# Is Tivo incompatible with SMCWEBT-G wireless bridge?



## limbob (Dec 24, 2005)

I have a very strange problem using the SMCWEBT-G on anything but a PC.

Has anyone had problems using a wireless bridge with TIVO that where not down to IP settings, WEP or WPA?

My network consists of:
SMC7004AWBR wireless gateway connected to alcatel speedtouch pro ADSL router
Laptop with SMC 802.11b card
TIVO with cache card using SMCWEBT-G in Bridge and 802.11b only mode (latest firmware)
Wireless network is 802.11b using WEP 128bit

TIVO connects fine when connected to laptop directly via ethernet.

SMCWEBT-G will work anywhere in the house when connected to the ethernet of my laptop (wireless card disabled of course).

However, it will only very very rarely work with either the TIVO or on the ADSL router (the third light TX/RX is usually off). It only works when the SMCWEBG-T is rebooted with the SMC7004AWBR in very close proximity, whereas with a PC connected it shows no such sensitivity to distance from the SMC7004AWBR access point (I usually have it situated in my roof space out of the way).

Setting the SMCWEBG-T as a WAP does not seem to help either.

The SMC7004AWBR works great acting as a WAP with either PC, TIVO or Router, again the range is really good also.

All I can think of is that the Tivo and the router have a much lower timeout when an IP packet is sent and then shut the link down if it times out, however, that would not explain why they work fine with the SMC7004AWBR.

I have exhausted my knowledge, can anyone help? Otherwise I will have to search out a different bridge.

Cheers

Alistair


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## sanderton (Jan 4, 2002)

Have you tried attaching your laptop to the bridge in place of the TiVo?


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## blindlemon (May 12, 2002)

limbob said:


> SMCWEBT-G will work anywhere in the house when connected to the ethernet of my laptop (wireless card disabled of course)


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## limbob (Dec 24, 2005)

Fixed it!
Stumbled on this thread: (which I cannot link to as I have not made 5 posts!) /tivo-vb/history/topic/181156-1.html
It was a layer 1 problem (i.e. negotiating network speed with the wireless bridge ethernet port). Inserted a switch between the two and it worked.
The think that threw me was the intermittent working (Tivo even dialled out over the bridge and got an update once.)
However, if you have intermittent network problems with cachecard and a cheap wireless bridge (SMCWEBT-G being the cheapest one I could find as WET11's were out of stock) it probably means the ethernet on the cachecard and the bridge are not 100% compatible so insert the cheapes switch or hub between the two and voila, problem solved!


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## blindlemon (May 12, 2002)

Ahhh, that thread


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