I'm very open to comments, feedback and suggestions as to how to improve my setup, so just please let me know. DO NOT assume i have tons of cash ok! Just becoz i bought the dyson fan...
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Disclaimer: I'm not saying this is the best setup at all and neither am i saying i'm an expert on the matter. I'm just a regular geeky guy who enjoys his toys and this is just what i use. I'm happy with it. Learn what you can from this.
I'm also not going to go into detail. Everything can be found in detail with google so if you need more of the fact-sy stuff, just google it. What you can't find anywhere else is MY opinion :D
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Fundamentals
1. GIGABIT network speed
Max out internal LAN bandwidth. Especially if you are going to stream videos. Make sure everything you buy is gigabit speed compatible. Yes yes, my friend mentioned you are capped at HDD speed etc etc so you can utilize the full GB speed. I know that but you have to take sharing into account, speed drops with home plugs...ANYWAY go for it, its not that expensive...think of it as future proofing...
2. Max Broadband Speed
Your life is on the internet, please max your internet speed. In Singapore, its really very very cheap relatively. Everything you do is on the internet so why waste time waiting etc. Anyway if you're going to have to get content online, play games etc, you'll need it. Furthermore, if you share connections, go homeplug etc. there will be a substantial drop.
3. Use wires!
I really do not like wireless...draft N, dual band etc whatever! I've been trying for years to use it successfully but somehow its just too unstable. Try streaming video on it and you'll know why. I've spent countless of hours trying to troubleshoot ports, bands, frequencies, channels, MTUs etc etc...I simply bought homeplugs and it solved ALL my problems.
Equipment I'm Using
Dlink DIR 655 Router
This has served me very well over the years. Very configurable and i have no issues with it at all. 1 issue i have is its wireless range. Not sure when compared with other routers but its just a bit too short to reach my whole house.
If i were to buy a router now, i would either go for the DIR 855 or a Cisco one as recommended by a very pro friend of mine (he failed to tell me the model though)
Thecus n0503 Combo NAS
Running 3 TB of HDD off a RAID 5 system. This is the heart of my network. All my files are stored here and it gives me the ability to stream to every device i have. This is absolutely vital to have. Also, you'll need to get TWONKY media server which comes with the NAS. So with the NAS, you have the ease of mind that your data is safe and also you can have streaming etc.
[Edited 18-Mar-11] If i were to buy another NAS now, i would go for something with a more powerful processor and more bays. Something like the Thecus 4200 Pro (NOT the Synology as previously mentioned as they do NOT support Twonky) and put in x4 2 TB WD Caviar BLACK HDDs. They are just too freaking cheap now...Oh yeah, RAID 5 is the way to go.
Aztech Home Plugs HL280E
I tried using slower 200mbps homeplugs but they really dropped my network speed too much. Somehow this works out fine, even on my horrible home electrical network. I have no idea why this is faster, i was just advised by my friend to try it and it worked. Anyway the prices now between the slower ones and the 1000mbps ones like this are so small you should just buy higher.
Once you go into homeplugs you may erase the need for a switch for more wired connections as you can keep daisy chaining more homeplugs. Currently i use about 4.
Cables
Make sure you use Cat 6 cables for your LAN stuff otherwise you won't get the speed anyway. I think Cat 5e is ok as well but it won't max gigabit speed.
WD Live TV
This is what links one of my TVs to the network. It is really great (can refer to the review earlier). To sum it up, I just plugged it in and it worked! Pretty slow in terms of interface but no problems streaming whatsoever. Very cheap now. There is no need for HDD storage for me so this does its job.
Another alternative is the Asus Oplay.
PS3 FAT
This is what links my other main TV to my network. I have no idea why doesn't everyone have a PS3? It is a freaking cheap blu-ray player as well as it is the number ONE gaming console now, can surf internet, surf pictures, stream music off a beautiful interface...seriously...just buy one if you don't already have one.
Anyway, the PS3 detects my NAS without any problems and with the homeplug in, streams it exceptionally fast.
I would buy the slim one now if i had a the chance. The fat one i use tends to overheat.
iPhone and iPad
Now while, any windows enabled device should be able to link to this network with ease, you'll probably have some issues with streaming stuff to you iphone and ipad. The trick is basically what app to use. Now i have to admit that my streaming to my iDevices is not that sophisticated as i need a PC/Mac on to do it but it works.
The best App i found for streaming is Air Video. There is a free version as well so you can try it out.
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Feel free to let me know if you need help or more advice. As mentioned earlier, i am NOT an expert but i can share what i spent a very considerable amount of time learning already.
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Coming Soon (if i ever bother, if you want it sooner please request)
- My foray into HD quality stuff
- The best way to get content off the internet
- When sound starts to matter
- How to manage all your contact information
- Photo management
