[mythtv-users] mythtv: diskless frontends/home networking

[Jesse Guardiani]

James C. Dastrup wrote:
>> The LCD backlight on my 1.2ghz thinkpad died a few days ago,
>> so I'm going to make it into a lightweight frontend. It has an ATI
>> chipset and I'm pretty sure the video out works under linux, so
>> the only frontend hardware I really need to buy is an IR or RF
>> remote.
>>
>> I'm trying to decide between diskless CF or keeping the laptop
>> disk. I like the CF for heat/reliability/cost benefits, but doesn't
>> LiveTV require a local spool of disk space? Or is that done
>> on the backend?
>>
>>     
>
> I have a diskless frontend that works just fine. Not even CF - it
> boots with PXE. Myth doesn't require a local spool of disk
> space. It was running 100 mbit at first, and it got much much faster
> after moving to gigabit.


:) I'm sure it did. Gig-e is like having a network attached hard disk. 
But gig-e isn't an option.
Are you saying that with gig-e you don't need a local spool? Or just in 
general?


>  Things like the EPG, videos starting, booting
> up, menus, etc. all became more responsive. I wouldn't recommend 
> diskless over wireless, but maybe out there has experience with it.
>
>   
>> The other issue is networking. I doubt wifi is a good idea as I
>> already have one machine hogging wifi bandwidth and I'd like
>> to be able to add 2 or 3 more diskless frontends in the future
>> if necessary. I can't run Ethernet cable as it's an apartment and
>> I can't go drilling holes in things. What does that leave me?
>>
>> Powerline networking? Does anyone have any experience with
>> that sort of thing? Could it support more than 1 remote frontend?
>> What's a good brand available in the USA?
>>
>> I only have SD right now, but I just bought an HD card and I'll
>> be upgrading the backend this week, so I need to think about
>> HD too. So... in general, how much bandwidth does SD/HD
>> consume per frontend?
>>
>>     
>
> HD can use up to 20 Mbit/sec. 802.11b won't work at all,
> but maybe 802.11a or g will with a very good signal and nothing
> else using the wireless 'shared' bandwidth. There's been lot of
> posts in the past about wireless use - search the archives.
>   

I found this:
  http://www.hdbeat.com/2005/12/21/hdtv-over-wifi-80211a/
I have to wonder if the xbox 360 is using a more efficient network 
protocol than NFS though.

So far, it looks like 802.11a or bust.

-- 
Jesse Guardiani
Programmer/Sys Admin
jesse at wingnet.net