Multi-room viewing very unreliable

[moot]

We have 2 TiVo's. One in the main room, another in another room as a backup to catch shows on at the same time.

My problem, though, is that the ability to transfer recordings between TiVo's is spotty at best (usually with a <25% success rate). Most times, the transfer will start, but never even transfer 1 frame. It'll stay like that for a little while, then cancel the transfer automatically. If a transfer does manage to get started, it goes so slowly (1 hour recording can take upwards of 6 hours to transfer) that sometimes it just gives up and cancels automatically anyway.

Some potentially relevant facts:

Both are Series-2
Both have the 9.3 update
Both have been restarted numerous times
Both have wireless adapters (TiVo #1 has a 85-95% signal strength, TiVo #2 has 60-70%)
I have checked nearby wireless networks, I'm running on Channel 1, others are mostly on 6, one on 11

*edit*

I also have a Mac with TiVo Desktop. Either TiVo can connect and transfer from my Mac at super-fast speeds with no problem. It's just when they try to talk to each other that it gets flakey

*/edit*

Does anyone have any advice for what to look into next? Multi-room viewing worked like a charm in my last apartment, and even in my current one not even a year ago. I don't know if it's the newer updates or some kind of wireless interference (from a new tenant, maybe) that is to blame.

All I want to do is watch Battlestar Galactica on my nice big TV. Is that too much to ask? :p

[bedelman]

Which wireless adapters are you using?

There are other things besides nearby wireless networks that can cause interference as well such as other 2.4GHz wireless devices like wireless phone base stations. And then there's signal reflection which can occur if there's metal objects near to the antennas. Note that signal strength is not the same as signal quality (in other words, just because you have good signal strength doesn't mean you have a good signal)

[moot]

I'm using 2 different wireless adapters. 1 is a Linksys (sorry, can't find a model number), the other is a D-Link DWL-122. Wireless router is a Belkin (802.11g).

I don't have any cordless phones on 2.4GHz (we only have cell phones).

My router is somewhat close to my desk, though (which is mainly glass with some metal supports). Maybe I should try moving it further away?

Is there any way I can measure signal quality instead of strength? If I walk around the place with my Macbook, will it be able to tell me?

Thanks a lot for your help. I really appreciate it!

[RonDawg]

If at least one TiVo is getting a very strong signal, I doubt your desk is the issue. However, distance to the second TiVo could be. If feasible, try relocating the router to a spot that is more equidistant between the TiVo's.

Even if you don't have 2.4 GHz cordless phones, your neighbors could be, and if you live in close proximity to them (i.e. apartment or condo) they could still pose problems. Also, other sources of WiFi interference can exist around the house such as microwave ovens.

If relocating the router isn't feasible, or doesn't work, there are some options for you, although they are not free. There are booster antennas out there that supposedly will increase the strength of your WiFi signal, though that personally didn't work for me.

There is also powerline networking which uses your house's electrical lines as a sort of ethernet network via a set of plug-in adapters. There are two types of powerline adapters, one that is relatively slow (15 Mb/sec or less) which is too slow for live streaming but works fine if you plan your MRV'ing and Unboxing ahead of time and especially for downloading Guide Data, and a much faster but more expensive version.

If running Cat 5 cable is more of an aesthetics than a feasibility issue, you should still try that for at least the TiVo with the least signal strength.

[bedelman]

I'm using 2 different wireless adapters. 1 is a Linksys (sorry, can't find a model number), the other is a D-Link DWL-122. Wireless router is a Belkin (802.11g).I think the only Linksys supported adapter does 802.11b which isn't going to help your speeds, but even when I was running only 802.11b, I could transfer a Basic Quality recording in a little bit better than real-time. You might want to look at the quality level of the recordings you're transferring (or the file size by pressing the INFO key while on the recording details screen) and seeing how large of a file it is.
Is there any way I can measure signal quality instead of strength? If I walk around the place with my Macbook, will it be able to tell me?There's an application named iStumbler that will show both strength and noise. It might also show that you do have a neighboring wireless network on your channel where the SSID isn't being broadcast. You can find iStumbler at www.versiontracker.com

[moot]

If at least one TiVo is getting a very strong signal, I doubt your desk is the issue. However, distance to the second TiVo could be. If feasible, try relocating the router to a spot that is more equidistant between the TiVo's.
The router already is between the two. In fact, it's closer to the one that has the lower signal. Someone above or below me must have something that's causing more interference in that area of the building. I've just tried moving the router further away from my desk just in case. Doesn't seem to have made any difference.

Even if you don't have 2.4 GHz cordless phones, your neighbors could be, and if you live in close proximity to them (i.e. apartment or condo) they could still pose problems. Also, other sources of WiFi interference can exist around the house such as microwave ovens.

Nowhere near a microwave, but I hadn't considered neighbors having cordless phones. I'll bet they do and that's part of my problem.

I think the only Linksys supported adapter does 802.11b which isn't going to help your speeds
Right, both of my adapters are 802.11b. I'm not expecting g-level performance out of either, but like you said, I have previously been able to stream at near real-time speed at low recording qualities.

There's an application named iStumbler that will show both strength and noise.
Found it. Looks like a great tool. I've got 9 wireless networks around me...:eek: Maybe that's my biggest problem. Even with my laptop right next to the router, I'm only getting 70% signal (I'd expect it near 100%, right?). And the signal drops to 40-50 when I move to different rooms.

I appreciate the advice from both of you. Thankfully, I'll be moving in the few more months to a hopefully much less densely populated area. Maybe I can just live with it until then.