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Wireless Tips from Linksys

2008-10-11T22:18:00.000-07:00

Wireless Networking Tips from Linksys

Linksys Wireless Tip #1: Reduce Interference on Your Wireless Network

Since wireless networks use radio waves to transmit signals, it's possible that typical household electronics-your microwave, cordless phone or even the baby monitor- can interfere with this signal. Make sure you move your wireless router away from those devices that use the same 2.4GHz frequency range.

Other causes of interference are brick and cinderblock walls, metal doors, metal frames around windows and doors, and metal filing cabinets. Take these simple steps to reduce wireless interference:

1. Move the router further away from the interfering device or object.
2. If there is interference with a phone, you can change the channel of the phone or the Router so they use different channels. If there is still too much interference, you may have to buy a different phone system, operating at either 900MHz or 5GHz.
3. Place the wireless router in a central location of your house, such as a family room or office.
4. Arrange the desktop or laptop's wireless antenna so that it points toward the wireless router. 5. Avoid placing the antenna close to an outside wall (unless outside is where you want to be).
6. If you want to connect while you're outside, place the router near a window.
7. Place your Access Point as high as possible. If your network goes through multiple floors, try to place the Access Point on the upper floor.

Linksys Wireless Tip #2: Change the Channel on Your Wireless Router

If you are experiencing frequent loss of connections on your wireless network, interference from another network using the same channel is the likely cause. If you and a neighbor both have a wireless network set at channel 6, then you may experience interference. Try changing to a different channel, either 1 or 11.

If your wireless signal is intermittent, then you are most likely experiencing 2.4 GHz interference. Before switching channels see Networking Tip #1 for easy ways to reduce or eliminate interference. Here are some simple steps to take if you want to try switching channels:
First, be sure to have the latest firmware installed for your router. Firmware downloads are available at http://www.linksys.com/download. Next, follow the instructions for your router model (see your User Guide or follow the link above) and change the channel to 1, 6, or 11. These are the best channels to use for wireless networking. Last, if you are still experiencing interference try switching the router to one of the other channels (2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10) until you find one that makes a good connection.

Linksys Wireless Tip #3: Improve Wireless Router Signal Strength

Wireless signal strength depends on many environmental factors such as windows, walls, and furniture. Glass does not block the signal. Ideally, place the wireless router in the center of the area you want covered, with as little signal leaking outside the walls as possible.
A High Gain Antenna can increase the strength of outgoing signals and enhance the reception of incoming signals. This added signal strength and sensitivity not only extends the range of your wireless network, but also improves close-range communications reliability by reducing re-transmissions due to weak signal reception errors.

See Networking Tip #1 for easy ways to reduce or eliminate interference. Or, High Gain Antenna Kits have been developed to help increase the effective range of a Linksys home or small business wireless network. The antenna solutions include a High Gain Antenna Kit for TNC Connections (HGA7T) and a High Gain Antenna Kit for SMA Connections (HGA7S). Installation of a High Gain Antenna is easy. Just unscrew the current antenna(s) from your router, access point or bridge and attach the High Gain Antenna.

Linksys Wireless Tip #4: Improve Wireless Range

Imagine the freedom to work and play from any room of your home or office, without deadspots. Surf the Web from your den. Play online-games in your living room. Or stream digital music from your kitchen. It's all possible when you have more range.

Why Does Range Matter? Range is the effective coverage area of your wireless network. Range is affected by your home’s construction including windows and walls, and other wireless devices such as cordless phones and microwave ovens that may be near the router.

How to Increase Your Range.Explore the Linksys line of range-enhancing products: Wireless-N. Wireless-N offers more range and is faster than standard wireless. It delivers up to four times the range, giving you more flexibility to work or play virtually anywhere in your home or around it: upstairs, downstairs or in the backyard by the pool.

Use the right adapter to get the best network performance. To fully utilize the speed and range of Wireless-N, match your Router with the right Adapter. To upgrade a desktop PC consider the Linksys Wireless-N USB Adapter, which easily connects to a USB port and doesn’t require opening the computer case. For notebooks, use the Linksys Wireless-N Notebook Adapter. Simply insert the Notebook Adapter into the PC Card slot and you're “N-abled!”

Wireless Tip #5: Wireless Standards Demystified

The wireless industry sets radio frequency and data transfer standards for wireless local area network computer communication. These standards are developed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, or IEEE. There are currently four standards for wireless computing: Wireless-A, Wireless-B, Wireless-G, and Wireless-N.

Wireless-A (802.11a): Operates at the frequency of 5GHz, which is less crowded than 2.4GHz where telephones and microwaves may cause interference. Although the speed is up to 54Mbps, the maximum range is only 75 feet. Wireless-A is incompatible with both Wireless-B and G because it operates at a different frequency.

Wireless-B (802.11b): Operates on the 2.4GHz frequency band and can transmit data at speeds of up to 11Mbps within a range of up to 100-150 feet. Wireless range can be affected by reflective or signal-blocking obstacles, such as mirrors, walls, devices and location, whether indoors or outdoors.

Wireless-G (802.11g): Features the same benefits as Wireless-B, but offers 5X the speed at up to 54Mbps. Wireless-G currently offers the best combination of performance and value. Wireless-G is compatible with Wireless-B equipment, but you will lose the higher performance speeds of Wireless-G.

Wireless-N (draft 802.11n): The current generation of high-speed wireless networking, capable of delivering the range and capacity to support today's most bandwidth-hungry applications like streaming video. Wireless-N builds on the previous wireless standards by adding multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology. Wireless-N is a draft standard, meaning The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers has not yet adopted it. However, computer manufacturers and many other companies are marketing products with the expectation that it will soon become the new standard.

Dual-Band Wireless-N (draft 802.11n): Dual-band routers are compatible with both 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequencies. Non-concurrent dual-band routers only allow usage in one of the frequency bands during set up and configuration. In a concurrent (or simultaneous) dual-band router both radio bands work at the same time, substantially expanding the available channel bandwidth and allowing more data flow.

Source: http://www.amazon.com

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Connecting Your PC to Your TV

2008-10-01T05:11:00.000-07:00

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Slowly but surely, the long-predicted home entertainment convergence of TV and PC is becoming reality as more and more viewers get their weekly fix of Heroes and House from either online downloads or streaming video sources. And the DVD disc may soon be going the way of the dodo and rabbit ears as people turn to online video rentals and purchases as well as access video podcasts and video content from sources as varied as YouTube and Epicurious.

Until recently, you had to hunch over your laptop's screen or go to great cabling lengths to get your PC and HDTV to interact. But thanks to recent improvements in digital media accessories that link up with your HDTV, we can now sit back on the couch and watch content stored on or streamed from multiple PCs strewn throughout the house with the ease of using a single remote control.

We've rounded up some recent releases in two categories of digital media adapters, and we'll take a look at their major features.

First, we'll look at products called Extenders, which work exclusively with PC running Windows Vista operating systems with Media Center capabilities and provide access to multimedia stored on a PC as well as some online video sources.
Then, we'll examine Internet streamers, which don't require a specific OS but can access a wider range of streaming Web video content.

Extending your Windows Media Center

If you have a PC running either the Premium or Ultimate versions of the Microsoft Windows Vista operating system, a Windows Media Center Extender device can bridge the divide between your home office and your entertainment center by wirelessly broadcasting the multimedia stored on your PC to your TV in another room. In addition to video such as downloaded movies and TV shows and copies of your DVDs (in DivX and XVid formats) as well as home movies, you can also stream tunes and podcasts from your digital music library, present photo slideshows, and watch live TV and use DVR functions such as pausing live programming and timeshifting (if your PC has a TV tuner)--all using a single remote control. And with the Wi-Fi networking of an Extender device, you can keep your PC where it belongs in your home office and not cluttering up your living room. Additionally, Microsoft has partnered with several online streaming video sites to provide a variety of content for Windows Media Center users, including FOX Sports, kids programming from Nickelodeon, and downloadable TV episodes from Showtime Networks--all of which can be streamed and controlled by an Extender device. HP, Linksys, and Samsung are just a few of the companies offering Windows Media Center Extenders, and each of their devices bring a few extras--from integrated hardware to more online video download/streaming services--in addition to those standard features noted above.

HP X280N MediaSmart Connect

In addition to its Media Center Extender capabilities, the stylish, piano-black HP X280N MediaSmart Connect will fit in with similarly Zen-styled HP Pavilion desktops and MediaSmart and Media Vault home servers. But HP hardware isn't a requirement for adding an X280N to your home media set-up. While you can connect to a PC via Fast Ethernet or quad-mode Wi-Fi (802.11a,b,g, and n), the X280N also provides access to media files stored on an external USB hard drive or on an optional Pocket Media Drive (which can be inserted into its own bay). And HP boasts that the MediaSmart Connect will automatically aggregate and display content from all connected PCs and media servers in your home network--perfect for converging all your family's media in one location. You can also rent and purchase movies from the CinemaNow online catalog (with its selection of thousands of films) directly from the X280N using the remote control (downloads are stored on your PC). Additionally, you can view slideshows from your images stored on the Snapfish photo sharing site and listen to a vast selection of online radio stations from Live365.

Networking: Draft-N Wi-Fi (802.11a,b,g, and n), Fast Ethernet (10/100)
Expansion: Pocket Media Drive bay, 2 USB ports (front and back)
Video output: HDMI, component
Audio output: Analog stereo (left/right), optical digital audio, plus uncompressed audio carried over HDMI

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Linksys Media Center Extender with DVD

If you've got an abundance of hard drive space, you can store digital copies of your DVD library on your PC (or on an external hard drive or networked home server) and stream them to your TV using a Media Center Extender. But if you lack the storage capability or don't want to deal with hours of encoding your DVDs, the Linksys DMA2200 Media Center Extender might be just right for you. While Media Center Extenders are great for playing a wealth of media files stored on hard drives, they don't stream DVD playback. To get around this, Linksys integrates a DVD player that upscales the standard definition video from a standard DVD disc to 720p, 1080i and 1080p high definition video. It also leverages Linksys' strong suit of wireless networking, with the dual-band Draft-N Wi-Fi (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz) capabilities. However, it doesn't offer any additional online download or streaming services.

Networking: Draft-N Wi-Fi (802.11b, g, and n), Fast Ethernet (10/100)
Expansion: USB port for service only (not compatible with external hard drives)
Video output: HDMI, component, composite, S-Video
Audio output: Analog stereo (left/right), optical digital audio, plus uncompressed audio carried over HDMI

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Samsung MR-00EA1 MediaLive Digital Media Adapter

While both the HP and Linksys Extenders will work with any HDTV, the Samsung MR-00EA1 MediaLive Digital Media Extender is geared to work specifically with Samsung's 2008-model HDTVs (450-series and higher, LCD, Plasma and DLP models). The MediaLive offers easy plug-and-play operability thanks to the HDMI-CEC connection, which can control components (such as Samsung TVs) that are linked via HDMI cables with just one remote. And using the included mounting bracket, the compact device can be easily mounted to the rear of select Samsung flat-panel TVs for a clutter-free home theater setup. It connects to your home network via dual-band Draft-N Wi-Fi (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz).

Networking: Draft-N Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n), Fast Ethernet (10/100)
Video output: HDMI

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Internet Streamers

For those who don't have Windows Vista Media Center capabilities, there are several devices that enable you to broadcast multimedia files saved to your PC's hard drive. But more than just serving up localized files, these devices can also deliver HD-quality TV shows and movies that are streamed from the Web--enabling you to enjoy them on your home's HDTV rather than on your laptop's screen.

Sling Media SlingCatcher SC100-100 Universal Media Player for TV

One of the most anticipated Internet streamers is the SlingCatcher from Sling Media, which has made a name for itself with its line Slingbox devices that redirect the broadcast from a connected TV to the computer of your choice--wherever on the globe that TV might be. The SlingCatcher, however, streams media from one TV (with a connected Slingbox) in your home to another, enabling you to eliminate extra set-top boxes or having to call the cable company to add wiring to your home. But more than just offering placeshifting capabilities, the SlingCatcher also functions as a media extender for files downloaded to your PC. And it offers the unique ability to broadcast Internet-based videos from services such as YouTube and Hulu. It comes with three built-in applications, including SlingPlayer for TV for "slinging" programming from one TV to another and SlingSync, which enables you to synchronize files from your PC to a USB flash or hard drive connected to the SlingCatcher's USB port. The third application, SlingProjector, works like a Web browser and automatically detects compatible windows within a Web page that you can select to "project" just the video to your HDTV in full screen. Additionally, you can select other portions of the browser to be shown on the TV (for example, images for a slideshow or a portion of a news or sports Web site that auto-updates). Note that the SlingCatcher is not Wi-Fi-enabled. The SlingCatcher features a standard Ethernet jack to connect to the home network either directly or via SlingLink Powerline Ethernet adapters. Also, Mac users will be able to utilize the SlingPlayer and SlingSync functions, but not the SlingProjector as that requires Windows XP SP2 or Windows Vista.

Networking: Fast Ethernet (10/100)
Expansion: 2 USB
Video output: HDMI, component, composite, S-Video
Audio output: Analog stereo (left/right), coaxial digital audio, plus uncompressed audio carried over HDMI

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ZeeVee ZvBox

In addition to broadcasting multimedia files stored on your PC, the ZeeVee ZvBox can deliver Internet video content to your HDTV from a Web browser via a unique connection. Rather than Wi-Fi or Ethernet networking, the ZvBox uses your home's coaxial cable TV wiring to create a private high-definition TV channel called Zv, which is then localcasted to all HDTVs in the home connected to the coaxial wiring. The ZvBox essentially transmits whatever would be showing on your PC's monitor to your HDTV. This enables you to access streaming movies and TV shows found at such Internet portals as the major television networks such as ABC.com, Hulu, Joost, Netflix, and even Amazon's Video on Demand. Additionally, you can view uploaded and viral videos from sites such as YouTube and DailyMotion. And you can even start, stop and resume your computer's DVD player from any HDTV using the included ZvRemote, which also provides full control of your computer from anywhere in the house, including cursor control. Note that because the ZvBox requires a bit more set-up than just connecting an Ethernet cable--for instance, you'll need to access where your cable service enters your home to set up the private channel. But once it's set up, you can watch any multimedia, regardless of physical or digital format, on any TV in your home. It requires Windows XP SP2 or Windows Vista (not Mac-compatible).

Networking: In-home coaxial cable wiring
Expansion: 1 USB
Video output: VGA
Audio output: USB connection from PC to ZvBox

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Sony DMX-NV1 Bravia Internet Video Link

While it's not Wi-Fi-enabled, the Sony DMX-NV1 Bravia Internet Video Link does connect simply to your home network via Ethernet to provide on-demand widescreen access to online videos from a wide variety of partners, including YouTube, DailyMotion, CBS, Yahoo!; Sports Illustrated, FEARnet, and Epicurious. You also get access to a personalized Yahoo! homepage that keeps you up-to-date on national news, local weather and traffic.

Additionally, Sony recently announced that access to the Amazon Video On Demand service has been added, enabling you to purchase or rent movies and TV shows via your Sony Bravia HDTV just as you would on your PC. When a title is ordered, it is automatically added to your Amazon Video On Demand "Your Video Library," providing easy access to purchased and rented content. A backup version can also be found in the library, which is accessible from the DMX-NV1's user interface or on Amazon.com.

This compact unit (about the size of a VHS tape) can stand on its own or be mounted on the back of a Sony Bravia HDTV. And it works solely with Bravia models that offer the Digital Media Extender (DMeX) feature. It integrates with the easy-to-use Xross Media bar (XMB) graphical menu navigation system, and it features HDMI and USB pass-through inputs (enabling you to connect other peripherals to the HDTV via the DMX-NV1).

Networking: Fast Ethernet
Expansion: USB (pass-through)
Video output: HDMI (pass-through)
Audio output: HDMI (pass through)

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2008-09-27T06:53:00.001-07:00

Shop Online!!!

2008-09-06T20:50:00.000-07:00

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