are a no-go. If that's the case, I would probably go with a wireless media bridge for fairly cheap since you are happy with the TV apps. It won't add another remote/more clutter. Roughly the same price as a cheap one of these would be a Chromecast. Many love them. I dislike mine and find the app to be rather nonresponsive. I use it still. I think Roku and AppleTV (no plex) are better boxes. I will have access to a firetv stick in January and can comment on one then, but for now, of the available boxes, a Roku is probably the best bet. It's more expensive, though. I don't have a recommendation on a cheap or good bridge, though. I know that Linksys makes some. If it were me, I'd probably buy a used router from Craigslist in the $20-40 range that was wireless N or better that either had a bridge mode or could be flashed with one of the popular powerful router firmwares (like dd-wrt).
Bingo. I'd be comfortable spending the $85 on the Roku or the $90 on a dedicated bridge or apparently $90 on the Powerline Adapter.
Posted on 11/6/14 at 10:15 am to wolftiger
quote:
Use this
run network through home wiring
I use this at home, works flawlessly.
Thanks for the tip.
The only thing I'm worried about with these is an apartment complex. I took a job and moved to a completely new city in under 3 weeks, we're taking our time to find a house so the apartment it is for now.
I'm worried that someone using a microwave a below me will cause enough interference to ruin the signal.
I'm assuming you use these in an isolated home environment?
Posted on 11/6/14 at 1:05 pm to CAD703X
I don't actually have that particular one. I was just showing an example I could find quickly. I bought mine about 2 years ago off of woot.
Posted on 11/6/14 at 1:06 pm to Freauxzen
Right, but I have and use a microwave in my house and don't notice any interference. It's not like your wiring is connected to your neighbors. That shouldn't be a concern.
Posted on 11/6/14 at 1:40 pm to wolftiger
quote:
It's not like your wiring is connected to your neighbors.
You sure about that? I thought both MoCA and powerline networking had to encrypt everything or use filters to keep your traffic from escaping your four walls.
Posted on 11/6/14 at 2:17 pm to Spock's Eyebrow
I was responding to the concern that a microwave from a neighbors apt. would interfere with the signal, not whether the signal was locked down or not.
Encryption is another topic entirely. Most of these types of products have encryption built-in.
Encryption is another topic entirely. Most of these types of products have encryption built-in.
Posted on 11/6/14 at 3:25 pm to wolftiger
quote:
I don't actually have that particular one. I was just showing an example I could find quickly. I bought mine about 2 years ago off of woot.
Ahhhh got it.
Thanks.
Posted on 11/6/14 at 3:29 pm to Freauxzen
So if I'm not doing the cheap option, what's probably the best:
Roku 3
or
Dedicated Bridge
Roku 3
or
Dedicated Bridge
Posted on 11/6/14 at 9:14 pm to Freauxzen
I've been using MOCA networking in my home for the past 3 years with great results. I tried a powerline adapter about 5 years ago and it was spotty at best. I've never tested my speeds over the network but I run as many as 4 TV's at once along with tablets etc over the network with no problems. (FYI all of my TV's feed off of a central media center computer and have an xbox 360 connected to each of them for live or recorded content, along with all of the normal streaming apps... netflix, amazon etc. so bandwidth is used throughout the house over the MOCA network.)
LINK
I would definitely recommend MOCA.
LINK
I would definitely recommend MOCA.
Posted on 11/6/14 at 9:36 pm to Freauxzen
quote:
o if I'm not doing the cheap option, what's probably the best:
Roku 3
or
Dedicated Bridge
Well, given your earlier post that plex doesn't play on your TV, I'd go with the Roku 3. Plex is pretty fast and responsive. I frequently stream .WTV files in the 5GB range from a desktop running plex over a usb wireless N adapter which goes upstairs, through 3 walls, and back to a Roku 2xs which is also wireless N, same floor + 2 walls away (I would never call this ideal, but by their own design, I steal my landlord's wifi). Files load quickly. My server is huge and unorganized, but digging through files is quick and easy. They load pretty quickly. I do think it could stand some better performance when skipping forward in a file (rebuffers as if you're restarting the video, occasionally longer), but given my un-ideal setup, it's likely more server side (does all the on-the-fly transcoding) than the client side.
I think you'll get a pretty good signal with either given your router. Unsure about interference, but it doesn't sound like that's an issue- even if it was, it would affect both equally. Given that + your TVs lack of plex-ability, I would go with "add features" (Roku) rather than "reconstitute similar setup" (bridge). That's if they're the same price, of course. You could probably make a decent wireless bridge down in the $20-40 range. You (Go to Craigslist. Find used router. Google router model + "bridge mode") can probably find a Roku 2xs (still an excellent device and, released roughly the same time as the current AppleTV if I'm not mistaken; it's definitely not "dated" in terms of power or performance. The major upgrade from the 2xs--> 2 was a remote that went from bluetooth to wireless direct + headphone jack. Otherwise, from what I read that's a pretty lateral move. Now, the 2xs --> 3 did upgrade the processor quite a bit. I'm sure it didn't hurt, but in my experience, I don't know how necessary that upgrade really was. I still get great results from a 2xs.)
Posted on 11/6/14 at 10:20 pm to LSUJay13
quote:
I've been using MOCA networking in my home for the past 3 years with great results. I tried a powerline adapter about 5 years ago and it was spotty at best. I've never tested my speeds over the network but I run as many as 4 TV's at once along with tablets etc over the network with no problems. (FYI all of my TV's feed off of a central media center computer and have an xbox 360 connected to each of them for live or recorded content, along with all of the normal streaming apps... netflix, amazon etc. so bandwidth is used throughout the house over the MOCA network.)
LINK
I would definitely recommend MOCA.
Interesting, I'll look into it.
Posted on 11/6/14 at 10:23 pm to Hopeful Doc
quote:
I think you'll get a pretty good signal with either given your router. Unsure about interference, but it doesn't sound like that's an issue- even if it was, it would affect both equally. Given that + your TVs lack of plex-ability, I would go with "add features" (Roku) rather than "reconstitute similar setup" (bridge). That's if they're the same price, of course.
That's really the best way to look at it. Is it best to keep what I have, "reconstitute similar setup," or is wireless Roku smooth enough to play anything. If it can connect AC or N, I should be ok, I think that's the big question.
I'm leaning Roku now, depending on what the MoCA research reveals.
Again, thanks for all of the help. It's tough when you have 0 control over running cables. I'd wire an entire house, just my style.
This post was edited on 11/6/14 at 10:25 pm
Posted on 11/7/14 at 9:30 am to Freauxzen
quote:
it can connect AC or N
It's 802.11 a/b/g/n, and the 3 uses the 5.0 GHz band.
Page 1 of 1
Popular
Back to top
Follow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News