# Tivo mini + wifi bridge



## Exci

I received my Tivo mini yesterday and wanted to share my experience setting it up (as the internet is fairly void of this information).

I have it running quite well using a wireless bridge, however I wouldn't recommend it for most folks. Wireless is a fickle technology, and not something you want to depend on for a high speed constant connection if you can avoid it.

That said, my bedroom doesn't have a cable connection to use Moca, I'm not drilling holes between rooms to run ethernet, and I didn't want to spend the money on a powerline network adapter knowing the chances weren't great it would work with the rooms being on separate circuits.

So, I purchased a cheap wifi router that supports wireless bridge mode, set it up to connect to my broadband router (which the tivo elite plugs into), made sure I was using the 'cleanest' wifi channel (using inSSIDer), and crossed my fingers.

The Tivo mini worked as I would expect. Setup was fine, no lag. The only difference I notice comparing it to my Elite is that the video is choppier when fast forwarding, making it harder to tell when to hit play when you get through commercials. Having not tried it elsewhere, I'm not sure if that's normal for the Mini or due to bandwidth.

This is not something I would configure for my family. Getting wifi bridge mode setup isn't something to mess with if you haven't heard of it or worked with it before. Also, I live in an area where I can only see one other wifi network (the neighbor). You might very well run into problems in even moderately crowded wifi areas.

So, that's my experience. I just wanted to throw out there that it is possible, I can understand why Tivo doesn't support it, and make your own decision if the risk of it not working is worth it to you if wifi is your only option.


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## aaronwt

What kind of router is it? Bridge mode can be very easy to setup depending on the device. On My Asus RT-N56U it's just a matter of selecting Bridge mode in the web console. On my Dlink DAP-1522 boxes it's just a matter of sliding a switch. But the DAp-1552 boxes are also AP/Bridge units. After the initial setup which takes a few minutes, you just slide a switch to go between Bridge and AP mode. The Mini worked great on the DAP-1522 in Bridge mode when I tried it. The performance seemed the same as when connecting the Mini to the wired portion of the network.


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## Exci

I got a $30 linksys e1000 and flashed it with dd-wrt. I suppose that in and of itself was adding complexity and a purpose built bridge would probably be easier to setup.

That said, the core I was trying to convey is that the Tivo Mini can run off wifi, but know the risks going in.


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## Dan203

Exci said:


> The only difference I notice comparing it to my Elite is that the video is choppier when fast forwarding, making it harder to tell when to hit play when you get through commercials. Having not tried it elsewhere, I'm not sure if that's normal for the Mini or due to bandwidth.


When using MRS FF/RW is always a bit choppy, but how choppy it is does depend on bandwidth. I originally had my network setup to use a pair of older AV200 powerline adapters. The video played fine, but FF/RW was very choppy and hard to control like you describe. As a test I ran a long 100' Cat-6 cable between the rooms and FF/RW was much smoother. Although still not quite the same as using the TiVo locally, but much easier to use. That was a temporary solution so I decided to try MoCa instead. The performance is almost as good as when I had the Ethernet cable hooked up.

So if there is any way for you to run a coax to that room I highly recommend it. Your experience will be a lot better.


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## aaronwt

I'm testing out my two Minis right now with MoCA. From what I can tell so far performance has been at a minimum identical to when I had them connected to Ethernet. One Elite is in Ethernet/MoCA bridge mode so both minis are connected through that one Elite.

Sent from my HTC ReZound using Forum Runner


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## mrizzo80

Anyone else with bridge setups want to chime in with results with the Mini? My 2 Premiere's are connected via Netgear 3300's flashed with dd-wrt in bridge mode (5ghz band).

I usually experience 1 drop (I think v87 error?) per show that I stream between the two with this setup. Wondering if this type of random dropout is any more/less common when a Mini is involved.

I know TiVo doesn't officially support this method of transfer, but hopefully the next software update will correct these hiccups anyway.


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## aaronwt

mrizzo80 said:


> Anyone else with bridge setups want to chime in with results with the Mini? My 2 Premiere's are connected via Netgear 3300's flashed with dd-wrt in bridge mode (5ghz band).
> 
> I usually experience 1 drop (I think v87 error?) per show that I stream between the two with this setup. Wondering if this type of random dropout is any more/less common when a Mini is involved.
> 
> I know TiVo doesn't officially support this method of transfer, but hopefully the next software update will correct these hiccups anyway.


I've seen that a few times with a wired connection, a wireless Bridge, and a MoCA connection. But I've only seen it occur at the very end of a recording I'm watching. Only when I'm fast forwarding through the last set of commercials and I get ready to stop it to see next weeks previews and I've seen that error pop up. It's happened around 10% to 20% of the time. No idea why but it has only happened at the end of a recording and only if I was FF. And even then it doesn't happen every time.

Right now I'm trying out both my Minis and both my Elites on MoCA. I figured I'd try those for a few days and then switch to trying wireless bridges on each of those four to see how it is with all of them on wireless at the same time.


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## bill.weir

Interesting. I have the same set up that Exci described at the top of this thread, with the same motivations, but my router bridge is with two Asus RT-66U units, the mini connected to the router in "media streaming mode" (Asus' own term). Unlike Exci however, the TiVo mini setup is unable to find te Elite DVR downstairs, even having followed all the usual instructions - share a tuner, get DVR to check in with TiVo, do a whole network reboot. On the router admin page I can see that both mini and Elite are on the 192.168.1.* network, and the mini can check in with TiVo - which proves the bridge is working. But still setup says it cannot find a DVR. The help text suggests checking the text for condition V70. All the conditions on that page are met. Tivo confirms Elite is a valid host DVR for mini.

TiVo support were great. Officially this is not supported but they helped me with some ideas. They suggested QOS may be involved.

Anyone got ideas about what's going on? Wh would a mini not be Abe to discover an Elite note same subnet?


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## smh410

bill.weir said:


> Interesting. I have the same set up that Exci described at the top of this thread, with the same motivations, but my router bridge is with two Asus RT-66U units, the mini connected to the router in "media streaming mode" (Asus' own term). Unlike Exci however, the TiVo mini setup is unable to find te Elite DVR downstairs, even having followed all the usual instructions - share a tuner, get DVR to check in with TiVo, do a whole network reboot. On the router admin page I can see that both mini and Elite are on the 192.168.1.* network, and the mini can check in with TiVo - which proves the bridge is working. But still setup says it cannot find a DVR. The help text suggests checking the text for condition V70. All the conditions on that page are met. Tivo confirms Elite is a valid host DVR for mini.
> 
> TiVo support were great. Officially this is not supported but they helped me with some ideas. They suggested QOS may be involved.
> 
> Anyone got ideas about what's going on? Wh would a mini not be Abe to discover an Elite note same subnet?


Was running into the same issue with a linksys router & bridge. I just adjusted the Channel for the Broadcast, and set it @ 40 Mhz wide, and it started to work. Hope that works.


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## cmonroe

For those experiencing WiFi issues, you may want to check out Open-Mesh products. I'm in no way affiliated with them but their simplicity and reliability is better than anything out there. I too (like many people) opted for the AP + bridges around the house model but there were always quirks; e.g. bridge X would lock up requiring a hard power cycle, throughput would drop to next to nothing after days of run time, TiVo would randomly disconnect, etc. To give you a virtual picture of my network, this is what I have:










Note the "g" next to 2 of the nodes. These are "gateway" nodes which simply mean they have hard wired uplinks to my LAN. The "tivo-bridge" node is a stand-alone wifi bridge. The numbers in each direction denote the RSSI (signal strength). There are two numbers on each link as each node reports the signal. Living Room-> TiVo is maybe 10ft but through a nasty wall, Living Room->Office is about 30ft between 2 walls, and Living Room->Office is about 40ft between 3 walls.

Since these are mesh nodes, they provide a few advantages typical wireless gear does not such as:


automatic gateway selection
for nodes with no wired uplink; autodiscovery of configured neighbors and failover to the closest neighbor if one node goes offline
link role discovery; I did not assign those nodes as "gateway" nodes, it was decided by the AP based on the fact that it could DHCP and connect to the internet on a wired port
similar to above, each node has 2 wired ports; you can use one for uplink, one for a LAN device (one is effectively a gateway/uplink port, the other a bridge port), or both wired ports as bridge ports (how the node "tivo-bridge" behaves, it has a TiVo mini and AppleTV connected)

Anyway, I can't tell the difference between using this wireless setup and wired/MoCA. The worth thing I've had happen while watching a show is see the main AP (closest to TiVo) die/reboot. This will send you back to the home screen but by the time you re-start your show it's failed over to the other AP.

Nodes are managed by the Cloudtrax dashboard. Not totally feature rich but good enough for the basics. I recommend:

* SSID #1: Hide (this SSID acts as a NAT + captive portal, so unless you want the box to do NAT and connect it to your upstream internet connection turn it off)
* SSID #2: Typically used for bridge mode (what you'll want if you want to extend your LAN). Under the SSID #2 tab, check "Enabled", "Bridge", and "Wired Clients"... assign your network name, password, etc. and save. 
* Advanced: I usually check "Block Alien Nodes", "NG Firmware", and "Test Firmware" (if feeling brave).

From there your network will configure and mange itself. The only thing you need to do is go back to the "General" tab and click "Add/Edit Nodes".. find your location on the map and each time you left click it will pop up with a dialog asking for Name, MAC, and Description. Only MAC is required; this is what tells nodes in your mesh who to allow on and who to block. The first node you connect must be wired, but from there on out the nodes are smart enough that you can take a factory fresh node and so long as it's within range of another node AND the MAC is in your Network config it will auto-join, get the latest firmware, and get your network config; couldn't be easier.

Remember it's best to wire as many nodes as possible, each wireless "hop" cuts the bandwidth in half. Overall great products.. they need something in the 5Ghz band with N or AC (I've heard i's coming) but the 2.4Ghz models perform great in this application. Note that the only model I've used (and recommend) is the OM2P-HS (2x2 MIMO for $75). The other two models are single stream. Even though they have a model with external antenna claiming "best range", the OM2P-HS range is pretty insane; I can get working signal 1/2 block down the street from my house (you can turn the radio power down if you like but I live in a rural area).

The enclosures are also quite clever, especially the "Indoor Wallplug Enclosure".. if you have an outlet to give up i's easy to hide. Prices are fair and their gear is great. The dashboard software is free to use, but if you decide you hate it and want a traditional AP you can flash OpenWRT onto the hardware if you desire.

Anyway, check them out, everything works great with TiVo... they have some videos on their site but information is a bit sparse. If there are any questions I'm more than happy to answer.

Cheers,


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## slindberg

For those without a lot tech expertise, you might find a Wifi to Ethernet converter to be easier to add to your Wifi network. I use one with my main tv area to connect TV, Tivo, & Blu-Ray to my Wifi network. The Buffalo was simple to set up and the devices just see it as standard Ethernet.

http://www.pcnation.com/web/details.asp?affid=808&item=BG5746&gclid=COThsYaV27kCFew9QgoddBQA9w


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## vurbano

I was thinking of trying this with a linksys WUMC 710 wireless bridge and an asus rt68u router under wireless AC. The performance should be really good shouldn't it?


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## aristoBrat

vurbano said:


> I was thinking of trying this with a linksys WUMC 710 wireless bridge and an asus rt68u router under wireless AC. The performance should be really good shouldn't it?


If the performance delivers the expected bandwidth, it should be good. If you have two walls between the devices that drop the bandwidth, then not so good. IMO, there can be so many variables unique to each persons setup that affect wireless performance, it's really hard to give a definite answer.


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## vurbano

Is there a windows utility to test speed from the wireless router to a wireless device?


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## lillevig

I use an older Linksys router that I've reconfigured with DD-WRT so I can make it a bridge/repeater. What DD-WRT also allows you to do is to modify the transmit signal power which may help keep the bandwidth up in some situations. The one primary issue with any bridge is that you now have two devices between the source and the consumer and that slows things up. In other words, your Tivo has to transmit to your primary router which then has to re-transmit to the bridge that is connected to the Mini or second Tivo. And vice-versa for the other direction.


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## vurbano

My WUMC710 arrives tomorrow. On sale direct from linksys for $49 bucks. It will be 5ghz dedicated at 1.3 Gbps to Asus dual core RT AC68U router with a 5 Ghz band at 1.3 Gbps and 2.4 ghz at 600 Mbps. Testing begins Friday night. Nothing else will be on the 5 ghz band. if the connection is stable it should work well. I've tested a laptop from the mini location with an Netgear USB 1200 Mbps AC adapter and read full strength 867 Mbps which is max for its 5ghz AC band. Tomorrow should be interesting. So far this asus router seems like one bad SOB IMO and incredibly user friendly. This is all for my 87 yr old father who has screwed up wiring. No Ethernet drops. And two seperate cable feeds to the house which are unconnected (so no moca) and doesn't want me to install wall drops and face plates even though I've done it all over my house. Geez. Trust me i am a wired fan. But at his age you just do what he wants. So I am testing everything with my equipment before even venturing into his house with the new setup, a roamio plus with 3tb upgrade and a mini. Cox here will charge $500 dollars a year in fees for an equivalent setup. That's robbery.


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## aristoBrat

867 Mbps!?!  Hopefully all goes well tomorrow!


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## vurbano

aristoBrat said:


> 867 Mbps!?!  Hopefully all goes well tomorrow!


That's just what the adapter software reports. Salt meet grain. Not sure what actual throughput is. But the 710 unit is what will be connected to the mini and it's supposed to be 1.3 Gbps.


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## vurbano

Wow. It's fast. No detectable difference changing channels, playing recordings, rewinding, fast forward or 30 sec skip, or skipping in large chunks.


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## aaronwt

vurbano said:


> Wow. It's fast. No detectable difference changing channels, playing recordings, rewinding, fast forward or 30 sec skip, or skipping in large chunks.


You will get the same result over wireless N(2.4Ghz and 5Ghz). From a user perspective, there will be no difference over wireless doing those things. it will feel the same as using a wired connection. At least it did in my testing.


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## JoJetSki

vurbano said:


> My WUMC710 arrives tomorrow. On sale direct from linksys for $49 bucks. It will be 5ghz dedicated at 1.3 Gbps to Asus dual core RT AC68U router with a 5 Ghz band at 1.3 Gbps and 2.4 ghz at 600 Mbps. Testing begins Friday night. Nothing else will be on the 5 ghz band. if the connection is stable it should work well. I've tested a laptop from the mini location with an Netgear USB 1200 Mbps AC adapter and read full strength 867 Mbps which is max for its 5ghz AC band. Tomorrow should be interesting. So far this asus router seems like one bad SOB IMO and incredibly user friendly. This is all for my 87 yr old father who has screwed up wiring. No Ethernet drops. And two seperate cable feeds to the house which are unconnected (so no moca) and doesn't want me to install wall drops and face plates even though I've done it all over my house. Geez. Trust me i am a wired fan. But at his age you just do what he wants. So I am testing everything with my equipment before even venturing into his house with the new setup, a roamio plus with 3tb upgrade and a mini. Cox here will charge $500 dollars a year in fees for an equivalent setup. That's robbery.


I have the same setup, ASUS RT-AC68R router with my Romio Pro hard wired to it and a mini sitting behind the cisco/Linksys WUMC710. I also bought the extended antennas from Amazon to get better range out of my router. Tivo Mini is working flawlessly in streaming, skipping ahead and general connectivity. You would think they are connected together on the same switch the way there is no pixelization during fast forward etc. My signal strength is 56% and I am getting a bit rate of 585 Mbps. more than enough for the mini which is the only active device behind the bridge. As always your setup may vary depending on conditions, but this is probably one of the best options for a wifi-bridge/router setup.


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## eboydog

One must understand that regardless of how fast of a wireless connectivity you can create, the largest obstacle to overcome is the physical limitations the Tivo has is fully utilizing that available bandwidth. The newer Roamio models are a big improvement but even that model cannot max out a 100 MB ethernet wired connection much less some of the faster wireless technologies. 

With using wireless gateway options too especially with wireless G, performance is impeded with other wireless G devices not including the gateway it's self meaning the more devices on your wireless slows things down. One option to overcome this is to setup separate wireless networks on your home network, one to handle typical wireless devices and the second to handle just the wireless gateway, of course this requires two separate wireless access points.


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## aaronwt

The Plus and Pro can hit 180 mbps throughput. The Roamio basic tops out at 95mbps.


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## lessd

aaronwt said:


> The Plus and Pro can hit 180 mbps throughput. The Roamio basic tops out at 95mbps.


I have a MoCA setup with readings on the MoCA of over 250 for RX and TX on all my boxes. With both Roamio Plus units in standby mode the fastest xfer rate I can get on a HD program is 98Mb/Sec, how are you getting 180Mb/sec ? I use the TiVo xfer speed in network diag to measure my xfer speed.


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## aaronwt

lessd said:


> I have a MoCA setup with readings on the MoCA of over 250 for RX and TX on all my boxes. With both Roamio Plus units in standby mode the fastest xfer rate I can get on a HD program is 98Mb/Sec, how are you getting 180Mb/sec ? I use the TiVo xfer speed in network diag to measure my xfer speed.


Transfer to a PC with TiVo Desktop.


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## lessd

aaronwt said:


> Transfer to a PC with TiVo Desktop.


*OH!* I don't do that, no need for me with all the storage I now have.


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## mcluvin

A big thumbs up for the WUMC710. I got 2 of these super cheap from Tanga a couple weeks ago. The setup is a bit of a kludge, but update the firmware, set a static IP and done. My main router is an R7000. The WUMC710s work better than another R7000 in bridge mode. I'm amazed at how well this is working so far.


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## Forcelite

Does anyone have any experience with using an AC adapter and compatible router?

It would seem that if N is working ok, then AC would provide a pretty good overall experience.

Thanks,
Force


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## aaronwt

Forcelite said:


> Does anyone have any experience with using an AC adapter and compatible router?
> 
> It would seem that if N is working ok, then AC would provide a pretty good overall experience.
> 
> Thanks,
> Force


I would think it would work fine. I can use a Mini with a wireless bridge and get rock solid streaming whether I use 2.4Ghz or 5Ghz N. So AC should be fine too. Of course, like with wireless N, if the wireless network is not setup properly then there can be issues.


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## Bob-Dobalina

For what its worth I was able to connect my tivo mini to my network using an old Airport express in Bridge Mode. My main wireless router is a Airport Extreme. It was pretty simple. I plugged my ethernet cable from my mini to my express and it immediately connected to my network. My tivo roamio is connected to the network via hardwired ethernet. 

I also have a tivo premiere hooked up to another airport extreme in bridge mode. 

Only issues I have is when i am streaming a show from my tivo premiere to my mini. Usually occurs when I am fast forwarding to far into a show and it takes a moment for it to buffer.


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## A2JetGuy

I'm having great success with this set up!

My DSL modem is Cat5 hard wired to my Apple TimeCapsule/WiFi.
To that Apple TimeCapsule/WiFi I have my Roamio and one Premiere Cat5 hard wired.

In another part of the house I have an AirPort Extreme/WiFi that wirelessly extends my network from my TimeCapsule. To that I have my TiVo Mini Cat5 hard wired.

In yet another part of the house I have another AirPort Extreme/WiFi, also wirelessly extending my network from my TimeCapsule. To that I have another TiVo Premiere Cat5 hard wired.

Everything streams, transfers, FF, Rew without hesitation.
Added bonus: seamless WiFi coverage in and around my home!


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## 2trill4925

Bob-Dobalina said:


> For what its worth I was able to connect my tivo mini to my network using an old Airport express in Bridge Mode. My main wireless router is a Airport Extreme. It was pretty simple. I plugged my ethernet cable from my mini to my express and it immediately connected to my network. My tivo roamio is connected to the network via hardwired ethernet.
> 
> I also have a tivo premiere hooked up to another airport extreme in bridge mode.
> 
> Only issues I have is when i am streaming a show from my tivo premiere to my mini. Usually occurs when I am fast forwarding to far into a show and it takes a moment for it to buffer.


Another vote for the Airport Express, because had it not been for that device the Mini would've been returned.


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## bigshow

Like the person who made a previous post, I use Apple's Airport Extreme as my router and WiFi provider, and Airport Express to extend my "wired" network. The Mini is connected to a wired port on the Extreme, and my Roamio (OTA) is connected to the wired port on the Express, so in reality there is a wireless connection between the two. I get good streaming for a while, but after a few minutes live TV gets "jumpy" (pauses more and more), and playing shows prerecorded on the Roamio eventually fails with the "network too slow" error from my Mini.

1. Is there anything I can do to "tune" my network to improve it? Apple's products, of course, are well-known for not letting you get down to the nitty gritty of configuration.

2. Why is it that I never had this problem when I had two Premieres? I could play prerecorded shows from either box to the other one over the exact same connection without a problem.

Thanks!


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## Marty1781

bigshow said:


> Like the person who made a previous post, I use Apple's Airport Extreme as my router and WiFi provider, and Airport Express to extend my "wired" network. The Mini is connected to a wired port on the Extreme, and my Roamio (OTA) is connected to the wired port on the Express, so in reality there is a wireless connection between the two. I get good streaming for a while, but after a few minutes live TV gets "jumpy" (pauses more and more), and playing shows prerecorded on the Roamio eventually fails with the "network too slow" error from my Mini.
> 
> 1. Is there anything I can do to "tune" my network to improve it? Apple's products, of course, are well-known for not letting you get down to the nitty gritty of configuration.
> 
> 2. Why is it that I never had this problem when I had two Premieres? I could play prerecorded shows from either box to the other one over the exact same connection without a problem.
> 
> Thanks!


Not sure why you are having issues with the Roamio-Mini combo and not the Premiers. Below are a couple of things you can try which do not necessarily fall under the category of tuning your network but may solve your issue. The options are presented in order from the least to the most costly so I would therefore try them in the order that they are listed below. The 4th option, however, will be your best bet and result in the most reliable connection/streaming experience.

1) If you haven't done so already, try rebooting the Extreme, Express, Roamio, and Mini

2) If you can, try swapping the locations of the Roamio and Mini. The point of this is so that the Roamio will be connected to the Extreme and the Mini to the Express. With your current connection, you are uploading/sending the Roamio's stream through the Express and it's wireless-N connection, which is the bottleneck. It shouldn't make a difference, but it may be more efficient for the network to instead have the Roamio located at the Extreme's location. That way, the more powerful Extreme will be primarily sending Roamio data downstream to the less powerful Express (instead of the reverse like you currently have it setup). The bottleneck of the wireless-N connection will still exist but this may be a more efficient way to optimize the connection. In your previous setup, if you were primarily streaming video from the Premiere located at the Extreme to the Premiere located at the Express and not having issues, that may also help explain why you weren't having issues then but are having them now.

3) Does your version of the Extreme support wireless AC? If yes, try using a wireless bridge that also supports the faster wireless AC standard to connect the Roamio to your network (I believe the current version of the Express only supports the slower wireless-N/G/B/A standards). Here is one example ($35):
http://www.amazon.com/Linksys-Wireless-AC-Universal-Connector-WUMC710/dp/B0090DX8O8

4) Assuming you have coax connections near/available at both the Roamio and the Mini (you were previously using two connected Premieres, so yes, right?), you can try using a pair of Moca adapters to create a wired connection between the two ($90): https://www.tivo.com/shop/detail/moca-2
Under this scenario, you would use one Moca adapter to create the Moca network by connecting to both a coax wall outlet and your Extreme (Mini remains connected to the Extreme over ethernet). The other Moca adapter would be connected to a coax wall outlet near the Roamio and then ethernet from that to the Roamio. 
The ideal scenario, however, would be to swap the locations of the Roamio and Mini so that you would only need one Moca adapter ($50): https://www.tivo.com/shop/detail/moca
The single adapter would create the Moca network at the Extreme's location (connect wall coax to Moca adapter's coax input and ethernet from adapter to Extreme). Roamio connects via ethernet to the Extreme and also to the coax output on the Moca adapter. The Mini would then just connect directly to a wall coax outlet in the other location since the Mini has a builtin Moca adapter.

5) If your Extreme supports wireless AC, you can also try replacing the Express with the following ($90):
http://www.amazon.com/Linksys-AC1200-Wi-Fi-Extender-RE6500-FFP/dp/B00KX8OL1S


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## Bigg

People FF and RW on TiVo? I rarely ever FF and RW, I can 6-second and 30-second skip for most uses, i.e. skipping commercials...


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## aaronwt

Bigg said:


> People FF and RW on TiVo? I rarely ever FF and RW, I can 6-second and 30-second skip for most uses, i.e. skipping commercials...


For over ten years I used the skip. Then when the Roamio came out in 2013 with the 30 second scan, I didn't think I would like it. But after awhile I found I liked it better. Now I can't stand using the skip function. I only use the scan function. I like to see what it is scanning over and if I see something I want to watch I can stop it.


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## DeltaOne

aaronwt said:


> Now I can't stand using the skip function. I only use the scan function. I like to see what it is scanning over and if I see something I want to watch I can stop it.


Me too. Use the middle (2) speed. Speed #1 is too slow, speed #3 a little too fast.

Using speed #2 I wait until I see a few frames of the show after the commercial and the bounce-back almost always lands at just the right spot.


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## Bigg

aaronwt said:


> For over ten years I used the skip. Then when the Roamio came out in 2013 with the 30 second scan, I didn't think I would like it. But after awhile I found I liked it better. Now I can't stand using the skip function. I only use the scan function. I like to see what it is scanning over and if I see something I want to watch I can stop it.


Do the Premieres do scan? I think I've seen it before on either my XL4 or one of my Mini's, but I programmed in 30 second skip as soon as I got them.


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## aaronwt

Bigg said:


> Do the Premieres do scan? I think I've seen it before on either my XL4 or one of my Mini's, but I programmed in 30 second skip as soon as I got them.


I might have mixed up the Roamio with the XL4/Elite.


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## Bigg

aaronwt said:


> I might have mixed up the Roamio with the XL4/Elite.


It may be a Roamio/Mini thing, in which case the Mini would probably do it when connected to an XL4? Or all of them do it...


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## mrizzo80

I'm getting fairly frequent audio dropouts with my Mini. The video is fine. I'm using an older Netgear router in client-bridge mode to feed the Mini.

Several times per show (DVR recording or OTT content) the audio will drop for about 2 seconds. If I skip back 8 seconds, the audio plays fine at the timestamp of the original problem.

I'm considering spending 20 bucks on this thing to see if the router is the problem.
http://www.tp-link.com/en/products/details/?model=TL-WR702N

Anyone else experience audio dropouts like this in a non-wired connection?


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## Bigg

mrizzo80 said:


> I'm considering spending 20 bucks on this thing to see if the router is the problem.
> http://www.tp-link.com/en/products/details/?model=TL-WR702N
> 
> Anyone else experience audio dropouts like this in a non-wired connection?


You want 3x3 5ghz AC, not that piece of crap that's doing 1x1 2.4ghz N.


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## JoeKustra

Good router is most important. Using TiVo on AN0100 for the Mini and ASUS EA-N66r on the Roamio. Works great. Netgear R7500 router.


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## aaronwt

Bigg said:


> You want 3x3 5ghz AC, not that piece of crap that's doing 1x1 2.4ghz N.


Not really a need for wireless AC with the mini since the streams are so slow.


----------



## Bigg

aaronwt said:


> Not really a need for wireless AC with the mini since the streams are so slow.


It's not the speed, it's the consistency.


----------



## aaronwt

Bigg said:


> It's not the speed, it's the consistency.


Yes and 2.4ghz and 5 Ghz N are rock solid and consistent if they can be setup properly.


----------



## Bigg

aaronwt said:


> Yes and 2.4ghz and 5 Ghz N are rock solid and consistent if they can be setup properly.


Yeah, 5 ghz N should be fine. But when buying new stuff at this point, it would be stupid not to go for at least AC1750 if not AC1900.


----------



## aaronwt

Bigg said:


> Yeah, 5 ghz N should be fine. But when buying new stuff at this point, it would be stupid not to go for at least AC1750 if not AC1900.


They are still expensive though. You need to get an AP and a wireless bridge. That can run several hundred. I run five wireless Bridges and four APs. I would need to spend well over $1K to upgrade all of that to wireless AC.


----------



## mrizzo80

aaronwt said:


> They are still expensive though. You need to get an AP and a wireless bridge. That can run several hundred. I run five wireless Bridges and four APs. I would need to spend well over $1K to upgrade all of that to wireless AC.


Yeah, this is why I'm holding off. My entire network (3 WNDR3300's - 1 router and 2 in client-bridge mode) are N-class hardware on 5Ghz. The TiVo and the Mini are connected to 2 different bridges. So upgrading everything would be expensive.

I don't even know for sure the problem is the client-bridge that feeds the Mini. I suppose it could be anywhere in the chain.

I'm hoping someone else will chime in about experiencing audio dropouts.


----------



## Bigg

aaronwt said:


> They are still expensive though. You need to get an AP and a wireless bridge. That can run several hundred. I run five wireless Bridges and four APs. I would need to spend well over $1K to upgrade all of that to wireless AC.


Agreed. Upgrades are pricey. But when buying new stuff, AC1900 is the way to go. Also, in your case, do you really need that many APs?


----------



## aaronwt

Bigg said:


> Agreed. Upgrades are pricey. But when buying new stuff, AC1900 is the way to go. Also, in your case, do you really need that many APs?


Yes. I have several dozen wireless devices. I need that many APs to make sure I have no congestion issues and every device can get an excellent signal strength. Plus eight of my IP cameras are over wireless sending a constant stream of video/audio 24/7/365.


----------



## Bigg

aaronwt said:


> Yes. I have several dozen wireless devices. I need that many APs to make sure I have no congestion issues and every device can get an excellent signal strength. Plus eight of my IP cameras are over wireless sending a constant stream of video/audio 24/7/365.


Yeah, those IP cameras sound like real bandwidth hogs. Without those could you get consistent coverage with one or two APs? How big is your condo? I have covered a 3800 square foot house with a single N600 AP, on both bands, I can't imagine that there are many houses you can't cover with one, unless there are weird construction methods or an unusual layout. When I have my own house, I may do two, just because I can, but I doubt I'll really need them.

EDIT: Also, the IP cameras should be the only things causing congestion, right? Otherwise, devices don't use data constantly enough to cause congestion...


----------



## aaronwt

I also want to be able to get max speeds from any device at any time. Which wouldn't be possible with one AP. Just by the fact that the signal strength wouldn't be as high. My condo is 1350 sq. ft.,but all one level with a brick firewall across most of the middle. One 5Ghz AP can't get a signal across the condo.


----------



## Bigg

aaronwt said:


> I also want to be able to get max speeds from any device at any time. Which wouldn't be possible with one AP. Just by the fact that the signal strength wouldn't be as high. My condo is 1350 sq. ft.,but all one level with a brick firewall across most of the middle. One 5Ghz AP can't get a signal across the condo.


Ah, so you would need two. But what devices really need the full speed all the time?


----------



## aaronwt

Bigg said:


> Ah, so you would need two. But what devices really need the full speed all the time?


My laptops do. It helps the tablets too.


----------



## Arcady

You use multiple laptops and tablets at the same time?


----------



## aaronwt

Arcady said:


> You use multiple laptops and tablets at the same time?


Yes. I'll usually update them and other stuff at the same time. The same with my Desktop PCs. I use google remote Desktop so I can easily access all my laptop/netbook and Desktop PCs from one machine.


----------



## Bigg

aaronwt said:


> My laptops do. It helps the tablets too.


I really doubt you'd notice the difference if they were all sharing an AC1900 AP.


----------



## aaronwt

Bigg said:


> I really doubt you'd notice the difference if they were all sharing an AC1900 AP.


I still wouldnt get total coverage with just one AP. The firewall in the middle does a great job blocking 5ghz. Plus the ceilings and floors are concrete.


----------



## Bigg

aaronwt said:


> I still wouldnt get total coverage with just one AP. The firewall in the middle does a great job blocking 5ghz. Plus the ceilings and floors are concrete.


Right, one router per coverage area. You have what, two areas that need to be covered? What kind of building do you live in?


----------



## aaronwt

Bigg said:


> Right, one router per coverage area. You have what, two areas that need to be covered? What kind of building do you live in?


Three level building. I am on the basement level and above each half is a two level condo that is around the same 1350 square feet as my one level condo. The floor and ceilings are concrete. The front, side and common walls are cinder block and brick. The back wall is the only one that is normal wood construction.

I had three APs until a few months ago. I needed to add the fourth to guarantee I had no issues since I have so many devices plus constant streaming from many of my IP cameras. Plus I'm in the process of replacing all my 1MP and lower cameras with 3MP cameras. So the bitrates will go even higher than the 24/7/365 40Mb/s to 50Mb/s stream I currently have from my cameras on wireless.


----------



## Arcady

So what you're telling me is that when I break into your house, bring a WiFi jammer and nothing will be recorded?


----------



## aaronwt

Arcady said:


> So what you're telling me is that when I break into your house, bring a WiFi jammer and nothing will be recorded?


Only the cameras over WiFi. I still have half a dozen IP cameras on wired connections. You can't get to anything without going by one or more of the wired cameras.


----------



## h2oskierc

aaronwt said:


> Only the cameras over WiFi. I still have half a dozen IP cameras on wired connections. You can't get to anything without going by one or more of the wired cameras.


You live in Fort Knox, don't you?


----------



## Bigg

aaronwt said:


> Three level building. I am on the basement level and above each half is a two level condo that is around the same 1350 square feet as my one level condo. The floor and ceilings are concrete. The front, side and common walls are cinder block and brick. The back wall is the only one that is normal wood construction.
> 
> I had three APs until a few months ago. I needed to add the fourth to guarantee I had no issues since I have so many devices plus constant streaming from many of my IP cameras. Plus I'm in the process of replacing all my 1MP and lower cameras with 3MP cameras. So the bitrates will go even higher than the 24/7/365 40Mb/s to 50Mb/s stream I currently have from my cameras on wireless.


Wow, that's, uh, interesting construction to say the least!


----------



## peter888chan

I just got my Mini. I have a Roamio in the bedroom as well as living room. Bedroom Roamio is connected thru gigabit ethernet to my router in another bedroom. Living room Roamio is connected thru gigabit to a wifi bridge. The router and bridge are Netgear AC1750 (R6300v2) running stock firmware.

The mini will be in one of the bedrooms, but I put it in the living room as a test and had it grab a tuner from the bedroom Roamio. Worked really well. The wifi bridge connection hovers around 700mbps. Can't tell what is being used though.


----------



## kfb5926

Got my Mini streaming yesterday via a bridged Wifi signal. Thanks for all of the advice, it was a great feeling when it worked. Here's the steps that I followed.

My router is a Netgear Nighthawk r7000 (so an 802.11 AC level router). It could probably work with a N level router, but I was having buffering issues streaming to my tablets Tivo content, so I upgraded to the Nighthawk and solved that problem. Bought a slightly used one on Ebay for maybe $105. 802.11 N to AC is a pretty big jump in performance, plus you get the beamforming, etc.

My bridge is a Linksys Wireless-AC Universal Media Connector (WUMC710). $30 on Amazon. Don't love the web interface but it was good enough.

My Tivo is a Roamio Plus in my living room with a wired connection to the Netgear router.

I bought my Mini directly from Tivo ($150) because I was reading conflicting information about whether an Amazon Mini came with the lifetime subscription. Plus, if you buy it from Tivo, it's already activated and on my account.

1. I got the bridge connected to the Wifi. It supports WPS, but I did it manually connecting to the bridge's web interface to be certain it was on the faster band.

2. Once the bridge is on the wifi, you need to give it a static IP outside the DHCP range. My DHCP was all like 192.168.1.XX, so I set the bridge to 10.100.1.1. 

Then I put the bridge in my basement TV room, nervously plugged the Mini into the bridge. The Tivo Mini itself can have a DHCP IP, just not the bridge.

It had to connect to Tivo a couple times, install an update, check my account status, etc. But when all that was done, it worked flawlessly. Immediately found the upstairs Roamio and streamed live TV and recorded content. 

This saved me considerable money since I don't have to hire an electrician to wire my basement or drill holes in the wall.

If anybody has any questions, I'd be happy to help.


----------



## JoeKustra

Sounds good. I have my Mini on that Linksys also. There are four ports, so it has room for expansion. My basic Roamio is using an ASUS EA-N66R. The router is a Netgear R7500. The modem & router are in one room on the first floor. The Mini is in a different room. The Roamio is on a different floor. I'm using DHCP, no special modes (WPA2) and it works 100% of the time. That, plus the 802.11ac is nice too. So, while we can't call TiVo for support, _we_ know it works.


----------



## tivoboy

A2JetGuy said:


> I'm having great success with this set up!
> 
> My DSL modem is Cat5 hard wired to my Apple TimeCapsule/WiFi.
> To that Apple TimeCapsule/WiFi I have my Roamio and one Premiere Cat5 hard wired.
> 
> In another part of the house I have an AirPort Extreme/WiFi that wirelessly extends my network from my TimeCapsule. To that I have my TiVo Mini Cat5 hard wired.
> 
> In yet another part of the house I have another AirPort Extreme/WiFi, also wirelessly extending my network from my TimeCapsule. To that I have another TiVo Premiere Cat5 hard wired.
> 
> Everything streams, transfers, FF, Rew without hesitation.
> Added bonus: seamless WiFi coverage in and around my home!


maybe someone will see this open thread and respond

I am trying a similar setup to get a remote'ish mini to connect to a Roamio Pro that is currently sending signal to two other minis over Moca

I THINK i have the Tivo Roamio pro doing Ethernet + MocA at least that is what shows on the tivo.

I have the Roamio connected via GIGE to an airport extreme, which wirelessly serves another Airport Extreme in an adjacent room using Extend a Network. To that 2nd AE I have tried connecting the Tivo Mini via Ethernet, but it doesn't SEE The tivo mini.

I'm wondering if that is because the primary tivo is really only connected to the primary AE directly (the 2nd AE doesn't really see the Tivo as a client since it is truly a client on the first AE)

I'm going to try and connect directly into the first AE (where the tivo is direct connected via ethernet) with ethernet to see if that works, then try and move it.

Any other way to enable this? both AE's are on the same LAN subnets 10.0.1.1-10.0.1-120


----------



## JoeKustra

tivoboy said:


> maybe someone will see this open thread and respond
> Any other way to enable this? both AE's are on the same LAN subnets 10.0.1.1-10.0.1-120


You're taking Mini problems to a new level. TiVo support doesn't even like stand alone switches. But they are somewhat clueless. What you need to achieve is for the Mini to see the TiVo. Then you need it to stream content. You are in uncharted territory, but I hope someone with experience in your configuration can help.


----------



## tivoboy

turns out ALSO there is an issue with comcast, and some RCN code? Never heard of that before.

But, since the main Roamio Pro and mins (that are on MoCa) had been in place since the beginning and had been activated for the comcast ONDEMAND service, this older mini that I bought with them nearly 2 yrs ago now, but never activated hadn't been updated or added to the RCN group of some kind, so it can only look for Tivo master units of the same group and apparently it would never SEE the Roamio Pro that IS on that registered group so Tivo Level II support had to escalate it to comcast support to have this units ID added to the allowable group, etc. etc..

I have NEVER heard that before, makes SOME sense, but hopefully, everything won't all of a sudden stop working in the next 24 hours.

At the moment I have the tivo simply directly connected into the same router that the TIVO Roamio is connected to and it still didn't see the Master Tivo, so something was clearly up.


----------



## krkaufman

tivoboy said:


> At the moment I have the tivo simply directly connected into the same router that the TIVO Roamio is connected to and it still didn't see the Master Tivo, so something was clearly up.


Good course of action, if you can't get the Mini seeing and working with the Roamio via a wired Ethernet connection, you're not going to have BETTER luck over wireless.

Another option, depending on the user demand on your other Mini units, would be to move the misbehaving Mini to one of the MoCA locations, allowing it to remain wired whilst working through its account issues -- and using one of your working Mini devices to experiment with wireless bridging.


----------



## Begather

JoeKustra said:


> Sounds good. I have my Mini on that Linksys also. There are four ports, so it has room for expansion. My basic Roamio is using an ASUS EA-N66R. The router is a Netgear R7500. The modem & router are in one room on the first floor. The Mini is in a different room. The Roamio is on a different floor. I'm using DHCP, no special modes (WPA2) and it works 100% of the time. That, plus the 802.11ac is nice too. So, while we can't call TiVo for support, _we_ know it works.


Can we see the minis of your's? I need to buy one and looking for some suggestions.


----------



## JoeKustra

Begather said:


> Can we see the minis of your's? I need to buy one and looking for some suggestions.


I don't understand the question except to say it's V1 Mini and a basic Roamio. What item do you want to "see"?


----------



## tivoboy

krkaufman said:


> Good course of action, if you can't get the Mini seeing and working with the Roamio via a wired Ethernet connection, you're not going to have BETTER luck over wireless.
> 
> Another option, depending on the user demand on your other Mini units, would be to move the misbehaving Mini to one of the MoCA locations, allowing it to remain wired whilst working through its account issues -- and using one of your working Mini devices to experiment with wireless bridging.


that's a good idea, I'll try moving the new one to MoCa just to get it running and can continue with wireless/powerline/line of string testing in the interim.

btw.. nothing seems to have updated in the past 24 hours. they DID say "business days" which means probably 2-3 out of 5 regular days. ;-(


----------



## tivoboy

So, quick update... I DID move one of the working MoCA mini's to the ethernet at the router. Worked fine, didn't even have to change it to Ethernet, it just took and started working. Great video of course, full HD streaming, comcast ondemand, trick play, etc..

so, then I moved it to the other appt, where the 2nd AExtreme is wireless creating an "extend a network" network over 5Ghz. Plugged it into the ethernet jack there, and it WORKED!! great, same thing, easy HD, fast start, trick play, etc..

So, now to the last step. With TP-LINK 600mbs powerline connectors in place between NEAR the router in the remote AE location to the room where I wanted the new 3rd tivo mini, I tried the powerline adaptors and there was network. First step fine. I was actually afraid since this is a HOA type building for power I thought there MIGHT be a problem with power circuits being non-universal in one appt dwelling. As it turned out, the network found itself in seconds. I did a network test and was getting near 300mbs from router to laptop - should be enough.

Plugged in the already authenticated and tested mini using the ethernet connection, from the powerline, back to the AE in the 2nd dwelling, creating a wireless connection to the primary AE in the primary dwelling connected via ethernet to the tivo romaio and

drum roll please....

IT WORKED!!! everything came through SOLID, near instant start from now playing, full HD, full trick play, no lag ondemand access, all systems go.

So, AWESOME!

Now I just need to get this mini working on the primary account authorization is still cannot connect to the main master tivo roamio but at least I know the infrastructure works great.


----------



## tivoboy

So, after nothing happening for five days, mini never received the mystery updates, Tivo stepped up and is replacing the mini.

At least we'll know in a couple days if that one works.


----------



## dennya

Got my mini set up with a WUMC710 connecting over 5GHz N to my Asus RT-N66W. My Roamio doesn't arrive until late next week, so I can't complete the setup yet. It did connect to the Internet, take an update, and is at the point of wanting to talk to a Tivo, so so far, so good.

Question: I can run LAN Speed Test now with the WUMC710 to see the speed I'm getting wirelessly into the bedroom. But what kind of bandwidth does the Tivo Mini require for smooth performance? I haven't been able to find specific numbers (like 50 Mbps or whatever) on a search.

TIA!


----------



## JoeKustra

dennya said:


> Got my mini set up with a WUMC710 connecting over 5GHz N to my Asus RT-N66W. My Roamio doesn't arrive until late next week, so I can't complete the setup yet. It did connect to the Internet, take an update, and is at the point of wanting to talk to a Tivo, so so far, so good.
> 
> Question: I can run LAN Speed Test now with the WUMC710 to see the speed I'm getting wirelessly into the bedroom. But what kind of bandwidth does the Tivo Mini require for smooth performance? I haven't been able to find specific numbers (like 50 Mbps or whatever) on a search.
> 
> TIA!


It should only be the speed of the video, or 20Mbps maximum. However a solid, constant speed is important to avoid dropouts. Sometimes, if there are several users on your network, some hesitation can happen when another user interrupts your streaming by causing a DNS lookup. The better the router, the less likely this will happen.


----------



## aaronwt

dennya said:


> Got my mini set up with a WUMC710 connecting over 5GHz N to my Asus RT-N66W. My Roamio doesn't arrive until late next week, so I can't complete the setup yet. It did connect to the Internet, take an update, and is at the point of wanting to talk to a Tivo, so so far, so good.
> 
> Question: I can run LAN Speed Test now with the WUMC710 to see the speed I'm getting wirelessly into the bedroom. But what kind of bandwidth does the Tivo Mini require for smooth performance? I haven't been able to find specific numbers (like 50 Mbps or whatever) on a search.
> 
> TIA!


The Mini is low bandwidth. Cable and OTA recordings don't use much bandwidth at all. Less than 20Mb/s. If I connect my Minis to a wireless N Bridge, they can run all day without a hiccup. But I also use four APs so I don't have any congestion or saturation issues. And so my dozens of wireless devices get excellent signal strength.


----------



## Chris Gerhard

So far I have only done a couple of brief tests but using a Linksys WGA600N Ethernet to Wi-Fi adapter, a TiVo Mini seems to work fine. I think I tried both 2.4GHz and 5 GHz, both worked. The Roamio was connected by Ethernet. If after I actually move to the Roamio and Mini setup, I find it doesn't work well all of the time, I guess I will buy MOCA equipment but I am sure hoping for continued success with Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi has worked great for everything else around the house.


----------



## dennya

dennya said:


> Got my mini set up with a WUMC710 connecting over 5GHz N to my Asus RT-N66W. My Roamio doesn't arrive until late next week, so I can't complete the setup yet. It did connect to the Internet, take an update, and is at the point of wanting to talk to a Tivo, so so far, so good.
> 
> Question: I can run LAN Speed Test now with the WUMC710 to see the speed I'm getting wirelessly into the bedroom. But what kind of bandwidth does the Tivo Mini require for smooth performance? I haven't been able to find specific numbers (like 50 Mbps or whatever) on a search.
> 
> TIA!


Now that I have everything set up, I can confirm that with configuration, the Tivo mini is rock-solid at playback. No audio dropouts or other issues, even with other family members using the Internet.

I think Tivo doesn't offers _support _for wireless because there are so many dependencies to get a good experience: 802.11n or better on a decent router, walls in between, etc.

But I can report that in config, it's rock solid, whereas in the same spot, an Xbox 360 running Media Center extender and the external USB N adapter would sometimes run into bandwidth issues.


----------



## JoeKustra

dennya said:


> Now that I have everything set up, I can confirm that with configuration, the Tivo mini is rock-solid at playback. No audio dropouts or other issues, even with other family members using the Internet.
> 
> I think Tivo doesn't offers _support _for wireless because there are so many dependencies to get a good experience: 802.11n or better on a decent router, walls in between, etc.
> 
> But I can report that in config, it's rock solid, whereas in the same spot, an Xbox 360 running Media Center extender and the external USB N adapter would sometimes run into bandwidth issues.


It's funny, I was looking through the Mini FAQ yesterday and I don't think TiVo expressly says "don't do it", they do have wireless and Mini in the same sentence.

As for performance, an active Mini does cause the host Roamio to work harder and I can measure the difference during a file transfer. About 10%.


----------



## JoJetSki

JoJetSki said:


> I have the same setup, ASUS RT-AC68R router with my Romio Pro hard wired to it and a mini sitting behind the cisco/Linksys WUMC710. I also bought the extended antennas from Amazon to get better range out of my router. Tivo Mini is working flawlessly in streaming, skipping ahead and general connectivity. You would think they are connected together on the same switch the way there is no pixelization during fast forward etc. My signal strength is 56% and I am getting a bit rate of 585 Mbps. more than enough for the mini which is the only active device behind the bridge. As always your setup may vary depending on conditions, but this is probably one of the best options for a wifi-bridge/router setup.


Although I have been using this setup for a while now, the Linksys WUMC710 requires a reboot every once in while, just like my older Linksys G-Bridges. I have ordered ASUS EA-AC87 to replace the Linksys model. Asus Routers have been rock solid for me (requiring no reboots for more than a year), plus I will get faster connectivity which isn't necessarily needed but I want a box I don't have to power cycle once in a while and the ASUS routers have been good. I hope their Wireless bridge is also.


----------



## DevHyfes

Hi All- hoping someone can give me some ideas.

I seem to have lost connectivity between my Mini and Roamio over a wireless bridge and I am having trouble getting it back online.

For the past month, I had a great connection for my Tivo Mini going to a wireless bridge which connected to a wireless Router, wired to a Tivo Roamio Plus. When I initially set it up, I did the ritual of starting the Mini on the router through ethernet. Then I moved the Mini downstairs and plugged it into the wireless bridge (actually a router running in bridge mode).

Today, I turned on my Mini and it said it could not connect to the Roamio. I have tried everything I can think of to get it back up and running with no luck. However, when I take it upstairs to plug it into my wireless router, it connects without a problem. Only when I connect via the wireless bridge does it say "Tivus Secundus [my roamio] box cannot be found". I have tried power-cycling all devices in the network- from COX cable modem to routers to Roamio/Mini

My setup is here:

Roamio <---Eth----> RT-AC66U <~~~5GHz~~~> RT-N66U <---Eth---> Mini

Both routers (models above) are Asus. The N66U is running in Media Bridge mode. The 5GHz link is dedicated- limited only to the Mini. All other wireless devices run on the 2.4GHz network run from the RT-AC66U.

All three Macs (Roamio Net, Roamio Stream, Mini) are assigned static DHCP addresses by the router.

Right now, here is the status of my mini:
1) Has network connection
2) Can connect to Tivo service
3) Can connect to "Apps and Games" --> "tech crunch"
4) Can NOT connect to Roamio
5) Can NOT connect to Netflix or Amazon (the menu items under "Find TV, Movies, & Videos" are missing)

Any ideas?


----------



## krkaufman

DevHyfes said:


> Right now, here is the status of my mini:
> 1) Has network connection
> 2) Can connect to Tivo service
> 3) Can connect to "Apps and Games" --> "tech crunch"
> 4) Can NOT connect to Roamio
> 5) Can NOT connect to Netflix or Amazon (the menu items under "Find TV, Movies, & Videos" are missing)
> 
> Any ideas?


(grasping...) Have you verified the Mini's status in your TiVo account?

Although, I do believe the Minis get their list of configured "Video Providers" from what the host DVR has configured (even if you have to bloody enter the authentication information separately!), so the missing streaming apps is likely a symptom of inability to connect with the host DVR.

(add'l grasping...) What is the wireless network to which the N66U is connecting in media bridge mode? Have you tried connecting a laptop to the N66U to see whether the N66U's wireless connection is putting it on the wrong side of the AC66's firewall (as would happen with a guest wifi network)?


----------



## DevHyfes

krkaufman said:


> (grasping...) Have you verified the Mini's status in your TiVo account?


Yes, checked last night and it is verified. Reminder, it WAS operating for over a month before inexplicably losing connection to the Roamio. I also did the ol' "Clear and Delete Everything" on the Mini (not the Roamio) last night, and re-ran through the setup. No change. The mini sees the Roamio if I plug it directly into the AC66U router, but cannot find it as soon as I take it downstairs and run it on the bridge.



krkaufman said:


> (add'l grasping...) What is the wireless network to which the N66U is connecting in media bridge mode? Have you tried connecting a laptop to the N66U to see whether the N66U's wireless connection is putting it on the wrong side of the AC66's firewall (as would happen with a guest wifi network)?


The N66U is running on a 5 GHz link to the AC66U. It is the only device connected to that network. The AC66U is dual band, so runs a 5GHz (ssid:Styx) and 2.4GHz (ssid:Olympus) network. All of my other devices are running on the 2.4GHz network.

I connected via laptop using the same cable that the Mini is connected to: I was able to reach the "Congratulations" web page for both of the Roamio's IP addresses, so at the least, I can get to the Roamio on Port 80 from the Bridge.

I know I am probably jumping to conclusions here, but my conspiracy mind is wondering if they made a software update to support the new Bolts. Is there a way for me to see when the last software update occurred? I can't just look at last time it connected to the tivo service successfully, because I have been doing that regularly as a part of my troubleshooting. I verified that the firmware on the routers hasn't changed.


----------



## DevHyfes

I also tried logging into the Bridge and using its admin interface to ping the various ports on the Roamio that are listed in the Network Diagnostics Port Check. It was able to achieve each of these without a problem.


----------



## DevHyfes

Just an FYI to everyone, I had an extra Mini laying around waiting for us to get another room setup. I installed that one and loaded it up. It worked after starting on the Router and then moving to the Bridge. 

Main difference? The mini that works is running 20.5.2a. The mini that doesn't work is running 20.5.4. The Roamio is running on 20.5.2a, which according to the release notes is the highest software available for it. So, for whatever reason, once the Mini moves to 20.5.4, it can no longer access the Roamio on a wireless bridge. No idea why.


----------



## JoeKustra

DevHyfes said:


> Just an FYI to everyone, I had an extra Mini laying around waiting for us to get another room setup. I installed that one and loaded it up. It worked after starting on the Router and then moving to the Bridge.
> 
> Main difference? The mini that works is running 20.5.2a. The mini that doesn't work is running 20.5.4. The Roamio is running on 20.5.2a, which according to the release notes is the highest software available for it. So, for whatever reason, once the Mini moves to 20.5.4, it can no longer access the Roamio on a wireless bridge. No idea why.


That's not good.


----------



## dennya

Weird. 20.5.4 working fine over a wireless bridge to a Roamio OTA here. 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## DevHyfes

dennya said:


> Weird. 20.5.4 working fine over a wireless bridge to a Roamio OTA here.


What software is the Roamio OTA running?


----------



## BramlettFamily

I started my set up with the Netgear N600 ($50 at Walmart) today. I began by connecting the adapter to a laptop after disabling it's wireless. Using the URL for the internal web interface for the adapter to enter my wireless router's pass code. It will also set up using WEP if available.

I then connected it to the Mini and started the setup. All connected well and the downloads began. I left it chugging away with the updates. I'll update the thread when it completes.

Gary


----------



## BramlettFamily

I got through the set up and downloads but hung up when the Mini tried to connect to the Roamio DVR. I contacted tech support and they advised that both units needed to be on a wired connection to the router. I'm new here and still researching, but has anyone found a way around the wired connections? Most of the posts I've found seemed to indicate the wireless would work. Any suggestions?


----------



## aaronwt

BramlettFamily said:


> I got through the set up and downloads but hung up when the Mini tried to connect to the Roamio DVR. I contacted tech support and they advised that both units needed to be on a wired connection to the router. I'm new here and still researching, but has anyone found a way around the wired connections? Most of the posts I've found seemed to indicate the wireless would work. Any suggestions?


A wireless Bridge will work assuming your WiFi network is setup properly.


----------



## BramlettFamily

Thanks, I'll check these out. I did reboot everything and the Mini found the Roamio's tuner and drive, but dropped the connection frequently. BTW, my wireless router is an AT&T 2Wire device.


----------



## krkaufman

aaronwt said:


> A wireless Bridge will work assuming your WiFi network is setup properly.


... where "properly" means you've accounted for more than just basic connectivity.


----------



## DevHyfes

Update: I had my Tivo Mini that was running on 20.5.2a working perfectly. This was the second unit that I had installed after my first mini upgraded and failed to see the Roamio. 

Last night, the Tivo Mini upgraded to 20.5.4 and it has now also lost connectivity. I wish there were a way to control which version of SW was running on the minis as I would just keep it at 20.5.2a since I am not going to own a Bolt any time soon. I understand why TiVo would never allow that, but still would be nice. 

Anyway, best I can guess is that the 20.5.4 upgrades the Tivo Mini to use a different multicast scheme and it just isn't well supported by my particular brand of router. I am considering flashing with DDWRT, but I have not been following the various firmwares for years...Is there a better aftermarket firmware out there?


----------



## JoeKustra

Yesterday my Mini got the new firmware. This morning it came up with a C130 error. I figured I was screwed. Then I found that TiVo servers were down. At 9:25 EDT everything came back. That was scary.


----------



## DevHyfes

Huzzah, Success!

Ok for those who may end up having a problem with the Asus RT-AC66U (and possibly the 68u) bridged to the N66U, here is how I ended up solving the problem. Some of these may not be required as there was a lot of trial and error. 

1) Updated ASUS RT-AC66U (My wireless router) to latest firmware:
3.0.0.4.378_9135
2) Updated ASUS RT-N66U (the bridge) to latest firmware:
3.0.0.4.378_9235

NOTE: The above firmware is not detected if you "Check for Latest" via the UI in the routers' UI. You actually have to go to the ASUS website and its product support pages for the given router. Then download them to your computer and upload. 

3) In the RT-A66U (Router) go to Wireless --> Professional Tab. Make sure you select the correct wireless band (I have the bridge setup through the 5GHz band, so that is the one I selected) and select IGMP Snooping --> Enable. Then apply. 

I had done this several times prior to updating the firmware, with no dice. I had also upgraded the Router firmware and tried with no luck. It was only once the N66U (Media Bridge) had been updated to the latest firmware that the system worked.

I have verified that if you don't enable IGMP Snooping on the wireless channel, the tivo mini will not see the Roamio.


----------



## WatchinInTheNW

Thank you for this - I am using almost the exact same setup, except with an AC87U instead of the 66, but same Asus media bridge, etc. I haven't had any issues - yet - but I also don't think my mini has updated. I'll be sure to come back to this if it fails after!


----------



## dennya

Got the 20.5.4 update on my Mini and now it's giving me an error 133 service connectivity and can't connect to my Roamio OTA anymore. 

Asus RT-N66W and Linksys WUMC710. They were working perfectly together before. 

Roamio is still on 20.5.2.

If anyone finds any solutions, would love to hear them!

Edit: Updated the firmware on my WUMC710 (bought this year and I had to update 2012 firmware to firmware released in 2013?) and restarted everything and it's all working again.


----------



## stevehogan

No real help for anyone below - just my tale of woe.

My setup is a RT-AC66u router and RT-AC56u bridge. All on the latest software. The Premiere XL4 is connected to the bridge and I have 2 minis hardwired to the router. There are no other devices on the 5GHz channel and signal strength will give you a sun burn. I've done all of the settings suggested by others and still get the drop outs.

Here's the weird part. On live TV, I can go 10 - 15 minutes without dropping a connection. On playing a recording, I get MAYBE 8 minutes max, 3 minutes typical.

Everything was working FINE on 20.4. After the 20.5.2, I had a couple of times where the connection was dropped. Resetting the Tivo fixed those for a few days. After the Minis went to 20.5.4 (the Premiere is still on 20.5.2) everything went to heck.

I contacted support and their response was: "We do not have an estimated time as to when *or if* this functionality will return." I guess watching recorded video is some sort of functionality that might no longer be supported. 

I did try to put my Tivo on the priority list but got a "no update available" response. It appears that they plan to leave the Premiere on 20.5.2

So I guess I'm going to use Roku on the two sets with the minis until these folks get this fixed. I do have a 100 foot cat-5 cable in the garage that I might just string between the Tivo and the router, just to prove that it is not the bridge. However, the difference between live TV and recorded video suggests a software screw-up.


----------



## stevehogan

So am I correct that Quick Mode is only available on the Bolt and Roamio? Well, it appears that QuickMode works just fine on a 20.5.4 Mini that is connected to a 20.5.2 Premier (not on the Premiere itself, though).

Of course, I still can't get the mini to run for more that 15 minutes without dropping a connection. I really wish I could downgrade the software.


----------



## krkaufman

stevehogan said:


> So am I correct that Quick Mode is only available on the Bolt and Roamio? Well, it appears that QuickMode works just fine on a 20.5.4 Mini that is connected to a 20.5.2 Premier (not on the Premiere itself, though).


No, not correct.

QuickMode is *currently* only available on BOLTs and 20.5.4(a?) Minis -- including Minis connected to Roamio host DVRs (and possibly Premieres, as well?).


----------



## videon

DevHyfes said:


> Update: I had my Tivo Mini that was running on 20.5.2a working perfectly. This was the second unit that I had installed after my first mini upgraded and failed to see the Roamio.
> 
> Last night, the Tivo Mini upgraded to 20.5.4 and it has now also lost connectivity. I wish there were a way to control which version of SW was running on the minis as I would just keep it at 20.5.2a since I am not going to own a Bolt any time soon. I understand why TiVo would never allow that, but still would be nice.
> 
> Anyway, best I can guess is that the 20.5.4 upgrades the Tivo Mini to use a different multicast scheme and it just isn't well supported by my particular brand of router. I am considering flashing with DDWRT, but I have not been following the various firmwares for years...Is there a better aftermarket firmware out there?


I experienced the same issue. I will enable IGMP snooping to see if it fixes the issue.


----------



## devhen

DevHyfes said:


> Update: I had my Tivo Mini that was running on 20.5.2a working perfectly. This was the second unit that I had installed after my first mini upgraded and failed to see the Roamio.
> 
> Last night, the Tivo Mini upgraded to 20.5.4 and it has now also lost connectivity. I wish there were a way to control which version of SW was running on the minis as I would just keep it at 20.5.2a since I am not going to own a Bolt any time soon. I understand why TiVo would never allow that, but still would be nice.
> 
> Anyway, best I can guess is that the 20.5.4 upgrades the Tivo Mini to use a different multicast scheme and it just isn't well supported by my particular brand of router. I am considering flashing with DDWRT, but I have not been following the various firmwares for years...Is there a better aftermarket firmware out there?


Same here. My mini was working great over my 2 ddwrt wifi routers (setup as wireless-AC bridges). After the latest software update (the one that added channel logos to the channel lineup), the mini says it can't find my Roamio. I've tried everything. Right now I have ethernet cables strewn thru my house just so I use the mini. My next step is to switch to MoCA on the mini because interestingly, the Roamio can be on the wifi bridge and it works fine. But the mini won't find the Roamio unless it is wired to my router. I'm hoping the Roamio will get the same software update the mini did and be able to connect again....


----------



## JoeKustra

20.5.4a.RC6-01-6-A92 and A93 for the V1 and V2 Mini. Both are talking to my Roamio via Linksys WUMC710 through Netgear R7500 router. It can see the two basic Premieres also.


----------



## videon

JoeKustra said:


> 20.5.4a.RC6-01-6-A92 and A93 for the V1 and V2 Mini. Both are talking to my Roamio via Linksys WUMC710 through Netgear R7500 router. It can see the two basic Premieres also.


Does anyone know what multicast settings are needed on Tomato firmware for wireless bridge to work now?


----------



## videon

devhen said:


> Same here. My mini was working great over my 2 ddwrt wifi routers (setup as wireless-AC bridges). After the latest software update (the one that added channel logos to the channel lineup), the mini says it can't find my Roamio. I've tried everything. Right now I have ethernet cables strewn thru my house just so I use the mini. My next step is to switch to MoCA on the mini because interestingly, the Roamio can be on the wifi bridge and it works fine. But the mini won't find the Roamio unless it is wired to my router. I'm hoping the Roamio will get the same software update the mini did and be able to connect again....


Did you try turning on the IGMP snooping on router?


----------



## akbungle

stevehogan said:


> No real help for anyone below - just my tale of woe.
> 
> My setup is a RT-AC66u router and RT-AC56u bridge. All on the latest software. The Premiere XL4 is connected to the bridge and I have 2 minis hardwired to the router. There are no other devices on the 5GHz channel and signal strength will give you a sun burn. I've done all of the settings suggested by others and still get the drop outs.
> 
> Here's the weird part. On live TV, I can go 10 - 15 minutes without dropping a connection. On playing a recording, I get MAYBE 8 minutes max, 3 minutes typical.
> 
> Everything was working FINE on 20.4. After the 20.5.2, I had a couple of times where the connection was dropped. Resetting the Tivo fixed those for a few days. After the Minis went to 20.5.4 (the Premiere is still on 20.5.2) everything went to heck.
> 
> I contacted support and their response was: "We do not have an estimated time as to when *or if* this functionality will return." I guess watching recorded video is some sort of functionality that might no longer be supported.


I am in a very similar situation with my host Roamio connected to a media bridge getting extremely good signal strength then a Premiere two tuner and one TiVo Mini both hardwired and, before I assume this last update, was getting fantastic results but now between 3 and 5 minutes it drops. I would love to find some solution fast. 
I feel bad, I just a few weeks ago convinced my dad to give up his two Premieres to get one wired Roamio and Mini set up wirelessly.
I hope there are folks on the forum that can figure out a solution, while I'm not great with tinkering I will try and do my part.


----------



## JoeKustra

akbungle said:


> I am in a very similar situation with my host Roamio connected to a media bridge getting extremely good signal strength then a Premiere two tuner and one TiVo Mini both hardwired and before I assume this last update was getting fantastic results but now between 3 and 5 minutes it drops. I would love to find some solution fast.
> I feel bad, I just a few weeks ago convinced my dad to give up his two Premieres to get one wired Roamio and Mini set up wirelessly.
> I hope there are folks on the forum that can figure out a solution, while I'm not great with tinkering I will try and do my part.


You could read some of this thread for suggestions. I just installed a Mini next door off of another WUMC710 and I had both my v1 and v2 Mini's working fine at the same time. I use a ASUS EA-N66R on my basic Roamio. Others have reported problems with the last update.


----------



## akbungle

JoeKustra said:


> You could read some of this thread for suggestions. I just installed a Mini next door off of another WUMC710 and I had both my v1 and v2 Mini's working fine at the same time. I use a ASUS EA-N66R on my basic Roamio. Others have reported problems with the last update.


Yeah I've read through the whole thread, I really think it is this new update that is causing these issues.


----------



## JoeKustra

JoeKustra said:


> 20.5.4a.RC6-01-6-A92 and A93 for the V1 and V2 Mini. Both are talking to my Roamio via Linksys WUMC710 through Netgear R7500 router. It can see the two basic Premieres also.





akbungle said:


> Yeah I've read through the whole thread, I really think it is this new update that is causing these issues.


Ok, then it's the update + "unknown" causing the problem.


----------



## akbungle

So an interesting addition to this issue and to give more detail, what I have is one Roamio basic ---host DVR--- (main level/belkin wireless AC bridge from a Netgear Nighthawk-R7000- router) , one Premiere two tuner (basement/ hardwired via Ethernet) and one Mini (upstairs loft/ also hardwired via Ethernet).
So in further testing, I continue to error out on the mini while streaming from the Roamio to the Mini but I'm getting totally fine streaming from my Premiere to the Mini. I find this odd since my assumption was that something in the firmware was erroring out from the "hosting" of the Roamio so I , incorrectly, assumed that I would have the same issue streaming from my Premiere.

I'm sorry that I am a novice in networking but I did buy a different wireless bridge (Netgear EX6200) that I will swap for the Belkin to test since the Belkin is long since forgotten by Belkin firmware wise.


----------



## JoeKustra

akbungle said:


> I'm sorry that I am a novice in networking but I did buy a different wireless bridge (Netgear EX6200) that I will swap for the Belkin to test since the Belkin is long since forgotten by Belkin firmware wise.


Good choice. I'm using the EX7000 and it seems to have issues. I used the EX6200 for a while with no problems.


----------



## akbungle

------------
So funny thing, I had purchased the Netgear EX6200 over a week ago and tried it several days ago as a Wi-Fi extender and the results were pretty pitiful (they remain very underwhelming in my opinion). BUT I mistakenly assumed that the unit would perform similarly as the wireless bridge I needed it to be so I set up my return through Amazon and while I was finishing the return I noticed Amazon did not require the return to show up until the end of January and I'm a huge procrastinator so I stopped unplugging it and just left it. 

Which brings me to solving the issue, so in thinking about the quality of signal of the Belkin I kept thinking well I get 106 Mbps down and 8-10 up but that of course has nothing to do with home networking speed so I decided yesterday I would actually hook it up as the bridge as it was intended to be and this morning I did and my internet download/upload was actually slightly better than previous (112/10-12) which is important for other content but after that I went upstairs and tested the Mini......Nothing, it would not work at all! But then I had both the Mini and the Roamio connect to TiVo servers and then...... it worked! In fact works flawlessly, I even watched two episodes of The Voice which if you are like me it requires quite a bit of trick play to the rather small amount of good content so I really put it through it's paces and it worked 100% perfectly!!
-------------UPDATE-----------------
All messed up AGAIN!


----------



## akbungle

So it worked for two hours of back and forth fast forwarding 3-5 minutes at a time but now I'm getting audio drops every 2-3 bleeping seconds!

So I guess disregard my last post.


----------



## akbungle

So it worked fine again last night and so far no flaws tonight, Perhaps the audio drops were the flook and this is a viable option. I guess I'll just have to monitor this and update occasionally.


----------



## DallasGG

I recently set up a wifi bridge. My first attempt failed because I was using an older router...a Linksys E900 N300 router connecting to an Airlink AP761W for the bridge. It would not hold a consistent enough signal. I was able to get my Mini connected for very short periods of time but it wouldn't last more than a few seconds. I thought I had wasted my money buying the Mini.

I just happened to have a new Trendnet TEW-751DR N300 router laying around that I had purchased from Newegg for $9.99 to use as a backup. Since it was so cheap, I thought it wouldn't be much of an improvement over my Linksys router but after failing to keep a consistent connection with the Linksys, I decided to try the Trendnet router. It works great and keeps a very consistent signal to the Airlink bridge. I am now able to use my mini and it works very well. I wasn't aware that similarly spec'd routers would make such a drastic difference in performance but I'm glad I tried the Trendnet. My guess is that setting up a wifi bridge can be somewhat hit and miss.


----------



## akbungle

**I took this from a different thread**



akbungle said:


> I sure hope this update corrects the issue 20.5.4 created in the mini no longer working via wireless bridge. (Works for 3-5 minutes then errors out complaining of network speed issues but I've never had an issue and the speed I'm getting is super solid as far as I can tell doing speed testing. Others are reporting the same issue as well.)





akbungle said:


> Very true I should have mentioned that for folks who may otherwise be under the impression TiVo supports wireless streaming with the mini. And while they have no technical reason to try and fix this new issue I'm hoping that the new firmware will once again allow me to stream via a wireless bridge.


**Update with Mini on 20.5.6**

Well I don't want to jinx myself but I have been using my TiVo Mini without issue for about 2 hours on my previous wireless bridge that stopped working after streaming for 3-4 minutes ever since the 20.5.4a update. Fingers crossed


----------



## videon

akbungle said:


> **I took this from a different thread**
> 
> **Update with Mini on 20.5.6**
> 
> Well I don't want to jinx myself but I have been using my TiVo Mini without issue for about 2 hours on my previous wireless bridge that stopped working after streaming for 3-4 minutes ever since the 20.5.4a update. Fingers crossed


Yes! The wireless bridge woes are gone. My Tomato router and Tomato wireless bridge are able to support TiVo mini again. Love the new update - quickPlay.


----------



## randalltivo

Have open mesh wireless system setup. Plan was to plug bolt into the gateway then plug in the mini's into the bridges/repeater. 

Then I think system will see network connection for bolt and mini's. Is that correct so really no wireless involved or seen by Tivo system, correct?


----------



## s.lampe

That is correct. The mini isn't aware, as far as its concerned it is hardwired.



randalltivo said:


> Have open mesh wireless system setup. Plan was to plug bolt into the gateway then plug in the mini's into the bridges/repeater.
> 
> Then I think system will see network connection for bolt and mini's. Is that correct so really no wireless involved or seen by Tivo system, correct?


----------



## randalltivo

Hooked up as noted and it works perfectly for streaming and live TV. Not one issue at all. Recorded TV however it works then get error wireless connection too slow. The wireless is Open Mesh 300MPS system so don't understand at all.

Recorded TV needs more bandwidth?????


----------



## JoeKustra

randalltivo said:


> Hooked up as noted and it works perfectly for streaming and live TV. Not one issue at all. Recorded TV however it works then get error wireless connection too slow. The wireless is Open Mesh 300MPS system so don't understand at all.
> 
> Recorded TV needs more bandwidth?????


Try this: record 30 minutes of CBS HD. While recording, watch the channel. Then play back the channel. Is there any difference?


----------



## randalltivo

Still had issue. Live TV was okay on CBS HD. REcorded and got 15 minutes in and had same issue. NOte Gateway Open Mesh and bridge are 15 feet apart and no walls!

Network cable from Bolt to gateway. The Network cable from gateway back to ATT router.

Should bolt and gateway rund to sperate router then back to ATT router?

Or run Network cable back to ATT router and wireless gateway cable back to ATT router?


----------



## type the text

I have spent hours with Tivo support. The roamio ota is wired to router and works fine, when I set up my moca bridge the minis display n02 error code in set up. Tivo feels its my router not letting the network connect. I called Linksys support they want to sell me a firewall for $299.99 for three years. That lease they say includes them connecting my moca network to the router. They also have a $99 option for them to fix the issue, apparently without selling me the firewall. Seams to me like extortion. Has any one had and resolved this issue?


----------



## krkaufman

type the text said:


> I have spent hours with Tivo support. The roamio ota is wired to router and works fine, when I set up my moca bridge the minis display n02 error code in set up. ... Has any one had and resolved this issue?


I'd suggest telling everyone more about your specific setup, and maybe something will become more obvious.


How are you establishing your MoCA network? (What model MoCA adapter, and how does it connect to your coax lines and back to the Ethernet LAN ports of your router?)

Do you have any other working MoCA clients/devices, other than the Minis that are failing w/ the N02 error? How long has your MoCA network been functioning properly, until now?

Just to be thorough, you're using the "Connect using MoCA" network setup option for the Minis, correct?

As a test, could you connect one of your Minis directly to the router, via Ethernet, and verify that the Mini is able to complete its setup that way?

If you have a spare splitter and a couple short coax runs, could you connect a Mini to your coax lines in the same location as your MoCA adapter, to verify the Mini can "connect using MoCA" where the MoCA network most certainly should be accessible?
p.s. Also...


What model is your router?

Do you have cable Internet service? If so, what model modem are you using, and how does the modem connect to the provider?

p.p.s. As an aside, since I don't know where your Minis came from, resetting them back to factory defaults using a 'Clear & Delete Everything' would be worthwhile if they weren't acquired "New."


----------



## CycleMost

Exci said:


> I received my Tivo mini yesterday and wanted to share my experience setting it up (as the internet is fairly void of this information).
> 
> I have it running quite well using a wireless bridge, however I wouldn't recommend it for most folks. Wireless is a fickle technology, and not something you want to depend on for a high speed constant connection if you can avoid it. ...


I would like to add that you CAN use a TiVo mini with your Roamio connected via WiFi and the mini on a wired connection. This setup is working great for me, and it will work fine as long as you have a VERY FAST WiFi connection to the Roamio.


----------



## JoeKustra

CycleMost said:


> I would like to add that you CAN use a TiVo mini with your Roamio connected via WiFi and the mini on a wired connection. This setup is working great for me, and it will work fine as long as you have a VERY FAST WiFi connection to the Roamio.


I think what you're saying is that you need a very fast router. I will attest that is true. I should try to connect my Mini with CAT5 to see how it works. I have never been able to get my Mini to use my basic Roamio when the Roamio is using its internal wireless. But the Mini is on the same floor as the router, and that's something I've never tried.


----------



## ilovetofu

DevHyfes said:


> Huzzah, Success!
> 
> Ok for those who may end up having a problem with the Asus RT-AC66U (and possibly the 68u) bridged to the N66U, here is how I ended up solving the problem. Some of these may not be required as there was a lot of trial and error.
> 
> 1) Updated ASUS RT-AC66U (My wireless router) to latest firmware:
> 3.0.0.4.378_9135
> 2) Updated ASUS RT-N66U (the bridge) to latest firmware:
> 3.0.0.4.378_9235
> 
> NOTE: The above firmware is not detected if you "Check for Latest" via the UI in the routers' UI. You actually have to go to the ASUS website and its product support pages for the given router. Then download them to your computer and upload.
> 
> 3) In the RT-A66U (Router) go to Wireless --> Professional Tab. Make sure you select the correct wireless band (I have the bridge setup through the 5GHz band, so that is the one I selected) and select IGMP Snooping --> Enable. Then apply.
> 
> I had done this several times prior to updating the firmware, with no dice. I had also upgraded the Router firmware and tried with no luck. It was only once the N66U (Media Bridge) had been updated to the latest firmware that the system worked.
> 
> I have verified that if you don't enable IGMP Snooping on the wireless channel, the tivo mini will not see the Roamio.


I <3 you! New Tivo user here, and my Mini (on wifi extender in bridge mode) kept stuttering while streaming HD content from my Roamio OTA (on ethernet). It was driving me crazy, because streaming SD worked fine. I thought it was my wireless connection, and tried faster wifi extenders (N->AC750->AC1200), but nothing helped. After lots of googling, I came across your post. Enabling IGMP snooping on my Asus RT-AC68U fixed the issue immediately. Thank you for saving me from having to return my Mini!


----------



## Sparky1234

I ran the wire to support minis. Always works. 

I did it myself and had most of the stuff on hand like cat 6 wire, connectors, wall plates, plaster, joint compound, tools, paint and skills. Cost $8.03 and about 4 hours.


----------



## aciurczak

Anyone using a mini with the Google Wifi setup yet? I plan to use one by plugging it into the back of one of the pucks. Each of the pucks has 2 gigabit ethernet jacks available. The one I am using typically shows > 100 mb/s over wifi, so I don't expect issues, but will report back if I've been overly optimistic.


----------



## JoeKustra

aciurczak said:


> Anyone using a mini with the Google Wifi setup yet? I plan to use one by plugging it into the back of one of the pucks. Each of the pucks have 2 gigabit ethernet jacks available. The one I am using typically shows > 100 mb/s over wifi, so I don't expect issues, but will report back if I've been overly optimistic.


It should work fine. All four of my Mini units use a wireless bridge, as does one Roamio. Symptom of failure would be no host found, or stuttering from the connection being too slow.


----------



## aciurczak

Will have to wait - received Tivo Mini from Amazon today, and it's dead on arrival. White light powers on, but nothing out of the HDMI port, and no response to light from any button press. Multiple cable swaps and multiple TVs, same result. Processing return now.


----------



## aciurczak

short answer: 2nd mini did the trick; all is well 
longer answer: After initial guided setup, it kept failing from the Google Wifi box with a V70 error. I took it to a completely wired connection and it duplicated the error repeatedly. I reconnected the main Tivo to the Tivo service a few times, and after a few more tries the mini eventually connected and worked fine from the wired connection. Not sure if it just took time for my account to be updated online, or some other process that takes a few minutes to kick in. But at that point, I moved it back to the wireless connection via Google Wifi, and it continued to work fine.


----------



## rconti

CycleMost said:


> I would like to add that you CAN use a TiVo mini with your Roamio connected via WiFi and the mini on a wired connection. This setup is working great for me, and it will work fine as long as you have a VERY FAST WiFi connection to the Roamio.





JoeKustra said:


> I think what you're saying is that you need a very fast router. I will attest that is true. I should try to connect my Mini with CAT5 to see how it works. I have never been able to get my Mini to use my basic Roamio when the Roamio is using its internal wireless. But the Mini is on the same floor as the router, and that's something I've never tried.





ilovetofu said:


> I <3 you! New Tivo user here, and my Mini (on wifi extender in bridge mode) kept stuttering while streaming HD content from my Roamio OTA (on ethernet). It was driving me crazy, because streaming SD worked fine. I thought it was my wireless connection, and tried faster wifi extenders (N->AC750->AC1200), but nothing helped. After lots of googling, I came across your post. Enabling IGMP snooping on my Asus RT-AC68U fixed the issue immediately. Thank you for saving me from having to return my Mini!


You CAN, maybe, but that's not the whole story.

My whole network is Meraki with an 802.11ac access point line-of-sight to my 802.11ac wireless bridge. The TiVo mini (when it works) uses an utterly miniscule fraction of the available bandwidth. My switch is a Ubiquiti managed 24 port 1GbE PoE switch. The Bolt is on wired ethernet.

When it doesn't work, it never stutters. Not once. Not a dropped packet as far as I can tell. It'll run for hours.

Typical failure mode is the TiVo Mini announces "Unable to find living room bolt" and it doesn't work if I try to watch My Shows, but if I hit the Live TV it works easily 65% of the time. The other times it doesn't even try. It manifests itself in all kinds of weird ways. You'll be watching live TV no problem, and hit the Guide button, and it'll suddenly announce that it can't find the Bolt it was just playing video from.

Often a reboot 'fixes' it. There's definitely something very funky going on with how the TiVos work on the network that has nothing to do with wireless bandwidth or connection strength. I'm stubborn, so I keep hoping it'll work rather than run a cable across the room (our whole house is wired for cat6, I just don't have a jack on the right side of the room). But after a few years now, maybe i should just give up 

My switch is a Ubiquiti 24 port gig-e switch, and at one point I looked into IGMP snooping; it was *enabled* by default, so I disabled it, which made things work much better.. for awhile.
Just now I flipped the switch to turn it back on, no change.

So basically, point is, I keep looking for a magic bullet software fix, and I'm pretty sure if the folks at TiVo wanted to they could fairly easily figure out what's going on with WiFi, but since it's "unsupported", they're not bothering. That's fine, that's their decision, they don't want to deal with a bunch of customers whining about WiFi not working on their janky 10 year old hardware located in a dusty closet the basement.


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## dennya

I had sporadic issues with a couple of solutions over the past couple of years -- first 802.11n and then 802.11ac.

Then I got an Orbi setup, and connected the Mini directly to the Orbi satellite. Haven't had a single connection glitch since then. The Orbi and its satellite(s) communicate on a dedicated 5GHz sideband, and that seems to provide a solid enough signal to make the Mini happyl

Of course, Orbi's not cheap, so this solution is best if you need an Orbi otherwise.


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## Anon1

My current setup has a router from brand "X", but I'd like to get an AirPort Extreme and Express for their ease of setup.

My prospective setup would be: 

Internet (for TiVo updates) --> modem --> router --> wireless --> AirPort Extreme --> Ethernet cable --> TiVo Roamio

TiVo Roamio --> Ethernet cable--> AirPort Extreme --> wireless LAN (from AE) --> AirPort Express --> Ethernet cable --> TiVo Mini

Will this work, or do both routers need to be set in bridge mode? I'm just wondering if I'm stuck going with all Apple, or getting non-Apple routers/bridges to go with the current router. Thanks for any input!


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## mike386

I changed one Mini over to using a Linksys Wireless-AC Universal Media Connector (WUMC710) as a bridge. It is working perfectly. Only $20 on eBay.

(I had been using a Netgear powerline adapter. It worked adequately but with occasional signal drops for years, but quit working for HD video about 6 months ago. Not sure if this was due to a TiVo update or change in home electrical use. No drops at all with WUMC710).


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## JoeKustra

mike386 said:


> I changed one Mini over to using a Linksys Wireless-AC Universal Media Connector (WUMC710) as a bridge. It is working perfectly. Only $20 on eBay.
> (I had been using a Netgear powerline adapter. It worked adequately but with occasional signal drops for years, but quit working for HD video about 6 months ago. Not sure if this was due to a TiVo update or change in home electrical use. No drops at all with WUMC710).


They a good devices. I'm glad the price has come down. I used two of them on Mini boxes. Right now I'm using RE6500 which seem a little stronger. Reduced blinking LED also.


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## krkaufman

mike386 said:


> I changed one Mini over to using a Linksys Wireless-AC Universal Media Connector (WUMC710) as a bridge. It is working perfectly.


What's your wireless base station, and the distance from it? And what wireless specs for the connection?

Thanks!


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## JoeKustra

A good router makes a lot of difference.


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## mike386

My router is the Linksys E8400 AC2400 Dual-Band Router. The WUMC710 is two rooms away but only through one wall. I would guess 30-40 feet. The WUMC710 shows a throughput of over 1100 Mbps. I have been using it for a week without one lost connection.

I have had the router for 11 months and it seems to be pretty good. It just doesn't have the new smartwifi interface, but was at a significant discount to similar-speed routers last December. I don't have any MU-MIMO devices so didn't see a need to get one with that feature. Linksys has better routers but this one is way more than adequate.

And the problem with the powerline adapter was that the Mini is in a room that is on an electrical subpanel. So I never got great speeds but they were adequate for use until about 6 months ago. But actually, I temporarily used a powerline adapter in another room on the main panel when a cable was cut. It had good speed and worked well, but still had occasional signal losses. The WUMC710 seems to work much, much better.


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## JoeKustra

mike386 said:


> My router is the Linksys E8400 AC2400 Dual-Band Router. The WUMC710 is two rooms away but only through one wall. I would guess 30-40 feet. The WUMC710 shows a throughput of over 1100 Mbps. I have been using it for a week without one lost connection.


If it works don't fix it.


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