# Tivo Mini with Roamio over wifi hotspot



## BlueOtto (Jun 27, 2002)

My parents got a Tivo Roamio OTA and a Tivo Mini and I'm helping them set it up.

They have a permanent Wifi LTE hotspot as their only internet. They live in an area that offers NO DSL or Cable internet, but have a large antenna on a tower and get great OTA TV. 

The Roamio connects to the hotspot great, but I'm wondering how to make the Mini work on this setup. Crossover ethernet cable between Mini and Roamio? Moca between Mini and Roamio?


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## mdavej (Aug 13, 2015)

Assuming they have some sort of router, connect both to it with Ethernet cables. If not, they need to get a router.


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## BlueOtto (Jun 27, 2002)

Ok, but then how do you connect the internet to the router? It is a Wifi-only hotspot with no ethernet port on it.


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## BlueOtto (Jun 27, 2002)

Can the Roamio connect to the router for connecting to the Mini while simultaneously using the Wifi for its internet connection?


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

BlueOtto said:


> Can the Roamio connect to the router for connecting to the Mini while simultaneously using the Wifi for its internet connection?


Keep this in mind. A Roamio using its internal wireless can not use that to communicate to a Mini.

I'm not a MoCA person, but doesn't it allow you to buy the external MoCA 
adapter for the OTA, then run coax to the Mini, which has built in MoCA support? Just a guess.

Isn't a WiFi hot spot just a wireless router/modem without the usual built-in switch?

Perhaps you can get some Mini/MoCA help here: http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=501722


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## mdavej (Aug 13, 2015)

Then you need a WAP that connects to the hotspot and provides physical ports to plug in your other devices.


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## Nickipedia (Jul 18, 2015)

I have a few systems that are in the same scenario you have. LTE wifi hotspot is THE Internet pipe since no other options are available. The Roamio uses wired Ethernet to an access point. A cheap reliable solution for a WAP is the Apple Airport Express model A1264. You can find them on eBay for around $20. They are compact, have dual band wireless N, and are designed to be a bridge+repeater.

The systems have the Roamio and minis' connected to a switch, and the airport connected to the same switch. The airport is connected to the LTE hotspot via wifi (wireless bridge.) It's fast and reliable to the point that sometimes you forget it's there. Even streaming from the Tivo via the wireless doesn't have any problems.

Ethernet is definitely the solution with the fewest variables


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