Speed of TiVo wireless G USB network adapter

[mbernste]

After seeing TiVoPony demoing (http://www.gearlive.com/videocast/gearlivetivoseries3.mp4) the new TiVo specific wireless G NIC, I'm wondering if the TiVo wireless G is worth getting on a circa 2003 TiVo Series 2 stand alone. I don't know if the USB ports are 2.0. Considering the max speed of USB 1.1 is 12mbit/s would I be wasting my money in getting a G wireless adapter? I know some of the Series 2s around that time started shipping with 2.0, but the last I can reacall, there was no way of easily confirming if the ports were 2.0.

Thanks in advance!

[CuriousMark]

Look here http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=278655 for a nice long thread that answers all your questions in detail.

If your TSN starts with a 2, it has USB2, if it starts with 1, you don't. It doesn't really matter anyway, TiVoToGo transfer rates don't even aproach USB1.1 speeds anyway.

CuriousMark

[megazone]

If the Series2 has a TSN that starts with 110/130/140 then it has USB1.1 HW, otherwise it has USB2.0 HW - and that's not just boxes that start with a 2, since newer boxes start with a 5.

And, despite what CuriousMark said, it DOES make a difference. While USB1.1 has a theoretical max of 12Mbps, you never get that performance in the real world - 5-6Mbps is more like it, and that is a bottleneck. So if you has USB2.0 ports you do see higher performance than with 1.1. And the TiVo adapter performs best of all.

[bwhaler]

I bought the adaptor, and I am very pleased with it.

No headaches, no worrying if I got the right version of a 3rd party solution. Just plug it in and go...

Speed seems very good, IMO

[classicsat]

Unless you can find old B adapters, the TiVo adapter is the only choice, as it is the only supported G adapter for the 1xx DVRs.
Personally, I am curious to its performance on a 2xx DVR.

[morac]

Also the older 2xx model series 2 TiVos have the ability to transfer around twice as fast as the newer 5xx model series 2 TiVos, even when wired, most likely because the newer ones contain cheaper parts. The new G adapter is supposed to take the heavy lifting off the processor which may or may not increase the speeds on the newer TiVos.

I'm pretty sure that the newer models weren't being sold yet in 2003 so you probably have the same one as me (240). I use the wireless bridge method and can get transfer rates up to around 7 mbps with TiVo To Go (multiroom transfers should be faster but I don't have a 2nd TiVo). You probably won't see speeds faster than that regardless of what wireless adapter you use.

[CuriousMark]

And, despite what CuriousMark said, it DOES make a difference. While USB1.1 has a theoretical max of 12Mbps, you never get that performance in the real world - 5-6Mbps is more like it, and that is a bottleneck. So if you has USB2.0 ports you do see higher performance than with 1.1. And the TiVo adapter performs best of all.

I stand corrected. Thank you megazone. :up:

CuriousMark