Networking question

[TB]

Before I go spend a staggering $20, I want to make sure this will solve my problem.

This is how my network is currently:



My problem is when I'm streaming an uncompressed Blu-Ray over PLEX from my PC to the PS3, it plays for a few seconds then buffers. Repeatedly. While I haven't checked the CPU load while streaming, I'm assuming it's not an issue with the PC as if I change the movie resolution on the PS3 side from 26Mb (original) to 8Mb, it plays fine. If I understand the process correctly, doing that makes the PC transcode the movie in real time (fairly) reaffirming that 1) it's not a PC issue as it's keeping up and 2) I might just be saturating the network.

Enter in my theoretical solution:



Having that many hops (which I'm sure pales in comparison to how many it goes through outside my house) for devices to go through makes me wonder if while fixing one problem if I'd just be creating more headaches for myself somewhere else.

Input?

 

[Rallywagon]

what brand router are you using? Is everything on just the router, or are you streaming from some place else, through the internet and to your device? Your topology doesn't show a bottle neck anywhere. If you have a 1 gig router you are far from hitting its capacity.

 

[Gravitron]

The PS3 wireless interface is known to be lame, and we always recommend people use ethernet when racing with us on GT6. If I get your intent, it seems like that's what your end goal is. 👍

 

[TB]

what brand router are you using?

The wireless router is a Linksys WRT54G runing Tomato.

Is everything on just the router, or are you streaming from some place else, through the internet and to your device?

Everything else (Netflix, Amazon Prime) works fine, it's just uncompressed Blu-Rays I have an issue with.

If you have a 1 gig router you are far from hitting its capacity.

I don't - that's what my question is. Would getting a gigabit switch fix the buffering issue?

The PS3 wireless interface is known to be lame, and we always recommend people use ethernet when racing with us on GT6.

Both of my PS3s are hard wired, as is my PC. Everything works beautifully. Except, streaming 27Gb movie files.

 

[BobK]

Are the PC and the PS3 both wired? Because if that's the case then that 100Mbit connection could well be the bottleneck and it would be worth getting the gigabit switch. If either is wireless then a gigabit switch won't help.

Be aware that you will need cat5e or better ethernet cables for the gigabit switch; plain cat5 won't cut it. Fortunately they're cheap so long as you don't buy them locally; Best Buy, Staples, Walmart etc all gouge you on cables.

 

[TB]

Are the PC and the PS3 both wired?

Yes:

Both of my PS3s are hard wired, as is my PC.

Be aware that you will need cat5e or better ethernet cables for the gigabit switch; plain cat5 won't cut it.

Not a problem - the entire house is 5e, with a bit of 6e thrown in for good measure.

Edit: in looking, the 6e was only pulled between the modem and router/theater room rack locations. And never terminated, so let's just igore that.

 

[ECGadget]

I don't think you'd need any Cat 6a cable, not with the loads you want to be pulling. Cat 5e is a must though, but since you've got that I agree with @BobK and say that your 100mbit connection is what is holding you back. Since it is just uncompressed blurays that tells me that there just isn't enough bandwidth to pass the stream of information. The router you want has to be '802.11n' in its class at the least, and a gigabit one at that; Using an 802.11ac is even better. If that doesn't solve the issue, then a cat 6 cable may just be what you need. If I remember right BluRays transmit at up to 40Mb/s, right?

Unfortunately, I am not too sure which model would be best for yours; I personally have a Netgear WDNR N900, but I have some issues with it that stop me recommending it, but I definitely have not run in to streaming issues when wired. Only on wireless and when the router has something like fifteen devices over three bands connected to it...

 

[TB]

802.11n

802.11ac

I have no intentions of replacing the wireless router (see diagram #2), just adding an 8 port gigabit switch which all hardwired devices will then be connected to.

Ultimately, the cheapest solution is to just convert the last few movies/TV shows I've bought, but that doesn't satisfy the GAS.

 

[AOS-]

Would getting a gigabit switch fix the buffering issue?

Both of my PS3s are hard wired, as is my PC. Everything works beautifully. Except, streaming 27Gb movie files.

It may. Coincidentally, I'm also in the middle of building a home network to stream videos from another PC and/or file transfer. With all my hosts having gigabit ethernet ports, and cat6 550Mhz plugged into a Rosewill unmanaged gigabit switch, a file transferred from Mac-to-Mac was doing 30MB/s. From a Mac-to-PC, it was doing 10MB/s. I don't know what the reasons are for that, but if that's the case, then...

BluRays transmit at up to 40Mb/s

shouldn't be as bad as it is now if you got one. The only thing I'll let you know is not to jump on buying all the cat6 cables just yet.

 

[ECGadget]

I have no intentions of replacing the wireless router (see diagram #2), just adding an 8 port gigabit switch which all hardwired devices will then be connected to.

Ultimately, the cheapest solution is to just convert the last few movies/TV shows I've bought, but that doesn't satisfy the GAS.

Gigabit switch would probably do the same, so your diagram would work!

 

[Rallywagon]

If you haven't gone out and got the switch yet. I would like to nudge you more towards a router, or a managed switch. Something to handle your DCHP. Doesn't have to be wireless. But get a gig router, place that in line with the modem, then, turn off DCHP and NAT on the wireless router, hook up the Ethernet cable from the router to port one, and use that as a wireless access point. This will assure that you get the most out of your network at all places.

 

[TenEightyOne]

Looking at your "solution" diagram I'd swap the order that the wireless-dedicated and wired-dedicated router appear in.

Internetland > Modem > Wired Router* > Wireless Router (maybe as a bridge)

The faster the wire router you can have the better, obviously.

* Or a combined Modem+Wire Router

 

[Grayfox]

This is my current config.

I got a new modem router that had better wifi and the ability to transmit both 2.4Ghz and 5.0Ghz at the same time where as my old could do either 2.4Ghz or 5.0Ghz.
So instead of throwing out my old modem router I put it at the other end of the house, got a CAT6 Network cable, set the old modem router to run as an AP.

I disabled DHCP, made the SSID the same, the WiFi password the same, made its IP 192.168.1.2 and I also made them both use the same WiFi channel which was 40 because it is exactly 5.200Ghz, the main router sees the APs IP as 192.168.1.2 and assigns IPs from 192.168.1.3.
The AP has 4 spare network ports that can be used, the new router has 2 left with one going to this PC and the other going to the AP it is more than enough if I want to get another PC in here and if I get a PS4.

When you disable the DHCP on the AP, the main router assigns IP addresses when devices connect to the AP.

The AP is next to a TV so it is also next to the spare PS3.
I can now also get WiFi in the garage and the TV room where as before I couldn't

Odd note. When I first started the AP it was running in 2.4Ghz mode but for some reason this was making the DVB-T source to the TV go really bad so I set it to run at 5Ghz and issue fixed.