[mythtv-users] wireless frontend?

[Brian Wood]

On Jul 12, 2006, at 11:04 AM, Stephen Sassman wrote:

> I am thinking of building a frontend for my living room, but the  
> backend is upstairs. Is it possible to use a wireless card to  
> connect to the backend. My backend is connected to a wireless  
> router. I would like to do this, but I have heard that it could be  
> a problem.
>

While it is theoretically possible to use an 802.11g link for a  
single SD video, in practice it requires an absolutely ideal  
situation for it to work glitch-free.

You need to have just about perfect signal reception, no interfering  
signals (microwave ovens, 2.4Ghz. cordless phones, other 802.11  
devices etc.) and no 802.11b devices talking on the network.

Bear in mind that your neighbor's appliances can cause trouble as  
well as your own.

So if you have absolutely no alternative you might give it a try, but  
don't be surprised if the results are less than satisfactory.

The "pre-N" Mimo devices being sold might perform better than  
802.11g, but the reviews have been very mixed, and there is no  
guarantee that they will be upgradable to the N standard when it is  
finally approved.

The use of highly-directional antennas ("Cantennas" or "Pringle  
Cans") can help by both boosting signal strength and rejecting off- 
axis interference, but whether it would help enough is questionable.

802.11a is a possibility, in that it is less subject to interference  
than the 2.5Ghz. solutions, but it is more expensive and still  
subject to 5.8Ghz. phones and more potential problems with  
"shadowing" and range limitations.

BTW - folks who have tried the devices that work on the AC wiring of  
their homes have reported very poor results, this is apparently not a  
good alternative.

If it's at all possible, run a wire.