Wifi, UnRaid, and XBMC

I agree, avoid wifi, if possible.

Use it only for mobile devices / laptops etc. Severs and media players / htpc located somewhere on a fixed location should be wired - best case GBit ethernet.

Powerline works sometimes well, but there are out there installation with 3-phase power and there can be trouble also when using some machinery in the kittchen / laundry etc. I know, there are solutions out there for powerline (coupling modules, filters) and for wifi like repeater etc to get a better coverage and signal strength).

Anyway, a dedicated wired cat5e / cat6 network is still the best and the cheapest solution in the end.

Quote:I may look into buying a pair of PowerLines and seeing how they work.

I had POE and thought it was working well for gaming, etc. I was able to stream movies via my ATV2 and XBMC. I ran into problems when I was streaming from XBMC using my HTPC and videos would not play. Surprisingly, I eliminated my POE adapter and haven't had any problems (yet) streaming wirelessly (and that was wireless G, just recently made the switch to N).

Well....I say MoCA if you have existing RG6 Cable running throughout your home which most of us in the USA should have if you've ever subscribed to digital cableTV. PowerLine performance is intermittent depending on the type of wiring you have in the walls and what types of appliances you use. Streaming large 1080p files Is however possible when using MediaServer software(Serviio Y TVersity) and PowerLine, but when streaming directly, performance drops off quite considerably. WiFi.... I would only use for basic Internet surfing and and streaming Internet media... u should NOT rely on WiFi for home network media streaming!

I admit to using both MoCA and PowerLine on my network with success while pulling media files from unRAID. CAT5e/CAT6 is ideal, but not entirely necessary for home media streaming purposes and XBMC!

....oh yeah, Gort will only save us if Mr. Carpenter A.K.A Klaatu sees us all getting along!

While I have been able to watch movies over my wireless. (Although I will get stutters sometimes which can get pretty aggravating)

I decided to take the plunge and purchase this PowerLine solution. Since I didn't want to run CAT cables through my walls,...a few coworkers Highly Recommended these and said they use them flawlessly with their HTPC.
ZyXEL PLA401v3 HomePlug AV 200 Mbps Powerline Wall-plug Adapter (Starter Kit - 2 units)

If you have to use wireless, only use 5ghz N to avoid interference.

(2012-05-23 18:01)poofyhairguy Wrote:  If you have to use wireless, only use 5ghz N to avoid interference.

Thanks for the recommendation.
The Powerline adapter will be waiting for me when I get home tonight.
So, I should be able to tell if my problems are solved and life will be good.

I interested in seeing your experience. I've had a bad experience with them but it looks like others have had better luck.

I used Powerline network adaptors in my old house with great success. No idea what the speeds were but, never noticed any hiccups on any of the systems or video game consoles throughout the house. Streamed Netflix/Hulu no problem and copying files over the network was fast. My new house, not as much luck with them. VERY slow, poor connections. Had to run network cables under the house ultimately.

(2012-05-22 14:27)GortWillSaveUs Wrote:  While I have been able to watch movies over my wireless. (Although I will get stutters sometimes which can get pretty aggravating)

I decided to take the plunge and purchase this PowerLine solution. Since I didn't want to run CAT cables through my walls,...a few coworkers Highly Recommended these and said they use them flawlessly with their HTPC.
ZyXEL PLA401v3 HomePlug AV 200 Mbps Powerline Wall-plug Adapter (Starter Kit - 2 units)

Well, the units arrived yesterday.
I got home from work, unwrapped them, plugged them in,..and instantly had network connections.
I then pushed the button on the sides of the devices to set the encryption for both devices and again,...no problems.
But the big test was the family. They had noticed that a few of the movies that were being streamed via wifi were stuttering.

We played 3-4 of the movies and no stuttering, instant playing,..and the fast forward, chapter skipping, stopping, starting were smooth!
I am SO glad I brought the ZyXEL PLA401v3 HomePlug AV 200 Mbps Powerline Wall-plug Adapter (Starter Kit - 2 units)

Yes I do wifi 1080p in my flat and it's amazing but the evirlnment is opens,

Tried it at home and its horrible for anything which is more than 480p... Power line adapters were the biggest waste of money ever.


Ethernet cables are cheap.
All other alternatives are not as good and 10x the price.