Bridging or power ethernet

[jerryk]

Repeating or power ethernet

Hi,

I currently have a couple of WRT54G units operating in a repeater mode to ensure I have reasonable signal strength at both ends of my house and into the backyard. I am planning on going to N with my devices and wondering if I should continue to use repeating through a couple of Netgear WNDR 3700s, or consider Powerline Ethernet as the link two units.

Any advantages or disadvatages to either approach? Also I assume that if I went with Powerline Ethernet I could use dissimilar N routers like a WNDR 3700 and Cisco E3000. Correct?

Thanks,

Jerry

PS. After reading Tim's article maybe MOCA is a better choice? I have coax within 2 feet of where I plan to install the routers.

 

[stevech]

I am a techie - and considered carefully, went from WiFi to MoCA for getting IP bandwidth to a place where CAT5 was impractical. I reallly like MoCA, being layer 2 transparent. Just plug and go.

I bought D-Link's MoCA because it was cheaper than Netgear. Many months so far, it's fine.

The power line for broadband is a nasty, noisy place. MoCA on cable on unused frequencies is nice and quiet.

 

[tipstir]

I am a techie - and considered carefully, went from WiFi to MoCA for getting IP bandwidth to a place where CAT5 was impractical. I reallly like MoCA, being layer 2 transparent. Just plug and go.

I bought D-Link's MoCA because it was cheaper than Netgear. Many months so far, it's fine.

The power line for broadband is a nasty, noisy place. MoCA on cable on unused frequencies is nice and quiet.

Not for too long. Cable companies are tapping into the MoCA methodology for DVR to DVR playback on any Digital DVR STB.

 

[stevech]

Not for too long. Cable companies are tapping into the MoCA methodology for DVR to DVR playback on any Digital DVR STB.

Not at all correct. Not at all.
MoCA is my choice for moving IP data from place A to place B in my house on my coaxial cable. What goes from my server to my IP based extender, is my business, not the cable company's.
I use Sage TV (TiVo alike, free). What goes on that IP connection is my business. The cable company has no say.

they do have a say on DRM for what comes out of "their" cable box. I don't have/use their cable box

 

[tipstir]

Not at all correct. Not at all.
MoCA is my choice for moving IP data from place A to place B in my house on my coaxial cable. What goes from my server to my IP based extender, is my business, not the cable company's.
I use Sage TV (TiVo alike, free). What goes on that IP connection is my business. The cable company has no say.

they do have a say on DRM for what comes out of "their" cable box. I don't have/use their cable box

I been using SageTV MC Server along with SageTV Media Extenders for a very long time before that GBPVR, before that WinDVR before that PCTV beyond that VCR. But anyway I send SageTV HD over the LAN to LAN and also SageTV has HD from the WAN to LAN gets saved then I can pickup that 1080p onto MediaMVP HD 1080p network player. Right now SageTV works with my cable company. But they want to switch me over to the MoCa or whatever they want to with sending IP media data internal over my coax here. I am setup for it unless the 2.3GHz RG6 Ultra Quad Shield Coax not enough which is should it carries all my internet, digital VOIP and HDTV with the two AC/power AMPs to manage 8 lines.

Then you got Sony/Samsung trying to push HDCable to push out HDMI 1.4 cables.

 

[stevech]

We are not, unfortunately, able to stop the content providers and cable companies from jamming DRM (digital rights management) upon us. They have come a long way in forcing DRM on the HDMI interface. They will stop video recording by grabbing the video (unencrypted) coming from set top boxes.

It would be nice if someone in Congress cared to stop this.

 

[jerryk]

Thanks for all the replies. I got the Netgear MoCA and it seems to be working fine. Now I have replace the attached router/switch with a unit that supports Gigabit speeds.

 

[stevech]

I doubt MoCA will go over 100Mbps net yield at the IP layer. Nor 802.11n.
Never hurts to have GigE though.

 

[jerryk]

I doubt MoCA will go over 100Mbps net yield at the IP layer. Nor 802.11n.
Never hurts to have GigE though.

That was my thought also. The price delta is $5 if I am willing to go down to 5 ports of GigE, so it is off to Fry's.

 

[thiggins]

I doubt MoCA will go over 100Mbps net yield at the IP layer. Nor 802.11n.
Never hurts to have GigE though.

MoCA does around 70 Mbps TCP/IP for a single connection. Total TCP/IP bandwidth with multiple streams maxes out around 140 Mbps. See
http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/lanw...a-actiontec-ecb2200-reviewed?showall=&start=2

 

[stevech]

MoCA 70Mbps at the IP Layer. Not to be confused with WiFi's air link speeds, say, 54Mbps, where these need to be derated by 70% or so to get the net IP layer speed.