# TurboNet / Cache Card & homeplug



## MAD4IT (Apr 3, 2003)

Hi Guys, 

Just ordered myself a TurboNET/Cache card and whilst I wait for it to be delivered I am starting to think about connecting it to my network and came across Homeplug which will give me ethernet over mains electric.

Does anyone know if these types of devices are compatible with Tivo & how is the encryption handled by Tivo, the plugs and other computers/devices I have on the network?

My preferred option would be just to run some CAT-5 but it's going to be a pain to hide the cable.

If I can't use homeplug can anyone recommend a good wireless bridge?

Thanks


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## gjwell (Oct 14, 2006)

Hi I use a Netgear Print server 606 I think. This gives you 4 Ethernet ports to connect devices to/ I use it for Playstation Xbox 360 and Tivo. If you don't need more than one port you can buy what they call a WiFi game adaptor this will give you one port. You can get these off of the shelf at PC world. Watch out for the Linksys one though as I bought one last week and it only supported WEP (really old model  ) I took it back an bought a Netgear one. 

I don't have much experience with the mains ones, however a friend at work swears by them. Providing you can hook the network up to Tivo shouldn't mind there are no special settings.

One thing to note if you ever plan on streaming video from Tivo to your PC, either a wired connection or the mains adaptors will be your best bet as Wifi isn't really fast enough, especially if you have lots of interference.

Hope this helps.


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## Podwin (Nov 5, 2002)

I had problems using Tivo with homeplug and discussed on hear 2 years ago. Someone else had had the same problem.

Basically, everything else will work via homeplug except your Tivo. The way to get round it simply is it stick a hub inbetween.


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## Milhouse (Sep 15, 2001)

Wierd, not sure why the TiVo would behave differently to any other device, unless the device 2 years ago wasn't acting as a transparent bridge and basically had some sort of problem.

I've heard pretty good things about the current ethernet-over-mains devices, the only problems people have encountered is when using strip sockets which reduce the speed - they work best when plugged directly into the wall. In terms of TiVo, they should be totally transparent - the communication over mains is encrypted but only between devices so the TiVo won't know anything about encryption and should just work.

I've not actually used these devices myself, but certainly intend to buy a pair (probably these) to overcome a wireless dead spot in my parents house.

If you want a good wireless bridge, go for a Linksys WRT54GL or WRTSL54GS using after-market firmware (eg. Sveasoft, DD-WRT, EWRT or OpenWRT)


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## Cainam (May 25, 2004)

I use the ethernet-over-mains things in my house with no problems. Easiest networking thing I have ever had to install!

The ones I went for were "Devolo MicroLink dLAN Highspeed Starter Kit " (search for "microlink" on Amazon). This cost about £100 for 2 adapters, and it worked so well I bought a third separately (about £45 from E-bay, I think)

I have one downstairs next to my router (was a Netgear, now a BT home hub), plugged into one of the the ethernet ports. Tivo itself is connected directly into the other port on the router.

The second adapter is upstairs, and the Xbox connects to it. The third adapter is also upstairs, and connects to 4 port hub, with a laptop and a desktop connected into it.

Connection from the desktop to the Tivo is quick, and it takes far less time to get things off Tivo than connecting to the hub wirelessly!

Have worked in networking for a number of years, I have been amazed by how few people know/use the ethernet-over-mains devices, when they are so simple to use, so easy to configure and so much faster than wireless.


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## GOODMAP (Feb 8, 2002)

I've recently installed a pair of Netgear XE104 Powerline adapters to use with my Netgear WG834G ADSL router and my Tivo. The Tivo is cabled to the powerline switch via a surge protection socket and then onwards to the router. Works great!


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## TDaxGav (Jun 5, 2003)

Any idea where I can get a TurboNet card.... I'm finally digging my old S1 out the loft and putting it back to use.

I tried the TivoPPP thing and even with all my linux background, I just found it too fiddly, my house is gigabit wired and I'd far rather use that.

Does anybody in the South sell them (Basingstoke, or as close to basingstoke as possible)

Thanks

Gav


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## blindlemon (May 12, 2002)

Most people who want to add networking these days go for a cachecard rather than turbonet as they're roughly the same price but allow you to add RAM to speed up your menus if you fit a large drive  They're slightly faster too....


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

TDaxGav said:


> Any idea where I can get a TurboNet card.... I'm finally digging my old S1 out the loft and putting it back to use.


Forget the Turbonet card. Its a Cachecard that you want these days and that has superseded it.

www.tivoheaven.co.uk, www.tivoland.com or http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Tivo-CacheCar...tem220041966747

Or direct from the USA at www.9thtee.com/tivocachecard.htm

Although the last is theoretically cheapest at current exchange rates it won't be if someone like Parcelforce hits you for a customs duty, VAT and also their duty payment handling fee as they always now tend to do because they make load of money from their £11 or so duty handling fee (so actively point out to customs that items have duty to be paid on them). on top of the actual VAT and customs duty.


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## AWT (Aug 25, 2005)

Milhouse said:


> If you want a good wireless bridge, go for a Linksys WRT54GL or *WRTSL54GS* using after-market firmware (eg. Sveasoft, DD-WRT, EWRT or OpenWRT)


I'm looking for one of these on sale in the UK and nobody appears to sell them. Broadbandbuyer lists them but says they're discontinued. If you know where I can buy one please let me know! My only available option is to import one from the US as things stand.


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## AWT (Aug 25, 2005)

I have used the Netgear WGS102(?) mains/wireless units for customers and they do work reliably. The only thing I would mention is that in spite of a strong wireless signal to the remote PC, the best data speed over the mains wiring has so far been 12mb/s - not really great for moving large amounts of data but fine for TivoWeb and daily calls.

If data speed is important then I'm with Milhouse on the Linksys WRT54G access point here. That and use a wireless bridge at the TiVo end to complete the hookup.


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

AWT said:


> I'm looking for one of these on sale in the UK and nobody appears to sell them. Broadbandbuyer lists them but says they're discontinued. If you know where I can buy one please let me know! My only available option is to import one from the US as things stand.


Seem to be a few UK WRT54Gs on sale at http://search.ebay.co.uk/WRT54GL_W0QQfkrZ1QQfltZ9QQfromZR8

Are these not the same as the WRT54GL?


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## thechachman (Nov 28, 2004)

FWIW ... am presently using homeplugs to bridge upstairs/downstairs with no issues.

The upstairs bedroom tivo is plugged into a solwise 85mb homeplug with another in the office for the upstairs PCs, and downstairs is a third homeplug going into the main 24 port switch for the house which has the broadband hanging off it. 

All three tivos (two downstairs on main wired lan and one upstairs on homeplug, 2x cachecard and 1x turbonet) work as normal and have no idea any homeplugs are involved.

There may have been issues with homeplug 11mb v1 adaptors but not the newer ones ...


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## MAD4IT (Apr 3, 2003)

Thanks all,

Decided to go for NETGEAR HDX101 starter kit (2 adaptors £130ish but speeds up to 200Mbps) and will post back and let you know how I get on. 

Just need to wait for everything to be delivered.


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## AWT (Aug 25, 2005)

Pete77 said:


> Seem to be a few UK WRT54Gs on sale at http://search.ebay.co.uk/WRT54GL_W0QQfkrZ1QQfltZ9QQfromZR8
> 
> Are these not the same as the WRT54GL?


The GL is pretty much the same as a GS version 4 unit. Reputedly the 'L' means that it supports Linux and in turn you can flash it with one of the community firmware projects such as DD-WRT. GS version 5 and above have less memory and are designed for the VxWorks operating system and are regarded as _unhackable_.

The actual product I'm looking for is the WRT*SL*54GS - this has more RAM/NVRAM and more importantly (to me) it has a built in USB hub and so it has the potential for running as a NAS device. The DD-WRT firmware project is allegedly working hard on exposing its potential with daily firmware builds. Unless I can find one locally I think I'm stuck with getting one on eBay from the US


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## MAD4IT (Apr 3, 2003)

Finally received my TurboNet card & new 300Gb HD with TivoWeb. I must say the TurboNet card is a complete pig to install unless you have kiddie fingers  so my top tip is to use a flat wooden spatula to get between the card and the back of the case which allows you to simply push it on whilst using your other hand just to keep it square.  

Tivo is now connected to my network using the NetGear Powerline HDX101 adaptors which are absolutely fantastic and have to be the easiest network devices I have ever used, requiring zero configuration unless you want to add a network id to make them a bit more secure but this is also really easy. My only critism with the devices is that they are slightly too big and get in the way of the plug sockets on/off switch.

So everything is working great and I can HTTP to the Tivo the problem I have is I can't make a daily call over the network which was the default setting for the TivoWeb install, I have now changed this to dialup using nic_config_tivo just so I can run the guided setup which takes forever. 

Searching the web and these forums I found some references to daily call failing on NTL broadband due to NTL's proxies but I can't find any instructions on how to fix it.

Can anyone please point me in the right direction?

Thanks


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