Dual LAN Cards?

[ckingtw]

Can someone tell me if using dual LAN cards in my PC will benefit me?

Key: --> = "connected to"

Here is my current setup...
Cable modem --> wired router --> PC
\--> wireless router --> Tivo

Here is what I'm proposing...

Cable modem --> wired router --> PC LAN #1
\--> wireless router --> PC LAN #2
\--> Tivo


Why would I want to do this? My wired router is a HW firewall router that divvies out the IP addresses. My wireless G router is hard wired and bridged to my wired router. My PC not only surfs the net, but also acts as a web server serving up my web pages via No-IP and it also runs Tivo Desktop Plus via my Tivo box. My thought was if I could separate the network traffic on my PC where LAN #1 services normal internet surfing and my web server connected to my wired router, LAN #2 could be dedicated to Tivo via the wireless router hard wired to my PC LAN #2.

Currently everything ultimately channels through the wired router to my PC. I'm looking for a boost in network performance so I can stream music from the internet, surf the net, serve up web pages and download Tivo'ed shows from my box all at the same time. Am I wasting my time separating traffic?

CK

[ocntscha]

Can someone tell me if using dual LAN cards in my PC will benefit me?
...

Am I wasting my time separating traffic?I'd have to say yes, you'd be wasting your time. If your bogging down when trying to do all those things at once I'd be surprised if its actually because you are saturating the capacity of your PC's network interface. Really you ought to be able to answer the question for yourself, I can only guess at what your actual traffic is, but I will, filling in typical figures for you..

A typical TivoDesktop to Tivo transfer is going to use about 4 Mbit.

Streaming audio down from the internet, oh what, probably 192Kbit (about .2 Mbit)

Surfing the net, little bursts of about 300Kbit (about .3 Mbit)

Serving up web pages; since your own a cable modem your upload capacity is probably about 600Kbit tops (or .6 Mbit).

So, you've got about 4.6Mbit (4 + .6) exiting out your PC and .5Mbit (.3 +.2) incoming. You've probably got a 100Mbit Network interface which theoritically is capable of 100Megabit in each direction simultaneously so you're far far away from a saturated network link. (Now admitaddly typical real world max capacity of a 100Mb link is about 50 - 80Mb but thats still a far cry from where I'm estimating your at)

[ckingtw]

Interesting. So at what point does it become more value added to hard wire the Tivo box to my network vs. using the Tivo wireless G adapter like I am now?

I contemplated adding LAN over electrical wire to hard wire the Tivo box and other items throughout the house but that's pretty costly for the average user equipment wise. Would I even see any gain transferring files hard wire vs. wireless?

[classicsat]

So at what point does it become more value added to hard wire the Tivo box to my network vs. using the Tivo wireless G adapter like I am now?


Only if you can get a decent ethernet adapter or have built in ethernet on the TiVo, and you can use actual hardwire between the TiVo ethernet adapter and the router your PC connects to.

I get fine transfers myself, with the TiVo going through an ethernet switch to my router, which my Windows PC I do TiVo stuff is connected to.