[mythtv-users] STAY AWAY FROM WI-FI !!!

Raphael Pooser rpooser at gmail.com
Thu Dec 8 13:30:45 EST 2005


Franco wrote:

>>I have an 802.11g wireless network at home, and it works perfectly.
>>you probably have either very thick walls, lots of metal around
>>    
>>
>
>Yes, I have a 3-floors house, with very thick walls/floors/ceilings
>made of iron and concrete.
>
>  
>
>>Are you saying that you were just unable to get enough throughput on  
>>you WiFi card?
>>    
>>
>
>Yes, with the 811.g I was barely able to tranfer files
>at about 30 KB/sec (when the link wasn't down).
>
>  
>
>>Or were you just unable to maintain a reliable signal?
>>    
>>
>
>Both things. The signal wasn't reliable at all, but even
>when I had the signal, performances were very poor.
>Under Linux, I used a ping -f to keep the connectiopn up.
>The windows machines were basically network-less.
>
>  
>
>>But I suppose I'll look into that electical networking stuff.
>>My only concern is the cost.
>>    
>>
>
>It's worth it. They are not only faster and reliable,
>they are also plug-and-play. I didn't even open the
>enclosed CDs... just plugged the adapter in a free plug,
>and I was networked....
>remember, you'll have to look for cards supported by linux, 
>and probably fight a lot with kernel modules and configuration
>scripts, to get the wi-fi up and running (even it things
>may be easier now than one year ago on Fedora core 2)
>
>  
>
>>Also, you have to be careful with this kind of network because it can be 
>>accessed by anyone on your side of the transformer.
>>    
>>
>
>Well, that device has also a way for encrypting the transmitted data...
>at least the risk is limited to my neighbours.
>If you really manage to get a working wi-fi, anybody passing by
>the street could connect to your LAN...
>
>Franco
>
>  
>
>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>_______________________________________________
>mythtv-users mailing list
>mythtv-users at mythtv.org
>http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
>  
>
Um, linux isn't really that bad with wifi as people seem to think.  All 
you need is a good chipset.  ANYTHING RALINK WILL DO.  Why? because they 
have provided the source for their drivers to the linux community and 
now there are good high quality drivers native to linux, no ndiswrapper, 
no windows drivers, just a straight up kernel module code which you 
download from rt2500 at sourceforge and compile from source, so you know 
it will work on your system no matter what.
The Source code even comes with a GUI wireless configuration and signal 
monitoring utility - it's as easy to configure as if you're using 
windows XP.  There are Ralink chips all over the place on wireless usb 
adaptors, PCI cards, you name it.  Ever heard of them?  No? Of course 
not because you didn't do and RESEARCH before trying your wifi network.  
Let me ask you this then.  If wifi is so bad and has so many 
disadvantages, why did you even try to use it as your first choice??
I'm using wifi in my mythtv box with a ralink2500 chipset, and have been 
happily ever since I built my myth box.  I get a constant 54MBps with 
the router a few rooms away.  In fact, I never had a single problem at 
all anywhere along the whole process, which took me 4 minutes to compile 
the driver and then install the kernel module.  It was the easiest thing 
in the system.
Here are a couple more pointers for you.  Everyone in the neighborhood 
can see your computers huh?  Ever heard of Mac address filtering and WEP 
or WPA encryption?  Your signal is too low?  Did you EVER even consider 
getting an external antenna that connects to the SMA connector on your 
wireless card?  Put a $10-$20 antenna on your wireless and then put the 
same on your wireless router.  Don't get signal on floor 1?  Put one 
router on floor 2 and measure signal on floor 3 and 1, put another 
router as a repeater on the floor with the weakest signal.
For Christ's sake, I am absolutely amazed that you even got your mythtv 
box up and running at all, someone who can't even do some simple 
research and install a simple wireless network.
I think all the howto guys like Jared Wilson need a big round of 
applause because this means that the howtos are getting GOOD.
By the way I hate it when people send out emails with all caps subjects 
telling the whole world to shun an entire industry because that person 
was too inept to partake in it.  You probably noticed.
Raphael


More information about the mythtv-users mailing list