No Network - Another way?

[CherishNY]

I do not have a home network. Only one computer in my house.
I have a Tivo series 2 (just purchased).
I have DSL / Ethernet-wired

If my Tivo box is right next to my computer, can a USB cable be connected from the computer to the Tivo box? If so, would the USB go into the back of the computer or in the DSL modem? I don't want to have to buy a wireless adapter if not necessary.

I tried plugging the USB into my DSL modem and directly into my Tivo box during initial setup, but got an error message saying I'd have to buy a wireless adapter. Then I read somewhere that it's not gonna detect anything anyway until after the initial setup with a phone line? Is that correct?

Thanx all

[pdhenry]

You won't need a wireless adapter, but you can't just connect the USB on the TiVo directly to the USB on your PC.

The least expensive option is probably the best performance:
- buy a wired router and connect it between the DSL modem and the computer.
- buy a USB-Ethernet adapter for the TiVo.
- buy an Ethernet cable long enough to connect between the router and the USB-Ethernet adapter.

I think you need some sort of router (wired or wireless) to share your DSL connection any way you go.

[classicsat]

You need one of the supported adapters, period, and likely a router also.

TiVo doesn't support the USB ports on cabl or DSL modems,. nor direct connetion to the USB ports on PCs.

[jtown]

Um...If you've got DSL, it's pretty safe to assume you have phone service. Why don't you just plug in the phone line and let it get its data that way until you can set up the network connection? No point in letting it sit there doing nothing just because you're not set up to use a network connection yet.

For what it's worth, you may as well just leave it hooked up to the phone line. It doesn't cost you anything (as long as you have a local access number which is pretty likely if you're in an area big enough to offer DSL service) and the calls really don't tie up the line for very long. The longest call is the first one and even that's pretty reasonable.

As for setting it up to use your DSL connection in the future, there a couple major issues with your initial ideas.

1) You can't use the USB port on your DSL modem to connect it directly to the Tivo. Using the USB port on a DSL modem requires drivers that do not exist for the Tivo.

2) You can't plug the USB port of the Tivo into the USB port of the computer. Both the computer and the Tivo are Host devices. It won't work.

You'll need to purchase several things.


USB ethernet adapter supported by Tivo (They recommend the Linksys USB200M v.2)
A router (Not a hub or switch. A router.)
Ethernet cables (One from the tivo to the router, one from the computer to the router, one from the router to the DSL adapter.)
If your computer doesn't have an ethernet port, get another Linksys USB200M v.2 for the computer.


But, again, if you've already got a phone line, that's a lot of stuff to buy and a lot of work to set it all up. You really don't gain anything worth all that effort. I use a network connection for 2 reasons. 1) The modem in my tivo was fried when I bought it. 2) I haven't had a land line since 1999.

[mick66]

I do not have a home network. Only one computer in my house.
I have a Tivo series 2 (just purchased).
I have DSL / Ethernet-wired

If my Tivo box is right next to my computer, can a USB cable be connected from the computer to the Tivo box? If so, would the USB go into the back of the computer or in the DSL modem? I don't want to have to buy a wireless adapter if not necessary.

I tried plugging the USB into my DSL modem and directly into my Tivo box during initial setup, but got an error message saying I'd have to buy a wireless adapter. Then I read somewhere that it's not gonna detect anything anyway until after the initial setup with a phone line? Is that correct?

Thanx all


Is your DSL modem also a router?

I went out and bought a wireless router when I decided to get DSL, but I didn't need it because my DSL modem is also a wireless/wired router or gateway. None of the little documentation I got with it told me this information. I had to look it up on the manufactures website. My Tivos connect to it wirelessly and my pc has a wired connection.

And as someone else said - Whether you decide to go with a wired or wirelesss connection, you'll have to by an adapter no matter what.

What does your manual say about how to get your Tivo connected to your home network?

[RonDawg]

You really don't gain anything worth all that effort.

Actually, there are a few advantages to networking your TiVo even if it has easy access to conventional dialup:

1. The ability to download your programs to your computer for viewing, or burning to DVD using a DVD burner and the appropriate software.

2. If you have more than one Series 2 TiVo, the ability to view programming recorded on one TiVo using the other.

3. A much narrower "lead time" required for Online Scheduling. If you are using a network, that lead time can be as little as two hours ahead of the scheduled start time. With dialup, that lead time balloons to 18 hours or more, as it requires your TiVo to do its daily call before it receives the request. This is very helpful for those who have to work or go to school during prime time.

4. A minor issue, but still noteworthy, with a broadband network the TiVo's downloads are much faster than with dialup.

[ski9600]

You won't need a wireless adapter, but you can't just connect the USB on the TiVo directly to the USB on your PC.

The least expensive option is probably the best performance:
- buy a wired router and connect it between the DSL modem and the computer.
- buy a USB-Ethernet adapter for the TiVo.
- buy an Ethernet cable long enough to connect between the router and the USB-Ethernet adapter.

I think you need some sort of router (wired or wireless) to share your DSL connection any way you go.

Thanks for the knowledge here. I'm in this situation, and am going to buy the USB/ethernet adapter (netgear FA120 seems to be the best one).
2 questions, can I buy a PCI card and run the cable directly to my PC? If I buy a router, can I buy a wireless model and shut down the wireless feature until I have another computer/device that uses wireless (so my neighbors can't steal my internet access)? Which wired/wireless routers are recommeded?
Thanks!

[Joeg180]

You can limit who can use your wireless signal by limiting the # of IP addresses it distributes or only accept connections from certain MAC addresses. You shouldn't put a router in place without disabling some of the settings to protect you network.

[classicsat]

I'd think you can shutoff the wireless on a wireless router.

[ski9600]

I'd think you can shutoff the wireless on a wireless router.
Thanks for the replys. I guess if I get a wireless router, I can try to implement the WPA security as well to limit access.

Still, can I just buy a PCI ethernet card and hook the tivo directly to my computer (which is hooked directly to the cable modem)?

Also, which wireless routers are recommended. I'm looking at "802.11g" models, but some have speedboost, SRX, etc. Are they really faster? Would a wired router be faster (10/100/1000 instead of 10/100)?

[medhead]

No, you can't directly hook up the TiVo to your computer. When you get the router, you will hook up the modem to the router using the WAN port, and then you will hook up the TiVo to one of the remaining free LAN ports on the router.

As far as recommendations for a router, I've had no problems with the Linksys WRT54G. I wouldn't bother with the speedboost stuff, since it only works faster when your wireless adapter also has the speedboost function.

[classicsat]

You CAN run the TiVo though your PC, but it takes a bit of work to set up, plus needs to be on for the TiVo updates.

A broadband NAT router is much easier to set up, and will offer a degree of protection from internet nasties.

You only need 10/100, unless you want to transfer a lot of really big files amongst your full systems. The TiVo cannot make use of Gigabit, as it supports no Gigabit adapters, plus doesn't even make full use of the USB2.0 adapters it does support, as the TiVo CPU is the limin, not the network interface.

If you are really worried about wireless, get just a wired router and buy a WAP of the standard/format you choose, when the need arises.

[Puppy76]

I just use a wired Linksys router with a firewall since I don't want wireless. They're completly pain free to set up. Just plug and play.

Technically you probably could hook up a Tivo through your computer, but it would be a complete pain, would cost just as much as just buying a wired router, etc., and your computer would have to be running all the time.