# Can I connect Stream to network switch vs. direct to router?



## atomarchio (Sep 24, 2006)

I purchased Tivo Steam to use with my Premiere. 

Does the Stream have to be connected directly to the router? Or can I connect through a network switch which is connected to router?

I tried the network switch first and it did not work. Then the router direct which worked.

Anyone able to use with a switch? If so, is there a particular feature of the switch I need to be aware in order to use with Stream?

Please let me know. Thanks.


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## Quake97 (Apr 24, 2006)

I have mine on a switch. Works fine. 

Joe


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## consumedsoul (Jan 13, 2013)

Quake97 said:


> I have mine on a switch. Works fine.
> 
> Joe


yep - have had on a switch in the past and worked fine.


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## atomarchio (Sep 24, 2006)

Tried again into a switch and it worked this time. Thanks!


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## PCurry57 (Feb 27, 2012)

atomarchio said:


> I purchased Tivo Steam to use with my Premiere.
> 
> Does the Stream have to be connected directly to the router? Or can I connect through a network switch which is connected to router?
> 
> ...


Brand and type of switch might provide a clue. How many switches are in your network? Remember that the router actually incorporates a smart switch that's why it has 4 lan ports


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## wmhjr (Dec 2, 2007)

PCurry57 said:


> Brand and type of switch might provide a clue. How many switches are in your network? *Remember that the router actually incorporates a smart switch that's why it has 4 lan ports*


Yeah, exactly. Anybody wonder when Tivo support will finally realize that?


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## JWhites (May 15, 2013)

Quake97 said:


> I have mine on a switch. Works fine.
> 
> Joe


Same here.


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## poppagene (Dec 29, 2001)

As with other tivo devices, a green switch (whether or not part of a router) may cause problems.


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

As long as there is a route between the TiVo and the Stream that is wired (Ethernet or MoCa) then the Stream can be anywhere on your network. Think of the Stream like a Mini. It has to be able to stream a full resolution/bitrate version of the show from the TiVo to do the transcoding, then send the transcoded one out over your wifi. As long as it has enough bandwidth and a reliable connection it will work fine.


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## Curt (Oct 26, 2003)

Dan203 said:


> As long as there is a route between the TiVo and the Stream that is wired (Ethernet or MoCa) then the Stream can be anywhere on your network.


Are you saying the stream can be in a different broadcast domain? The way I understood it is that all TiVo equipment has to have L2 adjacency.


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## wmhjr (Dec 2, 2007)

Curt said:


> Are you saying the stream can be in a different broadcast domain? The way I understood it is that all TiVo equipment has to have L2 adjacency.


That is a very good question. The answer "should be" that it should work providing there is a route. But the question really is "will it' work?

Have to think about how to play with this sometime. I'm not completely familiar with how to manage the stream component built into a Roamio Pro and don't have a "standalone" unit so I'd need to think about how to play with this to prove/disprove.


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

Curt said:


> Are you saying the stream can be in a different broadcast domain? The way I understood it is that all TiVo equipment has to have L2 adjacency.


Who has multiple domains in their house? All I was saying is that the Stream does not need to be directly connected to the TiVo or the router. It can be placed anywhere on a typical home network as long as there is a path between it and the TiVo that is wired (i.e. not wifi)


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## Mover480 (Jan 15, 2006)

Mine did not work connected to the switch. Only works connected to the router. 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

Some "green" switches can cause issues.


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## CharlesH (Aug 29, 2002)

Dan203 said:


> Some "green" switches can cause issues.


These are switches that power down ports that the switch considers idle, right?


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

CharlesH said:


> These are switches that power down ports that the switch considers idle, right?


Yes


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## Durfman (Nov 19, 2001)

If I don't put the Stream on the same switch as my Premiere, it is very unreliable. Stuttering, disconnects, errors trying to play video. Put it back and the problems disappear. I don't know if it's a TiVo problem, or an issue with my switches (Dlink gigabit switches),


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## wintergreen (Feb 12, 2015)

I upgraded to the new Roamio around Christmas, it is a plus and I've yet to get out of home streaming to work. Everything works fine in the house, but outside the house I get the standard Can't Connect to Streaming Device Error. I've tried everything, resetting my Linksys EA4500, ran new cable connecting the Tivo direct to the 4500, bypassing the switch, even went as far as putting the TIVO in the DMZ yet I can't get it to stream. Once since December I was able to download via cell on an iphone, but since I get the immediate error. I'm running the latest Feb release software, but that has not helped either. Thinking about changing out the router but before I do I called TIVO today and they were not much help, just said they would swap it out for me if I wanted....so taking to the forum - do you think it is the Tivo? Any other ideas...do you think it could be the router? Oh, my provider is Charter in Massachusetts.


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

You have to set it up. When you're at home rerun the setup. There will be a check box to allow OOH streaming. Check it and hit OK. That will register the TiVo with the proxy server and allow the stream to work outside of your home network.

Also keep in mind that protected shows can not be streamed OOH.


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## wintergreen (Feb 12, 2015)

I have done that many times and the software says all is well. When I look at the system info within the app it also says the stream is ready and enabled for out of home streaming and yet I continue to get an error. Everyone tells me that it should be that easy, but it just doesn't work. Starting to think it is the TIVO but it does work within the house so I'm really not sure. I think I'm going to disco everything else on my network this week but the TIVO and the router and see if that does anything.


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## dcline414 (May 1, 2014)

wmhjr said:


> Yeah, exactly. Anybody wonder when Tivo support will finally realize that?


Calling Tivo support was a reminder how deep their technical understanding goes. They ask how the mini and Roamio are connected to the network, and I told them both are on the same switch. Rep says that absolutely won't work.

So I lie and say I meant router, not switch. Oh, that should definitely work, let's thoroughly investigate why the mini isn't seeing the Roamio.

They don't seem to understand the difference between not supported and not possible.


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

wintergreen said:


> I have done that many times and the software says all is well. When I look at the system info within the app it also says the stream is ready and enabled for out of home streaming and yet I continue to get an error. Everyone tells me that it should be that easy, but it just doesn't work. Starting to think it is the TIVO but it does work within the house so I'm really not sure. I think I'm going to disco everything else on my network this week but the TIVO and the router and see if that does anything.


Do you have a phone and tablet? If so I would put the phone into LTE mode and then enable the mobile hotspot feature. Connect the tablet to the phone so it's "out of home" and then do your testing using that. A lot easier then trying something, then waiting until you're out somewhere to test it.


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## wintergreen (Feb 12, 2015)

So I have made some progress and believe the issue for me sits with the software app itself. Once I setup streaming on my home network, as long as I do not shut off my phone or close the app, when I leave the home network I am able to download and stream shows. I'm even able to go into the debug mode and enable streaming over cell and that works also. But as soon as I close the app or reboot the device and then restart the app away from the home network I get Problem with Streaming Device Error. The only way for me to get it to work again is to return to my home network, run setup again and as long as I keep the app running in the background and don't reboot my phone it works great away from the home network. I'm sure this is not how it should operate, but after many hours I have been able to do this over and over so I know this is the issue, which does rule out my router and tivo in my mind. I think I might put in a ticket with TIVO to see if that does anything.


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## wintergreen (Feb 12, 2015)

So I heard back from TIVO and I don't know if I should feel dumb or better yet have to say how dumb this setup is. The answer I got is that the app is performing exactly as it was designed. If you turn your phone off, close the app from running in the background and/or if the app crashes you need to bring the device back to the home network and run setup again. I guess I just missed that in everything I read but this makes this whole feature much less appealing to me as I travel a lot and shut my phone down while on planes to save battery. I guess I go with airplane mode for now on and keep my fingers crossed that the app does not crash as it sometimes does. I really hope they change this in future releases.


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## poppagene (Dec 29, 2001)

wintergreen said:


> So I heard back from TIVO and I don't know if I should feel dumb or better yet have to say how dumb this setup is. The answer I got is that the app is performing exactly as it was designed. If you turn your phone off, close the app from running in the background and/or if the app crashes you need to bring the device back to the home network and run setup again. I guess I just missed that in everything I read but this makes this whole feature much less appealing to me as I travel a lot and shut my phone down while on planes to save battery. I guess I go with airplane mode for now on and keep my fingers crossed that the app does not crash as it sometimes does. I really hope they change this in future releases.


You should feel dumb for accepting the lame explanation from tivo customer support. The tivo app doesn't stop ooh streaming and require rerunning setup after the phone has been restarted.


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