ReBuilding my Home network - assistance please

[StephenBB81]

Hello All

What I'm looking to do is actually build my home network with some sense, it's been a bit and piece network for the last 5 years with no actual plan.


I'm willing to spend some money to replace equipment and buy some things.

Things I wont be replacing are my notebooks, smartphones, TV's.


I have 3 Windows 7 Based laptop, 1 Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex 3TB, 1 Cisco Valet Plus router, 2 BlackBerry's, 3 BlackBerry PlayBooks, 1 iPad, 1 iPhone. 3 Non DNLA equipped TV's, 2 wireless printers

What I would like to do is allow all the devices to access the seagate Freeagent drive
and I would like to stream from the Seagate or any laptop to the TV's

File sharing between 2 of the 3 laptops easily and quickly would be ideal as would from a PlayBook to them.


I'm considering the Asus Wireless N Router (RT-N66U) to replace my Cisco Valet,
I have no idea what devices to buy to connect to my TV so I can scream content to the TV's currently I plug USB sticks into my BluRay Player to do this as needed.

Any advice, or tutorials, for setting something up would be wonderful,

also any technical stuff I'm not afraid to read and learn if pointed in the right direction.

Thank you

 

[tipstir]

Here's what needs to be know from you..

Are you in the USA? I ask this because to better suit your hardware needs per your location. This make suggestion better for your.

How much square feet are you dealing with?
How many floors?
Is there a basement?

About how many devices do you have?
Total Wired?
Total Wireless?

How many are your PC systems are Windows?
XP?
7?
8 Preview?

Any Apple devices?
Tablet?
Smartphone?

Any Android devices?
Tablet?
Smartphone?

You said:
I have 3 Windows 7 Based laptop, 1 Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex 3TB, 1 Cisco Valet Plus router, 2 BlackBerry's, 3 BlackBerry PlayBooks, 1 iPad, 1 iPhone. 3 Non DNLA equipped TV's, 2 wireless printers


Do you have any wired switches right now?
Are you using CAT5, CAT5e or CAT6?

Are the wireless devices 802.11g or 802.11n or both?

Streaming Media from your 3TB device won't be hard to do.
Just have to make sure that the network is configured correctly.
Each Windows 7 needs home-group users and work-group users setup.
As most streaming media devices seem to use Windows Media Shared Activated.

 

[tipstir]

Are those TV HDTV? Any Smart HDTV (built-in WiFi or Ethernet Port)

 

[StephenBB81]

@tipstir
Thank you for asking those question.

I am in Canada.
2200 square feet appox
2 floors, including "basement"


I have 3 Windows 7 Based laptop, ( 1 MAY be moving to Windows 8)
1 Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex 3TB, ( USB Plugged into the Router idealy)
1 Cisco Valet Plus router, ( no problem replacing this )
4 BlackBerry phones ( Bold 9900, 9790, 9670, unNameddevice)
3 BlackBerry PlayBooks, ( All Wifi Only)
1 iPad 3, ( Wifi and LTE but mostly uses wifi)
1 iPhone 4S ( never on the wifi unless needed for OS updates)
3 Non DNLA equipped TV's, ( 2 have Cat5 Access )
All 3 TV's have BluRay Players that have Ethernet ports, am looking into Wifi enabled ones in the future.
2 wireless printers ( Both HP, noth new in 2012)
1 Nintendo Wii

Looking to add an Xbox360 to the mix post Christmas

I have no dedicated switches just the 4ports in the Cisco Router
Most wireless devices are N, but need some legacy G


Sorry it took me so long getting back here to follow up on my question,