# Wireless 802.11g Streaming for Cheap!



## jwtseng

I just bought 4 Buffalo Technologies Wireless Broadband Router Basestations (WBR-G54). I wanted to upgrade my home wireless network to 802.11g so that I could stream back and forth between my two new 5040's. Why did I buy four of these, you might be asking, especially if I am replacing just one Apple Airport 802.11b basestation? Well, the one nice feature of these WBR-G54's is that they have WDS-bridging capabilities. In addition, the bridging can be used simultaneously while serving other wireless and wired clients (unlike the Linksys boxes)! And the best part...they were only $85 each at Dell.com (compared with $249 for ONE Airport Extreme BS).


So all four 802.11g boxes are hooked up now and working PERFECTLY from the get-go. I'm really excited. I finally set up my second 5040 and it downloaded 5.1/19 to boot! Can't seem to get the first 5040 update yet. But high quality streaming works perfectly without any pixelation or skips. My wife got that teary-eyed look and everything when I explained the feature to her.


AND DVArchive is also working better than ever...seems to work with 5.1/19 as is. There is something amazing about watching recorded TV on a PowerBook WIRELESSLY. DVArchive is showing a transfer rate of around 1MB/s (if I remember correctly).


FYI, PC Magazine just re-tested the WBR-G54. It has the fastest throughput of all 802.11g stations tested. I didn't see this until after I placed my order, but it's nice to know anyways.


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## jliem

Since you bought this from Dell, I'm just curious why you opted for the Buffalo Technologies device instead of Dell's own Truemobile 2300. It's about the same price ($89) and it also supports bridging. I'm also looking for a couple of routers with bridging support, and had narrowed it down to these two, so I'm curious why you decided to opt for the Buffalo's.


Did you also consider any of the 802.11g routers claiming to support 108Mbps (eg. USRobotics, Netgear)? I was intrigued by those, but none seem to support bridging.


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## jwtseng

Well, to be completely honest with you, I've never been a big Dell fan. They don't make any of their own stuff really, and they are such a big organization that quality and customer service have never been a big forte. I only ordered from Dell.com because they had the lowest price on the Buffalo unit.


The people at Buffalo are wonderful. I have called several times with presales tech questions and each person (I think there are really only two or three) has been patient and very knowledgeable. And you can tell that they are very enthusiastic about their products.


Also, Buffalo has had a history with working with Appletalk, which is what I (still) use at home with some existing laser printers. The Buffalo box also looks cleaner and sleeker, IMHO.


BTW, as I mentioned the Buffalo products *all* support WDS bridging. AND you can use them in client mode even when WDS bridging is turned on, which is something not too commonly found. The main reason I started this thread is to let others know that this is another working solution. Most information out there seems to focus on Linksys products, which aren't necessarily the best or most inexpensive.


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## jliem

Quote:

_Originally posted by jwtseng_
*The main reason I started this thread is to let others know that this is another working solution. Most information out there seems to focus on Linksys products, which aren't necessarily the best or most inexpensive.*
I hear you. I started a thread a month ago specifically asking if anyone had any non-Linksys recommendations and I didn't get a single reply.


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## fmaddin

So did you have to do anything special to set it up? Or was it just plug and play pretty much? I've read about some usability with the Buffalo. I would be interested in knowing how each is configured. I guess the one on the Replay is the only one in "bridge" mode?


What version of the firmware are you on? I'd read that earlier versions of the Buffalo were not working. But I realize that firmware changes all the time.


thanks,

frank


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## moyekj

Quote:

_Originally posted by jwtseng_
*

So all four 802.11g boxes are hooked up now and working PERFECTLY from the get-go. I'm really excited. I finally set up my second 5040 and it downloaded 5.1/19 to boot! Can't seem to get the first 5040 update yet. But high quality streaming works perfectly without any pixelation or skips. My wife got that teary-eyed look and everything when I explained the feature to her.


AND DVArchive is also working better than ever...seems to work with 5.1/19 as is. There is something amazing about watching recorded TV on a PowerBook WIRELESSLY. DVArchive is showing a transfer rate of around 1MB/s (if I remember correctly).


FYI, PC Magazine just re-tested the WBR-G54. It has the fastest throughput of all 802.11g stations tested. I didn't see this until after I placed my order, but it's nice to know anyways.*
Very interesting. Thanks for the post. Can you give us an idea of how far the WBRs are from each other - i.e. distance and obstacles, etc. Many 802.11b/g products quickly lose performance without line of site and distances >20ft. I'll have to look at the specs to figure out what chipsets are being used - Broadcom chips seem to have pretty lousy range from what I've seen.

Thanks.


UPDATE: First review I found (PC Mag - June 2003) was pretty lousy (especially performance data):
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,4149,1116084,00.asp


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## jwtseng

Yeah, PC Magazine re-tested the WBR-G54 this month (wireless special issue) and commented that it had dramatically improved with most recent firmware.


My personal setup has the main router basestation on one end of a two-story 2000 sq ft house (upstairs). One of the 5040's is on the opposite side of the house on the same floor with another bridged basestation. The second 5040 is downstairs towards the middle of the home bridged with yet another basestation to the first 5040. I could have bridged the second 5040 directly to the main router, but I figured a bridging arrangement between the two 5040's might be beneficial. And in fact, I believe that when I am streaming from one RTV to the other, the stream goes directly from one bridging basestation to the other without traversing the main router (no activity lights).


The best thing I have found with these WBR-g54s is that there is a built in 4 port switch on each unit. So now I have lots of options to hook up wired products as well.


As an aside, I have been watching streaming shows on the downstairs RTV and at the same time setting up a new install of WinXP with about 80mb of updates downloaded via the same basestation (wired connection). Haven't yet experienced a single blip on the streamed show!


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## moyekj

Sounds great... good range and good bandwidth and from the sound of it pretty easy to setup. One thing I'm still wondering about is each unit has it's own firewall right - are you able to disable the firewalls?

Thanks.


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## jwtseng

Quote:

_Originally posted by fmaddin_
*So did you have to do anything special to set it up? Or was it just plug and play pretty much? I've read about some usability with the Buffalo. I would be interested in knowing how each is configured. I guess the one on the Replay is the only one in "bridge" mode?


What version of the firmware are you on? I'd read that earlier versions of the Buffalo were not working. But I realize that firmware changes all the time.


thanks,

frank*
There is the usual browser-based configuration. The units come with some kind of software on CD, but I didn't even open the package. I basically plugged each unit in one at a time and configured over a wireless connection with my PowerBook. Pretty straightforward if you've done this with any other router (I had used Linksys products before). Every option has a little "?" next to it that pops up information if you need it. There are some rough edges, namely some random Japanese characters that show up on a few pages. Setting up WDS bridging is fairly straightforward if you keep a logical mindset. You have to enter in the wireless MAC addresses of the respective basestations that are to be bridged. Just like Linksys boxes, the wireless MAC address is only found on the browser-interface...only the WAN and LAN MAC addresses are labelled on the unit itself. All in all, fairly simple and extensive configuration.


FYI, all of my basestations are in WDS-bridging mode. BUT, this mode is not "bridging only" like with the Linksys models. This means that each basestation, in addition to acting as a wireless bridge for wired clients (like ReplayTV boxes), can also act as a wireless access point for wireless clients (like laptops and PDAs). This was the main selling point for me because it allows me to basically now have 4 wireless access points around the house providing a super blanket of coverage at the highest signal strength and data throughput. And as a bonus, each basestation has a 4-port switch so I can hook up other ethernet devices at my leisure (printers, network drives, etc).


I hope all this helps. I just can't contain my excitement!


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## jwtseng

Quote:

_Originally posted by moyekj_
*Sounds great... good range and good bandwidth and from the sound of it pretty easy to setup. One thing I'm still wondering about is each unit has it's own firewall right - are you able to disable the firewalls?

Thanks.*
I haven't examined the firewall settings yet. That will be next as I try to get IVS working on my 5040's.


As an addition to range issues, these units all have a plug for external antennas. I think it is an SMC connector. I know it is the same as the one on Lucent/Agere devices.


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## icecow

If you have four of these thigns in a straight line equally apart from each other, will the second one recieve the signal from the first one, bring it's signal strenth up and send it to the third one and so on? Do these things work like burpers? If so, does that mean you can just set them all over the house and make a network 'cloud'? does it work liek that or am I way off?


If everything above is correct then I'm wondering if you move your laptop from one end of the house to the other, do you have to click on the systray and select a different wireless connection before you have internet again, or does it do that automatically.


I read alot of posts about bridges but never figure anything out.


cow


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## jrgreenman

I've read, and the PC Mag article notes, the "minimal feature set" of the Buffalo. But the review itself is pretty thin.


Any idea what they are talking about the Buffalo lacking that, say, Linksys has?


I d/l'ed the Buf user guide, but it is v1.0 dated 2/9/2003. So there could be some things missing from it.


BTW, PC Mag reports the _list_ price of this unit is $69 although the lowest price returned by their price engine is over $85. Their list price much be a mistake.


Finally, anyone run this thing in mixed b/g mode. The UG says it reverts to 11b speeds in mixed mode? Do all A/Ps do that?


Thanks!


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## gatisimo

Just FYI: I have two Linksys WAP54G access points. One is connected to a router, the other to a switch. The one on the router is in Access Point mode, while the one on the switch is in bridge mode. They both talk to each other, AND I am able to use router access point with other wireless devices at the same time. I was told this would not be possible, but what can I say... it's working for me. I use it to sync my PDA wirelessly everyday.


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## Bobcrane

Quote:

Jgreemen wrote:

Finally, anyone run this thing in mixed b/g mode. The UG says it reverts to 11b speeds in mixed mode? Do all A/Ps do that?
Yep. The minute 802.11b is detected, the whole system slows down. Currently for all 802.11g devices. I guess they felt this was the way to help people transition off of b over to g.


Bob


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## whopharted

So, if I understand it correctly, I could get by with two then. I have 2 Replay 5040 units at opposite ends of the house (one in bedroom, one in living room) currently talking to my Linksys 54g router in the computer room via WET54G bridges. After finding out after-the-fact that streaming doesn't work for squat with this configuration, I was wondering if I could simply replace the bridges with these routers/access points and set them up to bridge to each other, yet talk to the router in an un-bridged AP configuration.


Will that work, or will I be stuck getting 3 of them and connecting the third to the router in the computer room?


I just cancelled my order for the Linksys WAP54g since going with a worse-case scenario of buying three Buff. Tech. units is significantly cheaper and gets me to what I need: streaming between my bedroom and livingroom.


Thanks!


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## phlegmer

You most defiantly lose throughput when you are using a mixed environment. As a matter of fact, the self-proclaimed max throughput for both the 11b and 11g are much lower than the 11Mbps and 54Mbps respectively. In a perfect pure 11g environment, the maximum throughput is only 27Mbps! 11b moves along in a merger 6Mbps. When the two are mixed, 11g suffer greatly. If the environment has both types of clients, the 11g and 11b will talk at 9Mbps. If the environment is mixed but there are no 11b clients chatting away, the throughput for the 11g clients is 18Mbps.


If one must have a mixed environment but wants their 11g clients to maximize their bandwidth, one suggestion is to have two Access Points connected to the router. That way, one of the APâ€™s will be used only for 11b clients and the other for the 11g clients. All this info can be found HERE .


Iâ€™m somewhat interested in this new Buffalo solution. What I donâ€™t fully understand is why not just set the Buffaloâ€™s to Client Mode (if able) and not mess with the Bridge Mode stuff?


UPDATE: I just checked and it doesn't appear the they have a Client Mode according to their Data Sheet.


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## jwtseng

Quote:

_Originally posted by icecow_
*If you have four of these thigns in a straight line equally apart from each other, will the second one recieve the signal from the first one, bring it's signal strenth up and send it to the third one and so on? Do these things work like burpers? If so, does that mean you can just set them all over the house and make a network 'cloud'? does it work liek that or am I way off?


If everything above is correct then I'm wondering if you move your laptop from one end of the house to the other, do you have to click on the systray and select a different wireless connection before you have internet again, or does it do that automatically.


I read alot of posts about bridges but never figure anything out.


cow*
Generally speaking, you are correct. They are like repeaters (I think that's what you are calling "burpers"). And yes, you *could* string them up in a serial fashion and extend the network indefinitely. The problem lies in the fact that this consumer level stuff right now, like the WBR-G54, works off one radio per unit serving as both receiver and transmitter. The radio can't do both simultaneously and therefore repeating a signal cuts throughput in half with every "hop". A more typical pattern is a "star" pattern or "spokes on a wheel" with point to multipoint bridging.


Roaming between basestations should work just fine. Just set your client to whatever SSID you specify and it will associate with it automagically. For example, I specify the SSID for all of my basestations to be the same thing. On my laptop it appears that there is only one basestation and automatically roams to whichever has the strongest signal. Mind you, this on a Mac PowerBook, so YMMV.


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## jwtseng

Quote:

_Originally posted by jrgreenman_
*I've read, and the PC Mag article notes, the "minimal feature set" of the Buffalo. But the review itself is pretty thin.


Any idea what they are talking about the Buffalo lacking that, say, Linksys has?


I d/l'ed the Buf user guide, but it is v1.0 dated 2/9/2003. So there could be some things missing from it.


BTW, PC Mag reports the _list_ price of this unit is $69 although the lowest price returned by their price engine is over $85. Their list price much be a mistake.


Finally, anyone run this thing in mixed b/g mode. The UG says it reverts to 11b speeds in mixed mode? Do all A/Ps do that?


Thanks!*
I'm not sure what they are referring to as "minimal feature set". The WBR-g54 seems to have MOST bases covered. At least right now, it does EVERYTHING I want it to do, and I couldn't be happier. At $85 a pop, I figure in a year or two when new technology letting us do new things comes out, it won't be such a big deal to upgrade *again*.


Yeah, I saw the PC Mag $69 right after I placed my order at Dell.com for $85.99 and almost had a heart attack. But I, also, was not able to find anything less than the $85.99 price.


All 802.11g access points are backwards compatible with 802.11b. The sticking point is that any 802.11b presence requires the entire network to throttle down from 54mbit speeds to 11mbit, except for adhoc connections. The salvation is that this Buffalo unit (and probably others) can be set to "Turbo 54" mode and only accept connections from 802.11g clients (so 802.11b users can't connect)


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## moyekj

Quote:

_Originally posted by gatisimo_
*Just FYI: I have two Linksys WAP54G access points. One is connected to a router, the other to a switch. The one on the router is in Access Point mode, while the one on the switch is in bridge mode. They both talk to each other, AND I am able to use router access point with other wireless devices at the same time. I was told this would not be possible, but what can I say... it's working for me. I use it to sync my PDA wirelessly everyday.*
Very interesting. I'll have to try this! I've got 3 bridged WAP54Gs right now, so I'll try and switch the central WAP54G by the router back to Access Point mode. Thanks for the info!


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## whopharted

I have another question actually...do I HAVE to use the Router feature of these units? As you can see from my prior post, I really only have one connection to the Internet via the wireless router in the computer room. I remember having problems with the Linksys when I purchased 3 of the 54g routers.


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## jwtseng

Quote:

_Originally posted by phlegmer_
*Iâ€™m somewhat interested in this new Buffalo solution. What I donâ€™t fully understand is why not just set the Buffaloâ€™s to Client Mode (if able) and not mess with the Bridge Mode stuff?


UPDATE: I just checked and it doesn't appear the they have a Client Mode according to their Data Sheet.*
Of course there is a "Client Mode". If you think about it, this is the same as bridging for only a single client. I think the confusing point here may be the fact that the WBR-G54 has a built-in 4 port switch, and the utility of this is to "bridge" two separate wired networks together. In other words, you hook whatever ethernet components you have into the back of this box, and then the entire box acts as a client of another access point.


Buffalo has two bridging modes. I think one is called something like shared bridging and the other is dedicacated bridging. Dedicated bridging basically makes the box into a bridge-only device so that it cannot also accept wireless clients simultaneously. This has the benefit of preserving throughput for the bridged (wired) devices.


Now to be fair, they do sell other products that are called bridging basestations (WLA-G54) and ethernet bridges, and it can all get confusing. But the funny thing is that these other products mostly all sell for $100 which is more expensive than what I consider to be an all-in-one solution in the WBR-G54.


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## jwtseng

Quote:

_Originally posted by gatisimo_
*Just FYI: I have two Linksys WAP54G access points. One is connected to a router, the other to a switch. The one on the router is in Access Point mode, while the one on the switch is in bridge mode. They both talk to each other, AND I am able to use router access point with other wireless devices at the same time. I was told this would not be possible, but what can I say... it's working for me. I use it to sync my PDA wirelessly everyday.*
Not too surprising...

Unless Linksys has recently changed something in new firmware, your wireless clients are accessing the WAP54G that you have hooked up to your router, not the one in bridge mode. Last time I checked (last week), the WAP54G could only be used in either AP-only mode or bridge-only mode.


But check your setup for us and definitely let us know if things are different than I have stated.


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## jwtseng

Quote:

_Originally posted by whopharted_
*I have another question actually...do I HAVE to use the Router feature of these units? As you can see from my prior post, I really only have one connection to the Internet via the wireless router in the computer room. I remember having problems with the Linksys when I purchased 3 of the 54g routers.*
No. The WBR-G54 could serve as your wireless router for your internet connection for sure, but if you want to use a second or third, etc unit in bridging mode all you have to do is turn off DHCP and voila! All you have left is a 4-port switch on a wireless bridge!


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## whopharted

 I'll just buy two then. Thanks for letting us know about this.


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## moyekj

Quote:

_Originally posted by jwtseng_
*Not too surprising...

Unless Linksys has recently changed something in new firmware, your wireless clients are accessing the WAP54G that you have hooked up to your router, not the one in bridge mode. Last time I checked (last week), the WAP54G could only be used in either AP-only mode or bridge-only mode.


But check your setup for us and definitely let us know if things are different than I have stated.*
The surprising part is that apparently the other WAP54G set to bridge-only mode is able to bridge with the WAP54G by the router set to Access Point mode - the documentation leads you to believe this is not possible. I'll try it out tonight with my 3 WAP54G setup and post here.


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## phlegmer

Quote:

_Originally posted by jwtseng_
*Of course there is a "Client Mode". If you think about it, this is the same as bridging for only a single client. I think the confusing point here may be the fact that the WBR-G54 has a built-in 4 port switch, and the utility of this is to "bridge" two separate wired networks together.*
I agree, the terminology does get a little confusing. I had a d-link DWL-900+ AP connected to my 5040 for a while and it actually had a Bridge Mode and a Client Mode. Client Mode is what I used and it worked fine but I never really fully understood what the difference was. The d-link DWL-2000 AP that I currently use has these two features as well.


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## watchintv

Quote:

_Originally posted by Bobcrane_
*Yep. The minute 802.11b is detected, the whole system slows down. Currently for all 802.11g devices. I guess they felt this was the way to help people transition off of b over to g.


Bob*
Is it possible to disable the b mode all together and only allow G users to connect?


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## jwtseng

Quote:

_Originally posted by watchintv_
*Is it possible to disable the b mode all together and only allow G users to connect?*
The Buffalo WBR-G54 has this option to accept only 802.11g clients and prevent 802.11b clients from connecting. I'm not sure what other manufacturers do.


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## watchintv

Quote:

_Originally posted by jwtseng_
*I just bought 4 Buffalo Technologies Wireless Broadband Router Basestations (WBR-G54). I wanted to upgrade my home wireless network to 802.11g so that I could stream back and forth between my two new 5040's. Why did I buy four of these, you might be asking, especially if I am replacing just one Apple Airport 802.11b basestation? Well, the one nice feature of these WBR-G54's is that they have WDS-bridging capabilities. In addition, the bridging can be used simultaneously while serving other wireless and wired clients (unlike the Linksys boxes)! And the best part...they were only $85 each at Dell.com (compared with $249 for ONE Airport Extreme BS).*
Just curious, is this with WEP or WPA on? If so, what level 64 bit 128 bit 256 bit?


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## jwtseng

Nah, I left WEP/WPA off. Not important to me.


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## moyekj

Quote:

_Originally posted by moyekj_
*The surprising part is that apparently the other WAP54G set to bridge-only mode is able to bridge with the WAP54G by the router set to Access Point mode - the documentation leads you to believe this is not possible. I'll try it out tonight with my 3 WAP54G setup and post here.*
Very cool! I just verified that indeed you can mix Access Point and Bridge modes with the WAP54Gs, so now I can use my central WAP54G as a wireless access point for my laptop in addition to bridging to 2 other RTVs. Running DVA full throttle download via 802.11g I get 2.4MBytes/sec which is the best I can get at wired cat5 speed. Of course HQ streaming between all 3 RTVs still works too even while web surfing using the laptop 802.11g.


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## phlegmer

Jwtseng,


OK, I've looked over this thread several times and I must be missing something. I do

not fully understand why you purchased 4 of these units. You said you have the main

one in one side of the house, then another plugged into a Replay on the other end of the

house, and then a 3rd is plugged into the one in your basement. What happened to the

4th one?


I've also been doing some more reading on what the differences are between "Client"

and "Bridge" modes. Client is equivalent to using a wireless lan card in your laptop.

Simple as that. Bridging seems to be a little more to it such that a bridge only points

to a paired bridge someplace else. It's that connection that allows them to talk to

each to each other and only to each each other. That would probably be the

"Dedicated" bridge that you talked about earlier. The other flavor of bridging (shared

bridging) must be what you are using currently.


The way I understand your setup, bridge2 (basement) is pointing to bridge1 via

bridge1's MAC and vice versa with bridge1 to bridge2. (see example)


Main             Bridge1

                          ^

                          |

                          |

    Bridge2


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## skleiser

I just ordered a pair and got a 10% discount - a weekend sale . I didn't have to do anything special, it just discounted them when I went to my cart for checkout. Also seems to be free shipping if ordering $99!
(product can be found here )


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## jwtseng

phlegmer:


Sorry to confuse you. The 4th WBR-G54 I should have mentioned is hooked up to a desktop computer somewhere else in the house. I didn't mention it because it didn't have anything to do with the RTV issues. I should have though since I did say that I bought 4 of these things.


You're absolutely correct with your terminology regarding clients, dedicated bridges and shared bridges. At least the two of us are on the same wavelength.


A simpler way to visualize my setup:


Main (upstairs North) RTV Bridge#1 (upstairs South) RTV Bridge#2 (downstairs West)

|

Desktop Bridge#3 (upstairs)


All of the units are set to "shared" bridge mode, so they are able to see one another and assign appropriate IP addresses to clients. DHCP is off on all units except for the Main unit which is hooked up to DSL and does all the traffic routing and IP assignments.


As far as entering MAC addresses for Bridging, here's how I have it:


Main: RTV Bridge#1, Desktop Bridge#3

RTV Bridge#1: Main, RTV Bridge#2

RTV Bridge#2: RTV Bridge#1

Desktop Bridge#3: Main


Each unit can be bridged to I think 4 or 6 other units in a "star" cofiguration, but I would be careful about redundancy which could lead to problems like illogical loops. Example: If I *also* set RTV Bridge#1 and Desktop Bridge#3 to bridge with one another, then there would be a loop formed (instead of a single straight path) and data would get bogged down trying to find the shortest path.


As far as bridging goes (especially "shared" bridging), you would be wise to stick with a single manufacturer. Although the 802.11g specs are standard, I have read that WDS-bridging is not standard. Different manufacturers may have different flavors and are not guaranteed to work together in bridging mode.


I hope this helps. I'm happy to answer any questions about my setup. Like I've said, this is definitely a working configuration as far as RTV streaming goes. Sounds like moyekj has also had luck with WAP54G units from Linksys (2.4MB per second is awesome! I wonder if it is mbit instead? Still awesome, though). Others I've read have had trouble getting Linksys stuff to work for their RTVs. Good luck!


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## jwtseng

Quote:

_Originally posted by skleiser_
*I just ordered a pair and got a 10% discount - a weekend sale . I didn't have to do anything special, it just discounted them when I went to my cart for checkout. Also seems to be free shipping if ordering $99!
(product can be found here )*
Hey skleiser!


Thanks for posting! You just saved me $34.38! I called Dell right away and asked for a credit for the lower price on the 4 units that I just got. This deal keeps getting better and better!


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## phlegmer

Wow, bridging does take a lot more thought than just having one AP in infrastructure mode and plugging in D-Link clients. I'm assuming since bridging takes a little more thought that the throughput must be better. Otherwise, what would the benefit be?


From your description, I drew up a little diagram what appears to be your setup. (I tend to understand things better with visual aids)


Main (DHCP) RTV Bridge #1

             ^                                 ^

              \\___                      ___/

                    \\___         ___/

                           \\___/

                     ___/       \\___

                   /                     \\

                  |                       |

                  v                      v

RTV Bridge #2                    Desktop Bridge #3


And from the sounds of it, as long as all of them have the same SSID, I could walk all over your house with a laptop and access the internet and all the RTV's via DVArchive?


Also, I'm assuming that these units also have port forwarding for IVS purposes?


And finally, if you physically connected 4 PC's up to the main, that wouldn't cause any problems and all 4 PC's would be able to access the RTV's?


I'm just wondering if I could somehow still keep my Netgear WGR614. It has really worked well and I really like the small form factor and the design of it. The Buffalo appears a little bigger and looks like it must be standing vertically.


Thanks a ton for all of your help! I feel like I'm the only one struggling with the bridging thing but I hope others are finding this info helpful as well.


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## jwtseng

Phlegmer:


Your diagram may lead others to think that my setup is more complex than it really is. If you want you can stretch the whole thing out in a straight line:


Bridge#3 Main Router Bridge#1 Bridge#2


Bridge#1 = RTV#1

Bridge#2 = RTV#2

Bridge#3 = Desktop Computer

Main Router = DSL, DHCP server, network printer, desktop computer


So in terms of bridging my DSL internet connection, I am bridging two networks to the Main Router. In terms of ReplayTVs, RTV#2 is bridged to RTV#1, and the whole thing (Bridge#1) is bridged to the Main Router.


They are all on the same channel with the same broadcasted SSID, so yes you could walk around my house with an 802.11g enabled laptop and associate freely (roam) with whichever basestation you happen to be closest to.


BTW, on a Mac there is actually an option to "Join Network With The Strongest Signal". Can someone tell me if there is a similar feature for Windows XP??? The only thing I can do is list access points in order of preference, so even if AP#2 is twice as strong as AP#1, the PC will still connect to AP#1 since it is listed first in the Properties panel. Any help here would be greatly appreciated.


Your question about having other things hooked up to the WBR-G54's while streaming or doing other things is difficult to answer. I would only say that bandwith, even on a completely wired network, is fixed like a pipe installed underground. Throughput, or what you are trying to get through that pipe, is a different animal altogether dependent on a multitude of things. Adding wireless to the mix introduces a lot of extra variables. You'll just have to try things out with your particular situation.


And definitely let all of us here know how it works our for you!


----------



## jwtseng

BTW, having DVArchive playing your favorite recorded TV shows on a wireless laptop in your next door neighbors living room is too cool and will make you look like a genius (or the biggest techno geek alive!). Yes, it just works!


----------



## phlegmer

I just downloaded the user manual for the WBR-G54 and I didn't see anything in it about port forwarding. Does the newest firmware support this feature? This is needed for internet video sharing.


One other thing that I didn't see is if there is an indication on the speed the LAN ports are connected to. For instance, on my Netgear, if the computer on the port is a 10mbit, the LED will be amber. If the connection on the port is 100mbit, the LED will be green. This feature isn't THAT important but it is a nice little feature.


----------



## j.m.

Quote:

_Originally posted by phlegmer_
*I just downloaded the user manual for the WBR-G54 and I didn't see anything in it about port forwarding. Does the newest firmware support this feature? This is needed for internet video sharing.
*
First of all, there are two different versions of the manual on the FTP site, though only one is linked from the WWW page. One is in color, the other is B&W. Port forwarding is briefly mentioned in both, however. Look at section 4.3.2 "Address translation" on page 18 of the color version and page 14-15 of the B&W one.


----------



## jwtseng

Quote:

_Originally posted by phlegmer_
*One other thing that I didn't see is if there is an indication on the speed the LAN ports are connected to. For instance, on my Netgear, if the computer on the port is a 10mbit, the LED will be amber. If the connection on the port is 100mbit, the LED will be green. This feature isn't THAT important but it is a nice little feature. *
I'm going to look into IVS next, and I'm sure it's possible if not exactly intuitive. There are definitely options for security and NAT settings.


As far as indicator lights, there are no indicators to tell between 10/100mbit connections.


----------



## phlegmer

J.M.


Thanks for pointing that out. After you said the page number for the color one (which is the one I believe I downloaded) I looked and discovered that my printer skipped pages 15-20 for some reason. (weird). I'll look and get those pages printed.


----------



## sfogg

My current network has one ReplayTV on a wired segment feeding to a Linksys BEFW11 802.11B router. My other ReplayTV is strung off a LinkSys WET11. I have numerous other devices on the wired segment. Everything uses assigned IP addresses, not DHCP.


I have two Mac laptops with built in 802.11B cards and a Windows laptop with a 802.11G card in it. Apple doesn't have internal 802.11G cards available for the laptops I have so they are stuck on 'B' wireless.


Any theories on the best way to use the WBR-G54s to enhance streaming between the ReplayTVs and possibly to also work with the Windows laptop?


I was thinking I could leave the existing network in place and just plug a WBR-G54 into my wired network (letting my Linksys handle the actual cable modem connection) and replace the WET11 with another WBR-G54. In the WBR-G54s I'd set them to 'G' only and give them a different SSID (and possibly channel). Could the one on the wired network act as an access point and the one attached to the ReplayTV act as a bridge?


That should give me a dedicated 'G' network for streaming and if one side can act as an access point should let the Windows laptop access the 'G' network.


Or maybe the flipside using a WBR-G54 as my main internet router, having the second acting as a bridge for the wireless ReplayTV and then plugging the LinkSys BEFW11 into it. Again keeping SSIDs different to keep the system from being a mixed mode network. I think if I change around the LinkSys IP address I can make it act mostly like an access point instead of a router.


I guess if both setups would work this way they would be pretty close to functionally the same.


Any thoughts?


Thanks,


Shawn


----------



## jwtseng

Shawn:


I believe either setup you have mentioned would work theoretically. If I had a choice, I would probably choose to put the highest throughput device closest to the internet connection and only then string off lower throughput devices distal to that point.


----------



## sfogg

"If I had a choice, I would probably choose to put the highest throughput device closest to the internet connection and only then string off lower throughput devices distal to that point."


Thanks, I just order a pair of them and will see if I can make them work. I'd agree with the above but as far as the wireless stuff goes most of the internet access would be through the 'B' network so I may just leave the LinkSys in place as is. Though if the WBR-G54 have a better firewall I'll swap them.


Gotta love progress, two of these boxes cost only about $15 more then the one WET11 did when I bought it.


Shawn


----------



## indy_dude

I have a question about the wireless setup. I am just now moving into my new house, and tonight I was up looking at things to figure out where everything is going.


It looks like the computer/cable modem is going to be in the back room of the house, with the replay and tv in the living room.


I have a long hallway, that leads out into the dinning area and then to the left is the living room where the replay will be.


If I want to do wireless for the replay and for the laptops in the living room, what would I need?


3 of these things


1 in the computer room

1 at the replay

1 at the living room


Or could I combine the 1 at the repaly to use to surf the web?


Right now I am running cable but no way I can do it at my new house?

Sorry if I made it too confusing


----------



## jwtseng

Hi indy_dude:


To start off, you can definitely use one unit both to plug in your ReplayTV AND to surf the web with your wireless laptops. That is the beauty of these WBR-G54 units...what we have called "shared" bridging in a previous post.


You'll definitely be using one in the back room at your cable modem to route the internet connection and bridge the other units. Whether you choose to get a third unit or not will depend on how far the wireless signal goes from your cable modem in the back room to your living room. If it is strong enough, you might get away with using two units. If you have a weak signal, you may want to get a third unit and use it as a repeating bridge somewhere between the other two units.


----------



## otsiS

Questioin.


I am setting up a network at my new house. Previously, I had a Linksys 802.11B router hooked up to the cable model and then a wired network for all the PCs and the Replay.


This worked fine in a small house where the roomies didn't mind the occasional random wire running across a ceiling.


In my new house, which is much larger, a wired network is not going to be feasible.


I will have the PCs on the 2nd floor and the replay and a XBOX in the basement. I was going to purchase a WET11 and a switch for the Replay and the XBOX, but it looks like I can get two of these guys for about the same price.


Now, my question. All my WAN client cards are 802.11b. This router is 802.11g. Should I expect any difference in performance for my "b" devices accessing this g router when there will be no g devices present on the network? Well, let's change that. The only g devices will be the 2 routers themselves.


Also, does this thing have a print server in it? That would be heavenly if so.


----------



## icecow

these buffalo G bridges have loopback?


cow


----------



## indy_dude

also has anyone tried to use IVS with these?


Shawn


----------



## whopharted

A word of warning... I have, so far, been unsucesful in getting these to play at all with my Linksys Router that's connected to my modem. I've verified all three are using the same SSID, channel, no encryption, IP range, etc. They see each other fine, but will not talk to the Linksys which means I'm either stuck buying a third one and swapping out my Linksys (what a waste of cash), or hooking up my WET54G bridges to the Buff. routers just so they can get to the Internet for guide updates/IVS.


Could I be missing anything (all units are on the latest firmware). The Buff. routers are pretty much set up in AP mode as I didn't hook anything to the WAN ports on them as the Help seems to indicate.


FWIW, the Family Room Replay and Bedroom Replay are connected to their own Buff. router. The Linksys 54g router is in the computer room where the modem is.


I'm going to try streaming now if I'm sucesfull in resetting the Replay IP addresses.


----------



## moyekj

I had Linksys WRT54G router several months ago and couldn't get it to work properly for video streaming with various 802.11b/g clients. Others at the time also had problems streaming with it. Guide updates/IVS worked fine but not streaming, even low quality. WET54G also had problems streaming. At the time I then settled on Linksys WAP54G bridges which is currently what I am using and work great.


----------



## whopharted

Agreed about the Linksys Router. I could stream OK between that router with DVArchive and WET54G bridge, but streaming between two replays seperated by WET54G bridges was a no-go. (A known problem with this router pointed out in this forum after I had investing a good chunk of money on getting the new speed...I even upgraded my phones to 5.8ghz). Thats why I was excited to jump on these BuffTech routers so I could bridge them, yet still (in theory) use the router only when guide updates and DVArchive are used.


These BuffTech routers bridge to each other like a champ, but until they can talk to the LinkSys router, I'm worse off now as they can't get to the guide, IVS, DVArchive. I figured since 802.11g was a "standard", all the pieces-parts would talk to each other with no hassle. Apparently not the case with these units. So, in the interest of getting at least SOMETHING that works to stream between 2 wireless ReplayTVs, I'll be stuck getting another one of these, and never introduce any other vendor into my network.


Anyone want to buy a bunch of Linksys equipment? ;-)


----------



## jwtseng

Quote:

_Originally posted by whopharted_
*Could I be missing anything (all units are on the latest firmware). The Buff. routers are pretty much set up in AP mode as I didn't hook anything to the WAN ports on them as the Help seems to indicate.


FWIW, the Family Room Replay and Bedroom Replay are connected to their own Buff. router. The Linksys 54g router is in the computer room where the modem is.*
Could you give us a little more detail on how your network is set up or what things are connected where and how? Someone help me out here...Is the Linksys "54G" router capable of point-to-multipoint bridging in a "shared" fashion like the WBR-G54 (serving both as a bridge and access point at the same time)?


Your statement that your Buffalo routers (I assume you have the WBR-G54) are set up in "AP mode" leads me to wonder if you need to enable WDS-bridging, though you say that the routers can see each other. I'd really need more info to be able to comment further, but I'm sure that all of us here can make it work for you.


I'm also working towards IVS capability. I haven't actually tried it yet, but I'm putting the building blocks down one step at a time. The first step was to set everything up and make sure that the local network worked. Today I finally finished reassigning IPs and converting my network over to fixed IPs for all of my fixed devices (including the RTVs) and only DHCP for roaming (wireless) devices. Next I am due to examine MAC filtering and finally NAT port forwarding in order to get my web server up and also enable IVS.


----------



## jwtseng

Quote:

_Originally posted by whopharted_
*These BuffTech routers bridge to each other like a champ, but until they can talk to the LinkSys router, I'm worse off now as they can't get to the guide, IVS, DVArchive. I figured since 802.11g was a "standard", all the pieces-parts would talk to each other with no hassle. Apparently not the case with these units. So, in the interest of getting at least SOMETHING that works to stream between 2 wireless ReplayTVs, I'll be stuck getting another one of these, and never introduce any other vendor into my network.


Anyone want to buy a bunch of Linksys equipment? ;-)*
Yeah, it's probably the easiest thing to do to stick with a single vendor. Too bad you had to put down the cash for the Linksys. I *did* read an article somewhere (maybe OReilly) that talked about WDS-bridging and how it wasn't officially part of the ratified 802.11g protocol. The article mentioned Apple's AEBS and Buffalo's products as being WDS "compatible" for now (future firmware updates may change this interoperability), and it also mentioned specifically that Linksys had a different flavor of WDS-bridging than Apple or Buffalo.


But assuming that there is a way to bridge the Linksys and Buffalo, try this: Bridge the two Buffalo routers (RTVs) to one another. Then bridge only one of the Buffalo routers (the one with the best signal to the Linksys) back to the linksys. In other words, make sure that you don't bridge BOTH Buffalo routers to the Linksys. This way you only give data a single route to follow back and forth either between the RTVs or from the RTVs to the Internet.


Let us know how things go.


----------



## whopharted

Sure can provide some more details as more eyes that see this may be able to show me where I may have set something up wrong. I'll try and chart this out. All connections are CAT 5.


Living Room (downstairs):

Replay 5040 WBFR54 (LAN port)

XBOX WBFR54 (LAN port)


Computer Room (upstairs):

Modem Linksys WRT54g PC


Bedroom (upstairs):

Replay 5040 WBRF54 (LAN port)


I set the SSID on all of them to "homenet", channel 6, no WEP, no DHCP. The WBFR54's are set to shared bridging between each other, but not to the Linksys since its not an option, and BuffTech says its bridging only working with its equipment (a common effect from all manufacturers).


With a wireless laptop close to one of the WBFR routers, it is able to associate with it and see the Replay's. It can not, from either WBFR, see the gateway or anything else other than whatever is hooked up to those two routers. If the wireless laptop is close to the Linksys router, it will associate it with. The PC can not see either WBFR router or the Replays.


By bridging the units, is that preventing them from talking to any other router or AP on the network that its specifically in its list? One thing I haven't tried yet is to turn the bridging off to see if it can find the Linksys. Kinda defeats the purpose for me as I wanted to avoid the Linksys since its a bottleneck for streaming...fine for everything else though.


----------



## whopharted

UPDATE: Just turned off WDS bridging on the units and they can't even see each other. If they're WDS bridged (not exclusive) then there's no problem. Also, turning off the bridging didn't help in accessing the Linksys either. There must be some dependency on the (unused) WAN port.


----------



## jwtseng

Quote:

_Originally posted by whopharted_
*I set the SSID on all of them to "homenet", channel 6, no WEP, no DHCP. The WBFR54's are set to shared bridging between each other, but not to the Linksys since its not an option, and BuffTech says its bridging only working with its equipment (a common effect from all manufacturers).*
I think this is your problem. The two RTVs are obviously bridged to one another, but there is no connection at all to your internet connection. You might try to enter the MAC addresses and stuff and see if bridging works between the Linksys and Buffalo unit.

Quote:

*By bridging the units, is that preventing them from talking to any other router or AP on the network that its specifically in its list? One thing I haven't tried yet is to turn the bridging off to see if it can find the Linksys. Kinda defeats the purpose for me as I wanted to avoid the Linksys since its a bottleneck for streaming...fine for everything else though.*
The bottom line is that WDS-bridging is based on MAC addresses, so unless you list the MAC addresses of the stations in question specifically you will not be able to connect them. WDS-bridging is different from what the Linksys WET11 and WET54 bridges use . On the Linksys bridges all you have to do is enter the SSID you would like to bridge to and voila a connection is made. I can't speak for the Linksys routers. You might think that SSID bridging is simpler (it is) and why would anyone want otherwise, but it is not very flexible especially if you want to set up an extended roaming network. In a roaming network (several connected APs appearing as one single SSID), SSID bridges get all confused because they can't figure out which route to take because all it has is SSID information and it sees multiple stations with the same SSID. WDS-bridging ultimately is most efficient and logical and flexible to different networking schemes, such as the one you desire where everything is bridged but data goes in a predictable pattern that you set (eg. RTV streaming goes between RTV units without having to pass through the router each way).


----------



## jwtseng

Quote:

_Originally posted by whopharted_
*UPDATE: Just turned off WDS bridging on the units and they can't even see each other. If they're WDS bridged (not exclusive) then there's no problem. Also, turning off the bridging didn't help in accessing the Linksys either. There must be some dependency on the (unused) WAN port.*
No, there's no dependency on the WAN port. You do not need to have anything hooked up to the WAN port for wireless bridging to work. You Replay units should be plugged into the 4 port switch (not the WAN port).


WDS-bridging must be enabled, but you must find a way to bridge the RTVs back to your Linksys router (Internet):


RTV#2 RTV#1 Internet


If the Linksys router cannot do bridging in the same fashion as the Buffalo routers, then I'm afraid you are out of luck except if you get another Buffalo unit to act as your main router. Unless of course you want to run a cable from your Linksys router to the WAN port of one of the Buffalo units.


----------



## sfogg

I received the WBRG-54s today... a few thoughts on them.


Their setup is pretty flexible. It looks like these boxes can be configured to cover quite a few different configuration needs. With a little work I got the two setup in bridged mode (one dedicated the other not), w/128bit WEP, 'G' mode only, and was able to pass data between the computer plugged into one and the other that was plugged into a wired network. The thing I missed there was that in bridged mode you must give each WBRG-54 the MAC address of the other WBRG-54s in bridged mode. It can also filter general wireless connections based on MAC address for a little extra security which is nice and something my LinkSys wireless router doesn't do. They also have more options then WEP for security but those can't be used in bridged mode. If you use DHCP you can also assign specific IPs based on MAC address so they won't change. The Linksys I have can't do that, though I use static IPs so it isn't much of an issue to me.


I'll find out tonight if my 'G' notebook can access the non-dedicated bridged box. Channel and SSID is different then my 'B' network so it shouldn't interfere. Hopefully there is more then enough bandwidth (there should be) to allow high quality streaming between the replays.


The save/restore configuration utility in them helps getting the two boxes setup the same. I setup one then saved its settings. Then uploaded those settings to the other one then went in and changed its IP address and the bridged mode.


As far as a cable modem router the WBRG-54 looks like it can do more filtering and notifications of attacks on the WAN IP address then the Linksys can so I may end up moving it to also be the router and then use my Linksys just as a 'B' access point for my 'B' notebooks and the WET11 bridge. For the time being I set the WAN ports to random static IPs so the WAN side failing to find DHCP servers wasn't causing entries in the logs. I left all the other WAN address settings blank.


So far a couple of things I don't like. Updating the firmware in the boxes was a PITA. It looks and should be easy... all you do is give it the filename/location on one of its web based screens then hit another button. Unfortunatly it didn't work like that as it tried to upload then it failed and the box reboots which takes 30 seconds or so after which you need to reconnect to it and try the identical procedure again. On one of them after about the sixth attempt the new firmware finally went in. The other took a couple of dozen identical tries before it finally took it. Annoying but hopefully not something that needs to be done too often.


Second I didn't see a way of seeing the relative signal strength of the wireless connection. The LinkSys Wet11 can give you the signal strenth on ones of its web screens. This would be nice since in bridge mode I could make sure the unit is placed in a position of good reception. It would also help show if an external antenna helped or not.


Shawn


----------



## sfogg

" Unless of course you want to run a cable from your Linksys router to the WAN port of one of the Buffalo units."


Shouldn't go to the WAN port, it should go to the LAN port. That way the Buffalo bridging would get onto the wired segment and from there the LinkSys routing over the net would kick in when needed. And it would keep everything on the same IP net.


You could probably make it work through the WAN port on the Buffalo but it would take a lot of extra work. It would make things like having a computer on the wired segment access the ReplayTV need a specific route to it (with port forwarding through the Buffalo) and such.


Shawn


----------



## phlegmer

Well, I purchased two of these Buffs from Dell and here is my story.


After printing out all-important ISP info from my wireless Netgear, I unplugged it and put one of the Buffs in its place. Tried to go though the CATV wizard and after the entire configuration, the test failed. To make a long story short, I was on the phone several times with tech support to try and get one of these to just work with my cable modem. I could reconnect my Netgear and I was surfing away again. I even downloaded the latest firmware (which was suggested by them) and tried to flash it and that didnâ€™t work at all either. Some very strange errors that I have never seen before. After many hours trying to get this to just work as a switch with my cable modem, I decided to try the other one.


Plugged #2 in with computer and cable modem attached, went through the CATV setup wizard and BAM, worked right away. One difference I noticed between #1 and #2 was the WAN light on #1 blinked a very steady on/off blink. The #2 WAN light has more of a flicker and it isnâ€™t consistent like #1. So I guess if anyone ever gets one of these, canâ€™t connect to the internet, and the WAN LED is just a steady blink, the unit is probably bad.


So now I have just one Buff to mess with while I wait for Dell to ship me a replacement.


Observation on this unit:


Web setup interface does not seem to be quite as intuitive as most other routers Iâ€™ve used. The â€œ?â€ link for every option is helpful though


Miss having the LAN web use log. My Netgear had an option to log all web addresses that were being accessed from the LAN. Might be handy for people who have kids.


Client Manager is sort of useless. It is supposed to be able to show all connected PCâ€™s on your network but it doesnâ€™t always show all of them if they are sitting idle for a while. Also, does not show names either and only shows IPâ€™s if you are using itâ€™s DHCP. Would be nice if it would show all IP addresses on the network including the ones that are fixed on the box itself (like the 5040).


Seems to have more options for intrusion detection than I have seen on other routers.


Really do not like the LED arrangement too much. You need to have the box sitting a little to its side in order to see all feedback LEDâ€™s


These are just casual observations and I think if the other Buff comes and does what I want it to do, this setup should be just fine.


Thanks


----------



## sfogg

I got mine up and running last night in my network. The two did coexist as a dedicated 'G' network with my existing 'B' network fine. I just set the channels in each network so as not to conflict with each other. I was also able to connect to the 'G' network on my laptop with one of the Buffalo units set up for shared bridging. I left the other as dedicated to keep it from acting like a repeater and slowing down the 'G' stuff. For now I just used the switch on the shared bridging box into the switch on my Linksys router so the Linksys is still doing the actual internet sharing.


I had a lot of fun with the Replays though which wasn't the Buffalo units fault. For some reason they were acting very flakey with the IPs I have always used... even if I had them hardwired to a single switch alone. I ended up changing the Replays IP addresses and everything started working fine on them after that point.


Now I can stream High quality with no problem at all and my normal internet/networking on the 'B' network doesn't effect streaming in the least.


Shawn


----------



## jwtseng

sfogg:


Excellent news! I'm glad someone else is having good luck with these units as well!


phlegmer:


Sorry to hear that you got a DOA unit. Hopefully it all works out. At least from my experience, the end result is very satisfying once everything gets set up.


----------



## phlegmer

jwtseng,


I have a couple more questions about your setup. Sfogg brought up the topic of different channels. On you setup, do you have different channels on each box or are you using the same channel?


Also, did you enable Frame Bursting or did you leave it off?


Thanks man!


----------



## jwtseng

phlegmer:


I am using channel 6 on all of my boxes. I was told that there really are only 3 non-overlapping channels in the spectrum...1, 6, and 11. And somehow channels 1 and 11 are a little bit truncated...so channel 6 it is! Also, I am using the same SSID on all the boxes. That way they appear as a single wireless network and my roaming clients associate to whichever box has the strongest signal at any particular place in and around the house.


Frame bursting is an 802.11g feature only. I understand that 802.11g devices can talk to each other at faster rates under some conditions, so I have enabled it. Can't hurt, I guess.


Also, I have disabled all the 802.11b stuff for my network (Turbo mode ON, ANY association disallowed, holding 802.11b association). For my now "legacy" 802.11b devices, I have hooked up my Airport basestation into one of the Buffalos and disabled DHCP. The 802.11b devices are on Channel 1 so as to not take bandwidth away from the 802.11g network. I have also turned off broadcasting of the 802.11b SSID so my G devices won't mistakenly associate with the 802.11b access point.


----------



## j.m.

Quote:

_Originally posted by phlegmer_
*

Plugged #2 in with computer and cable modem attached, went through the CATV setup wizard and BAM, worked right away. One difference I noticed between #1 and #2 was the WAN light on #1 blinked a very steady on/off blink. The #2 WAN light has more of a flicker and it isnâ€™t consistent like #1. So I guess if anyone ever gets one of these, canâ€™t connect to the internet, and the WAN LED is just a steady blink, the unit is probably bad.
*
I had this problem with BOTH of the WBR-G54's my friend ordered (at my recommendation). However, I was able to fix both by upgrading to the latest firmware 1.30.1. Immdeiately after doing so, the WAN light went from a steady flash to a flutter flash indicating WAN activity. The setup works well now.


So, if anyone else has this problem, try flashing first to see if that fixes the problem. Phlegmer, I bet if you could have gotten a good flash it would have worked for you. In any case, apparently there is something weird with the WAN port setup on some of the units out of the box.


----------



## jwtseng

Just thought I'd give a positive data point...I just successfully updated the firmware to 1.31 in each of my 4 WBR-G54's over a wireless client connection without a single hitch.


----------



## icecow

I searched for 'loop' and 'loopback' within this thread. Didn't find anything except my unanswered question asking which of these wirelessG units have loopback.


Anyone know?


cow


----------



## jwtseng

sfogg or phlegmer or anyone else with a WBR-G54:


I'm trying to get IVS set up on my units. I believe that I have the NAT settings entered correctly in my main router WBR-G54, but I still can connect. any ideas?


----------



## sfogg

"I believe that I have the NAT settings entered correctly in my main router WBR-G54, but I still can connect. any ideas?"


It isn't NAT that you need to setup it is port forwarding. Hit Applications, Playing Internet Games. Then put in the port number that you setup in one of your replays for internet sharing and then input its IP address in there. Repeat this process for each of your replays... they all need to have different port numbers.


Shawn


----------



## jwtseng

Quote:

_Originally posted by sfogg_
*It isn't NAT that you need to setup it is port forwarding. Hit Applications, Playing Internet Games. Then put in the port number that you setup in one of your replays for internet sharing and then input its IP address in there. Repeat this process for each of your replays... they all need to have different port numbers.


Shawn*
Actually, the "Playing Internet Games" interface is setting NAT. If you go into Advanced/Network Settings/Address Translation/ you should see the port forwarding information in the NAT table.


I've got everything set and I can ping each box and " http://ReplayIPort/ivs-IVSGetUnitInfo " returns the appropriate serial numbers and nicknames. So I think I have everything set up correctly. I still can't add each respective RTV to my Internet Address Book, so I'm guessing that LAN "loopback" is not supported by the WBR-G54.


When I use " http://WAN_IPort/ivs-IVSGetUnitInfo " I get an error message....probably indicating that loopback is not possible. I'll have to try from outside my own connection.


In the meantime, can someone try to send me a test clip? Here are my addresses:


RTV#1: 00004-54832-35172

RTV#2: 00004-54832-32946


----------



## phlegmer

jwtseng, I just tried both of your Replays and they both failed 


If someone could quick send me a test clip just to see if my port forwarding works, it would be greatly appreciated


00004-54831-39593


I can't see why port forwarding from the WAN (loopback) wouldn't work because the settings on the Buff is quite specific. Go into the "Network Setting" section and then go into the "Address Translation". From there click the "Enter NAT Table" button. From the, enter the "Group Name" (ie ReplayTV),leave the "IP Address of WAN" as is, "WAN protocol" select "TCP/UDP" and enter the port number, type the IP of the Replay on the LAN in the "Manual setting" in the "IP Address of LAN" section, and then finally the port number in the "Protocol (LAN)" section. After you click "Add to NAT" table and the apply the settings by clicking "Set", it shows up in the list. It shows up on my list as follows:


Group Name (Replay) IP of WAN (Airstation's WAN IP) Protocol (TCPPort:replay's port #) IP address on LAN (Replay's IP) Port # on LAN (TCPPort:replay's port #)


That pretty much tells me it SHOULD work.


Thanks


----------



## Jeffwa

I currently have a wired network for the basement and 1st floor of my condo. Currently I have a 5060 on this network that's only using the internet for updating it's guide data and software. I recently added a 5040 for use on the 2nd floor (it's replacing a 3040) that has no ethernet jacks, and it's too much $$$ and effort to get jacks run upstairs. My decision is to add wireless access to my netowrk for use with my laptop and the 5040. I would like to be able to stream between units and also DVArchive at some point, and give my laptop wireless access. From what I've read of this thread (and a couple of others on this forum), the WBR-G54 seems like a very good option for my needs.


Note: My BEFSR41 is beginning to slowly die (2 ports on the switch are dead) so replacing it is an option.


I was thinking this would need to be my setup:


Cable Modem->WBR-G54(Router/WAP mode)->(Wired)5060(1st floor)

|

\\|/

WBR-G54 (bridge mode)

|

\\|/

5040 (2nd floor)


*The WBR-G54 in bridge mode is connected to the WBR-G54 in Router/WAP mode


Is this potential setup acceptible for streaming between my two Replays?


----------



## jwtseng

Phlegmer:


I'll try to send you a clip. FWIW, I received 3 clips to both of my machines earlier today, so I'm pretty sure that my port forwarding/NAT is working now. Let me know if you get my clip.


----------



## phlegmer

jwtseng,


Yep, got the clip! Not sure why when I sent it it didn't work? I had never actually sent a clip before so all I did was typed in your ID's for your replays and tried to send it. Oh well, I can mess around with it with some of buds here.


Thanks


----------



## jwtseng

Quote:

_Originally posted by Jeffwa_
*Cable Modem->WBR-G54(Router/WAP mode)->(Wired)5060(1st floor)

|

\\|/

WBR-G54 (bridge mode)

|

\\|/

5040 (2nd floor)


*The WBR-G54 in bridge mode is connected to the WBR-G54 in Router/WAP mode


Is this potential setup acceptible for streaming between my two Replays?*
I see no reason why this shouldn't work as long as both WBR-G54's are able to see each other (signal strength).


----------



## Jeffwa

I'll have a laptop in my network. How would I setup the WBR-G54 that's upstairs to be an access point for it, or is that possible? I'd like to have my laptop access whichever WBR-54G is closer (or stronger which will probably be the same thing in my condo).


----------



## sfogg

"How would I setup the WBR-G54 that's upstairs to be an access point for it, or is that possible?"


You just set them up to be shared (non dedicated) bridge units. This works fine as I did this in my setup.


If one unit on your wired segment has enough coverage for your entire site you can keep your bandwidth higher by only having that be the shared unit. Set the others to dedicated bridging and they won't act as repeaters (which takes up twice the bandwidth).


Shawn


----------



## Jeffwa

Quote:

_Originally posted by sfogg_
*You just set them up to be shared (non dedicated) bridge units. This works fine as I did this in my setup.


If one unit on your wired segment has enough coverage for your entire site you can keep your bandwidth higher by only having that be the shared unit. Set the others to dedicated bridging and they won't act as repeaters (which takes up twice the bandwidth).


Shawn*
Good to know. Thanks everybody for the info. I'll be giving this a shot sometime this week.


----------



## Jeffwa

One other thing: Will any wireless NIC brand work with the WBR-G54, or should I try and keep all one brand in my wireless network?


----------



## sfogg

"Will any wireless NIC brand work with the WBR-G54"


They should. The biggest potential problem is setting up WEP between different brands as the way they specify the keys can vary some which can cause confusion. For the more advanced security options in the WBR-G54s you would probably need Buffalo cards to make it work. But those additonal security measures can't be used when bridging so it is irrelevant.


Best thing to do if you haven't played with wireless before is get everything up and running without wep first. That way you know it isn't causing problems if things aren't working. After everything is up and happy turn on WEP and setup the keys. That way when it doesn't work you aren't chasing your tail trying to figure out where the problem is.


Shawn


----------



## jwtseng

Quote:

_Originally posted by Jeffwa_
*One other thing: Will any wireless NIC brand work with the WBR-G54, or should I try and keep all one brand in my wireless network?*
Another question you might want to consider is whether to allow only 802.11g devices on your WBR-G54 network. With a mixed network (even just one other 802.11b device) the entire network has to ratchet down to 802.11b throughput in order to accomodate. There are ways around this (CTS) but the net result is still submaximal throughput. Note: You can still plug in an additional 802.11b AP into a WBR-G54 to work with 802.11b devices.


----------



## Jeffwa

Quote:

_Originally posted by jwtseng_
*Another question you might want to consider is whether to allow only 802.11g devices on your WBR-G54 network. With a mixed network (even just one other 802.11b device) the entire network has to ratchet down to 802.11b throughput in order to accomodate. There are ways around this (CTS) but the net result is still submaximal throughput. Note: You can still plug in an additional 802.11b AP into a WBR-G54 to work with 802.11b devices.*
Way ahead of you on this one, jwtseng. Since I have no other wireless devices at the moment, my plan was to go 802.11g only from the get go. I want speed for my netowrk, so no slow connections allowed. I also plan on locking down my network so no one else can get on my network except my bridged Replay 5040 and the wireless NIC I'll use in my laptop.


----------



## jwtseng

Jeffwa:


Good work pal...


A friend of mine set up what he thought was an 802.11g only network at his home. Everything was working fine except that he was getting nowhere near the speed on LAN transfers that he was expecting. Turns out that he never turned on MAC Address Filtering and some neighbor's kid was tapping into the wireless network with an 802.11b card slowing everything down!


----------



## Jeffwa

Anyone know where I can find the Buffalo Tech WBR-G54 router besides CompUSA? They're (CompUSA) really beginning to piss me off. Website says a store in my area has it in stock, so I drive over there. Not even a space on a shelf for it. I ask when they might get them in. Respose: just call to check; we don't know. Ok, so I call in today and have gotten nothing but voicemail.


I'd order online, but I want it now, I need two, and I want both rebates.


*EDIT*

Looks like I'm stuck with CompUSA. The rebates I found are only good if you buy from them. Damn it!


*UPDATE*

CompUSA doesn't suck that much anymore. Was finally able to get someone on the phone, and they had the two routers I needed in stock and are willing to hold them. Good times are ahead!


----------



## octavian

I picked up 2 of these units and they work very well. I can stream high quality shows with no problems. I used 802.11b bridges before and was only able to stream standard quality shows with lots of glitching.


Make sure you upgrade the firmware to version 1.31 though. The older firmware has a max of 22mW for the antenna power, where the new firmware has a max of 32mW. This increase in power gives a much better range. And the port LEDs do show the speed of the line connected to the port. 100Mb is green and 10Mb is amber. This is mentioned in the back of the online guide.


The only problem with these, or any other wireless solution, is when my wife uses our 2.4G phone. Can you say STUTTER! I might have to buy her a 900Mhz phone.


Also, if I am using these in bridge only mode with no DHCP, do I still have to use port forwarding for IVS?


octavian


----------



## farrow

jwtseng - Thanks so much for starting this thread. I've had 1 rtv for just under a year & wanted to hook it into the network but didn't want to run wires. I got a second one during the refurb special a short time ago & hooked it into the network in the computer room just to screw with dvarchive. Made up my mind I had to go wireless for both rtv's after that but wanted to stream on the cheap.


After reading this thread I went ahead and ordered 3 WBR-G54's from Dell. Just got them all set up yesterday. I've done some reading but am a total newbie on wireless. Got them all going and can stream fine even in high quality.


The old rtv is still in the living room on the 1st floor hooked up to a WBR-G54. The new one is now in the bedroom hooked to a WBR-G54. The 3rd WBR-G54 is in the computer room hanging off my linksys brfsx41. I didn't want to swap it out yet since it works fine as a cable router now. May change that later but no need.


This thread was helpful in getting set up but I don't think that I have an optimal set up. I'm just happy it works. I am running all 3 in bridge mode only since I don't have any wireless clients (yet). Bridging makes sense to me when it's only 2 units but once it goes to 3 I'm not sure of my set up. It would take a bunch more typing to describe what I went through to get this going. Will provide detail if someone thinks they can help me optimize.


Been a lurker on this forum since I got my 1st rtv. Great group of helpful people. If I can help someone else by my experience with this just ask.


FYI - I updated the firmware on all 3 units to v1.31 & didn't have any problems.


I noticed that the wireless LED on the front just stays green. The LAN port LED for the port that the rtv is hooked up to flashes during activity but not the wireless LED. From the manual: "Wireless LED should be GREEN if the line is active. If is it blinking GREEN, wireless communication is active." Has anyone else experienced this?


Thanks again.

- Jim Farrow


----------



## jwtseng

Quote:

_Originally posted by Jeffwa_
*AnI'd order online, but I want it now, I need two, and I want both rebates.
*
Jeffwa:


I hope you got your units. If not, I would still recommend Dell.com. Free shipping for orders over $100 and the WBR-G54's are only 85.99 each... no rebates! Here in California there was no tax either. About a week ago, there was an additional 10% off code as well. Took less than a week to get mine.


Anyway you get them, these units are still pretty cool for RTV and more!


----------



## jwtseng

Quote:

_Originally posted by octavian_
*Make sure you upgrade the firmware to version 1.31 though. The older firmware has a max of 22mW for the antenna power, where the new firmware has a max of 32mW. This increase in power gives a much better range.*
Octavian, I'm glad to hear that your got your units working and all! I noticed the increase in the power number, too, but I wasn't sure how it was possible. Hey, if it increases the range then that's even better!

Quote:

*Also, if I am using these in bridge only mode with no DHCP, do I still have to use port forwarding for IVS?
*
I think you still need to use port forwarding on your main router so that incoming IVS traffic knows how to find your bridged RTV.


----------



## jwtseng

Quote:

_Originally posted by farrow_
*jwtseng - Thanks so much for starting this thread.*
Jim:


I'm so glad that you found the thread and was able to experience the same kind of success that I found. That is the really gratifying thing about these message boards. We're all here after the same pursuit, and I have taken so much from other's experiences. It's nice to be able to share something that I have found useful myself and even nicer to know that someone else has found use for the information as well.


Especially, regarding wireless streaming, the only thing people keep referring to are the Linksys products and it seems that streaming with these products is not necessarily straightforward or successful. I felt that it was important to provide another successful datapoint with the Buffalo products.


Good luck and keep posting. Tell us more about your setup and let's see if it can be optimized.


James


----------



## phlegmer

The replacement WBR came yesterday and so far so good. Streaming appears to be much better than my other "g" solution and the download speed to DVA is AWESOME! I was getting over 1mb/sec! That is doubled what I was getting before. Very happy so far.


I turned on the Intrusion detection and had it e-mail me notifications. Just today, there were already some ports scans and TCP Sync Flood attacks from the internet!! Good to know!


One thing I would like to comment about the 1.31 firmware. When I was on the phone with support trying to get the faulty unit to work, that last support person told me that she recommends 1.30 over 1.31. She said that 1.31 is pretty new and there were some glitches with it. Didn't give me any details but that is the info she gave me. Right now 1.30 seems to work just fine so for now I might just wait.


----------



## phlegmer

octavian,


I do not believe the LED color option is working if it is stated in the manual. All my system that are wire connected to my router are 10baseT and they all show up as green. On my Netgear they were amber. FWIW.


----------



## phlegmer

Quote:

I noticed that the wireless LED on the front just stays green. The LAN port LED for the port that the rtv is hooked up to flashes during activity but not the wireless LED. From the manual: "Wireless LED should be GREEN if the line is active. If is it blinking GREEN, wireless communication is active." Has anyone else experienced this?
Yep, I too have noticed that. It is most noticable when using IVS for me. It's almost like the wireless indicator isn't as sensitive to the trickling of packets as the LAN lights are. Of course when there is some DVA streaming going on, the wireless LED is going bonkers.


----------



## Jeffwa

Quote:

_Originally posted by jwtseng_
*Jeffwa:


I hope you got your units. If not, I would still recommend Dell.com. Free shipping for orders over $100 and the WBR-G54's are only 85.99 each... no rebates! Here in California there was no tax either. About a week ago, there was an additional 10% off code as well. Took less than a week to get mine.


Anyway you get them, these units are still pretty cool for RTV and more!*
I was able to get my units yesterday, though I didn't get a chance to get them setup yet. I didn't even notice that Dell.com was selling them throughout this thread. Don't know why, guess I was just focused on getting info for a wireless solution. Looks like I'm going to be taking back the ones from CompUSA and getting them from Dell.com ~same cost w/ no hassle of rebates? SOLD!


----------



## jrgreenman

Quote:

_Originally posted by Jeffwa_
*I was able to get my units yesterday, though I didn't get a chance to get them setup yet. I didn't even notice that Dell.com was selling them throughout this thread. Don't know why, guess I was just focused on getting info for a wireless solution. Looks like I'm going to be taking back the ones from CompUSA and getting them from Dell.com ~same cost w/ no hassle of rebates? SOLD!*
Cheaper actually. Dell Home has an automatic 10% off at checkout. Net price: $77.36 each w/ no rebate hassles.


EDIT: And free shipping!! (for orders over $99. I bought 3 of them; saved another $10)


----------



## Jeffwa

Quote:

_Originally posted by jrgreenman_
*Cheaper actually. Dell Home has an automatic 10% off at checkout. Net price: $77.36 each w/ no rebate hassles.


EDIT: And free shipping!! (for orders over $99. I bought 3 of them; saved another $10)*
Actually for me it would be ~$85.58/ea.:


From Dell:

$85.95/ea * 2 = 171.90

10% discount = -17.19

Sales tax = +10.44

Shipping = + 0 (Free for $99+)

Total = $165.15 = ~$82.58/ea.


From CompUSA (w/ Rebates):

$99.99/ea * 2 = 199.98

Sales Tax = +13.50

$20 mir * 2 = -40

Total = $173.48 = ~$86.74/ea


Not only do I save ~$4/ea, there's no rebate hassle. And CompUSA has a 15% restocking fee on opened boxes, the routers are going back to them tonight unopened and I'll just wait until my order from Dell arrives. I've waited this long, I can wait another week.


----------



## osdc1

I noticed your posting re: the 4 wireless B stations that you purchased at Dell.com. I just got my 2nd 5040 set up. One 5040 is connected directly to my Linksys Wireless B router and another is connected wirelessly via a Linksys Wireless Bridge. I'd say the wireless bridge/5040 is probably close to 50 feet away from the wireless router. Both 5040's are utilizing the DHCP feature and 'see' each other over the network. (I have a desktop connected directly and a laptop connected wirelessly on the network as well).


My problem is that when I stream from one 5040 to the other, with show's recorded on medium, I get glitches in the video and audio feed. I didn't want to have to upgrade to the G network if I didn't have to, but I'm thinking of going forward.


Does it sound like I "need" to upgrade and if so, would that take care of my problem? Or could there be something else going on? Lastly, Dell.com just dropped the price of these AirStation WBR-G54 54 Mbps Broadband Router Base Station to about $75 a piece. Would I need to buy all 4 of these and connect each 5040 into a WBR-G54 and use them all as bridges or could I just buy 2 of them, one for the wireless connection for 1 5040 and then connect my desktop and the other 5040 directly into it. The laptop I will keep using the B card.


Thanks for your help.


Cheers,

JP


----------



## jrgreenman

Quote:

_Originally posted by osdc1_

*My problem is that when I stream from one 5040 to the other, with show's recorded on medium, I get glitches in the video and audio feed. I didn't want to have to upgrade to the G network if I didn't have to, but I'm thinking of going forward.


Does it sound like I "need" to upgrade and if so, would that take care of my problem?*
*
That's precisely why I decided yo finally make the leap to 11g. I've got the same problems streaming medium (and now even standard) video.

Quote:

Or could there be something else going on?
_Always_ a possibility. Maybe yuo wanna wait til a few of us get the 11g stuff going. We can then report if there is (and hopefully there is) a dramatic difference in streaming when upgrading from 11b.

Quote:

Lastly, Dell.com just dropped the price of these AirStation WBR-G54 54 Mbps Broadband Router Base Station to about $75 a piece.
Actually the $77.36 price reflects a 10% discount effective thru 10/31/03. After that, the price goes back up to $85.95.

Quote:

Would I need to buy all 4 of these and connect each 5040 into a WBR-G54 and use them all as bridges...
No

Quote:

...or could I just buy 2 of them, one for the wireless connection for 1 5040 and then connect my desktop and the other 5040 directly into it.
Yes.

Quote:

The laptop I will keep using the B card.
Then you'll want to also keep your 11b access point and diasychain it to the 11g router as a client. If you mix 11g and 11b clients on the same 11g router, the whole thing kicks down to 11b speed and the intended improvement to streaming is gone.


Better to cough up another $50 and get an 11g card for the laptop too. Then yank all the 11b stuff and put it on eBay.


Jace*


----------



## indy_dude

I was wondering if I can use this setup basically, I only have 1 replay (at least for now), what I want to do is connect it to my current 4 port wired router in my computer room and send the signal to the 2nd Bridge/AP that is connecting to my replay?


Will this work? Do I need to have them both in bridge mode and plugged into something?


I wasn't planning on (at this time) hooking up the first to anything.


----------



## jwtseng

indy_dude:


Let me see if I understand you correctly...


You want to connect a WBR-G54 to your existing 4-port router. You want to set this WBR-G54 in "shared" bridge mode. This way you can extend your internet connection wirelessly to a second WBR-G54 in "shared" bridge mode and plug your ReplayTV into this second unit so that it can access the internet. Also this way you will establish a roaming wireless 802.11g network between the two WBR-G54's in case you decide to get an 802.11g enabled laptop.


Alternatively, you can set both WBR-G54s to "bridge-only" mode. This achieves the same thing as above, except that wireless clients (laptops, etc) won't be able to access the WBR-G54s.


So yes, it should work just fine as long as one WBR-G54 can "see" the other. Good luck! Post if you have other questions.


----------



## Jeffwa

HELP!!!


I've spent the better part of 4 hours trying to configure router #1 to accept only 802.11g connections and only connections from my wireless card and my other router that will be set to bridge mode. I'm actually trying to setup up router #1 as a WAP wired to my Linksys Router. I want router #1 to only accept connections from my wireless NIC & router #2 setup in brdige mode. I've had to reset router #1 numerous times, and right now I can't connect with a wire to router #1. Any body have some time to help?


----------



## jwtseng

Quote:

_Originally posted by Jeffwa_
*HELP!!!


I've spent the better part of 4 hours trying to configure router #1 to accept only 802.11g connections and only connections from my wireless card and my other router that will be set to bridge mode. I'm actually trying to setup up router #1 as a WAP wired to my Linksys Router. I want router #1 to only accept connections from my wireless NIC & router #2 setup in brdige mode. I've had to reset router #1 numerous times, and right now I can't connect with a wire to router #1. Any body have some time to help?*
So basically you have this setup...


INTERNET==> Linksys router==> Buffalo#1 Buffalo#2


=== means wired connection, --- means wireless


The rest of this assumes that the above is correct.


First things first...the Linksys router is your DHCP server, so you need to turn off DHCP on BOTH Buffalo units and give each of them a unique IP address on the same subnet as your Linksys (192.168.1.x). Make sure that these IP addresses are OUTSIDE the range of your DHCP server. Also both Buffalo units will need to be set to "shared" bridge mode so that they can act as both bridges and access points. To do this, check the check box to enable WDS bridging and then make sure to enter the WIRELESS MAC address from Buffalo#2 in the corresponding box on Buffalo#1 and vice versa. The WIRELESS MAC is not either of the MAC addresses labelled on the back of the unit. The only place to find the WIRELESS MAC address is to look under "Management" and it should be listed under the wireless section.


At this point, you should be able to access the internet via Buffalo#2. The best way to check this is to plug in your laptop into the 4-port switch on the back of Buffalo#2 and see if you can open a web page. If so, you are golden. If not, check to make sure that your laptop is able to get an IP address from the Linksys via Buffalo#1 and Buffalo#2. If not, you should do the following...see if you can access Buffalo#1 from Buffalo#2 (either wired or wirelessly) and then plug your laptop into Buffalo#1 and try opening a web page. Basically this just confirms that your wireless bridge between Buffalo#1 and Buffalo#2 is up and working.


Try the above and let us know how it works... Let me emphasize the most important things...


1. Set a unique static IP for each Buffalo unit (so that you can always ping it or configure it on your network)

2. Turn OFF DHCP on both Buffalo units

3. Turn on the "shared" bridging mode on both units

4. Use the correct WIRELESS MAC address for WDS-bridging setup.


Later, you can set up the broadcast SSIDs and MAC client filtering...wait until after you have confirmed that your bridge works. This is as simple as entering the MAC addresses of your wireless NICs. Note: It is not necessary to enter the MAC addresses of the Buffalo units themselves for MAC filtering...only for client NICs (your wireless laptop card).


Good luck.


----------



## clarkkent333

Hey guys, Ive been tracking this thread since it started in anticipation of my DSL being turned on. Well its finally here and I was hoping for some setup advice. Here's what Ive got:


Room 1 - Main PC


Room 2 - Replay 5040, Xbox, PS2, Media PC


Room 3 - Third PC


If Im understanding the benefits of the Buffalo units correctly then I won't need wireless PC cards for the computers. I can just hardwire them into the switch and it will access the internet automatically. Is this right? This is the benefit of having a unit that can bridge and serve as an access point, which this does, correct?


So all I would need is 3 routers and some cat-5 wire?


P.S. - Dell SB has a 15% off peripheral code good till the end of the month. They offer free shipping as well so if your interested in buying one maybe you can find a code from someone who gets the emails.


----------



## Jeffwa

Quote:

_Originally posted by jwtseng_
*So basically you have this setup...


INTERNET==> Linksys router==> Buffalo#1 Buffalo#2


=== means wired connection, --- means wireless


The rest of this assumes that the above is correct.
*
Yes, this is my setup, except I don't use a DHCP server. I just plug in static IPs. (No real reason, just always have.)

Quote:

*First things first...the Linksys router is your DHCP server, so you need to turn off DHCP on BOTH Buffalo units and give each of them a unique IP address on the same subnet as your Linksys (192.168.1.x). Make sure that these IP addresses are OUTSIDE the range of your DHCP server. Also both Buffalo units will need to be set to "shared" bridge mode so that they can act as both bridges and access points. To do this, check the check box to enable WDS bridging and then make sure to enter the WIRELESS MAC address from Buffalo#2 in the corresponding box on Buffalo#1 and vice versa. The WIRELESS MAC is not either of the MAC addresses labelled on the back of the unit. The only place to find the WIRELESS MAC address is to look under "Management" and it should be listed under the wireless section.
*
This is a road block for me. When I was initially going through the setup, I followed their instructions, and when I switched the IP on Buffalo#1, I could no longer connect to the unit. (I may have done something else at this point, too. I was pretty tired when I started fooling around with setup.)


I'll be starting my setup attempt tonight from scratch. I think I was trying to do too much initially and was screwing things up. Let me know what you think of this as a plan of attack:


1) Setup Buffalo#1 to use static IP

2) Enable WDS bridging on Buffalo#1 & enter wireless MAC address from Buffalo#2 (This was a problem last night in that I used the ones off the back of the unit. Why are they their if they aren't right?)

3) Repeat steps 1 & 2 for Buffalo#2


After that, I should be able to connect with a wire to Buffalo#2 and get on the net, correct? But in this setup anybody can, right? I guess I can worry about that after I get the initial setup up and working.


Thanks for the info, I'll let you know how it goes this evening.


----------



## sfogg

Jeff,


"and when I switched the IP on Buffalo#1, I could no longer connect to the unit."


Stupid question but you did try using the new IP address right? Was it in the same network as your laptop after you changed the IP address? IOW where the first three blocks of the address the same as your computer?


"(This was a problem last night in that I used the ones off the back of the unit. Why are they their if they aren't right?)"


They are correct, it is the MAC address of the wired segment. But as has been said you need the MAC address of the wireless segment.


" But in this setup anybody can, right? I guess I can worry about that after I get the initial setup up and working."


Yes, anyone could connect. To counter that you can try to restrict wireless access by filtering wireless access by MAC address. There is another section in the routers where you can add the MAC address of the wireless cards (not bridged equipment) that can access the unit(s). Also using WEP will help keep casual users off the network. Get them up and running before playing with WEP though so you know that is all that is changed if you break the connections.


As far as sharing both Buffalo units in shared bridge mode or not that is sort of up to you. They don't both have to be in shared mode, you can do one dedicated and one shared. If the one unit plugged into your internet router has enough coverage for your notebook you might want to think about setting it to be shared bridging and the other unit to be dedicated. That way you need to only administer the one for MAC addresses for wireless clients and also it can help to maximize your bandwidth if you aren't using the other unit as a repeater.


Shawn


----------



## sfogg

"then I won't need wireless PC cards for the computers"


Correct, you could use normal wired ethernet cards.


" I can just hardwire them into the switch and it will access the internet automatically. Is this right?"


'Automatically' assuming the rest of the TCP/IP network is setup properly on the computers (IP addressing, default route and name servers) and that you configure one of the Buffalo units to share your internet connection.


Shawn


----------



## Jeffwa

Shawn: Yes, I was trying the new address, and they were on the same network.


Makes sense that the ones on the back are for the wired segment. And I think that's why I wasn't able to connect to the router anymore. I limited to that MAC address, so the only thing it could see is itself (I'm assuming.)


Stupid question: When connecting Buffalo#1 to the router, do I plug the wire into the WAN port or a specific LAN port? I'm assuming a LAN port.


If I went with Buffalo#2 as just a bridge, what does that entail? Would setup be the same except for setting it to bridge only mode?


I'm going to get this working wide open first before I shut it down to just specific MAC addresses. I'll come back for issues on that when I get to it.


Thanks


----------



## jwtseng

To make sure you can access the Buffalo units when you're changing their IPs, the easiest thing to do is to go into your network properties and set your laptop up with a static IP on the same subnet. For example, the Buffalo units come set up with an IP of 192.168.11.1 and a subnet of 255.255.255.0. So in order to connect with a CAT-5 cable, you'd need to make sure that your laptop has an IP in the same range (192.168.11.x) and the subnet should be 255.255.255.0.


FYI, the MAC addresses on the outside of the unit are for the WAN and LAN. I don't know why they don't put another sticker there with the wireless MAC. Most people probably never mess with any of the numbers, I guess. Better to have none of them there instead of only 2 out of 3 in my mind.


Anyways, your plan of attack sounds good. You don't even have to connect Buffalo#1 up to your Linksys for the setup until you confirm that the bridge is working. Just get each unit set up and then see if they can talk by connecting your laptop to the back of each one and trying to connect to the other (web configuration interface). After this is working, then you can worry about the wireless part...setting the SSID and limiting access via MAC filtering and WEP encryption.


----------



## jwtseng

Quote:

_Originally posted by clarkkent333_
*Room 1 - Main PC


Room 2 - Replay 5040, Xbox, PS2, Media PC


Room 3 - Third PC


So all I would need is 3 routers and some cat-5 wire?
*
Yup. One unit for each room. If you don't have any wireless clients, you can set up each box in "bridge only" mode. The box that your DSL modem plugs into will be set up with DHCP serving and the other two boxes will have DHCP OFF. All your equipment will just plug into the 4-port switch with CAT-5 cables.


----------



## sfogg

" When connecting Buffalo#1 to the router, do I plug the wire into the WAN port or a specific LAN port? I'm assuming a LAN port."


Yes, the LAN port. No different then connecting a switch to a router in this case.


"Would setup be the same except for setting it to bridge only mode?"


Yes and of course the bridged MAC address needs to be the address of the other unit.


Shawn


----------



## Jeffwa

Quote:

_Originally posted by sfogg_
*" When connecting Buffalo#1 to the router, do I plug the wire into the WAN port or a specific LAN port? I'm assuming a LAN port."


Yes, the LAN port. No different then connecting a switch to a router in this case.*
Is there a specific LAN port to use? My Linksys gear (& most switches I've seen) have a port marked "uplink" that is shared with another port. On the Buffalo does it matter?


----------



## sfogg

"Is there a specific LAN port to use?"


Probably not. When I went from the Buffalo to the Linsys I just went from lan port to lan port. If after you plug the cable in the lights for the ports on each end don't light up then move the Linksys end to the 'Uplink' port if it has one.


A fair amount of equipment now will automatically figure out if the connection is a regular connection or if it needs to be crossed over which is all the 'Uplink' port really does.


Shawn


----------



## clarkkent333

What makes these Buffalo routers so special? Isn't there another brand that contains the same features?


----------



## jwtseng

Quote:

_Originally posted by clarkkent333_
*What makes these Buffalo routers so special? Isn't there another brand that contains the same features?*
There may be, but at about $77 per unit right now at Dell.com these Buffalo units are hard to pass up...especially in light of interoperability problems with Linksys brand products. If one were to do a search on streaming between RTV boxes, you would think that the only solution that works involves Linksys products (only specific units at that). The purpose of this thread is to present a cost-effective alternative that has been proven easy to set up and very reliable in streaming High Quality ReplayTV recordings over a wireless 802.11g network.


The WBR-G54 really does have a lot of features all bundled up into this one box. If there are other brands that have the same combination of features, I certainly would like to hear about it, especially if they work for streaming purposes. With the WBR-G54 you don't have to worry about getting one box for this purpose and a different box for another. The same unit does so many different things, and two or more of these units can make up a very stable and easily managed wireless to wired network. And did I mention that last month's PC Magazine rated the WBR-G54 #1 in throughput over the Linksys and other wireless-G routers?


----------



## clarkkent333

I really a newb with this wireless stuff so if you could break it down I'd appreciate. I was reading last months PC World and they rated Netgear and Linksys both above the Buffalo products. Also, what do you mean when you say "have one box to do one thing and a seperate box to do another". What features does the Buffalo provide that makes it so special? Thanks.


----------



## jwtseng

If you look at that PC Magazine article again, look closely at the throughput numbers for the different units. Also there is a specific mention of the WBR-G54 in the text of the article. The Linksys and Netgear may have gotten overall higher marks because the Buffalo got knocked for it's (lack of) configuration utilities, but the Buffalo still had the highest throughput of all units tested.


Basically, the WBR-G54 can function as the following: router, wireless access point, 4 port switch, dedicated AND shared wireless to ethernet bridge (WDS-bridging protocol).


Here are the Linksys products in question with comparison to WBR-G54


WRT54G - Wireless-G broadband router --> no bridging


WAP54G - Wireless-G Access point --> no router, no 4-port switch, can be either dedicated wireless to ethernet bridge OR access point not both, latest firmware *may* enable repeating function...does not use standard WDS-bridging protocol


WET54G - Wireless-G Ethernet Bridge --> dedicated bridge only. Does not use WDS bridging, bridges using SSID information (useless for roaming networks)


Though it looks like you could mix and match any of these Linksys products to make your network for RTV streaming purposes, others have reported varying results. As a consumer, I would expect at the very least that products from the same manufacturer would work well together. To me, this is the main benefit of the Buffalo WBR-G54... there is no confusion of which box to buy. If you have a DSL connection that you want to share wirelessly to other wired networks and extend the internet connection, just buy as many WBR-G54s as you need and only enable the features you want (router, bridge, AP, etc). At 77.95 a piece right now, it's cheaper than any of the Linksys products I have mentioned above.


----------



## clarkkent333

What about Netgear? Are their features similar?


----------



## jwtseng

Sorry, you'll have to do your own research on the NetGear products. I was a linksys user before finding the Buffalo.


----------



## osdc1

Thanks so much for the detailed explanation! It was exactly what I was looking for.


This forum is amazingly helpful and this new hobby is quickly becoming an obsession... My girlfriend is starting to get jealous of the replaytvs and my new pc.


Cheers again for the great advice.


JP


----------



## Jeffwa

Ok, so after some trouble shooting or a bad router (internal wireless card wasn't seated) I now hoave both routers configured some what. DHCP is off, I've given them both static IPs, and I've entered their wireless MAC addresses into each other. Buffalo#1 is going to act as an access point, and Buffalo#2 is going to be a dedicated bridge for my Replay.


The problem is they aren't communicating. What am I forgetting?


----------



## roddie

Have you changed one or both of the IP addresses and made sure they are on the same subnet?


Have you upgraded to the latest firmware?


Go to 'Management' and 'Transfer Packet Condition' and check the counter beside 'WDS'.


I just ordered a couple on Sunday, received them yesterday, and had them both up and running within 30 minutes, both acting as dedicated bridges.


Who wants to buy my WET11?


----------



## Jeffwa

Quote:

_Originally posted by roddie_
*Have you changed one or both of the IP addresses and made sure they are on the same subnet?*
Yes, I've changed the IPs and they are both in the same subnet. Buffalo#1 is 192.168.1.54 & Buffalo#2 is 192.168.1.55, which are both within my wired LAN settings, too.

Quote:

*Have you upgraded to the latest firmware?*
Buffalo#2 is @ 1.31 for sure, but I can't remember if I did upgrade on Buffalo#1. If I didn't, it's running 1.30.

Quote:

*Go to 'Management' and 'Transfer Packet Condition' and check the counter beside 'WDS'.*
I'll have to trouble shoot this evenin, but it's a place to start. Thanks.


----------



## roddie

What I did was plug them both into the same wired segment, configure them (screen by screen, making sure they were identical), and then moved the second device to my living room.


I'd upgrade the second one if it's not already - Also, make sure they're on the same channel and that their security settings are the same.


----------



## roddie

For those looking to complete an upgrade to 802.11g, I just saw the following at techbargains.com :

Quote:

SMC 802.11g PC Card $23.99, Oct 28

Amazon has the SMC2835W EZ Connect g 2.4GHz 54 Mbps Wireless Cardbus Adapter for a low $23.99 after rebate, free shipping. No sense in getting a 802.11b one with this low price..


$20 rebate Exp 12/31/03
I ruled out 802.11g because of the frequency (it conflicts with microwaves and 2.4g cordless phones), but this whole setup is cheap enough to justify the speed upgrade from 11b.


----------



## jwtseng

Hey thanks roddie...


Been looking for a cheap 802.11g cardbus card. Maybe I can get rid of my "B" network altogether.


jeffwa:


Could it be that your two units are simply too far apart to make a stable bridge connection? Move the two units into the same room and see if you can connect through them.


----------



## Jeffwa

Quote:

_Originally posted by jwtseng_
*Could it be that your two units are simply too far apart to make a stable bridge connection? Move the two units into the same room and see if you can connect through them.*
I hope they aren't too far apart, otherwise they'd be useless. They're sitting ~18" apart right now. (Yes, inches.) They're that close so I can plug my laptop into either one for testing and getting to the internet.


----------



## roddie

Another benefit of the firmware upgrade - More power for the antenna.


----------



## Jeffwa

I remember I did the firmware upgrade on both units. It was the last thing I did before I went to bed.


Since I'm sure it's not the distance or the firmware, where else could I start? I've been holding off setting up my wireless NIC on my laptop until I get the routers talking to each other.


----------



## roddie

Channels and security settings are your best place to start - Also confirm that the firmware upgrade was successful. I had to do it twice on one of the bridges.


----------



## jwtseng

If all else fails, you can revert to the original factory settings and start fresh. Avoid the quick setup stuff for DSL, etc. Go straight for the Advanced settings. It really shouldn't be very difficult to get them talking via WDS-bridging. You should be able to access the configuration page for Buffalo#1 from Buffalo#2. Is everything on the same subnet? When you go to the WDS-bridging setup page on either unit, do you see the WIRELESS MAC for the other unit listed on the lower part of the page? This is just to make sure that you entered AND saved the information to the unit.


I have to admit that I'm grasping for straws thinking of why you're having such a difficult time. Maybe resetting back to default will help something.


----------



## Jeffwa

I reset the routers and started from the beginning. Same issues. Everything on the LAN settings pages are identical (except for the static IPs I've assigned each router.)


Checking the counter beside 'WDS' has increasing numbers in the sent packets, but nothing in the received section for either router. Both routers have firmware 1.31. I set the ESS-ID on both routers to be the same, too. Could that be a problem?


----------



## roddie

Try making them both dedicated bridges, and also confirm the security and channel settings.


----------



## Jeffwa

Quote:

_Originally posted by roddie_
*Try making them both dedicated bridges, and also confirm the security and channel settings.*
The security settings are identical. I left them at their defaults. Both are currently set to be dedicated bridges. Each router has the other's MAC address entered and enabled. They each show up in the other's Connected AirStation list.


WHY IS THIS SO F**&%ING HARD?


----------



## roddie

Quote:

WHY IS THIS SO F**&%ING HARD?
It's not - That's why my suggestions are so basic. I only changed maybe four or five things and everything worked.


Are you sure that you are using the Wireless MAC addresses? You can get those from the System Information screen. Don't confuse them with the WAN MAC or LAN MAC addresses.


Here are my settings from the wireless section of that page:

Quote:

MAC address 00:07:40:9F:7A:C6

Wireless Firmware WLI-MPCI-G54 Ver.3.21.9.1

Wireless-Mode 11g(54M)-Turbo

ESS-ID 000740A7E4DC

Wireless channel 11

Frame Bursting USE

Data Encryption(WEP) DO NOT USE

Privacy Separator DO NOT USE

Broadcast SSID Disable

Limitation in wireless LAN Disable

Wireless bridge(WDS) Enable[Wireless bridge dedicated mode:Enable]

Wireless output power 32mW


----------



## Jeffwa

Quote:

_Originally posted by roddie_
*It's not - That's why my suggestions are so basic. I only changed maybe four or five things and everything worked.


Are you sure that you are using the Wireless MAC addresses? You can get those from the System Information screen. Don't confuse them with the WAN MAC or LAN MAC addresses.


Here are my settings from the wireless section of that page:*
Sorry about the bitching. It's just frustrating that this isn't working right away. It doesn't seem like it should be hard, and that's what's frustrating.


I am 100% positive that I am using the Wireless MAC addresses that I obtained from the System Information screen. Looking at your settings, the only difference is the Broadcast SSID setting. Mine were set to enabled. I disabled them on both units, and still nothing.


----------



## roddie

Jeff,


I have a feeling one of them is bad - Have you tried to test them each as APs with an 802.11g card?


I guess you'll have to call their 800 number and have them walk you through whatever hidden diags they have.


Sorry.. 


Roddie


----------



## phlegmer

Jeffwa,


When I first got my two, one of them was faulty as well. But what I was trying to do was just be able to use it as a wireless router connected to my cable modem. It just would not access the internet. I had called support and they had me jump through some hoops with no luck. The minute I tried the other one, it was up and running in minutes.


One thing you can check that I noticed that was different on my bad one is the activity of the the WAN LED when it is plugged into your internet connection. The faulty one would just blink a steady on/off sequence like every second. The one that is working is always flickering.


I know that my bad Buffalo box may have had something else wrong with it than what one of yours may have but it is a simple enough test.


Good Luck!



PS: These boxes ROCK! They may not have the perfect interface compared to Netgears, etc but the throughput is extreamly fast. When I tried downloading a show to my laptop from my 5360, I was getting over 1.0mb/sec!! That is over doubled what I was getting with my D-Link AP (in client mode) and Netgear wireless router. (both 11g products of course). And this speed is without framebursting enabled 8)


----------



## jwtseng

Hey Phlegmer:


Out of curiousity, why don't you have framebursting enabled? Any pros and cons? It sounded good to me, so I enabled it.


----------



## Jeffwa

Quote:

_Originally posted by roddie_
*Jeff,


I have a feeling one of them is bad - Have you tried to test them each as APs with an 802.11g card?


I guess you'll have to call their 800 number and have them walk you through whatever hidden diags they have.


Sorry.. 


Roddie*
I'm testing with my wireless g card as I type this. I've accessed the Internet through both routers in AP mode. When I wire my laptop into Buffalo#2 and try and use it as a bridge, I get no access to the internet. When I plug into Buffalo#1 and try and use it as a bridge, I get no access to the internet. I've followed the instructions Buffalo's tech support sent me, and still no luck. I thought it might be a bad router (or 2) as well, but since I can connect wirelessly to each one, it's got to be something else. Thanks to everyone with all the help up to this point. Looks like it's time to call tech support again and see what they've got to say this time.


*sigh*


----------



## Jeffwa

Ok, I'm an idiot. Tons of headache and frustration later, and it was all my fault. I mis-wrote one letter of one of the MAC addresses. I'd double checked them multiple times in my troubleshooting and didn't catch it. I walked away from the routers for a few minutes to get a new perspective and prepare to start from scratch (again) and when I returned and was re-writing the MAC addresses down again I caught my mistake. I made the appropriate changes, and bingo, it's working.


So once again, thank you to all who helped me trouble shoot this. It really means a lot that complete strangers were willing to take the time to help me through this ordeal (that was my own fault.) You guys rock!


----------



## roddie

Copy and paste is your friend. 


Glad you got it going!


----------



## phlegmer

Quote:

Out of curiousity, why don't you have framebursting enabled? Any pros and cons? It sounded good to me, so I enabled it.
No real reason. I just never turned it on after I got it going.  It would be interesting to see if it makes a difference or not. I'm guessing that this feature would need a capable wireless card (maybe not). I'm using a Orinoco Gold card and I'm not certain if it has that capability.


Just curious, what type of throughput are you getting with it turned on?


----------



## jwtseng

RE: framebursting...


I don't have an 802.11g card yet either, but I thought that maybe framebursting would help even between bridged units since they are all operating under 802.11g. Can anyone confirm?


It's been a while since I checked with DVArchive, but my transfer rate was about 1.2 MB/s. Isn't there a way to check streaming rates on the RTV boxes themselves?


----------



## jwtseng

Jeffwa...


CONGRATULATIONS!!!! Forgive me for saying so and I mean this in the best way, but I knew your whole configuration trouble was something crazy-stupid like you described. Hahaha! How could you put us all through that? I'm relieved now though. And I am truly glad that you finally got things working.


For anyone else reading this thread and contemplating the WBR-G54, Jeffwa is now the official configuration Master if there are any questions. Congrats man! Stream on!


----------



## Jeffwa

Thanks, jwtseng. Of course, I still haven't tried locking down my wireless network to just my routers and wireless g card yet, so I wouldn't say "expert" yet, but I probably know my way around all the menus very well. (But I haven't memorized them yet.)


----------



## gamecock

I sorry if this has been asked before, but I am finding the information lacking.


I want to be able to do streaming and IVS (local and remote/WAN). I have one 5040 and soon to get another.


The setup will be:


main router. I am using Linksys WRT54G already, but can change it.

PC wired to router

XBOX and one 5040 in Den wired to router via a switch

One 5040 in Bedroom needs to be wireless. I can go .11B or .11G here. An access point here would be a plus so I can use a laptop in here via wireless.


Questions: Is my current router WRT54G going to work? Both in terms of loopback ability and streaming quality. If not, suggestions for replacement.


Suggestions for an access point/wireless bridge for the bedroom that can get me IVS (remote and local) and quality streaming.


Thanks again.


----------



## jwtseng

gamecock:


I can't speak for the Linksys WRT54G, but there is another recent thread that addresses Linksys issues with streaming and IVS that you might be interested in. Search within the last week or so. If I have understood correctly from others here, the Linksys WRT54G is capable of LAN loopback, meaning you will be able to do IVS between machines in your local network. The only benefit to this is to transfer recorded shows "physically" from one RTV to another in your home. In my mind, DVArchive may provide similar function. I'm pretty sure the Buffalo WBR-G54 does NOT support this kind of loopback, though someone else should probably verify this.


The current thread here documents using the Buffalo WBR-G54 to easily and successfully stream high-quality RTV recordings over a wireless 802.11g network as well as use IVS. In your setup, you would probably can get away with getting two WBR-G54 units, depending on the strength of the wireless signal in your home. One unit would plug into your existing router and serve as a dedicated wireless bridge. The second unit would sit in your bedroom and be set to "shared" bridge mode. It would be bridged to the first unit and also serve as an access point for your other wireless devices. Everything should be kept 802.11g for best throughput. You bedroom 5040 would just plug into the back of the bedroom WBR-G54. Should be pretty simple to set up for both streaming and IVS.


This isn't the only solution or product...just one that a few of us in this thread have found to work very successfully.


Good luck.


----------



## gamecock

jwtseng,


Thanks!

Can you explain your comment:

"I'm pretty sure the Buffalo WBR-G54 does NOT support this kind of loopback, though someone else should probably verify this"


Later, you said it can be used for IVS. Is the difference local IVS? I guess that would be the lowest priority feature to have. I am going to play with DVArchive this weekend before I asked a stupid question. I guess I have seen enought that DVarchive can get recording from a RTV. I need to find out if it can send a recording to a local RTV. If so, it sounds like that would be fine for my local IVS use.


----------



## jwtseng

Quote:

_Originally posted by gamecock_
*Can you explain your comment:

"I'm pretty sure the Buffalo WBR-G54 does NOT support this kind of loopback, though someone else should probably verify this"
*
As I understand things, IVS works its magic by associating each RTV unit's "internet ID" or serial number to an WAN IP address and unique port number. This information is gathered every time the RTV contacts the Replay servers. When you want to send a show to a RTV unit, you have to enter that unit's serial number (as opposed to it's IPort).


So this all works as expected between remote RTV units with the Replay servers basically serving as the switchboard for matching up serial numbers with current IPort infomation. But what if there are two or more RTVs in the same LAN? Wouldn't it be cool to do IVS between them and be able to send shows from one to another? This is where "loopback" comes into play. Apparently if one RTV is trying to do IVS with another RTV in the same LAN, certain routers will somehow allow the RTV units to sense this and basically do the IVS transfer over the LAN instead of across the internet and back.


I don't think the Buffalo WBR-G54 does this. But with DVArchive, I think it's a non-issue. With essentially unlimited storage afforded by DVArchive and it's ability to serve recordings ala streaming, I can't think of why someone would still require a "loopback" capable router. Someone else may be able to think of a reason.


Hope this helps.


----------



## jwtseng

Quote:

_Originally posted by gamecock_
*I guess I have seen enought that DVarchive can get recording from a RTV. I need to find out if it can send a recording to a local RTV.*
This is an interesting concept that you bring up. With DVArchive, I can definitely download (copy) recordings from my RTV units. But I don't know if there is a way to copy shows back to the RTV. I know that DVArchive has a server function that basically makes any computer look like an RTV unit on the network, but wouldn't it be interesting if you could assign an internet ID or serial number to the DVArchive server and send/receive shows from remote users??? I doubt this functionality exists, but please someone tell me differently!


----------



## moyekj

Quote:

_Originally posted by jwtseng_
*This is an interesting concept that you bring up. With DVArchive, I can definitely download (copy) recordings from my RTV units. But I don't know if there is a way to copy shows back to the RTV. I know that DVArchive has a server function that basically makes any computer look like an RTV unit on the network, but wouldn't it be interesting if you could assign an internet ID or serial number to the DVArchive server and send/receive shows from remote users??? I doubt this functionality exists, but please someone tell me differently!*
Back in early DVArchive days it was called SwapDV and was exactly intended for the purpose of which you speak, but due to threat of lawsuits and such that functionality was disabled. So while technically possible, legally unfeasable.


----------



## icecow

I don't get it. What exactly did DVSwap do that DVArchive doesn't.


Did it let you move a show from a PC to a replay?


And, god forbid, what would stop someone from using the program today if you didn't use the gnuttella part?


cow


----------



## jwtseng

I haven't looked for it, but is DVSwap still available then?


----------



## clarkkent333

Just in case anyone's curious, I got on the phone with Netgear yesterday and their products don't have any bridging functions. Seems that Buffalo is the way to go.


I ended up getting my 3 from dell for 180 with their coupons. If anyone's still in the market you should check out the chubby wallet for more info. Thanks again for the recommendations.


----------



## jwtseng

Quote:

_Originally posted by clarkkent333_
*I ended up getting my 3 from dell for 180 with their coupons. If anyone's still in the market you should check out the chubby wallet for more info. Thanks again for the recommendations.*
Sweet deal! Wow. Let us know if you run into any troubles setting up.


FWIW, I was just flipping through the November issue of Stuff Magazine and came to page 60 where they have pictures of "cool gear" or something like that. Wouldn't you know it, the Buffalo AirStation WBR-G54 was right there in living color! I thought it was a pretty funny coincidence.


Hey, if you won't take our word for it, maybe the juxtaposition of the WBR-G54 photo with all the other photos of scantily clad babes in the magazine will convince you!


----------



## DesertDog

Hi,


I just put in a 5508 in the same room as my desktop machine. The room currently has a really ugly network wiring. Basically a cat5 running from the room with my router. I'm thinking one of these might be the perfect setup for me since I can wire both into the RTV and the mac into the switch which will be picking up my existing wireless network. It should also give me the best performance for DVA since the mac and RTV will be wired together.


Couple question though. Are you using encryption? If so, any issues with it? I'd prefer to keep everything as closed as possible due to some of the issues around me.


My other question is can you set the buffalo so that it doesn't route? I'd prefer to let the router that is hooked up to the cable modem to do all the routing. That way all the machines are on the same subnet and iTunes, file sharing, printer, etc. will continue to work.


Thanks


----------



## roddie

Disabling DHCP and not connecting anything to the WAN port will eliminate any "routing" that the Buffalo can do, however don't expect it to bridge into your existing wireless network unless they are also Buffalo devices.


----------



## icecow

Quote:

_Originally posted by jwtseng_
*I haven't looked for it, but is DVSwap still available then?*
I saw versions 0.3 to 0.7 and every version in between neatly archived freely downloadable. I downloaded 0.7 and 0.5.. tried them. I couldn't seem to get either of them to see my replay. Well it knew the ip number but didn't show any shows. there was a gnutella server. I just turned it off. It didn't seem to do anything either way. Was hoping to be able to send a show from my computer to my ReplayTV, but I don't know what Im doing and/or it doesn't work.


cow


----------



## madSkeelz

As far as I remember, SwapDV was never able to actually send a show back to your ReplayTV. In fact, I don't even know that it was able to stream back to your Replay like DVArchive does now.


It was definitely able to suck shows to your computer, and it had an integrated gnutella server, which is what set off legal complications. The decryption support necessary to converse with later releases of the Replay OS were never rolled in to SwapDV, so it's prolly completely non-functional at this point.


----------



## jwtseng

Quote:

_Originally posted by DesertDog_
*I'm thinking one of these might be the perfect setup for me since I can wire both into the RTV and the mac into the switch which will be picking up my existing wireless network.


My other question is can you set the buffalo so that it doesn't route? I'd prefer to let the router that is hooked up to the cable modem to do all the routing. That way all the machines are on the same subnet and iTunes, file sharing, printer, etc. will continue to work.*
DesertDog:


Roddie's comments are correct about bridging. Your existing wireless AP must be able to do WDS-bridging in order to be able to talk with a wireless Buffalo AP in bridge mode. When I called Buffalo Technology to inquire about this, I was told that right now - barring any firmware changes - the WDS-bridging of the Buffalo WBR-G54 is only fully compatible with Apple's Airport Extreme Basestation. There is an O'Reilly article that basically says the same thing (It offers the Buffalo WLA-G54 (bridge) as a cheaper alternative to the AEBS). The same article also states that Linksys bridges do not use the same WDS-bridging protocol.


Your best bet may be to get two WBR-G54s and replace your existing router with one of the units. Then use the second unit to hook in your Mac and RTV and bridge to the first unit.


----------



## DesertDog

Quote:

_Originally posted by jwtseng_
*DesertDog:


Roddie's comments are correct about bridging. Your existing wireless AP must be able to do WDS-bridging in order to be able to talk with a wireless Buffalo AP in bridge mode. When I called Buffalo Technology to inquire about this, I was told that right now - barring any firmware changes - the WDS-bridging of the Buffalo WBR-G54 is only fully compatible with Apple's Airport Extreme Basestation. There is an O'Reilly article that basically says the same thing (It offers the Buffalo WLA-G54 (bridge) as a cheaper alternative to the AEBS). The same article also states that Linksys bridges do not use the same WDS-bridging protocol.


Your best bet may be to get two WBR-G54s and replace your existing router with one of the units. Then use the second unit to hook in your Mac and RTV and bridge to the first unit.*
Thanks for the info Roddie and Jwtseng. Looks like I need to just pick up two of the Buffalo units. Probably wouldn't be a bad idea anyway since my current router is an older linksys B unit. Hadn't worried about upgrading it yet since the wireless was only feeding my internet connection to one laptop. The O'Reilly article also makes it look like it's the best route to go.


One more stupid question. From this thread, it looks like the Buffalo units have 2 bridging modes, acting as a repeater and not repeating. The impression I got from one of the posts was that repeating mode would cause data transfers between two devices wired into the router to be slower then if the router wasn't repeating. Is that accurate or did I misinterpret something? For me, performance would be the bigger factor since one AP will cover my place due to size and the position of the cable line.


Thanks


----------



## Jeffwa

Quote:

_Originally posted by DesertDog_
*...it looks like the Buffalo units have 2 bridging modes, acting as a repeater and not repeating. The impression I got from one of the posts was that repeating mode would cause data transfers between two devices wired into the router to be slower then if the router wasn't repeating. Is that accurate or did I misinterpret something?*
If I understand your question correctly, you're asking if to devices wired into the router would be slower if there's repeating turned on? If so, then no, the data transfers between those two devices will NOT be affected. The slow down will come between multiple devices using the wireless bridge portion. An example:


2 ReplayTVs are wired into the switch portion of the router. Transfer speed will not be affected no matter how many wireless devices are accessing the router. The slow down will come when you have multiple devices using the router as an access point. Such as:


1 ReplayTV wired to router #1 set to repeating bridge mode and 2 laptops accessing router #1 wirelessly. Since all the traffic from these 3 items goes through router #1 to router #2 (which for this example is wired to the cable modem) there would be a slowdown. I don't think it'll be as noticable as you think it will be, but if you want the best speed you can get for your Replay, you'd probably want the router that you plug the Replay in to to be in dedicated bridge mode. That way only the Replay uses that router for it's connectivity, and everything else can go through your primary router.


Currently, I have both routers set up to accept connection from anyone and haven't had any problems with performance. Unless you're running multiple devices at the same time transfering data, I doubt you'll have problems, but your mileage may very.


One other thing: Make sure you limit access to the wireless portion of your LAN by MAC address of your wireless devices. That way you don't have to worry about outsiders acessing your network and sucking up your bandwidth. Also, try and stay on the G standard. one B device will slow everything down to B speeds.


----------



## DesertDog

Quote:

_Originally posted by Jeffwa_
*If I understand your question correctly, you're asking if to devices wired into the router would be slower if there's repeating turned on? If so, then no, the data transfers between those two devices will NOT be affected. The slow down will come between multiple devices using the wireless bridge portion. An example:


Currently, I have both routers set up to accept connection from anyone and haven't had any problems with performance. Unless you're running multiple devices at the same time transfering data, I doubt you'll have problems, but your mileage may very.
*
Thanks, that's what I thought. There didn't seem to be any reason for it to slow down. Mainly what I'm looking for is performance between the computer and the RTV that will both be plugged directly into the router. Archiving and streaming will be occurring between them. The wireless will mainly be for internet access which any router should be able to handle.


Thanks again. I'm off to buy tomorrow.


----------



## sfogg

"Thanks, that's what I thought. There didn't seem to be any reason for it to slow down."


Sure there is... but it will depend on how and where the packets are being sent.


For example say you have two Buffalo units one sharing your internet connection and the other setup as a repeater/bridge.


You are on your notebook computer surfing the net and your unit associates with the repeater because it has a stronger signal even though the other unit would still give good coverage.


Now every packet you send is received by the repeater, then resent (repeated) down to the Buffalo sharing your intenet connection. The reply is sent to the repeater, then repeated to your notebook. Every packet is sent twice... hence you are taking up twice the bandwidth plus a little more for overhead in the repeater.


If instead only the unit sharing your internet connection was acting as an access point (other unit set for bridged mode only) your notebook will only associate with it. As such when you are surfing the web the packets only make one wireless hop between the notebook and your Buffalo unit sharing the internet connection.


Shawn


----------



## existenze

Does anyone know if a Microsoft Wireless kit will work with ReplayTV 5040? Amazon.com is having a sale on a base station and USB adapter and I wonder if it'll work?


----------



## j.m.

Quote:

_Originally posted by existenze_
*Does anyone know if a Microsoft Wireless kit will work with ReplayTV 5040? Amazon.com is having a sale on a base station and USB adapter and I wonder if it'll work?*
If you're thinking about using the USB adapter for the ReplayTV, you can forget about it. The USB ports on the ReplayTV are not enabled and probably never will be.


I highly recommend these Buffalo units as they are cheap and work very well, even for streaming high quality--something many of the wireless solutions cannot do. CompUSA has these for $69.99 each, after $20 rebate. If you follow the deals/coupons at Dell, every so often you can get them for cheaper with no rebate hassle. I just picked up two last week for about $135 total.


----------



## existenze

Well, I stopped by BestBuy last night and droped $170 on a Linksys Ethernet Bridge [WET11] and a Linksys Access Point Router [BEFW11S4] then came back here and read all the post about Buffalo and am wondering if I should return it...


I can get a Buffalo Airstation 54Mpbs for $69.99 from CompUSA and a Buffalo Airstation Ethernet Bridge for $114.50 from PageComputers for a total of $184.49... $14 more dollars and 5x the speed right?


I'm not too well versed in all this stuff and ALL I want to do is use DVArchive to pull the shows I record off my ReplayTV 5040 and edit/burn/archive them. Worth the upgrade?


----------



## roddie

Quote:

I can get a Buffalo Airstation 54Mpbs for $69.99 from CompUSA and a Buffalo Airstation Ethernet Bridge for $114.50 from PageComputers for a total of $184.49... $14 more dollars and 5x the speed right?
You could get away with two Airstation routers and not even need the bridge if you are only going to use Buffalo gear. The router will bridge and be an AP with other Buffalos.


You'll actually _save_ money and still get the speen increase (not 5X, but a couple anyways).


----------



## jrgreenman

Quote:

_Originally posted by jwtseng_
*BTW, as I mentioned the Buffalo products *all* support WDS bridging. AND you can use them in client mode even when WDS bridging is turned on, which is something not too commonly found.*
True, but I also got some bad news from Buffalo tech support regarding bridging and roaming.


=====================================================

11/5/2003 Asked David at Buffalo the following questions:


1. I've set up two WBR-G54 routers in bridge mode but notice in the latest firmware (1.3.1) a footnote that says WPA does not work in bridge mode. Any plans to allow WPA to work in bridge mode?


A: No. WPA is a client-only capability. In bridge mode, the routers communicate with each other (possibly in addition to clients). So WPA cannot be used. David suggested the best I could do was use WEP coupled with MAC filtering. 


2. To set up seamless roaming, just set ESS-ID and Channel to the same thing?


A: Normally yes, but _seamless_ roaming also does not work in bridge mode because, in bridge mode, both APs _must_ have different ESS-IDs. Seamless roaming allows a client to move from to stronger APs without losing the connection. Non-seamless roaming relies on the operating system's ability to rescan for a stronger signal (i.e. on a different ESS-ID) when the current connection is lost due to low signal strength. The connection would be down for a few seconds while the stronger AP is automatically located.

=====================================================


I now have three WBR-G54s and love them. But I was really hoping to finally get WPA implented throughout my LAN as well as set up seamless roaming. Alas, I cannot do either. 


Even so, with the WBR-G54 set up as an 11g bridge (where once there was a WET11 11b bridge), streaming is just great. I don't have anything recorded at High quality but was having lots of hiccups streaming at even Standard over my previous 11b network. Now both Standard and Medium are flawless!!


So even without WPA or seamless roaming, I'm a very happy camper and wireless-G throughout!


----------



## jrgreenman

Quote:

_Originally posted by jwtseng_
*...WDS-bridging mode... was the main selling point for me because it allows me to basically now have 4 wireless access points around the house providing a super blanket of coverage.*
I just posted some info I got from Buffalo on WDS.


According to Buffalo tech, when using WDS, all the bridges must have different ESS-IDs. A wireless client would not associate with a stronger signal unless the existing signal were to vanish (requiring the client to scan for a new signal).


So when you say "blanket of coverage", do you somehow have the seamless roaming Buffalo mentions is only available when not using WDS??


----------



## jwtseng

Quote:

_Originally posted by jrgreenman_
*I just posted some info I got from Buffalo on WDS.


According to Buffalo tech, when using WDS, all the bridges must have different ESS-IDs. A wireless client would not associate with a stronger signal unless the existing signal were to vanish (requiring the client to scan for a new signal).


So when you say "blanket of coverage", do you somehow have the seamless roaming Buffalo mentions is only available when not using WDS??*
Well, I'm no expert on this, so all I can tell you is what I am experiencing with my current setup. All of my WBR-G54 bridges do indeed have the same SSID and are operating on the same channel. I have basically full 54mbps coverage in my entire home (two story, wood frame and stucco) and front and backyard. On my computer (a Macintosh), I have a 5 bar indicator for wireless signal strength and I get all 5 bars everywhere until I get to the end of my driveway where it falls to 4 bars, etc. Additionally, the Macintosh OS wireless setup defines a number of ways that one can associate with access points. One of these options is to "Connect to network with the strongest signal" and that is what I use. Also, no matter where I go whether it be down the driveway or into the backyard or into my neighbor's home, the IP that I get from the Buffalo units never changes. So I am inclined to believe that roaming is working between the 3 different bridges that I have setup.


BTW, I don't use WEP or WPA (just MAC filtering, 802.11g limiting, and disable SSID broadcast), so I can't comment on that aspect. I'm glad everyone is having good success with these units for streaming though.


Anyone want to buy either a Linksys WAP11 or WET11??? I have two of each. Seriously, let me know. Hehe.


----------



## Beaner

Another Buffalo success story...


I have 2 of the WBR-G54s in bridge mode.

One is connected to my Linksys WRT-54G router, the other to my Replay 5040. Streaming, even at high quality, is flawless! I can pull high-quality streams off DVArchive and watch them on the Replay w/ absolutely no issues. It really is amazing.


I have always been a big fan of Linksys, and I still think they make high-quality components, but their 54G stuff just doesn't cut it for what we are doing here (streaming video). I tried 2 of the WAP-54G access points, the 54G bridge, you name it. If linksys makes it and it's 54G, I've tried it. The 2 WAP-54Gs seemed to stream medium quality ok, but I knew I could do better! The average user probably won't have any issues w/ the Linksys gear, because they only surf of transfer a few files now and then.


I don't think the info. about all the bridges needing different ESS-IDs is accurate. Just like jwtseng, I have both of mine on the same ID and same channel.


Bottom Line: These things just plain work for Replay video transfers.


Thanks jwtseng and everyone else who has shared info. and experiences in this very helpful thread.


Happy streaming!


----------



## Jeffwa

So if I set my ESS-IDs to the same, my wireless card will pick up signal from whichever signal is strongest autmoatically, or is there something I would have to set in my OS (Win2K) as well?


----------



## jrgreenman

Quote:

_Originally posted by jwtseng_
*Well, I'm no expert on this, so all I can tell you is what I am experiencing with my current setup. All of my WBR-G54 bridges do indeed have the same SSID and are operating on the same channel. I have basically full 54mbps coverage in my entire home (two story, wood frame and stucco) and front and backyard. On my computer (a Macintosh), I have a 5 bar indicator for wireless signal strength and I get all 5 bars everywhere until I get to the end of my driveway where it falls to 4 bars, etc. Additionally, the Macintosh OS wireless setup defines a number of ways that one can associate with access points. One of these options is to "Connect to network with the strongest signal" and that is what I use. Also, no matter where I go whether it be down the driveway or into the backyard or into my neighbor's home, the IP that I get from the Buffalo units never changes. So I am inclined to believe that roaming is working between the 3 different bridges that I have setup.


BTW, I don't use WEP or WPA (just MAC filtering, 802.11g limiting, and disable SSID broadcast), so I can't comment on that aspect. I'm glad everyone is having good success with these units for streaming though.


Anyone want to buy either a Linksys WAP11 or WET11??? I have two of each. Seriously, let me know. Hehe.*
One way to confirm that your blanket is working is to run your wireless client's utility software. That will show you the MAC address of the access point you are connected to. Then as you walk very close to some other access point, it's signal should become the strongest and your laptop should reassociate with it _without_ even a momentary disconnect. Stream some video while you do this test. That will give you a sure indication if there's a few-second blip when reassociating.


The WBR-G54 has a pretty strong radio and there's a possibility you are associated with a single AP that has great coverage in your house.


Jace


----------



## j.m.

FWIW, I came across a new version of the firmware for the WBR-G54's, version 2.01 dated 10-30-2003. It is located on Buffalo's UK site at http://www.buffalo-technology.com/download/firmware.htm 


I flashed one of my WBR-G54's, the one running as a bridge, and it went smoothly. The only change listed in the release notes is "The number of MAC address restriction was changed from up to 64 into up to 128." However, there appear to be some other changes, namely that wireless power is now configurable by percent of full power rather than by mW. I'm not sure whether full is considered to be 32mW (max setting in 1.31) or 22mW (max in 1.30). If anyone has any ability to measure the signal strength in 2.01, let us know.


Other than that, I can't see any visible differences. I haven't tried it on my WBR-G54 acting as a router, so I don't know if loopback support has been added.


BTW, if anyone is running Linux with access to the "cramfs" utility, it would be interesting to what exactly is in the firmware for the WBR-G54. The guts of the firmware file is a Compressed ROM image that can be mounted in Linux. I would love to see a .zip file containing the contents of that image.


----------



## roddie

A bit off-topic - I meant to mention this as another nice use for these things. I've got one acting as a bridge only in my study hooked up to a BSD server that I use for NAT and some services, and one in my Living Room that I have behind my audio rack. In it, I've got my RTV, HTPC, and an AudioTron. I also have it acting as an AP which I use for my laptop.


These devices are working great for all of those purposes!


----------



## clarkkent333

Just wanted to give a heads up to all the potential shoppers out there. Stay away from Dell on this. I ordered three from their SB division and its been a train wreck so far. First they shipped me all three in a large box with no packing materials. When I opened it, 2 boxes were damaged and one box was completely open with the parts spread out through the box. On top of that the other 2 had their seals cut. I called in and told them about the packing materials and damage so they sent me out a new set. I figured ok, maybe someone screwed up on this one. There's no way they will screw up again right? Wrong! 2 Days later I get 2 packages from them. One package has 2 boxes in it, both with the seals cut and stuffed with, get this, a big wad of brown paper only on top so the bottom of the boxes were wrecked. The other package was the same thing, cut seal and brown paper on top. Unbelieveable. They are supposed to be sending me out a third try but Im not keeping my hopes up. Sorry for the rant but I just wanted to warn you guys. Dell is going down hill in a hurry.


----------



## j.m.

Well, FWIW I got my two from Dell SB without any problems.


----------



## clarkkent333

Lucky *******


----------



## Jeffwa

My two Buffaloes came from Dell w/o problems as well. I don't think it's lucky. I think you just happen to be having a bad run of luck.


----------



## jwtseng

So was it just the boxes that were crushed or were the actual units somehow damaged? For one thing, I don't remember any of my four boxes had seals on them. And all four of the boxes that I received (outside physical packaging) came pristine enclosed in a larger outer cardboard box from Dell. Sorry to hear that you had issues. Did you notice that Dell's customer support forwards the call to somewhere in India???


----------



## sooner

Another FWIW....


My 3 Buffalo's from Dell arrived last week without any problems. Seals were intact, but there was not much packing material around them...mostly just some brown paper.


Should finish setting them up tonight or tomorrow!


Man, they really should have someone proof read the web setup instructions, help areas, etc. Looks really unprofessional. English is definitely a 2nd (or 3rd) language for the writer(s).


----------



## j.m.

Quote:

_Originally posted by j.m._
*FWIW, I came across a new version of the firmware for the WBR-G54's, version 2.01 dated 10-30-2003. It is located on Buffalo's UK site at http://www.buffalo-technology.com/download/firmware.htm 


I flashed one of my WBR-G54's, the one running as a bridge, and it went smoothly. The only change listed in the release notes is "The number of MAC address restriction was changed from up to 64 into up to 128." However, there appear to be some other changes, namely that wireless power is now configurable by percent of full power rather than by mW. I'm not sure whether full is considered to be 32mW (max setting in 1.31) or 22mW (max in 1.30). If anyone has any ability to measure the signal strength in 2.01, let us know.


Other than that, I can't see any visible differences. I haven't tried it on my WBR-G54 acting as a router, so I don't know if loopback support has been added.


BTW, if anyone is running Linux with access to the "cramfs" utility, it would be interesting to what exactly is in the firmware for the WBR-G54. The guts of the firmware file is a Compressed ROM image that can be mounted in Linux. I would love to see a .zip file containing the contents of that image.*
If anyone cares, this 2.01 firmware is now officially available on the USA site as well at http://www.buffalotech.com/wireless/...detail=fg54ap3 . The file is binary identical to the one at the UK site. BTW, I did flash my router and can confirm that loopback is still not supported.


----------



## phlegmer

So does the interface or anything appear different with this new firmware?


----------



## j.m.

Other than what I mentioned (power in percent rather than mW), everything seems the same. Even the text stating there is a limit of 64 MAC addresses in wireless limitation is the same, despite the fact that the release notes on the UK site say the actual limit was increased to 128.


----------



## phlegmer

It would appear that Dell has adjusted their prices for these boxes. They now have them listed for $99.95! Of course, now that I was wanting to get another one


----------



## j.m.

Version 2.02 firmware is available at the UK Buffalo site:
http://www.buffalo-technology.com/download/firmware.htm 


I flashed but don't immediately notice any difference from 2.01.


----------



## j.m.

OK, the UK site finally posted release notes for 2.02 for those interested:


Ver2.01 -> Ver2.02


Firmware supports Stateful Packet inspection.


Routing throughput is improved from 40.0Mbps to 48.0Mbps by SmartBit.


Actual Speed is improved from 27Mbps to 34Mbps.


Ver1.30 -> Ver2.01


The number of MAC address restriction was changed from up to 64 into up to 128.


----------



## jrgreenman

But still no loopback??? Doh!!


----------



## jwtseng

j.m.:


Thanks for keeping us all up to date! My WBR-G54's have been running without a hitch ever since I set them up! The Replay 5040's have never lost connection to each other and streaming between the two have been wonderfully flawless. I hope others have been equally satisfied!


----------



## j.m.

Quote:

_Originally posted by jrgreenman_
*But still no loopback??? Doh!!*
No, however, I believe the Linksys WRT54G has loopback (can someone confirm this please?). This is relevant because it is based on a very similar firmware as the WBR-G54. It consists of a Linux kernel and a CRAMFS image containing the www pages and linux binaries (including busybox etc.). The Linksys has been opened up to hacking and people have built custom firmware that includes new features such as telnetd by compiling the GPL source Linksys must provide for the Linux parts of the router. You can see a very thorough discussion of this at http://www.seattlewireless.net/index.cgi/LinksysWrt54g .


Buffalo also provides GPL source for its firmware. Unfortunately, it is not as complete as the Linksys source. That aside, if any of you Linux gurus knows what has to be done to enable loopback in a Linux-based router, it may be possible to add the feature to the WBR-G54 ourselves. I would really appreciate any of you who do have such info sharing it, as I am very curious as to how complicated it is.


----------



## sfhub

If they are running linux and iptables, you really just need to be able

to telnet to the buffalo. Once you do that, the iptables config needed

for IVS to work on the local LAN was discussed here:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...33#post2364833 


The key is to be able to telnet to the router, then entering the iptables

config should be relatively simple.


----------



## j.m.

Quote:

_Originally posted by sfhub_
*If they are running linux and iptables, you really just need to be able

to telnet to the buffalo. Once you do that, the iptables config needed

for IVS to work on the local LAN was discussed here:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...33#post2364833 


The key is to be able to telnet to the router, then entering the iptables

config should be relatively simple.*
Thanks for the info! THe WBR-G54 does run Linux; however, it does not have the iptables executable. It runs Zebra ( www.zebra.org ), which apparently is a Cisco router emulator for Linux. I know something similar to iptables must be used on the router, but I can't find it right now. Netconf does work and shows the forwarding info etc.


----------



## octavian

Quote:

_Originally posted by j.m._

Buffalo also provides GPL source for its firmware. Unfortunately, it is not as complete as the Linksys source. That aside, if any of you Linux gurus knows what has to be done to enable loopback in a Linux-based router, it may be possible to add the feature to the WBR-G54 ourselves. I would really appreciate any of you who do have such info sharing it, as I am very curious as to how complicated it is. [/b]
Did you find the GPL source on their website? I have looked but can't find it. I also found a couple of links from other people posting it, but the links no longer work. I am not a linux guru either, but I am interested in learning about this.


octavian


----------



## j.m.

The GPL source is here http://www.buffalotech.com/wireless/.../faq/index.php . It is the last item under the FAQ (look for the penguin). It really doesn't help very much, unfortunately, because it doesn't include much documentation and appears to be missing some of the source necessary to build custom firmware.


----------



## moyekj

I still fail to see any real value of local loopback for RTVs. I spent some time setting up IVS and port forwarding quite a while ago to get it to work between my 3 RTVs on the LAN, mostly out of curiosity. Once it was working it really dawned on me that it's not a big deal - it allows one to quickly transfer a show from one RTV to another on your LAN. But it's much more convenient/flexible to transfer it to a PC/laptop via DVA at which point you can do anything you want with it including streaming to any RTV on the LAN or burning it to VCD/DVD. I must be missing something so please enlighten me?


----------



## sfhub

It's basically the only way to move a video from one unit to another.


If one has no need for this and offloading to PC is perfectly acceptable

they'll feel just as you.


Sometimes I'll move stuff around to organize utilize space available more

efficiently and I don't feel like explaining to others to boot up the PC before

accessing Replay Guide. If I had the PC running 24/7 it wouldn't be as big

a deal.


So in my usage, it's mainly a convenience factor for the people in the

house who don't want to deal with turning on the PCs to watch their

shows.


----------



## phlegmer

I know this is a little off the current topic but I was wondering if anyone has been using WEP with these units yet? So far I have been using my "G" blanket in a pretty open state just to make sure all is well. Now that I'm confident it has been working fine, it's time to lock it down. My only concern about WEP is if it will slow the transfer of the video in any way.


The other thing I want to do is turn off the broadcasting. My question is if all the G54's broadcasting are turned off, how will my laptop know to switch to them if it doesn't see it through broadcasting?


I'm sorry if these are stupid questions but I'm a little new to the wireless thing.


Thanks


----------



## jrgreenman

Quote:

_Originally posted by phlegmer_
*I know this is a little off the current topic but I was wondering if anyone has been using WEP with these units yet? So far I have been using my "G" blanket in a pretty open state just to make sure all is well. Now that I'm confident it has been working fine, it's time to lock it down. My only concern about WEP is if it will slow the transfer of the video in any way.*
*There is a performance hit using WEP, but I am still able to stream standard quality video no problem. The performance hit is predicted at 10%-20% I think (not nearly enough to slow it down to 11b levels) I believe because the encoding/decoding of encrypted packets is done in software. That's the difference betw WEP and WPA. Buffalo tells me WPA uses a hardware coprocessor. But WPA doesn't work in bridge mode. Swell.

*
*Quote:*

The other thing I want to do is turn off the broadcasting. My question is if all the G54's broadcasting are turned off, how will my laptop know to switch to them if it doesn't see it through broadcasting?
If any of the routers are in brodge mode, "seamless" roaming also will not work because the routers will all need unique ESSIDs. Non-seamless roaming relies on the OSes ability to simply reassociate w/ a stronger signal once a weak one fades. But given the "blanket" you reference, I can't imagine what would encourage a client to give up, say, a 60% signal for a 90% signal.


I'm kinda new to this too and am mostly regurgitating what Buffalo has told me. So if any of my "facts" are off, no one will hurt my feelings by correcting them.


----------



## sfhub

Quote:

_Originally posted by jrgreenman_
*That's the difference betw WEP and WPA. Buffalo tells me WPA uses a hardware coprocessor. But WPA doesn't work in bridge mode. Swell.


If any of the routers are in brodge mode, "seamless" roaming also will not work because the routers will all need unique ESSIDs.*
The hardware encryption is not a function of WEP vs WPA. Actually

WPA uses the same encryption as WEP, but there are extra provisions

in WPA to protect the encryption key and for authentication.


AES is a more processor intensive encryption that was not included in

WPA because the feeling was it would be too much for older systems

to implement.


Buffalo uses Broadcom chipset which includes hardware support for AES

in the 54g AirForce chipset. That is why you will see AES support in the

Buffalo products and any product which uses the same chipset.


Buffalo also supports WDS-bridging, in which case the bridges use the

*same* SSIDs and can support simultaneous bridging and access point

duties (since you are sharing SSID and channel, there are performance

ramifications)


----------



## moyekj

Quote:

_Originally posted by phlegmer_
*

The other thing I want to do is turn off the broadcasting. My question is if all the G54's broadcasting are turned off, how will my laptop know to switch to them if it doesn't see it through broadcasting?

Thanks*
I have broadcasting turned off by default for my Linksys wireless router (as extra precaution obvioulsy along with a custom SSID). As long as you can manually configure the correct SSID to use for your laptop client 802.11g software it is able to associate with the access point. I have had 3 different clients, 2 out of 3 let me directly specify SSID to use manually, 3rd I could not. For the 3rd I temporarily turned broadcasting back on in the router, let the client associate and then turned broadcasting back off, and after that the client software "remembers" the SSID to use and associates without any problem (without having to re-enable broadcasting on the router).


With broadcasting turned off and MAC address filtering enabled I really don't see any need for enabling WEP. I don't care about signals being intercepted, all I care about is unauthorized access to my LAN.


----------



## sfhub

Quote:

_Originally posted by moyekj_
*With broadcasting turned off and MAC address filtering enabled I really don't see any need for enabling WEP. I don't care about signals being intercepted, all I care about is unauthorized access to my LAN.*
WEP and WPA aren't just about encrypting data. They handle to various

levels of succes authentication as well as encryption.


The MAC address of your "allowed" nodes are freely available in the

"intercepted" signals you don't care about, so it is trivial to capture

your packets and spoof the MAC address of an "allowed" node.


When choosing an authentication method, it should be understood

that WEP and WPA are attempting to perform authentication based on

cryptography while MAC address filtering is trying to perform authentication

based on filtering of a publicly visible MAC address.


Any authentication is better than none and how much you want to

implement should be dependent on your situation.


----------



## phlegmer

Good info thus far! What about 802.1x? Would it be worth while to use this method instead? I see that this is another option in both my Orinoco Gold combo card and the Buffalo's.


----------



## roddie

Has anyone seen any good deals on WBR-G54s lately? I'm going to pick up another one along with an Audiotron to throw in the bedroom.


Newegg has them for $95 shipped or so, which is probably where I'll get the AT as well.


----------



## phlegmer

Quote:

Has anyone seen any good deals on WBR-G54s lately?
Funny you ask that because I too wanted to get another one. And as usual... Dell has come through.


Here is what I just did through Dell Home:


Airstation cost $92.95

10% off all peripheral -$9.29

Free shipping $0.00

3% off for using the Dell Preferred Account -$2.51


Total cost -$81.15



Granted this isn't as good as what the Buffalo's were orginally from Dell on this thread but not too shabby IMHO


The 10% and Free shipping are for a limited time (of course) so I don't know how long this deal will last. Just go to the Dell Home webpage and browse to the Buffalo's, check out and it should subtract all the goodies. For some reason when I did a search for these and then added it to my cart, it wouldn't give me free shipping. (go figure)


The additional 3% is a hit and miss thing from what I've seen in the past. I got it when it asked how you want to pay for it and I selected one credit card. After that, I got a link that asked if I want to use my Dell Preffered Account to take an additional 3%.


Good luck to all!


----------



## roddie

Thanks, phlegmer - I'll check it out. $88 with tax isn't too bad, I guess.


----------



## roddie

I found a $20 rebate for this - There's a vendor list, though, so I'll report back in a bit with the lowest price from the list.


The rebate form is here:

http://images.pricegrabber.com/rebates/4826.pdf


----------



## roddie

Looks like J&R has the best price, but they're out of stock:

http://www.jandr.com/JRProductPage.p...uct_Id=3677492 


TechDepot has stock and a pretty good price, but their shipping is high:

http://www.techdepot.com/product.asp...437099&iid=939 


phlegmer's deal is just as good if you're in a state where Dell doesn't charge sales tax.


I think I'm going with TechDepot, I want another Audiotron.


----------



## roddie

Oops, techdepot.com is an Office Depot company - Hello sales tax.


Back to the drawing board - I hope someone gets some use out of the rebate.


----------



## roddie

Last one, I promise..

http://www.computers4sure.com/Produc...437099&iid=342 


Another Office Depot company, but their sales tax list is a lot shorter. $92 shipped before rebate.


----------



## ejpbowie

anyone get the rebate back from Buffalo yet?


----------



## clarkkent333

Finally got my undamaged boxes from Dell - god they suck. Anyways, Ive got a question. Do I have to hook up the Buffalo router to my computer first then move the boxes into the room with the replay or can I just plug the replay into it right out of the box and go from there? Also, once I do get it set up, how do I make changes to the settings without a computer present? Do I have to keep switching it back and forth till I get it working properly or is there some sort of on-screen guide that I can pipe through my TV? Thanks.


----------



## roddie

Quote:

Do I have to hook up the Buffalo router to my computer first then move the boxes into the room with the replay
It's probably easier to get them both configured and talking side by side using a wired connection and then deploy them wherever you want.


Once they're setup, you can do whatever you need via a web browser regardless of where they are.


----------



## sooner

Oh Buffalo users....


Pardon my ignorance but, how do I set the Buffalo's up for IVS. When I had netgear equipment I got it to work, but I don't see how to here. I've got 2 5040 rtv's, each configured with with incoming ports (29000 & 29001). I tried a couple of weeks ago to have someone send a test clip, but he couldn't reach my machine.


The guide says that I need to "verify that TCP ports 53 (DNS), 123 (NTP), 80 (HTTP) are open", but I don't know how to do that with these things.


I've got 3 Buffalo's (one as the router and the other two as wireless bridges connected to the rtv's.


Thanks for any help.


----------



## sfhub

Quote:

_Originally posted by sooner_
*The guide says that I need to "verify that TCP ports 53 (DNS), 123 (NTP), 80 (HTTP) are open", but I don't know how to do that with these things.*
These ports have nothing to do with what goes on during IVS. They should

be open by default in your router, so just don't worry about these.


You need to enable port forwarding or whatever buffalo calls it to your

replayIP and the IVSPorts.


First test if your replay is responding to IVS requests, with PC on your LAN:
http://replayIP:IVSPort/ivs-IVSGetUnitInfo 

If it responds with Replay info, your replay is responding to replay requests.


Next test out whether port forwarding is setup correctly:
http://routerWANIP:IVSPort/ivs-IVSGetUnitInfo 

If it responds the same as previous step, your side is setup correct,

if it doesn't, hope is not lost, your router might not support loopback,

try the next step.


To really test out if you are properly configured, dialin via modem and type:
http://routerWANIP:IVSPort/ivs-IVSGetUnitInfo 

This will simulate what an external IVS sender would encounter if they

tried to send you a show. It should respond with replay info.

UPDATE: You can also use the automated IVS tester for this step, located at
http://www.isalwaysright.com/replay/ivstest.php 


Depending on which step doesn't work, you can figure out where to

spend more time debugging. Most likely the replay is responding to

IVS requests and the problem lies with the router config. Second most

likely problem is your replay LAN IP address changed since you setup

the port forwarding rules. Third most likely is your router WAN IP changed.

Replays update the IP address with the RDDNS server every hour. If you

want to force an immediate update, initiate a 243-zones net connect.


Verify the IP address and port are set correctly in the router. If you

happen to be using DHCP, sometimes the Replay's change IP and that

could make your port forwarding rules stale. If you continuosly have

problems with IP address creep, see this thread:
http://www.poopli.com/forum/showthre...=80&postid=899 


It could also have been a glitch that was outside your control, so don't

assume if IVS didn't work yesterday (with the same config) it won't work

today (especially if the last modem dialup test worked)


----------



## jrgreenman

sfhub: Wow, what a great set of URLs for testing this out


The Replay FAQ site is currently down, but is this stuff posted there?


And is there some master list of all these neat-o URLs?


----------



## jrgreenman

I've got three Buffalo router and love them completely (except for the missing loopback support and unavailability of WPA and seamless roaming in bridge mode).


But at the risk of stirring the pot, I saw a great deal on USRobotics 11g hardware from TechBargains. Just $49 for a router _AND_ PC card:

http://www.pcmall.com/pcmall/shop/de...502&PID=227502


----------



## sooner

Thanks sfhub,


I know that the first test works, but I'll have to try the others when I get home this evening.


----------



## roddie

Quote:

and seamless roaming in bridge mode
I was able to get seamless roaming with bridging going by putting an AP with a _different_ SSID in between two APs with the same SSID.


You just have to make sure the coverage is there between the two APs.


----------



## bakerzdosen

OK, question for you guys that already have a WBR-G54... Why would I want a WLA-G54 (The wireless bridge)? I was all ready to buy one (or two), but if I can use that to replace my Linksys WET11 wireless bridge, I'm all for it. Of course, they're about the same price, so, does it matter? Get a WBR-G54 for the base station and a WLA-G54 for the bridge? Opinions?


----------



## roddie

Read back a few pages for a similar discussion - I don't know if anyone was able to come up with a valid reason for buying a bridge-only vs. the WBR-G54 which can do either or both.


----------



## bakerzdosen

Great - thanks. I must have missed that page on my first time through.


----------



## jrgreenman

Quote:

_Originally posted by roddie_
*I was able to get seamless roaming with bridging going by putting an AP with a different SSID in between two APs with the same SSID.


You just have to make sure the coverage is there between the two APs.*
I called Buffalo to confirm whether I could do seamless roaming (i.e. same ESSID) with two routers in bridge mode (e.g. #1 and #2) _IF_ there was a third router (#3) between the two with a different ESSID.


I spoke to Roger who said that not only will that not work, but the user manual (page 1) is wrong where it states that the WBR-G54 supports seamless roaming at all. It does not. Only their B hardware supports seamless roaming.


To confirm Roger's claim, he suggested placing routers #1 and #2 100' feet apart and walk from one to the other while streaming video. If the roaming is seamless, there would be no interruption in the video. If the roaming is not seamless, XP would disassociate from #1 when the signal fell off and rescan down the list of preferred networks, presumably finding #2 and reassociating. But there would be an interruption in the video while this occurred.


He was quite certain about what the WBR-G54 routers would and wouldn't do and apparently has good access to the engineers. He was aware that they have been working to try and crack the G-hardware roaming nut.


If you perform his test and can confirm the configuration you believe you have achieved, you might want to give him a call.


----------



## roddie

Roger is welcome to come over to my house with his engineers if he wants. 


My client software (Proxim Orinoco) shows both APs with the same SSID along with their signal strengths. It also has a tiny icon that shows which AP the client is currently associated to.


When I walk into my bedroom, the signal icon jumps up to that AP, and the three or four ssh sessions I have going stay connected without a _noticeable_ pause. When I walk back to my living room, the icon jumps back with me, and I'm still connected.


His streaming video test could also depend on how your client is handing buffering as there would have to be _some_ natural pause, but none that I noticed.


Perhaps they are running into a limitation of XP's built-in wireless support, but I can tell you for sure that with three WBR-G54s, my laptop, and an Orinoco NIC, that seamless roaming is working fine.


Back on page 6 of the thread someone else had it working as well, I believe.


----------



## octavian

I have been checking the US web site for the 2.02 firmware update that is posted on the UK web site. When I went there today I noticed that they had pulled the 2.01 firmware and gone back to the 1.31 version. Wonder what is wrong with the 2.01 firmware. Anybody having problems with the 2.01 firmware?


The UK site still has the 2.02 firmware posted.


octavian


----------



## sooner

Timely sale given the new RTV owners popping up now.


WBR-G54's are $55 (plus tax) shipped after 2 rebates at CompUSA

I didn't check all the details,


I got this from: www.edealinfo dot com


--------------------

Buffalo AirStation 54Mbps Wireless Broadband Router Base Station, 802.11g (Mfr# WBR-G54) Â» only $54.99 Shipped


The AirStation 54Mbps Broadband Router AP offers the fastest wireless throughput on the 2.4Ghz band and delivers faster data rates over greater distances than 802.11a-based networks. The 54Mbps Broadband Router incorporates the exclusive Intrusion Detector firewall with AES encryption, VPN support and other upgradeable features for improved security. A built-in 4-port Ethernet switch allows you to combine a wired and wireless network on the same LAN. This easy-to-use, affordable 54Mbps Broadband Router is the perfect wireless solution for Home, SOHO, and SMB use!



CompUSA.com is carrying this 54Mbps Wireless Broadband Router for $84.99

There is a $15 Exclusive rebate on it until 12/20/2003 (UPC Copy)

There is also a $20 Exclusive rebate on it until 01/04/2004 (Original UPC)

Shipping cost on this item is $5

Your Final Price: $84.99 - $15 - $20 + $5 = $54.99 Shipped


----------



## sfhub

It's better to buy in store and save the shipping. The rebates are limit

one per household, so you might run into troubles if you order 2 on one

online order to get the Free shipping promotion for orders greater than

$150.


----------



## Patrick TX

OK, I'm in I think. One question, can I mix Linksys & Buffalo? I have a Linksys Wireless G Router, and a Linksys Wireless G Notebook adapter. I bought my Daughter a new CPU for Christmas, and a Linksys Wireless G USB adapter (returnable). I have 2 Replay 5040's I'm going to be setting up. One will need to be wireless, the other could be hard wired from a Buffalo WBR-G54 (easy 10 foot run). I also plan on getting an MP3 streamer (audiotron) that could be hard wired from the WBR-G54.


Should I get a Linksys wireless G WAP54G, and keep my current config? Can the WAP54G be run in bridged mode? Does it have the ports the buffalo has?


Or, should I get a Buffalo WBR-G54, and use it with my existing Linksys setup? Will it work fine, or does the router need to be a WBR-G54 as well?


I'm tempted to buy all Buffalo. I would prefer to buy the WBR-G54, as well as the Buffalo USB G adapter, and save some money (rebates).


Thanks!


----------



## moyekj

WAP54G can only bridge to another WAP54G which means you would need to buy 2 WAP54Gs given your setup. So it's best to just get 2 WBR-G54 in your case and operate 2 G networks on separate channels (1,6,11 are least overlapping). Actually, if you buy 2 WBR-G54 you are basically making the Linksys G-router redundant and not really needed since the WBR-G54 is also a router/4-port switch and you could operate with 1 G network.


----------



## roddie

Patrick,


Your Linksys NIC and USB adapter will talk to the Buffalo, however the Router will not. I'm not sure about the WAP54G specs, but I think there is some related discussion earlier in this thread.


You will love your Audiotron, by the way..


Roddie


----------



## Patrick TX

I went with the whole Buffalo package, 2 WAP54G, and 1 of the USB G adapters. Nice to support a Texas company!


----------



## sfhub

Quote:

_Originally posted by Patrick TX_
*I went with the whole Buffalo package, 2 WAP54G, and 1 of the USB G adapters. Nice to support a Texas company!*
Except the WAP54G is from Linksys


----------



## moyekj

Quote:

_Originally posted by sfhub_
*Except the WAP54G is from Linksys *
Which is owned by Cisco, a Bay Area Co.


----------



## Patrick TX

I meant the WBR. The Linksys has been "retired". As a matter of fact, I'm using the Buffalo as we speak. Installation was a breeze, with one minor hiccup. I was on hold with Buffalo tech for a whopping 9 seconds! SMOKING!


----------



## Patrick TX

Shoot. I can't get the replay setup by hard wiring it to the buffalo WBR-G54. I was going to go wireless once I moved it to the theater. It acted like it was downloading for about 10 minutes. Any ideas?


----------



## roddie

Is it getting an IP address from the DHCP server on the Buffalo? Are you only running one DHCP server? Can you ping the Replay from another station (or the Buffalo)?


----------



## Patrick TX

I used the IP/config & manually entered the values on the replay. It gave me 2 DHCP servers I got a brief message that it couldn't find DNS server 2. I can't get it to let me reenter, it just keeps timing out. I'm only showing one DHCP server as far as I know. I'm a fairly new wireless moron.


----------



## roddie

Make sure DHCP is only enabled on one of your Buffalos, and make sure that the Buffalos can ping each other (assuming you've changed the IP on one of them).


Your DNS server will probably be that of your ISP unless you have something local.


----------



## Patrick TX

I'm only running one buffalo right now, the hard wired one. I have the replay in the office for now, hooked to the #2 port on the router. The CPU is on the #1 port. I have to update the firmware on my processor, as well as make some sense out of all my wiring in the HT. I'm


----------



## roddie

Patrick,


When you get everything sorted out - Let us know how it looks, and we can help you get it going.


Roddie


----------



## sfhub

Quote:

_Originally posted by Patrick TX_
*I meant the WBR. The Linksys has been "retired". As a matter of fact, I'm using the Buffalo as we speak. Installation was a breeze, with one minor hiccup. I was on hold with Buffalo tech for a whopping 9 seconds! SMOKING!*
I picked up a WBR-G54 and so far have been pretty impressed with

quality.


I was a little bit surprised the unit is actually made in Japan when all the

recent Linksys (Cisco packaging) has shifted from Taiwan to China.


Apparently Buffalo is a Japanese company with subsidiaries in US, UK, etc.


From reports here, they seem to be doing an excellent job with support

also, something getting more rare.


Anyway, so far I've been pleasantly surprised at how good this thing

actually is, on many fronts.


It doesn't support loopback, but I could care less, just don't connect

the WAN connection, disable DHCP, and use your old router you are

perfectly happy with as your gateway.


Based on features, support, quality, and pricing, this thing is a steal.

If you are thinking about upgrading to G, run, don't walk. At this price,

there won't be in stock too long. My CompUSA was sold out in one day.


----------



## yenner

Ok, guys forgive my ignorance, I am not network saavy but I do love the techno toys.


I was fortunate to procure 2 replaytvs and went out and got two buffalo 54G routers from Compusa.


I currently have a Netgear router and Linksys WAP11 (802.11b). I have spent about 3 hours trying to figure this out, Help!


After reading the 13 pages of posts, I am not sure I have this set up right.


ReplayTV#1 --> Buffalo #1 (put in MAC addy for buff 2)

ReplayTV#2 --> Buffalo #2 for streaming (put in MAC addy for Buff 1)


How do I get the Buff to talk to the Linksys?


Is this right? My brain is fried.


Thanks for any assistance you can provide!


----------



## roddie

Quote:

How do I get the Buff to talk to the Linksys?
It won't, unless you connect them with a cable.


----------



## yenner

Can I move the Linksys WAP to one of the Replays, get rid of the Netgear router?


----------



## sfhub

Quote:

_Originally posted by yenner_
*How do I get the Buff to talk to the Linksys?
*
Linksys doesn't support WDS-based bridging. Either get rid of the Linksys

router and WAP11 (substituting Buffalo WBR-G54 as your router/ap/bridge)

or just set the buffalo to use a different channel than Linksys (1, 6, 11

have no overlaps) and run two separate wireless networks. You can

connect the Buffalo to your existing network using ethernet cable and

leave it right next to your existing WAP11. You'll have separate B and G

wireless networks.


----------



## BigHarry

I got 2 of the Buffalo WBR-54s on Friday at CompUSA (2 rebates from them), and picked up another 5040 at RS on Thursday. So I am up and running on both and happy as can be. I will say this, for a non-network guy (but plenty of just PC experience), it was a challenge to get this setup in the bridge mode which kinda started this tread. The doc is not that good. But all is well now. With my 2 WBR54 I found thy both have to be in bridge mode then the report one (upstairs in my case) you have to change the IP Address so it does not conflict, besides turning off DHCP. Also have to do everything in the right order. I had to try several times, but after a couple of hours all is well.


----------



## sygyzy

I've only read half of this thread. Yesterday I received my WLA-G54 and after two calls to tech support found that it is not a true industry standard bridge. They claim all over their box to expand your network and say nothing about only working with OTHER Buffalo products.


I cannot believe everyone here thinks this is the best thing since sliced bread. Most people I know have wireless routers/AP's so buying a bridge for the living room would have been ideal. Everyone here must be filthy rich to think that having to buy TWO bridges from the same company is a solution. Why don't you guys get a Linksys or Netgear bridge (which will talk to ANY 802.11 device) and be set?


Mine is going back ASAP.


----------



## sfhub

Quote:

_Originally posted by sygyzy_
*Yesterday I received my WLA-G54 and after two calls to tech support found that it is not a true industry standard bridge.

...

I cannot believe everyone here thinks this is the best thing since sliced bread. Most people I know have wireless routers/AP's so buying a bridge for the living room would have been ideal.

...

Everyone here must be filthy rich to think that having to buy TWO bridges from the same company is a solution. Why don't you guys get a Linksys or Netgear bridge (which will talk to ANY 802.11 device) and be set?
*
There is no industry standard for bridges. WDS is far closer to a standard

than the proprietary point-to-point, point-to-multipoint, and AP Client

modes of other bridges, which BTW will only work with a particular

vendors equipment and many times will be restricted to their APs and

won't work with router/APs.


The Buffalo theoretically should work with any vendors equipment which

uses WDS-based bridging, but I doubt they've done a whole lot of

interop testing.


The reason we think so highly of the buffalo is:

1) the most important reason is _it works_ for streaming HQ (wet54g does

not work, even works more poorly than wet11)

2) each unit can work simultaneously as a AP and a bridge. This can

significantly reduce the amount of equipment you need to get full

coverage in your house and the bridging is thrown in for free. wet54g

can only bridge. You cannot associate your laptop with it so there is

no extension of range.

3) buffalo has a builtin 4-port switch. wet54g has a single port so you

need to get a separate switch to work with multiple devices, which means

paying $30 to Office Depot and waiting 10 weeks for your rebate on your

Gigafast 5-port switch to get back to you.

4) the price of 2 buffalo WBR-G54 is cheaper than a single WET54G, and

it has more functionality

5) even as a AP/router/firewall, the WBR-G54 functionality is impressive. It

emails you logs of attempts to intrude, integrates with syslog servers,

supports hardware AES encryption functionality from the Broadcom chip.


The reason we didn't look at a Linksys bridge are:

1) it doesn't work for streaming, search for the threads on wet54g

this is a showstopper

2) it costs more than 2 buffalos and has less functionality


BTW wet54g and wge101 implement a type a bridging called MAC

masquerading. The reason it works with multiple vendors is not because

it is "industry standard" bridging, but rather it is a technique to mask

multiple machines behind the MAC address of the bridge.


From the standpoint of the AP the bridge looks just like any other

mobile client like your laptops. While this is supposed to be transparent,

in practice it doesn't always end up that way, especially if you are using

DHCP, where the MAC address is exposed at the frame level and again

at the IP level. The MAC masquerading in the bridge only adjusts the

MAC address in the ethernet frame. Common problems you'll see is

a DHCP client sitting behind the bridge cycles to new IP addresses upon

renewal instead of keeping the same IP. Also to work with gaming systems

like xbox, the bridge needs to "clone" the MAC address of the xbox or it

won't work.


Also BTW, this thread was about WBR-G54, not WLA-G54. I'm sorry you

bought the bridge version. You should have bought the WBR-G54 from

CompUSA for $50x2=$100 instead and it would have served your purposes.


----------



## pianoman41

Missed it by a day at CompUSA. Everywhere else it's between $80-$100. Guess I'll wait until the next sale.


----------



## sfhub

In case anyone was curious, I did some testing over a dedicated bridge

between 2 WBR-G54s. It didn't seem to matter whether frame bursting

was turned on or whether 802.11g protection was used.


I consistently was getting 2.2MB/sec FTP transfer rates. In my experience

HQ streaming usually sticks around 900-1200KB/sec sometimes peaking

around 1500KB/sec. If tried ch6 which was more congested, I'd still usually

get 2.2MB/sec, but sometimes it would drop much slower and startup

again.


This is running 2.02 firmware with WEP off.


----------



## yenner

Does the Netgear WGR614NA 802.11g Wireless Router support WDS bridging?


----------



## ImBrian

I am using three WBR-G54s to connect with:


1. My 2Wire1000, which will continue it's role as DSL Modem and router

(connected in wired mode from the 2Wire local Ethernet Port to the port labeled WAN on the Buffalo, and then one of the switch ports to the Ethernet port on my PC).


2. 2-RTV5040s, which I will be connecting in wireless mode, one dedicated,a nd one shared..


I have only started the setup on the first one, for use with my PC. Can anyone who has a few minutes go through the specific setup settings to use this in bridge mode only? I have disabled DHCP, and made sure the WAN is off, but several of the setup screens seem moderately conflicting, and in any case, I have not yet been successful in getting bandwidth through to my PC. I am unclear whether I need to set any of the defualt gateway, DNS, or IP settings when DHCP is disabled. I am at the point where I am running trial and error experiments, and am hoping someone can help cut through to a solution.


Thanks for the help.


----------



## sfhub

Quote:

_Originally posted by yenner_
*Does the Netgear WGR614NA 802.11g Wireless Router support WDS bridging?*
I have zero personal experience with WGR614 so take any comments I

make with a grain of salt.


I don't believe it supports WDS bridging based on comments from other

owners. I think if you need to bridge to WGR614NA your options are

to get one of the MAC masquerading bridges which will work with any

vendor. However if you want to use it for streaming buy from a place

with a good return policy. Someone mentioned to me they tried WGE101

bridge and weren't able to stream consistently but I don't know how hard

they tried to get it working and whether there were config/fw problems.


In general I've found that it is best to stick to a single chipset vendor

for your G equipment. Either get all Intersil-based (or whoever owns

them now) or all Broadcom-based. Mixing is supposed to work, but lots

of people with problems operate in a mixed environment and lots of the

firmware updates that were supposed to fix everything once G became

standardized haven't done so.


The B equipment on the otherhand is much more interoperable, probably

because for a long time Intersil was the primary provider for most vendors.


----------



## sfhub

Quote:

_Originally posted by ImBrian_
*1. My 2Wire1000, which will continue it's role as DSL Modem and router

(connected in wired mode from the 2Wire local Ethernet Port to the port labeled WAN on the Buffalo, and then one of the switch ports to the Ethernet port on my PC).


2. 2-RTV5040s, which I will be connecting in wireless mode, one dedicated,a nd one shared..


I have only started the setup on the first one, for use with my PC. Can anyone who has a few minutes go through the specific setup settings to use this in bridge mode only? I have disabled DHCP, and made sure the WAN is off, but several of the setup screens seem moderately conflicting, and in any case, I have not yet been successful in getting bandwidth through to my PC. I am unclear whether I need to set any of the defualt gateway, DNS, or IP settings when DHCP is disabled. I am at the point where I am running trial and error experiments, and am hoping someone can help cut through to a solution.
*
For your scenario:

1) plug everything into the *LAN* ports on the Buffalo, nothing should be

connected to *WAN* since you are using 2Wire as your router

In Buffalo confg:

2) management->initialization/reboot

restore factory defaults

I like to start fresh to eliminate past config issues

3) LAN settings->DHCP Server

set to "Do not use", Press "Set" button

you'll need to change the URL IP address in the browser to the new

LAN IP just configured since it'll still be on 192.168.11.1

4) LAN settings->LAN Port

set LAN IP to something in your 2Wire subnet (ie 192.168.1.6)

set netmask 255.255.255.0

press "Set" button

5) WAN settings->WAN port

set WAN IP to manual setting and an dummy IP like 192.168.66.2

set netmask 255.255.255.0

press "Set" button

6) WAN settings->Network of WAN

set default gateway to be 2Wire portal LAN IP

set DNS to be what you normally use on your 2Wire network

press "Set" button

7) management->initialization/reboot

restart

I like to restart at this point, because I found at times even if you make

changes and press "Set" the router gets in a funky state and doesn't

accept the changes until full reboot


7) repeat 2-7 for each buffalo, changing the LAN IP in step 3


Now you'll have 3 buffalos with basically the router functionality turned off

ready to act as AP or AP/bridges.


Assuming the LAN IPs of your Buffalos are 192.168.1.(6, 7, 8)

Connect all 3 Buffalos to a switch on your LAN

Open 3 browser windows, one to each Buffalo IP address


Now we are all set to configure the bridging...


8) LAN settings->Wireless bridge(WDS)

On all three units, enable Wireless Bridge (WDS) function

On the dedicated bridge units, also enable Wireless bridge (WDS)

dedicated mode

press "Set" button


9) LAN settings->Wireless bridge(WDS)

Now we configure the bridges to see each other and which routes to take

to forward traffic


Use Add AirStation (MAC Address) to configure knowledge of the other

bridges. All three web pages should display the WLAN MAC address

(also referred to as "radio side Media Access Control Address") of

that particular unit, so it is easy to cut/paste from one browser window

to another.


Assuming you have one central AP (AP1) and 2 dedicated bridges in

opposite corners of the house (AP2 & AP3) you'll probably setup a

multipoint bridge like this:


AP2AP1AP3


In that case...


AP1 needs have WLAN MAC address of AP2 and AP3 added to it's list.


AP2 needs WLAN MAC of AP1 added to its list.


AP3 needs to have WLAN MAC of AP1 added to its list.


After you are done, *disconnect only AP2 and AP3* from the switch and

*reboot* each buffalo. You can confirm that the bridges see each other

by pinging the LAN IP for AP2 and AP3 from your laptop.


If you want go play around with WEP and the various G modes like

frame bursting, protection, etc. Make sure all the bridges share the

same channel.


----------



## BigHarry

A good set of instructioins. If I had had these when I set mine up this past weekend I would have saved some time.


----------



## Patrick TX

Well now! We be WIRELESS! I now have 2 WBR's, & a PC card all playing like a happy herd of Buffalos! Many thanks for the helpful posts. These are a STEAL at $50!


----------



## phlegmer

Quote:

_Originally posted by octavian_
*I have been checking the US web site for the 2.02 firmware update that is posted on the UK web site. When I went there today I noticed that they had pulled the 2.01 firmware and gone back to the 1.31 version. Wonder what is wrong with the 2.01 firmware. Anybody having problems with the 2.01 firmware?


The UK site still has the 2.02 firmware posted.


octavian*
My newest Buffalo in the herd actually came with 2.01 already installed (mine all have 1.30) I chatted with their 24/7 support team and they said that 2.01 was pulled because they discovered that there were some problems using VPN with this version. He told me that they should have a new fixed version by the end of January - begining of February.


Sure would be cool if Loopback was included.


One last thing, DO NOT INSTALL THE UK FIRMWARE. This is what the support team was tellng me at least. The Warrenty will be voided for sure. Just FYI.


----------



## j.m.

Quote:

_Originally posted by phlegmer_
*One last thing, DO NOT INSTALL THE UK FIRMWARE. This is what the support team was tellng me at least. The Warrenty will be voided for sure. Just FYI.*
At least for every version I have compared (i.e. the most recent ones), the UK and US firmwares are binary IDENTICAL. So, unless you tell them you flashed with firmware downloaded from the UK site, they aren't going to be able to tell that.


----------



## Patrick TX

One of mine was made in Taiwan, with 1.30. The other was from Japan with 2.01. I flashed to 2.01 from here.
http://www.buffalo-technology.com/download/firmware.htm


----------



## phlegmer

Quote:

_Originally posted by Patrick TX_
*One of mine was made in Taiwan, with 1.30. The other was from Japan with 2.01. I flashed to 2.01 from here.
http://www.buffalo-technology.com/download/firmware.htm *
That would be the UK site. The US site is http://www.buffalotech.com/wireless/...?type=firmware


----------



## th3sp3ck

I'm pretty new to networking and very new to ReplayTV. I've tried to read through this thread and I almost understand but since I donâ€™t, I figure Iâ€™ll just ask.


I have two ReplayTVs and some other computers connected via a wireless network and it is all functioning, but when I stream between the two ReplayTVs it stutters. I'm trying to figure out how to best rectify the situation?


I have a Linksys Wireless B Router (BEFW11S4) hooked up to my cable modem. I have a Linksys G Bridge (WET54G) on one ReplayTV and a Linksys Wireless G Game Adapter (WGA54G) on the other. It sounds like my best option would be to get a G Access Point (WAP54G) and then somehow configure my network so only the Access Point and ReplayTVs are using 802.11G to communicate? Is that correct? Is it possible to tell the Access Point to only â€œTalk Gâ€? Could a G router do the same thing? Any other thoughts or suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated!


----------



## Namuna

Just posted a decent deal for the Buffalo router and PC card for $102.94 over at FW ( http://www.**************/forums/mess...hreadid=257341 )


Or you can pick up just the router for $69.99 and free shipping http://www.computers4sure.com/Produc...437099&iid=342 rebate only good for purchases up until 1/4/04


----------



## moyekj

Quote:

_Originally posted by th3sp3ck_
*I'm pretty new to networking and very new to ReplayTV. I've tried to read through this thread and I almost understand but since I donâ€™t, I figure Iâ€™ll just ask.


I have two ReplayTVs and some other computers connected via a wireless network and it is all functioning, but when I stream between the two ReplayTVs it stutters. I'm trying to figure out how to best rectify the situation?


I have a Linksys Wireless B Router (BEFW11S4) hooked up to my cable modem. I have a Linksys G Bridge (WET54G) on one ReplayTV and a Linksys Wireless G Game Adapter (WGA54G) on the other. It sounds like my best option would be to get a G Access Point (WAP54G) and then somehow configure my network so only the Access Point and ReplayTVs are using 802.11G to communicate? Is that correct? Is it possible to tell the Access Point to only â€œTalk Gâ€? Could a G router do the same thing? Any other thoughts or suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated!*
The WET54G is your problem for streaming - for some reason it is horrible at dealing with streaming - I had the WET11 + BEFW11S4 combo and could stream standard + medium quality without a hitch. When replacing WET11 with WET54G I couldn't even stream standard. The best Linksys solution for HQ streaming is using WAP54G bridging (I have 3 WAP54Gs bridging 3 RTVs). However, given your existing equipment that means you would have to buy 2 or 3 WAP54Gs which would cost you a bundle compared to buying 2 or 3 WBR-G54s. If you go with the WBR-G54s you could basically get rid of all the Linksys wireless equipment you currently have. Here's my original thread on Linksys WAP54G bridging:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...hreadid=270307


----------



## jasonsf

OK, I just set up my 2 Buffalos and they seem to be working great. One connects to my modem and does the routing (and has wired connections to my computers) and the other is connected to my Replay.


I'm going to set the Buffalos to use only G devices and I want to use my USR8054 to handle mixed G+B traffic. I've plugged my USR WAN port in to one of the ports on the Buffalo-router. I've disabled DHCP on the USR. What else do I have to do to have wireless devices connected to the USR get assigned IP addresses by the Buffalo and have access to the internet? Can't seem to get that part working.


If I set my IP on a device connected to the USR via wire to use the IP of the USR as the gateway, that computer can access the internet. I cannot get DHCP to work via the USR, though.


Any thoughts?


Thanks-


Jason


----------



## skleiser

Quote:

_Originally posted by jasonsf_
*I've plugged my USR WAN port in to one of the ports on the Buffalo-router.*
Use a USR LAN port - you want everybody in the same IP network. (A home router routes between 2 networks - the WAN and the LAN.)


-steve-


----------



## jasonsf

Quote:

Use a USR LAN port - you want everybody in the same IP network. (A home router routes between 2 networks - the WAN and the LAN.)


Thanks. I finally got the USR router to work as an AP. Now my Buffalo #2 won't bridge anymore. I set the MACs and everything looks fine but the wireless link never happens. I know I had this working earlier. I can't figure out what happened. I flashed both units down to 1.31. They came with 2.01. Since that was officially recalled I figured I should stick with the party line.


I also had a problem saving and then restoring my setup. A bin file was saved but it didn't seem to restore. Anyone else have that issue?


Jason


----------



## cable0

OK, after reading all 14 pages on this thread, I have a head ache 


I have one RTV 5040(lifetime) and one RTV 5504(3 year). I have an SMC2652W AP (802.11 b) with two Linksys WGA11B (wireless gaming device bridge) connected to the two RTV's. The RTV's will connect to the net and download though the SMC AP, however they do not see each other for sharing.


I can not run wires to hardwire to the current network.


I have verified all settings are correct on the gaming devices and AP with the setup program that came with the gaming devices.


What would be my cheapest solution to get streaming working?


Anyone know of a router that will work with the WGA11B"s?


I am still within the return period of the gaming devices, the SMC AP is too old to return.


----------



## moyekj

With your setup - 2 RTVs separated wirelessly from the router, the cheapest way to go is 3 Buffalo WBR-G54s which would replace the 2 WGA11Bs and the SMC AP. 1 WBR would act as your main router/DHCP host/firewall (replacing the SMC AP) and the other 2 bridge to your RTVs with router functions disabled (replacing your WGA11Bs). With that setup HQ streaming would work fine.

NOTE: If you could re-locate 1 RTV to same room as cable modem or DSL you would then just need 2 Buffalo WBR-G54s as only 1 RTV would need to go wireless.


----------



## ejpbowie

spent the day yesterday setting up my two Buffalo G54s and DVArchive, and they work great. Has anyone figured out the optimal settings for these things, assuming one is running only 802.11g? Also, exactly how do you open up a port so that you can receive shows from others?


----------



## MaxH

I just got my 3 WBR-54Gs and hope to set up one as a new router (with my BEFW11S4 daisy-chained off my base WBR-54G to avoid mixed-use slowdowns), one as a bridge to my 5080, and one for my NEXT 5xxx unit, details to be determined as my credit permits.  But now I'm wondering what exactly my new toys can do, and why it's a good thing. Can anyone point me to either online info or dead-tree info on WDS and WPA "for dummies"? (I've taught myself a lot, but I'm really a hobbyist rather than a paid IT person, so somewhere between "Dummies" and "O'Reilly" would be perfect.) The Buffalo site was a start, but not comprehensive (much like their documentation).


Thanks, and I'll let you all know how it went, especially if I run into any trouble. 


Oh, and a special thanks to the person who mentioned why MAC filtering is fairly transparent, more on a par with hiding your SSID than with encryption. I thought it would be more secure to limit my network to specific device IDs, but I hadn't realized that those MAC addresses were interceptable and interpretable to eavesdroppers.


----------



## mrwright

Anyone tried powerline options, e.g., Netgear Powerline Ethernet Adapter (XE602), as an alternative to Buffalo, other wireless, or traditional wired options? Any successes? Failures?


By the way, MaxH, a neighborly hullo.


----------



## moyekj

Most of the feedback I've seen in this forum on streaming using powerline adapters is:

Net connects: Work fine.

Low Quality: Works fine in most reports

Medium Quality: May work if you're lucky, but even if it works, expect many glitches in the streaming.

High Quality: Forget about it.

i.e. This is roughly on par with streaming using 802.11b, perhaps a little worse.

But of course, YMMV. Wired should always be your first choice if possible - cheapest and most reliable by far.


----------



## jwtseng

I agree with moyekj.


I had a 802.11b network at home that was extended with the Netgear Powerline ethernet adapters that mrwright mentioned. Internet access including streaming internet radio and file transfers were very acceptable. When I got my two 5040's, I figured I'd get a couple more Netgear Powerlines and have a party. But before I ordered, I hooked up the RTV's with my existing Powerlines. Net connect worked fine as expected, but any kind of streaming - even low quality - was awful. I wasn't too hopeful regarding the streaming anyway, but definitely bagged the Powerline idea.


That's when I happened upon the OReilly article about the Buffalo products and AEBS with WDS bridging and stuff. My 4 WBR-G54's along with the two RTV's and all my computers, printers, etc. are still working without any problems to date.


My advice...skip PowerLine and PhoneLine products. If you can physically wire a connection, that would be the best. Otherwise, at these prices, converting over to 802.11g is a no brainer. The Buffalo product is a tested champ with RTV high-quality streaming and IVS. The only thing you miss out on is the questionable usefulness of "loopback" as a router.


----------



## bobby_t1

Question about this for you guys.


I have one Replay 5504 (upstair bedroom) and a Replay 5040 (downstairs living room). I have a D-Link DI-624 802.11g router for my home network. I have all 802.11g devices so far in my 2 notebooks and my main PC is hardwire connected to the D-Link router.


Currently I have a D-Link DWL-G810 which is a 802.11g and ethernet bridge. Basically it plugs into my replay's ethernet connection and bridges it to my main D-Link router.


I planned on getting the same bridge for my bedroom replay, then I stumbled upon this thread.


I tried using DVArchive, but was getting abysmal transfer rates. Can't remember right now, but I coudln't even watch shows from my main hardwired PC. Mind you, I didn't tweak the speed settings on DVArchive to set it to 0. It was set to the default settings I think.


Will hooking up the Buffalo units to my 2 replay's solve the speed problem? Does my D-Link DI-624 main router need to have any special feature to allow the Buffalo base stations to connect to it?


----------



## moyekj

Quote:

_Originally posted by bobby_t1_
*Will hooking up the Buffalo units to my 2 replay's solve the speed problem? Does my D-Link DI-624 main router need to have any special feature to allow the Buffalo base stations to connect to it?*
From what I gather you have 2 RTVs that you need to bridge wirelessly to your router. If that's the case you would really need 3 Buffalo units to complete the setup. Note that these Buffalo bridges can only bridge to each other, not to your D-Link router, and therefore the 3rd Buffalo would be needed to connect to your WAN (cable or dsl therefore replacing your existing router). The other 2 of course would connect to each of your RTVs with their router functions disabled. Your existing D-Link router and bridge then become unecessary, as your other 802.11g clients can all connect via 1 or more of the Buffalo units.


Oh, and yes, this would most likely solve your speed issues - but with 802.11 you never know for sure until you try it in your environment, so if you decide to purchase, buy from an outfit that offers full refunds for returns.


----------



## bakerzdosen

I just thought I'd throw my tally mark into the ring here...


I bought two of the WBR-g54's with the last Compusa sale, and couldn't be happier (well, a free Caribbean island or winning lottery ticket would probably accomplish that, but I digress).


I'm getting speeds from my 5xxx to my dvarchive that are nearly identical to a wired connections to the units - around 1.5 to 1.6 mb/s. One of these days when the 2nd 5xxx makes its way to the bedroom, I'll get another g54 and use the spanning tree feature, but until then, I'm set.


Set up was pretty easy for me, with the exception of running both g54's as bridges (so everything in the house is on the same network including computers connected to other wireless networks using only one dhcp server.) Once I figured that out (don't use the WAN port at all), it was simple. I didn't have to crack open a manual at all, but then again, I play a systems engineer at work FWIW...


----------



## qtv

Just a heads up that CompUSA has the Buffalo WBR-G54 routers on sale again. It's $85 out the door and, if you're willing, two *manufacturer* (not CompUSA) mail-in rebates ($15 and $20) to submit. In the end, it comes out to $50.


----------



## jgenovese

I was just about to hit submit on my order when I read the fine print..... 1 rebate per household. Instead ot $200, it would be $305.

John


----------



## qtv

Good eye, *jgenovese*. I forgot to mention that. Also keep in mind that this price is only good through Saturday (Jan. 3) at which time the rebates expire.


----------



## bobby_t1

Quote:

_Originally posted by moyekj_
*From what I gather you have 2 RTVs that you need to bridge wirelessly to your router. If that's the case you would really need 3 Buffalo units to complete the setup. Note that these Buffalo bridges can only bridge to each other, not to your D-Link router, and therefore the 3rd Buffalo would be needed to connect to your WAN (cable or dsl therefore replacing your existing router). The other 2 of course would connect to each of your RTVs with their router functions disabled. Your existing D-Link router and bridge then become unecessary, as your other 802.11g clients can all connect via 1 or more of the Buffalo units.


Oh, and yes, this would most likely solve your speed issues - but with 802.11 you never know for sure until you try it in your environment, so if you decide to purchase, buy from an outfit that offers full refunds for returns.*
So I can't use 1 buffalo unit connected to my replay to connect to my D-Link router?


----------



## sfhub

Quote:

_Originally posted by bobby_t1_
*So I can't use 1 buffalo unit connected to my replay to connect to my D-Link router?*
Most likely not, unless you can get the D-Link to support WDS bridging.


----------



## bobby_t1

I really don't want to have to buy a Buffalo router as my main router. I've heard config nightmares and poor performance compared to my d-link. Plus, I'd have to shell out enough money to buy 3 of them!


Out of curiosity, since there is WDS bridging going on, does this mean that if I have a wifi client next to one of hte replays, will it connect to that buffalo unit instead of teh main one?


----------



## jwtseng

Quote:

_Originally posted by bobby_t1_
*I really don't want to have to buy a Buffalo router as my main router. I've heard config nightmares and poor performance compared to my d-link. Plus, I'd have to shell out enough money to buy 3 of them!


Out of curiosity, since there is WDS bridging going on, does this mean that if I have a wifi client next to one of hte replays, will it connect to that buffalo unit instead of teh main one?*
PC Magazine *did* rate the Buffalo with highest throughput in its updated review of the WBR-G54.


As far as wifi clients go, you can specify the bridged WBR-G54 to be bridge-only or both bridge and AP.


----------



## bobby_t1

thanks for the info about the ratings.. i guess the reviews i read were on the old firmware. The new firmware apparantly has sped things up. The reviews on the configuration menus of the router say it is just brutal, but I'm sure I can get it going.. just gotta find some way to do this cheap 


When set to "bridge-only", does this mean that it will only connect wired clients to the main router? And "both bridge and AP" means it will connect both wired adn wireless clients?


If that's the case, I'm assuming each AP (the 2 buffalos on each replay and the "main" router) will have its own SSID. How do wifi clients (laptops) deal with multiple buffalo WBR-G54's in close proximity? DO it has problems switching from one AP to the other constantly? (imagine 3 Buffalos in the same room as an extreme example).


----------



## moyekj

No, keep all Buffalo units on same SSID so they can all talk to each other. If you choose to have more than 1 wireless network running simultaneously then you would use different SSIDs and different channels. When all are on same SSID and set to bridge and AP mode, clients will connect to strongest of the signals. In your extreme case example this may be a problem, but under normal circumstances not. Bridge-only means it will only bridge to 1 or more Buffalo units (you have control over which), not wireless clients.


I know how you fell about not wanting to discard your previous 802.11 investments, I still have some leftover equipment even though I gave some away to friends and relatives - it's the price you pay for early adoption. Had this Buffalo solution been released earlier (and it took them a while to get them working properly) I could have saved a bundle.


----------



## bobby_t1

how do the buffalo units perform in mixed B and G traffic? This has always been the downside of having a G router do mixed traffic. I know you could have both a B and G router to handle each respective traffic, but i'm trying to reduce the amount of equipment I have.


If the buffalos handle B+G mixed mode well enough, I may be good to go.


----------



## roddie

Quote:

No, keep all Buffalo units on same SSID so they can all talk to each other.
They'll bridge to each other regardless of the SSID setting.


I've been messing around with my setup over the holidays and discovered that a lot of the roaming behavior we had been discussing has to do with the client, as well.


I use a Proxim Orinoco Combo card and the software will associate to a different AP with a different SSID when the signal strength reaches 100% and the current AP falls off to less than 90%, not just when the original drops out of range completely. I'm still trying to figure out the exact numbers.


----------



## sfhub

Quote:

_Originally posted by bobby_t1_
*how do the buffalo units perform in mixed B and G traffic? This has always been the downside of having a G router do mixed traffic. I know you could have both a B and G router to handle each respective traffic, but i'm trying to reduce the amount of equipment I have.


If the buffalos handle B+G mixed mode well enough, I may be good to go.*
If you need to run mixed mode, I suggest you keep your B hardware

and run two separate networks on channels which have very little

overlap like 1, 6, 11.


All the broadcom based G equipment will perform similarly in mixed mode

(which isn't great) and many of the vendors are using broadcom, so it

really isn't a reason to buy or not buy Buffalo.


----------



## jwtseng

Recommendation for you if you absolutely need to keep 802.11b....don't run mixed mode with the Buffalo. Set the Buffalo to "Turbo" mode, which is G-only. Then string your old 802.11b AP to the back of the Buffalo for your 802.11b clients. Just make sure to turn DHCP and NAT off on the 802.11b AP so that the main Buffalo router will continute to assign IPs through the 802.11b AP network as well.


----------



## mrwright

Exercise caution with the mail-in rebates. A close inspection of the .pdfs on the CompUSA site reveals that while the $15.00 ("BT-0403") may be compatible with the $20.00 ("BT-0317"), the reverse may not be true. Mistake in the fine print? Or intentional ruse to falsely advertise a crazy low price? YOU DECIDE.


Also, the submission deadlines differ for the two, providing even more opportunity to trip-up the more careless consumers and deny rebates.


----------



## jwtseng

Regarding rebates...if you're especially OCD like me, they may be worthwhile...don't forget to keep copies of EVERYTHING until the check arrives and don't be shy about calling the rebate processing centers either.


Having said all that, it's funny because I am *still* waiting for a rebate from the two NetGear Powerline Ethernet Adaptors that I told you guys to pass up on a few posts ago.


A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Be careful out there. Rebates are definitely corporate America's way of legally screwing people over and playing with their minds. Hehe... back on topic now...


----------



## avscrds

Okay, after many many hours of playing with this, here's what I've got.... It mostly works.... in fact, everything *but* IVS works.


I have three Buffalo WBR-54G's, two configured as Bridges in exclusive mode and one configured as a Router/Hub (Call 'em Bridge1, Bridge2, and Hub). All are using 2.02 Firmware. Common settings are:


11g(54M)-Turbo

Privacy Seperator: Do Not Use.

Frame-Bursting: Use

802.11g protection OFF

DTIM 1

ESS-ID: Each has a unique ID

Channel: All set to channel 6

Power: All set to 100%


Hub has WDS enabled, not exclusive mode, and has the Wireless MAC of Bridge1 and Bridge2 in its table.


Bridge1 has WDS enabled, exclusive, and has the Wireless MAC of Hub only.


Bridge2 has WDS enabled, exclusive, and has the Wireless MAC of Hub only.


With this setup, both ReplayTV1 and ReplayTV2 can talk to the web, and they see each other and can watch each others shows. Peachy!


Ahead of this mess I have a Zyxel DSL router connected to the internet, with an IP routing policy set up to forward all requests for port 29001 or 29002 to the Hub's WAN IP address (192.168.1.2). I have the Hub configured to route all traffic on port 29001 to ReplayTV1's IP and all traffic on port 29002 to ReplayTV2's IP. ReplayTV1 and ReplayTV2 have internet ports set to 29001 and 29002 respectively.


If I browse ReplayTV1-IP:29001/ivs-IVSGetUnitInfo I can see unit 1, and if I browse to ReplayTV2-IP:29002/ivs-IVSGetUnitInfo I get the other, so that works...... the hitch is that I can not, from the outside world, browse to MyDSL-IP:29001 or MyDSL-IP:29002 - the connection keeps getting refused. I also can not browse to Hub-LAN-IP:29001 or 2 nor to Hub-WAN-IP:29001 or 2.... all refused. So I suspect the problem to be in the Hub not in the DSL modem (at least not yet).


Any suggestions, fffolks?


Glenn


----------



## j.m.

Quote:

_Originally posted by avscrds_
*Ahead of this mess I have a Zyxel DSL router connected to the internet, with an IP routing policy set up to forward all requests for port 29001 or 29002 to the Hub's WAN IP address (192.168.1.2). I have the Hub configured to route all traffic on port 29001 to ReplayTV1's IP and all traffic on port 29002 to ReplayTV2's IP. ReplayTV1 and ReplayTV2 have internet ports set to 29001 and 29002 respectively.*
The problem is that you have set up a Double NAT situation that just isn't going to work as configured. You see, the WBR-G54 is not a hub. It is a router. Therefore, your ReplayTVs are behind two different NAT routers (the Zyxel and the WBR-G54), which is needlessly complicated and ripe for the type of problems you are having.


The solution? Disable NAT routing on EITHER the Zyxel or the WBR-G54. Personally, I would disable the routing on the Zyxel if possible, as the WBR-G54 is almost certainly a superior router in every way. Basically, you will use the Zyxel as just a DSL modem hooked to the WAN port of the WBR-G54. The problem is that depending on the model of your Zyxel it may not be possible to do this. See http://www.dslreports.com/faq/5689 for instructions for doing this on the models that support it.


If yours DOESNT support it, you will need to disable NAT routing on the WBR-G54 instead. The option is under Network settings|Address Translation (select "Do not use"). You may also want to connect the Zyxel to the WBR-G54 via a LAN port rather than WAN. However, because the WBR-G54 WAN port is 10/100, as long as Address Translation is off, it probably amounts to the same thing. (In fact, you might get away with just leaving Address Translation on but hooking the Zyxel into a LAN port on the WBR-G54 rather than WAN.) In any case, in this setup, *ALL* port forwarding is done with the Zyxel. I.e., set up an IP Policy to forward 29001 to ReplayTV1-IP and 29002 to ReplayTV2-IP in the Zyxel config pages.


----------



## sfhub

Quote:

_Originally posted by avscrds_
*Ahead of this mess I have a Zyxel DSL router connected to the internet, with an IP routing policy set up to forward all requests for port 29001 or 29002 to the Hub's WAN IP address (192.168.1.2). I have the Hub configured to route all traffic on port 29001 to ReplayTV1's IP and all traffic on port 29002 to ReplayTV2's IP. ReplayTV1 and ReplayTV2 have internet ports set to 29001 and 29002 respectively.


If I browse ReplayTV1-IP:29001/ivs-IVSGetUnitInfo I can see unit 1, and if I browse to ReplayTV2-IP:29002/ivs-IVSGetUnitInfo I get the other, so that works...... the hitch is that I can not, from the outside world, browse to MyDSL-IP:29001 or MyDSL-IP:29002 - the connection keeps getting refused. I also can not browse to Hub-LAN-IP:29001 or 2 nor to Hub-WAN-IP:29001 or 2.... all refused. So I suspect the problem to be in the Hub not in the DSL modem (at least not yet).
*
j.m. makes a good suggestion that double-NAT is overly complicated for

your setup, though there's no reason it can't work if you really wanted to

go through as an intellectual exercise. Your Buffalo WAN would be

something like 192.168.1.x/24 and the Buffalo LAN would be something

like 192.168.2.x/24.


Getting rid of the double-NAT is a better way to proceed. I suggest instead

of connecting the Zyxel to the Buffalo (hub) WAN port, connect it to one of

the Buffalo's (hub) LAN ports. Run a single 192.168.1.x/24 subnet and

everything should just work.


----------



## dlathem

I am having a problem with "G" streaming from my Replay to my laptop. I purchased the Buffalo wireless g router access point and an Air Card at CompUSA a few days ago.


This is my set up. I have Bellsouth DSL via a Westel Modem/Router. I am using the router on the Westel into a D-link switch. From that switch I feed my PC in the basement, a spare line, a feed up one floor to the ReplayTV and a feed two stories upstairs to another switch. Connected to the upstairs switch is a PC with NIC card and an old Linksy WAP 11 "b".


So I have a wired and wireless network. My daughter uses the wireless when she is home with her laptop.


I wanted to be able to stream to my laptop so I bought the Buffalo "G" gear on sale. Once I got the NAT and DHCP turned off on the Buffalo and a static IP assigned I placed it next to the Replay and connected the feed from downstaris to the Buffalo on the LAN side and connected the REPLAY back to the Buffalo from another port on the switch.


The aircard in my laptop was real easy to set up. I am getting very, very good speeds with this set up. I installed DVArchive on the laptop and it will see the ReplayTV just fine. However, when I go to stream video from the Replay to my laptop it wants to first download it to the laptop! My wired PC downstairs has no problem streaming from the ReplayTV without first downloading.


In addition, I can access my downstairs PC via the "G" connected laptop and stream video from my shared ReplayTV storage drive.


I am very happy with the Buffalo gear, but I cannot stream from Replay to laptop! I can transfer from Replay to laptop at speeds faster than needed to support a realtime video stream.


I know this has been long, but I am just trying to figure out what I did wrong.


PS mixed mode....my daughters laptop has been having problems with the WAP 11 upstairs. It has crapped out several times this week and I have had to power cycle it. I guess it is getting old 3 years of 24/7.


So I went into her network settings and connected her Orinoco Silver PCMCIA card to my new Buffalo network. She is running fine at 11 and I am running fine at 54 at the same time.


Thanks


Dennis


----------



## sfhub

Quote:

_Originally posted by dlathem_
*PS mixed mode....my daughters laptop has been having problems with the WAP 11 upstairs. It has crapped out several times this week and I have had to power cycle it. I guess it is getting old 3 years of 24/7.*
Make sure your WAP11 and Buffalo WBR-G54 are running on distinct

channels which have little overlap like 1, 6, or 11.


----------



## Phil Locke

I just purchased two of the Buffalo WBR-G54 units at CompUSA. I have (at least I think) a simple setup. One of the Buffalos will work as the router, and the other one will work as a bridge at my Replay 5040. I've read through every post in this thread, and have confirmed that both of the units work, but I'm having trouble following exactly what I need to do.

I've enabled bridging on both units, with the replay unit set as a dedicated bridge. I'm having trouble accessing the units after changing the IP address. I do need to change the IP address of one of the units, correct? If someone could step me through the procedure of setting this up, I'd really appreciate it.


Again, I have cable modem to Buffalo (DHCP mode) to computer and all is well, I can access internet, etc. What do I need to do to the units to establish a wireless connection to the single replaytv?


Thanks!!!!!


----------



## jwtseng

Phil:


You'll need to make sure that each unit has a unique IP. The one acting as the router will need to have DHCP activated. This main router unit will also need WDS bridging activated (you need to put the WIRELESS MAC address of the second unit in the input field). The second router hooked up to your 5040 needs to have DHCP turned OFF. WDS bridging will need to be turned on and you'll need to enter the WIRELESS MAC address of the router unit into the input box on the second unit. It's best if you can configure the second box with a computer/laptop hooked up to it. That way you can confirm by opening a web page or something instead of forcing a net connect of the RTV.


----------



## dlathem

Quote:

_Originally posted by sfhub_
*Make sure your WAP11 and Buffalo WBR-G54 are running on distinct

channels which have little overlap like 1, 6, or 11.*
Absolutely....The WAP11 is on 6 and the BUFF is on 11. The Linksys has been acting up now for several weeks requiring frequent hard scolding and plug pulling and such. I guess it is showing sings of old age. Its' brother, a Linksys BEFSR41 router, passed away suddendly about a month ago. I guess the grief is just too much.


I just checked my laptop again and when I try to stream from the Replay it says connecting and does not even try to download. Funny, the Replay can stream perfectly from the laptop.


Hummmmmmmmmm


----------



## dlathem

Quote:

_Originally posted by jwtseng_
*Phil:


You'll need to make sure that each unit has a unique IP. The one acting as the router will need to have DHCP activated. This main router unit will also need WDS bridging activated (you need to put the WIRELESS MAC address of the second unit in the input field). The second router hooked up to your 5040 needs to have DHCP turned OFF. WDS bridging will need to be turned on and you'll need to enter the WIRELESS MAC address of the router unit into the input box on the second unit. It's best if you can configure the second box with a computer/laptop hooked up to it. That way you can confirm by opening a web page or something instead of forcing a net connect of the RTV.*
Won't you also have to turn NAT off on the BUff connected to the Replay?


----------



## j.m.

Quote:

_Originally posted by dlathem_
*Won't you also have to turn NAT off on the BUff connected to the Replay?*
You could just to be safe, but NAT should be performed only on traffic coming from the WAN side. Therefore, as long as nothing is connected to the WAN port, NAT settings shouldn't really matter.


----------



## Phil Locke

Quote:

_Originally posted by jwtseng_
*Phil:


You'll need to make sure that each unit has a unique IP.*
When I set an IP address to the replay unit (i.e., 192.168.11.2), and then enter the same address into the browser, it says it can't connnect?? Not sure if I'm understanding the concept of settting the IP address.


Thanks!!!


----------



## jwtseng

Quote:

_Originally posted by Phil Locke_
*When I set an IP address to the replay unit (i.e., 192.168.11.2), and then enter the same address into the browser, it says it can't connnect?? Not sure if I'm understanding the concept of settting the IP address.


Thanks!!!*
Don't forget that each device requires a unique IP address...each Buffalo unit requires a different address and each Replay requires a unique address as well.


----------



## skleiser

Quote:

_Originally posted by Phil Locke_
*When I set an IP address to the replay unit (i.e., 192.168.11.2), and then enter the same address into the browser, it says it can't connnect??*
Try http://192.168.11.2/Device_Descr.xml


----------



## bobby_t1

FYI -- those considering the Dell TrueMobile 2300 routers, be aware that these units are PLAGUED with problems.. only remedy is to powercycle the entire router every couple of hours.


See this thread:

http://forums.us.dell.com/supportfor...cending&page=1 


I started this thread after having received 3 replacement routers from Dell and Dell not acknowledging this problem exists.


----------



## Crrink

Anybody know if these will bridge to a Microsoft MN-700 router? I'd like to pick two of these up to act as bridges, but I can't find anything indicating whether they'll work or not.

I e-mailed Buffalo's sales address, but they must be on vacation.


I'd just buy one and try it, but the restocking fee at CompUSA is something I'd much rather avoid.


Thanks.


----------



## bobby_t1

Crrink: i posted in the other thread about this wireless routing. I did some research and it seems that the WDS bridign will *not* work with any of the Microsoft routers. MS routers are great for general use, but when it comes to power users like us, they are lacking.


----------



## Crrink

Saw it over there, thanks.

So, that's why the MS router was so darn easy to set up 

The Buffalo's might prove too complicated for this power user - I'm one of those guys who knows just enough to be dangerous....like the time I was setting MAC Address filtering, and didn't start with the computer I was using....DOH!


----------



## Phil Locke

I was finally able to assign a IP address to the buffalo that will act as a dedicated bridge to the replay. After two calls to Roger at Buffalo Tech. support, I still cannot get the main router to ping the 2nd buffalo - I even tried moving them 1 foot apart thinking that there was a signal issue. I've confirmed the correct wireless MAC addresses for both of the units. Is there any way to determine if I have a bad unit, or are there any other settings I need to change to use the wireless function? Do the ESS ID #s need to match on the two units???


Thanks!!!!


----------



## roddie

Phil,
Quote:

I've confirmed the correct wireless MAC addresses for both of the units.
Double, triple, and quadruple check that you have the correct MACs in the WDS section of each Buffalo as well that you're applying the settings properly. There's a Set, Add, and Apply function for the page that all have to be done. The correct MAC to use for each is displayed on its page beside where it says:

_The radio side Media Access Control Address of this AirStation._


Copy and paste is your friend, here - Also, what firmware are you running?

Quote:

Do the ESS ID #s need to match on the two units???
No.


----------



## jalanmac

I purchased a Buffalo yesterday evening from Compusa based on some of the discussions here and haven't tried bridging yet but thought I would upgrade firmware right off the bat. To my surprise though the firmware version included was 2.01. I haven't seen any discussion on this version and thought I would post to see if I got a one-off or not.


----------



## dlathem

My Buffalo is working great.


For those of you with signal issues check out this site. They sell antennas that will fit the Buffalo and many other species of wireless devices and they are much less expensive than the Buffalo brand. I plan to order a pair of the 5db blade antennas for the two laptops on my system.

http://www.hyperlinktech.com/web/orinoco/orinoco.php 


Minimum order is $100.


Also, I would think with the extra range it will definately a good idea to do MAC filtering or some other kind of security.


I was using my daughter's laptop on the 802.11B system (Linksys) and I went to see if the Orinoco Silver card in her machine would work with the Buffalo system. Not only did it find the Buffalo G system 9and worked) it also found a Hawking Wireless Access Point out there. If I can see another system at a neighbors house then they might be able to see me.


I will summon my courage and set MAC filtering today.


Thanks for all the great comments.


----------



## jwtseng

Phil:


If you go to the "Network Information" page of the config system, you should see a section titled "Wireless" and the wireless MAC address will be found under there. You definitely DO NOT want to use either of the MAC addresses printed on labels on the back of the box. Please confirm that you are entering the correct WIRELESS MAC address.


Also, confirm that you have turned OFF DHCP on the Bridge unit.


If all else fails, I would completely reset the router to default factory settings and start over. I know some other people who were doing everything right (eventually), but probably screwed up some other setting in all the trial and error processes.


----------



## sfhub

Quote:

_Originally posted by dlathem_
*I will summon my courage and set MAC filtering today.
*
My suggestion is to do your MAC filtering configuration while connected

to the bridge via wired ethernet. It is easy to mess up and one wrong

move and you are locked out until you scramble to find your ethernet

cable (while the other people in your house nag)


----------



## sfhub

Quote:

_Originally posted by jalanmac_
*To my surprise though the firmware version included was 2.01. I haven't seen any discussion on this version and thought I would post to see if I got a one-off or not.*
Some units ship with v1.30 and other v2.01. I've gotten both. Both were

made in japan and I couldn't tell any difference with the packaging.


----------



## sfhub

Quote:

_Originally posted by roddie_
*Phil,


Double, triple, and quadruple check that you have the correct MACs in the WDS section of each Buffalo as well that you're applying the settings properly. There's a Set, Add, and Apply function for the page that all have to be done. The correct MAC to use for each is displayed on its page beside where it says:
*
This is a good suggestion. The devices have 3 MAC addresses, WAN, LAN,

WLAN, so it is easy to mix up. Just use the one listed on the config page

for WDS.


----------



## sfhub

Quote:

_Originally posted by jwtseng_
*If all else fails, I would completely reset the router to default factory settings and start over. I know some other people who were doing everything right (eventually), but probably screwed up some other setting in all the trial and error processes.*
I wouldn't make that last resort, would try much earlier 


If someone is having problems that don't make sense, the first thing I'd

suggest is to hard reboot the system. I've encountered situations where

the router UI appeared to be accepting my config changes, but they didn't

"take" until I pulled the plug.


The second suggestion would be reset to factory defaults and start from

scratch. There's a step-by-step summary of setting up the WBR-G54 for

bridging here:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...63#post3088963


----------



## dlathem

Quote:

_Originally posted by sfhub_
*My suggestion is to do your MAC filtering configuration while connected

to the bridge via wired ethernet. It is easy to mess up and one wrong

move and you are locked out until you scramble to find your ethernet

cable (while the other people in your house nag)*


Absolutely! I have a PC downstairs that accessed the Buffalo via the cat5e. This the PC I have used from the beginning to do configuration on the Buffalo.


Thanks


----------



## bobby_t1

Quote:

_Originally posted by dlathem_
*My Buffalo is working great.


For those of you with signal issues check out this site. They sell antennas that will fit the Buffalo and many other species of wireless devices and they are much less expensive than the Buffalo brand. I plan to order a pair of the 5db blade antennas for the two laptops on my system.

http://www.hyperlinktech.com/web/orinoco/orinoco.php 


Minimum order is $100.


Also, I would think with the extra range it will definately a good idea to do MAC filtering or some other kind of security.


I was using my daughter's laptop on the 802.11B system (Linksys) and I went to see if the Orinoco Silver card in her machine would work with the Buffalo system. Not only did it find the Buffalo G system 9and worked) it also found a Hawking Wireless Access Point out there. If I can see another system at a neighbors house then they might be able to see me.


I will summon my courage and set MAC filtering today.


Thanks for all the great comments.*
Wouldn't it be better to have an omnidirectional attenna attached to the buffalo unit itself so that you could avoid having individual antennas for eaech of your client machines?


----------



## dlathem

Quote:

_Originally posted by bobby_t1_
*Wouldn't it be better to have an omnidirectional attenna attached to the buffalo unit itself so that you could avoid having individual antennas for eaech of your client machines?*
I would love to have the high gain omni antenna, but the 18 inch length would have a very low WAF. (wife acceptance factor) Right now the Buffalo is safely tucked away between the Replay and my DVD player. It is not noticable. I am afraid that adding the antenna would not pass with my wife. I had one of those LED display clocks (that paints the time and date with a moving LED wand) positioned on top of the TV cabinet with the Replay and she did not like that. It was banned to the basement.


;-)


----------



## telamon

Quote:

_Originally posted by dlathem_
*I would love to have the high gain omni antenna, but the 18 inch length would have a very low WAF. (wife acceptance factor) Right now the Buffalo is safely tucked away between the Replay and my DVD player. It is not noticable. I am afraid that adding the antenna would not pass with my wife. I had one of those LED display clocks (that paints the time and date with a moving LED wand) positioned on top of the TV cabinet with the Replay and she did not like that. It was banned to the basement.


;-)*
The fact that you have your buffalo tucked in between those devices may be causing some of your signal issues...


Just for kicks, you might try moving it to somewhere slightly more open and see what happens. If you need to cover/obscure it, use something besides metal.


----------



## pianoman41

I'm having the same problem Patrixk TX was having. I'm using one WBR-G54 downstairs as my main router and one upstairs at my 5040. When I tell the 5040 to connect to the network it gives me an error saying it couldn't. It can't find the second DNS server. I don't have a laptop or PC nearby where I can easily hook up to the Buffalo that is connected to the 5040. Should I bring it downstairs and temporarily hook it up to one of the LAN ports on the working Buffalo so I can configure it? Or can I just manually enter the second DNS address on the 5040? I can't find a second DNS listed anywhere when I use the web interface on the PC hooked up to the first Buffalo.


Also, my main router Buffalo--the red Diag light keeps flashing four steady flashes, which according to the manual means wireless trouble. But I can successfully ping the upstairs unit wirelessly.


----------



## dlathem

Quote:

_Originally posted by telamon_
*The fact that you have your buffalo tucked in between those devices may be causing some of your signal issues...


Just for kicks, you might try moving it to somewhere slightly more open and see what happens. If you need to cover/obscure it, use something besides metal.*
I never said I was having signal issues in the normal area I operate. I plan to use my laptop out on the deck when it warms up and the blade antenna will help insure that I get a better signal. In the house things are fine.


----------



## Phil Locke

Quote:

_Originally posted by Phil Locke_
*I still cannot get the main router to ping the 2nd buffalo - I even tried moving them 1 foot apart thinking that there was a signal issue. Is there any way to determine if I have a bad unit?

*
I finally got the main router to ping the bridge. However, it will only work if the two units are within a few feet of each other. I either have a defective unit(s), or signal issues. Are there any issues with using a wireless mouse/keyboard near the base router? If one of the two units is bad, how do I determine which one it is?


Thanks!!!!


----------



## telamon

Quote:

_Originally posted by Phil Locke_
*I finally got the main router to ping the bridge. However, it will only work if the two units are within a few feet of each other. I either have a defective unit(s), or signal issues. Are there any issues with using a wireless mouse/keyboard near the base router? If one of the two units is bad, how do I determine which one it is?


Thanks!!!!*
Which wireless mouse/keyboard are you using? If it uses Bluetooth wireless or something that uses 2.4GHz, then you may have an issue.


It's also possible that someone else has wireless setup near you and is interfering with your signal. There are only three non-overlapping channels: 1,6,11. So maybe try changing channels.


Do you have any other wireless devices? Like a laptop with a wireless card? You could set each of the Buffalo devices up as a router and test with a wireless card.


----------



## Phil Locke

Quote:

_Originally posted by telamon_
*Which wireless mouse/keyboard are you using? If it uses Bluetooth wireless or something that uses 2.4GHz, then you may have an issue.


It's also possible that someone else has wireless setup near you and is interfering with your signal. There are only three non-overlapping channels: 1,6,11. So maybe try changing channels.


Do you have any other wireless devices? Like a laptop with a wireless card? You could set each of the Buffalo devices up as a router and test with a wireless card.*
I'm using the logitech MX700 keyboard/mouse combo. I finally got it to ping all the way across the house by switching to channel 1. Does this mean that someone near my house is using other 2.4 Ghz devices? Why does channel 7 & 11 not work?


Thanks!!!


----------



## telamon

Quote:

_Originally posted by Phil Locke_
*I'm using the logitech MX700 keyboard/mouse combo. I finally got it to ping all the way across the house by switching to channel 1. Does this mean that someone near my house is using other 2.4 Ghz devices? Why does channel 7 & 11 not work?


Thanks!!!*
You mean channels 6 and 11.


The MX700 uses 27MHz frequency so I don't think it should be an issue (though I'm not an RF expert, I just know enough to get by).


If switching to channels 6 and 11 repeatedly cause problems, then there probably is something either using those frequencies or generating a lot of noise on them. It's probably a neighbor's WiFi equipment, cordless phone, or security/video transmission equipment. You don't happen to have any 2.4GHz cordless phones do you?


There is also a remote possibility that there is a defect in your equipment preventing it from using parts of the band. Normally things fail by working or not working altogether, but almost anything is possible.


----------



## sfhub

1, 6, 11 do overlap, but they overlap the least. It was supposed to be

1, 7, 13, but in US we have restricted channel range so 1, 6, 11 was the

next best thing.


Phil - Is it possible you had the bridges configured for different channels?

I've seen behavior similar to what you described when one bridge was on

ch6 and the other on ch11. They could still communicate, but very

sporadically.


----------



## Phil Locke

Quote:

_Originally posted by sfhub_
*1, 6, 11 do overlap, but they overlap the least. It was supposed to be

1, 7, 13, but in US we have restricted channel range so 1, 6, 11 was the

next best thing.


Phil - Is it possible you had the bridges configured for different channels?

I've seen behavior similar to what you described when one bridge was on

ch6 and the other on ch11. They could still communicate, but very

sporadically.*
I checked and both units are configured for the same channel. When I use channel 1 and do a ping test, I typically get around 3.5 ms times. When I download a recorded program from the replay to the computer, my transfer rates are only about 100 kb/sec!!! The replay bridge is in clear site of the main router and is approximately 35' away. I see others using DV archive with much, much higher speeds. I still think I may have a defective unit, since it won't work on channels 6 or 11, and since the transfer speeds with DV archive are so slow.


Any suggestions or comments on the pings or download speeds I've mentioned. I really want this to work, and it does work, but it's so slow - takes about 2 hours to download a 30 southpark episode (low quality on the replay) to the computer.


Help!!! and Thanks!!!!


----------



## sfhub

Might be defective, might not, but on my bridge, I usually see something

like 2.1-2.2 MByte/sec using FTP so what you are seeing is about 20x

slower than what you should be seeing.


----------



## Phil Locke

Stepping back a minute, I just spoke with the Buffalo Tech support dept. (again), and Sharon mentioned that I need to have the wireless network setup in windows xp professional. Do I need to have an icon showing a wireless network under the network section of control panel? Right now, I have the Local Area Connection (my onboard LAN) and the 1394 (firewire card) connection. I do not have a setting for the wireless network. If I need this, how do I go about configuring it?


Thanks!!!!!


----------



## sfhub

Phil -

I lost track of your setup. Could you describe how everything is hooked up

all the way from your computer to the replay and everything in between.


----------



## Namuna

Quick question...


I've search through this entire thread and saw some reference to, but no DIRECT discussion on if the XBox system will work with the WBR-G54.


I have a 5040 in the Living Room connected to a WBR-G54 as a bridge, adding the Xbox should pose no problems and the Xbox will play nice with the router right?


I'm sorry to have to ask, I just want to make sure.


Thanks.


----------



## sfhub

I don't know if anybody has specifically tested, but it should work fine

because WDS-bridging does not muck with the MAC address (which is

a problem with MAC masquerading bridges like WET11 and WET54G)


For the MAC masquerading, they add a "Clone MAC" feature to workaround

the problem with xbox systems relying on MAC address.


----------



## Phil Locke

Quote:

_Originally posted by sfhub_
*Phil -

I lost track of your setup. Could you describe how everything is hooked up

all the way from your computer to the replay and everything in between.*
Sure - I have a cable modem wired to the WAN port of the buffalo router. The router is wired from the LAN port of the router to the computer Network Interface Card. This router is configured with bridging enabled (non-dedicated), DHCP enabled, and has the wireless MAC address correctly entered for the bridge. The bridge (connected to the replay) has bridging enabled (dedicated) and has the wireless MAC address correctly entered for the router. Both the router and bridge are set at channel 1. I'm getting transfer speeds from the replay to the computer of less than 100 kb/sec. When I ping the bridge, the typical response time is around 3.5 ms. Buffalo tech support thinks that one of the units' radios may be defective. I'm going to try with them one more time tonight to see if I can fix this before I exchange them. By the way, I didn't enter anything in the WAN settings tab. Does this have any affect on the transfer rate between the replay tv (bridge) unit and the computer (main router)?


----------



## sfhub

Quote:

_Originally posted by Phil Locke_
*Buffalo tech support thinks that one of the units' radios may be defective. I'm going to try with them one more time tonight to see if I can fix this before I exchange them. By the way, I didn't enter anything in the WAN settings tab. Does this have any affect on the transfer rate between the replay tv (bridge) unit and the computer (main router)?*
Just to be safe you might as well enter some dummy IP address/subnet

in the WAN settings of the Buffalo acting as bridge. Make sure you do a

full reset (or pull the plug) after this because there seems to be a problem

with the WAN settings getting saved/used properly.


Have you tried the "reset to factory defaults" and reconfigure option?


The other suggestion I can make, have you run any "TCP Optimizer"

programs on your PC? Sometimes these settings don't jive well with

high speed LAN transfers and it is better to reset to defaults (and reboot)


----------



## oldnacl

I just got my 2 Buffalo units connected and configured. It's really a piece of cake if you follow their directions closely. One caveat when configuring a bridge unit (I connected it to my laptop temporarily for configuration) is to remember to enter a compatible IP address manually into your host computer (my laptop) after turning off DHCP on the bridge unit. I used 192.168.11.20 for the computer and 192.68.11.2 (as suggested) for the bridge.

If this is a repost, I apologize - too lazy to read through the entire thread again.


----------



## bobby_t1

I ordered 3 of these things from CompUSA. I couldn't resist for $49.99 after rebates + tax and shipping. Total is $62 on each one for me since Tax is charged. I figure for $62 x 3, I'm getting 3 complete wirelesss routers so it was worth it for ease of use and setup.


I bought 1 unit on Jan 3 for the 2 rebates they posted (one $15, and another $20). Then I ordered 2 more units (separately) on Jan 4 for the single $35 rebate valid for jan4-6. I will be using my friend's name and address for the second $35 rebate.


I hope these rebates come through. We're talking about a total of $105 here.


----------



## ejpbowie

oh great, after I just went through the pain of filling out FOUR rebates at the "two-day special sale", they turn around and offer the same price again with a combined rebate?! Oh well, they're working great so they were worth it.


----------



## ejpbowie

Quote:

_Originally posted by oldnacl_

[One caveat when configuring a bridge unit (I connected it to my laptop temporarily for configuration) is to remember to enter a compatible IP address manually into your host computer (my laptop) after turning off DHCP on the bridge unit. I used 192.168.11.20 for the computer and 192.68.11.2 (as suggested) for the bridge.

If this is a repost, I apologize - too lazy to read through the entire thread again. [/b]
Yep, just figured this out after a week of problems because I had the bridge at the same default IP and hadn't turned off DHCP.


----------



## phlegmer

FWIW, Buffalo has posted firmware version 2.01 again on their site


----------



## bsoplinger

Interesting, I was just on the phone today, trying to set up a pair of these things with a second level support type and he was explaining the 'bug' that was in 2.01 which was why they pulled it (because I ultimately needed the 2.01 firmware to get one of the units working). The file seems to be identical to the one the tech sent me (at least cmp -s says they're the same, anyone know a good bash replacement for bdiff?)


----------



## phlegmer

Well I know that when I had called Buffalo a while back, they were explaining that 2.01 had problems playing with VPN. Very strange that it is up again and doesn't appear to be different than before.


I went ahead and updated the 2 out of the 3 that I have (the third already came with 2.01) and all appears to be fine. At least now I can turn broadcasting off where in 1.30 I didn't see that option anywhere. I DO use VPN at home to access work files and that all seems to be working just fine as well 


The one thing that I did notice after the flash is that the WAN light on the main router is no longer flickering like it used to. It is now blinking like a fast signal light (maybe about 5 times a second). It still works fine...just an observation.


----------



## crutch

I am trying to plan a wireless network for my house. I currently have a non-wireless router/firewall in place connecting my main computer to the Internet. Since I have no cabling to the location where my Replay 5040 is, I want to set up a wireless network with the Linksys products. I also wish to have wireless in place for a laptop I plan to be getting shortly.


As for the Replay, I only want to get it on the network so that it can obtain programming info from the Internet and so that I may pull shows from it occasionally with DVarchive. I will not be streaming from it.


From what others have posted in this thread, it appears that I can use 2 WAP54G's to accomplish this with my main WAP54G remaining in AP mode so that it could talk to my laptop. That is good and is probably the route I will take.


My question is about the WRT54G. I was thinking about getting a WRT54G and disabling the routing feature in it since I already have a router in place and essentially use it as an AP. I am just thinking in the future I may need a device with all the functionality the WRT54G provides and this way I will already have one.


So, can the routing functionality in the WRT54G be disabled in effect turning the device into just an AP instead of an AP/Router? If it can, then will a WAP54G set up as a bridge communicate with it?


Thanks


----------



## moyekj

No you can't bridge WRT54G with WAP54G or even another WRT54G for that matter. WAP54G will bridge with another WAP54G as you know. If you don't opt for 2*WAP54G and really want the WRT54G then you would probably want the WET54G on the RTV side. However, as I have pointed out numerous times, WRT54G & WET54G don't work for streaming (at least they didn't 6 months ago) so by going that route you eliminate that option. Should work fine for DVA downloads. 2*WAP54G will work well for DVA downloads & streaming but of course there are not router functions in them.


If you really want flexibility, your best option is these Buffalo units since they have 802.11g, 4-port switch & router capabilities, can act simultaneously as bridge & access point, all for less cost than a WAP54G which only supplies 802.11g and can act only as a bridge OR access point (not both). And they have proven to work well for HQ streaming & DVA downloads.


----------



## bsoplinger

As it was explained to me, the VPN caviat for the 2.01 firmware is that the device will block *incomming* VPN not outgoing, which mean it wouldn't effect you phlegmer but would effect anyone who wanted to run a VPN on their home machines and connect from the internet into those home computers.


----------



## crutch

Thanks for the quick reply.


I can't decide which way to go on this. I don't really like the looks of the Buffalo and since this guy is going to sitting in my living room that is a factor although not a deal breaker. I know I should base this on functionality and not aesthetics. But anyway.


Can the router functionality be disabled on the Buffalo?


----------



## roddie

Quote:

Can the router functionality be disabled on the Buffalo?
Yes, just don't use the WAN port. None of my three units are routers.


----------



## crutch

If you set the Buffalo up to handle b and g, would two WBRG54's talk at g speed until an b device (i.e. laptop) hit the network?


If so, I would they begin talking at g speed again once the b device left the network?


----------



## jwtseng

Quote:

_Originally posted by crutch_
*If you set the Buffalo up to handle b and g, would two WBRG54's talk at g speed until an b device (i.e. laptop) hit the network?


If so, I would they begin talking at g speed again once the b device left the network?*
I think this is correct.


----------



## bobby_t1

Most perf test show that the b traffic will dramatically reduce the throghput of B+G routers.. once the B client leaves the network it takes a few mins for the speed to pick back up. so yes, speed will increase once the B client leaves, but not right away.


----------



## wnm106

Had a question about combining B and G networks. Let's say you have your Replay's Running off of the G network, so you force your G-Router to only accept G signals, but your computers are running off of a B network. Could you hardwire your B router into your G router, or vice versa without comprimising the integrity of your G wireless network? Just trying to spread my Wireless G investment over time.


----------



## Bigjohns

Quote:

_Originally posted by wnm106_
*Had a question about combining B and G networks. Let's say you have your Replay's Running off of the G network, so you force your G-Router to only accept G signals, but your computers are running off of a B network. Could you hardwire your B router into your G router, or vice versa without comprimising the integrity of your G wireless network? Just trying to spread my Wireless G investment over time.*
Lets assume this:


G - router has 4port wired switch too...


then YES.


G network set up for Replay on Chan 11

B network (DHCP disabled) - configure for access point mode - let the main router handle the DHCP requests, etc. - and connect the WAN port via cross over cable to one of the ports ont he G router. Configure the wireless side of B network to transmit on chan 1. (you only need 3 channel separation to avoid issues, but...).


Now, you will STILL have a problem with 2.4ghz cordless phones... if they're too close to the clients or access points they can knock you off the lan.


John


----------



## roddie

I ended up buying a GE 5.8 GHz phone from Wal-mart for $70 a few weeks ago because of all this stuff.


----------



## oldnacl

This is a repost, and I apologize - it's in another thread.

I just got my 2 Buffalo units connected and configured. It's really a piece of cake if you follow their directions closely.
http://www.buffalotech.com/wireless...rt/faq/wds.html 

One caveat when configuring a bridge unit (I connected it to my laptop temporarily for configuration) is to remember to enter a compatible IP address manually into your host computer (my laptop) after turning off DHCP on the bridge unit. I used 192.168.11.20 for the computer and 192.68.11.2 (as suggested) for the bridge.

Also, check for firmware level. The two I bought had different levels of firmware and my first attempt to set them up failed. After I updated the older one from 1.3 to 2.(something), matching the other, all went well. As others have posted, it's best to set the Buffalos back to defaults at the start - use a pen to hold the little red button at the back top in for 5 -10 seconds - mine is labeled in Japanese (I think) so I wasn't sure of it's function. If possible, connect the unit you're configuring by Cat5 to a computer rather than trying to do it wireless. Hope this helps! BTW, this is a great forum _ I lurked for the past couple years and I'm glad I joined - good people and lots of great info!


----------



## sfhub

Quote:

_Originally posted by moyekj_
*No you can't bridge WRT54G with WAP54G or even another WRT54G for that matter. WAP54G will bridge with another WAP54G as you know. If you don't opt for 2*WAP54G and really want the WRT54G then you would probably want the WET54G on the RTV side.*
I remember reading somewhere they have hacked linux firmware for

WRT54G which supports WDS bridging. If that's the case then theoretically

the WRT54G with hacked firmware should even work with Buffalo WBR-G54

as well as each other.


----------



## pianoman41

I'm having a heck of a time getting this set up with my PC and two WBR-54Gs for one 5040. I've got the first Buffalo as the router on my PC with my cable modem plugged into the WAN port, set up correctly (IP of 192.168.11.1, DHCP on, NAT on, bridge enabled with correct wireless MAC address for the other Buffalo). My PC is plugged into the number 1 LAN port. The second Buffalo hooked up to the 5040 (plugged into the number 1 LAN port) set up correctly (fixed IP of 192.168.11.2, DHCP off, NAT off, bridge enabled with correct wireless MAC address for the other Buffalo).


The router one seems to be working fine as I can log in and look at the settings and I can surf the Internet. The router Buffalo assigns 192.168.11.3 to my main PC and I can ping that fine. But I cannot ping 192.168.11.2 from the router unit. It's like they can't see each other. The Buffalos are only about 30 feet from each other through one floor (wood) so distance shouldn't be a factor.


Any suggestions?


----------



## sfhub

I forget what the setup menus look like. Under the last section there is

something that talks about wireless status. Bring that page up and see

if the Buffalo acting as AP/router/bridge sees the Buffalo acting as bridge.


----------



## jwtseng

So where's the next rebate sale on these units? Wouldn't you know it, the day *after* the sale at CompUSA I find a reason to buy another one of these. Hmph.


----------



## pianoman41

Well I finally got mine to work, but not before a 45-minute phone call to Buffalo tech support. First, I'd like to say I spoke with three separate techs (two on prior calls) and all of them were top-notch and it didn't sound like any of them were using scripts (but I'm sure they could have been). Very friendly, didn't talk "down" to me even though I was probably in over my head this time. I had to wait a good 20 minutes on hold before I was talked to, but once I got a tech it was all business. One of my units was defective from the start, and--get this!--the tech advises me to *open up the unit* and reseat the wireless card inside! How many tech support lines actively encourage their customers to go under the hood and make hands-on repairs themselves? Granted, I feel right at home inside a PC so it didn't bother me, but the tech didn't even bother with the usual safety precautions (grounding, delicate PCB boards, etc). For me, I was very happy he recommended this route because it saved me a drive back to CompUSA to exchange a unit. He also stated opening it would not void my warranty, probably because they have no external way of knowing if you opened it or not. My defective unit was flashing the red diag LED four times in succession over and over which indicates wireless trouble. Also, when I would try to log into the unit with the web browser it would show as a WBR-11B instead of a WBR-54G. Tech explained that the unit really *is* a WBR-11B with a 54G daughter card on top. According to the tech, all too often the daughter card comes loose during shipping, which is what happened to mine. My unit couldn't see the daughter card so it thought it was a WBR-11B. I reseated it (had to do it twice) and then I was back in business.


That was problem one. Problem two was partly my fault and inexperience with networking protocols. I had everything set up correctly except for the following (which may help others in the future):


1. On my host PC I left the IP address as dynamic. I didn't realize you had to temporarily give it a static IP within the range of the Buffalos (192.168.11.X) while setting up the units or you might not be able to see them. Static IP entered, problem solved.


2. Under WAN Settings -> WAN Port -> IP Address of WAN - I had left it to the default of "Auto assignment from the DHCP server" on my WBR-54G attached the ReplayTV. Since this was on my remote WBR-54G and I had disabled DHCP already, this caused the unit to needlessly hang in search of the WAN IP. Tech had me change it "Manual" and enter in a bogus IP (we used an IP of 10.0.0.1 and a Subnet Mask of 255.0.0.0). Problem solved.


2. I have Comcast for a broadband ISP and the tech said Comcast resolves their DNS servers inside their own domain. So on the router WBR-54G he had me go in and under LAN Settings -> DHCP Server -> Notify of DNS Server - changed from the default "AirStation's IP Address" to "Specified IP Address" and I put in the two Comcast DNS entries in manually. Problem solved.


Needless to say I'm up and running. Thanks to all that posted in this thread to explain how to do it, and hopefully my little addendum will help someone too.


A couple other questions though:


1. How effective is the built-in security firewall with the WBR-54Gs? I used to use BlackIce Defender when it was just my cable modem direct to my PC and I was very happy with it. I'd like to configure BlackIce to use with the router if that's possible, unless the Buffalo's firewall is halfway decent.


2. Now that I can participate in IVS, I need to know how to configure my firewall (either in Buffalo or BlackIce) to allow access to the port I specified on my 5040 for IVS.


Thanks,

Matt


----------



## HiHoStevo

Matt I am not using the Buffalo I was going to buy them, but someone said the Buffalo did not support "Loopback" which renders the IVS inoperable, so I have not pursued it any farther... if the Buffalo does support "Loopback" I am thrilled to hear it.


As to the IVS question what I did with my Dlink router was to set up a "Virtual Server" (it was one of the pages in the router setup) where I assigned the specific "port number" I had set up while configuring my Replay to the static IP address I had assigned my Replay unit. This opens up a hole in your firewall, but directs all traffic entering that port to your Replay unit........ at least that is my limited understanding of the process. At least on my Dlink (b speed unfortunately) that is how it works and IVS works just fine.


Hope this gets you headed in the right direction,


Steve


----------



## j.m.

Quote:

_Originally posted by HiHoStevo_
*Matt I am not using the Buffalo I was going to buy them, but someone said the Buffalo did not support "Loopback" which renders the IVS inoperable, so I have not pursued it any farther... if the Buffalo does support "Loopback" I am thrilled to hear it.*
No, the Buffalo WBR-G54 does not currently support loopback. However, I think you are confused as to what loopback is. Loopback is ONLY needed if you want to IVS a show from one ReplayTV on your LAN to another ReplayTV on your LAN. In all other instances--e.g. sending/receiving to/from another ReplayTV over the Internet--IVS works just fine without loopback.


Very few people actually need loopback for IVS because there normally isn't much of a need to move a show from one ReplayTV in the house to another given that one could just stream it as needed.


----------



## bobby_t1

Quote:

_Originally posted by j.m._
*Very few people actually need loopback for IVS because there normally isn't much of a need to move a show from one ReplayTV in the house to another given that one could just stream it as needed.*
With my current setup I have my 2 replay's on a 802.11b network and streaming from one to the other doesn't work. However, it's VERY close.. it stutters every few seconds.. I can't wait to get my 3 buffalo units so I can actually start thinking of my 2 replay's as 1 unit instead of 2 disjoint ones.


----------



## skleiser

Quote:

_Originally posted by pianoman41_
*How effective is the built-in security firewall with the WBR-54Gs?*
Matt,


A router doing NAT is a solid firewire - here's why: No device inside your network is addressable from outside your network. The only way something inside your network can be reached is to use the port number that was assigned by the router _on the way out_ (or manually, like you do with IVS).


For example - when your PC, using internal IP address 192.169.2.100, asks for a web page, it sends a request to the web server's port 80 and assigns a random source port number. Your router intercepts that, and changes the source address from 192.169.2.100 to an official IP address (it's own WAN address, ex: 24.1.2.3) and changes that random port number to something IT assigns, say port 1234.


When the web server responds, it sends the response to your router's IP address (24.1.2.3) with a destination port number 1234. Your router looks that port up in it's NAT table and changes the destination IP address to 192.169.2.100 and the destination port number to that random one mentioned previously, and then forwards the packet onto the LAN.


So a hacker can never get past the router, since there won't be an entry in it's NAT table.


BTW: When you "open a hole in the firewall", like assigning a port for IVS, you basically add an entry to the table, so your router knows where to forward a packet with THAT destination port number. It sorta says "hey, I didn't assign that port number to any outbound traffic - has it been manually assigned?"


Hope that makes sense ...


-steve-


----------



## KP4

Quote:

_Originally posted by jwtseng_
*So where's the next rebate sale on these units? Wouldn't you know it, the day *after* the sale at CompUSA I find a reason to buy another one of these. Hmph.*
New rebate offer started today. Checkout the CompUSA home page; it's listed as Feature of the Day.


Price: $49.99

after: $15.00 instant rebate

$35.00 mail-in rebate


----------



## moyekj

Given this new deal I actually considered picking up 2 of these today only to find that they are not in stock anywhere within a 50 mile radius of my zip code! Just as well, my wife would kill me buying more 802.11 gear and adding to the pile of 802.11 equipment I already have de-commissioned.


----------



## sfhub

Quote:

_Originally posted by moyekj_
*Given this new deal I actually considered picking up 2 of these today only to find that they are not in stock anywhere within a 50 mile radius of my zip code! Just as well, my wife would kill me buying more 802.11 gear and adding to the pile of 802.11 equipment I already have de-commissioned.*
If you really wanted to you could order 2 for $.02 shipping.


----------



## sfhub

Quote:

_Originally posted by j.m._
*No, the Buffalo WBR-G54 does not currently support loopback. However, I think you are confused as to what loopback is. Loopback is ONLY needed if you want to IVS a show from one ReplayTV on your LAN to another ReplayTV on your LAN. In all other instances--e.g. sending/receiving to/from another ReplayTV over the Internet--IVS works just fine without loopback.


Very few people actually need loopback for IVS because there normally isn't much of a need to move a show from one ReplayTV in the house to another given that one could just stream it as needed.*
I can also add that if you really care about loopback, you are not forced

to run the Buffalo router. Just disable it and use an existing router or

buy a cheap linksys on ebay since they all seem to support loopback

with their most recent firmware updates.


IMO the strength of the Buffalo is the 4-port switch and AP+Bridge

combination. The firewall is not too shabby either since they have

NAT + SPI, syslog, and email of attacks, but there are some areas

for improvement like loopback.


----------



## moyekj

Quote:

_Originally posted by sfhub_
*If you really wanted to you could order 2 for $.02 shipping.*
True, but I wanted an easy option for return with no return shipping charges + delay. I already have a good working Linksys setup that I was interested in benchmarking vs. the Buffalo setup. If the Buffalo proved to be as good or better that what I have I would keep them - I could reduce the amount of equipment I am currently using (3 WAP54Gs, 1 router + 802.11b, 2 switches) to be just 3 WBR-G54s.

Actually, calling the local store reveals they do indeed have some in stock contrary to the online inventory report, so now it's just a question of getting the wife to play along...


----------



## sfhub

Quote:

_Originally posted by moyekj_
*True, but I wanted an easy option for return with no return shipping charges + delay.*
Not to belabor, especially since they have it instock locally, but you can

return online compusa.com orders locally. You'd just lose $.02 shipping

which was probably lost the minute the car was started anyway


----------



## moyekj

Quote:

_Originally posted by sfhub_
*Not to belabor, especially since they have it instock locally, but you can

return online compusa.com orders locally. You'd just lose $.02 shipping

which was probably lost the minute the car was started anyway *
I did not know that you could return online purchases locally, so that's certainly good to know, thanks!


----------



## oldnacl

Here is the text from the Buffalo FAQ. I'd post a link but for some reason it doesn't work.

Remember, when you turn off DHCP on a bridge you have to assign a compatible IP address to the computer that you're using to set up the bridge or you'll no longer see the Buffalo. I used 192.168.11.2 for the Buffalo bridge and 192.168.11.20 for the computer after I turned off DHCP. And now, here's the step-by-step! Follow closely and Bob's your uncle!

** NOTE: The most common issue with WDS installations is using the wrong MAC address. The proper MAC Address for the access points is the â€˜Wireless MAC Addressâ€™. The best place to document this is under the â€˜System Informationâ€™ section of the configuration web page. For proper setup, please continue reading this document. **



Problem:

Communication problems with WDS (wireless bridging/repeating).



Cause:

WDS is a very complex bridging system, and it is not part of the 802.11b or 802.11g standard.



Restrictions:

Please verify that the following conditions are met (if just one condition is not satisfied, then WDS cannot be used on the wireless network):






1.

All wireless access points in the wireless bridge need to be from the same vendor (e.g. all Buffalo access points).


(NOTE: At time of publication, the Apple Airport Extreme WILL work in WDS with Buffalo G54 access points.)




2.

No single access point can communicate with more then six other access points in the wireless bridge.Good Practices:



The following is a list of good practices with WDS:



1.

Start the wireless bridge system with only two access points and then add more access points.


2.

Setup all access points in the wireless bridge in close proximity before they are deployed to their proper location.


3.

Only one access point in the wireless bridge should be serving DHCP and routing services unless a routed wired network exists.



Proper Setup:

Please follow the following steps to properly setup WDS.



1.

It is recommended that all access points in the bridge are reset to their factory default settings. This is done by holding the INIT button on the rear of the access point down for 5-10 seconds.


2.

Login to the first access point in the wireless bridge (this should be the DHCP server enabled access point if there is not already a routed wired network).


3.

Click on the â€˜Advancedâ€™ button.


4.

The wireless settings page will appear. Select the proper settings for the wireless network. Record all settings on a piece of paper. All settings except for the ESS-ID need to be identical amongst all access points in the bridge.


(NOTE: If roaming is desired, then make sure the ESS-ID settings need to be identical as well). Press the â€˜Setâ€™ button if any changes are made.


(NOTE: If the IP address was changed, then reconnecting to the access point for configuration will require accessing it via its new IP address in a web browser (e.g. http://NEW_IP_ADDRESS ).




5.

Click on the â€˜LAN portâ€™ link on the left.


6.

Check that the â€˜LAN side IP addressâ€™ values are correct for your network, or leave them as default. Record the â€˜LAN side IP addressâ€™. Press the â€˜Setâ€™ button if any settings on this page have been set.


7.

Click on the â€˜Managementâ€™ link on the left.


8.

The System Information page will appear. In the Wireless section of the table record the MAC address (including the :â€™s). Please make sure the MAC address is recorded from the Wireless section and not the other sections.


9.

Logout of the access point by clicking on the â€˜Logoutâ€™ link on the left. Close the browser window.


10.

Login to the second access point in the wireless bridge.


11.

Click on the â€˜Advancedâ€™ button.


12.


The wireless settings page will appear. Select the proper settings for the wireless network. Refer to the settings recorded from the first access point. All settings except for the ESS-ID need to be identical amongst all access points in the bridge.


(NOTE: If roaming is desired, then make sure the ESS-ID settings need to be identical as well).





13.

Click on the â€˜LAN portâ€™ link on the left.


14.

Make sure that the â€˜LAN side IP addressâ€™ â€˜IP addressâ€™ setting is different then the first access point. The IP addresses cannot be the same, but they should be on the same network. It is recommended that the IP address of the second access point is one higher then that of the first access point. Thus, if access point oneâ€™s address is 1.1.1.1, then access point twoâ€™s address should be 1.1.1.2. If there is a â€˜DHCP server functionâ€™ setting on this page, then make sure to set it to â€˜Do not useâ€™ or to â€˜Disabledâ€™. Press the â€˜Setâ€™ button when finished.


(NOTE: If the IP address was changed, then reconnecting to the access point for configuration will require accessing it via its new IP address in a web browser (e.g. http://NEW_IP_ADDRESS ).




15.

Click on the â€˜Wireless bridge (WDS)â€™ link on the left.


16.

Enable the WDS function and press the â€˜Setâ€™ button.


17.

Enter the Wireless MAC Address of the first access point (which was recorded on Step 8) into the field that say â€˜MAC Address of AirStation(Wireless)â€™ (include the :â€™s). Press the â€˜Addâ€™ button.


18.

The Wireless MAC address inputted on the step above will appear in the â€˜Connected AirStationâ€™ table. Please check that the checkbox under enable ischecked, and then press the â€˜Enable marked itemâ€™ button.


19.

At the top of the page, press the â€˜Applyâ€™ button.


20.

Once the router has rebooted, click on the â€˜Managementâ€™ tab on the left.


21.

The System Information page will appear. In the Wireless section of the table record the MAC address (including the :â€™s). Please make sure the MAC address is recorded from the Wireless section and not the other sections.


22.

Logout of the access point by clicking on the â€˜Logoutâ€™ link on the left. Close the browser window.



23.

Login to access point one again.



24.

Click on the â€˜Advancedâ€™ button.



25.

Click on the â€˜Wireless bridge (WDS)â€™ link on the left.



26.

Enable the WDS function and press the â€˜Setâ€™ button.


27.

Enter the Wireless MAC Address of the first access point (which was recorded on Step 21) into the field that say â€˜MAC Address of AirStation(Wireless)â€™ (include the :â€™s). Press the â€˜Addâ€™ button.



28.

The Wireless MAC address inputted on the step above will appear in the â€˜Connected AirStationâ€™ table. Please check that the checkbox under enable ischecked, and then press the â€˜Enable marked itemâ€™ button.



29.

At the top of the page, press the â€˜Applyâ€™ button.



30.

Once the router has rebooted, click on the â€˜Managementâ€™ tab on the left.



31.

Click on the â€˜PING testâ€™ link on the left.


32.

In the â€˜Destinationâ€™ field enter the IP address of the second access point and press the â€˜OKâ€™ button.


_

a.

If the â€˜Resultâ€™ section of the table reports information like, â€œ1st: 64 bytes from IP_ADDRESSâ€ then the WDS bridge is effectively working.


_

b.

If the â€˜Resultâ€™ section of the table reports â€œDestination Host Unreachableâ€, then an error has occurred during the setup.


_

_

_


WDS is a complicated bridging system with a lot of variables. If there are still problems with WDS configuration on the network, then please call our 24/7 technical support line at 1-866-752-6210.










North American Technical Support

is available 24/7 (USA and Canada)

Toll Free: (866) 752-6210
[email protected]


----------



## oldnacl

Oh fudge - wrong thread - sorry!


----------



## pianoman41

Quote:

_Originally posted by skleiser_
*

BTW: When you "open a hole in the firewall", like assigning a port for IVS, you basically add an entry to the table, so your router knows where to forward a packet with THAT destination port number. It sorta says "hey, I didn't assign that port number to any outbound traffic - has it been manually assigned?"

*
Thanks for the firewall lesson--that's exactly what I'm looking for!! But one question still remains--*how* do I tell the Buffalo which port to allow IVS on? I don't see an option anywhere in the web browser interface to manually configure allowable ports.


----------



## bobby_t1

Quote:

_Originally posted by pianoman41_
*Thanks for the firewall lesson--that's exactly what I'm looking for!! But one question still remains--*how* do I tell the Buffalo which port to allow IVS on? I don't see an option anywhere in the web browser interface to manually configure allowable ports.*
look for something called "port forwarding".


----------



## j.m.

Quote:

_Originally posted by pianoman41_
*Thanks for the firewall lesson--that's exactly what I'm looking for!! But one question still remains--*how* do I tell the Buffalo which port to allow IVS on? I don't see an option anywhere in the web browser interface to manually configure allowable ports.*
Simple. Go to the router setup pages, then "Advanced," then "Network settings," then "Address Translation." The "Nat Table" on that page is what we will be working with. Click on "Enter NAT Table." A dialog should pop up allowing you to enter the necessary info.


Put in whatever you like for the group name--i.e. "IVS" or something so you know what it is when you are messing around with things a year from now. WAN IP should be left at "Airstation's IP address of WAN." WAN Protocol should be TCP/UDP, with "Manual setting of TCP port" selected in the drop down box. Enter the port number you chose in the ReplayTV's setup menu for IVS in the box for it.


LAN IP should be at "Manual setting" with the IP address of your ReplayTV in the corresponding text box (NOTE: you must have your ReplayTV set for either a static IP or configure the router to always hand out the same IP to the ReplayTV via DHCP for IVS to work consistently). Enter the IVS port number (same as above) enter the text box for "TCP/UDP port forwarding." Finally, click "Add to NAT Table" and verify the info was correctly added to the NAT Table on the "Address Translation" page. Hit "Apply" to save the settings.


Now, test everything by having someone send you a short test clip.


----------



## pianoman41

Got it! That will help tremendously.


Thanks again for your excellent instructions.


----------



## WireJockey

Do you know if the Buff will bridge with non-Buff routers?

I know that the Linksys bridges are pretty picky, so I am a little concerned about this one.

Thank you,

WJ


----------



## skleiser

Quote:

_Originally posted by WireJockey_
*Do you know if the Buff will bridge with non-Buff routers?*
from oldnacl's post #373 , just a few posts ago in this same thread:

Quote:

1. All wireless access points in the wireless bridge need to be from the same vendor (e.g. all Buffalo access points).


(NOTE: At time of publication, the Apple Airport Extreme WILL work in WDS with Buffalo G54 access points.)


----------



## WireJockey

Quote:

_Originally posted by skleiser_
*from oldnacl's post #373 , just a few posts ago in this same thread:*
Yes, I read that, but being technically challenged, I didn't associate the router radio as an access point, but now that I think about it, I guess it does serve that function.....duuuh!


So how is it that the Apple works with the Buff? OEM maybe?


----------



## jwtseng

Buffalo Technologies has always supported the Apple Macintosh platform with their wireless equipment and have striven to make themselves "Airport compatible" in the eyes of Mac users. I don't think it is coincidence that the current Buffalo line happens to be using the same WDS protocol as the Airport Extreme Basestation, but I also wouldn't be surprised if this changes in the future with firmware updates on either side. This underlines the importance of using the same vendor if you want to rely on a "under the radar" feature such as WDS bridging which does not fall under the 802.11g spec.


----------



## madSkeelz

Vaguely related to Mac platform support, I was curious if the web-interface for the Buffalo devices broadcasts itself over zeroconf/Rendezvous.


Any ideas?


----------



## Crrink

Ah, now I know why they're white.


----------



## jwtseng

Quote:

_Originally posted by madSkeelz_
*Vaguely related to Mac platform support, I was curious if the web-interface for the Buffalo devices broadcasts itself over zeroconf/Rendezvous.


Any ideas?*
That'd be a cool feature. More products should use Rendezvous.


----------



## WireJockey

OK, given that I have a DLink DI-624 Router which works great w/ the DLink print server so I don't want to change that out. What would be the most cost effective bridge/AP to acces my remote RTV?

The Buff requires that the router supports WDS, I don't see anywhere that the DLink supports that, so I guess the Buff is out


----------



## sfhub

Quote:

_Originally posted by WireJockey_
*OK, given that I have a DLink DI-624 Router which works great w/ the DLink print server so I don't want to change that out. What would be the most cost effective bridge/AP to acces my remote RTV?

The Buff requires that the router supports WDS, I don't see anywhere that the DLink supports that, so I guess the Buff is out *
Buffalo requires the AP/Bridge to support WDS, not the router.


If your print server is wired ethernet it'll work with any vendor equipment.

Wireless it'll also work with any vendor, but if it is 802.11b, you may want

to consider running separate b/g network for performance reasons or

switching to a wired ethernet connect for your print server.


Requirement for WDS bridging support does not rule out Buffalo in your

case, you simply buy 2 Buffalo's, and disable the router, choosing instead

to use your existing DLink DI-624. You can also run the DI-624 802.11b

network side-by-side with Buffalo 802.11g network, on separate channels.


Buffalo gives much flexibility because each of the components, router,

4-port switch, ap, and bridge can be used independently (and disabled

if not being used)


At $50/each for 802.11g ap+bridge and 4-port switch it is really hard to

beat even if you need to buy two of them. Compare to other MAC

masquerading bridges like WET54G and add a 4-port switch.


----------



## WireJockey

Quote:

_Originally posted by sfhub_
*Buffalo requires the AP/Bridge to support WDS, not the router.


If your print server is wired ethernet it'll work with any vendor equipment.

Wireless it'll also work with any vendor, but if it is 802.11b, you may want

to consider running separate b/g network for performance reasons or

switching to a wired ethernet connect for your print server.


Requirement for WDS bridging support does not rule out Buffalo in your

case, you simply buy 2 Buffalo's, and disable the router, choosing instead

to use your existing DLink DI-624. You can also run the DI-624 802.11b

network side-by-side with Buffalo 802.11g network, on separate channels.


Buffalo gives much flexibility because each of the components, router,

4-port switch, ap, and bridge can be used independently (and disabled

if not being used)


At $50/each for 802.11g ap+bridge and 4-port switch it is really hard to

beat even if you need to buy two of them. Compare to other MAC

masquerading bridges like WET54G and add a 4-port switch.*
Here was the response from Buff "Unfortunately, no. D-link does not support WDS which is the protocol Buffalo uses to bridge devices."


So, I'm not sure how I would set up the two Buffs that you mentioned.


----------



## WireJockey

Quote:

_Originally posted by sfhub_
*Buffalo requires the AP/Bridge to support WDS, not the router.


If your print server is wired ethernet it'll work with any vendor equipment.

Wireless it'll also work with any vendor, but if it is 802.11b, you may want

to consider running separate b/g network for performance reasons or

switching to a wired ethernet connect for your print server.


Requirement for WDS bridging support does not rule out Buffalo in your

case, you simply buy 2 Buffalo's, and disable the router, choosing instead

to use your existing DLink DI-624. You can also run the DI-624 802.11b

network side-by-side with Buffalo 802.11g network, on separate channels.


Buffalo gives much flexibility because each of the components, router,

4-port switch, ap, and bridge can be used independently (and disabled

if not being used)


At $50/each for 802.11g ap+bridge and 4-port switch it is really hard to

beat even if you need to buy two of them. Compare to other MAC

masquerading bridges like WET54G and add a 4-port switch.*
Here was the response from Buff "Unfortunately, no. D-link does not support WDS which is the protocol Buffalo uses to bridge devices."


So, I'm not sure how I would set up the two Buffs that you mentioned.


----------



## sfhub

Quote:

_Originally posted by WireJockey_
*Here was the response from Buff "Unfortunately, no. D-link does not support WDS which is the protocol Buffalo uses to bridge devices."


So, I'm not sure how I would set up the two Buffs that you mentioned.*
1) buy 2 Buffalo WBR-G54, $50x2 = $100

2) leave your existing dlink 802.11b wireless network in place, set to use

wireless ch6

3) place buffalo#1 side-by-side with dlink, connect buffalo#1 lan port to

dlink lan port using wired ethernet, configure buffalo#1 to use wireless

ch11, disable DHCP server in buffalo#1, leave WAN port unconnected,

configure as AP/bridge

4) place buffalo#2 where you'd like your wireless bridge,

configure buffalo#2 to use wireless ch11, disable DHCP server in

buffalo#2, leave WAN port unconnected, configure as AP/bridge,

connect replay and/or other devices like laptop to buffalo#2 LAN port


Compare price to Linksys WET54G for $80-$100 + a 4-port switch if you

need one.


----------



## WireJockey

Quote:

_Originally posted by sfhub_

Text [/b]
Very good explaination, thanks for your time!


----------



## UTmtnbiker

Thanks to all the explanations in this thread, I got my 2 Buffalo's talking to each other in about an hour and a half (most of that time was spent reading and searching through all the threads to find the ones about setting up, actual set up time was about 40 minutes).


Now I've got my Xbox and ReplayTV connected wirelessly. Now to work on IVS and MAC filtering.


----------



## bobby_t1

I'm thinking of switching to cable from DSL and getting rid of my home phone line.


However, there is no cable jack in my office, only a phone line. My office is on the second floor so the charge to get a cable jack installed is expensive unless I get them to do some cheap way like drill a hole from outside.


Will it work to just have:


1)the cable modem downstairs next to my TV with my ReplayTV connected to that jack.

2) plug my modem into the 1st buffalo

2)have only my replay plugged into this buffalo

3)Upstairs, I would have the second replayTV hooked up to the second buffalo

4) in my office (second floor also) have the third buffalo with my server and workstation plugged into it.


I figure since internet is only a max of 10MB/s anyways, G network should be fine and my 2 upstairs computers are hardwired on teh same router so file transfers should be blazing between them. The server in step (4) above is a webserver that serves my personal photos, etc, but i figure it shouldn't be a problem with this setup?


----------



## Bigjohns

Quote:

_Originally posted by bobby_t1_
*I'm thinking of switching to cable from DSL and getting rid of my home phone line.


However, there is no cable jack in my office, only a phone line. My office is on the second floor so the charge to get a cable jack installed is expensive unless I get them to do some cheap way like drill a hole from outside.


Will it work to just have:


1)the cable modem downstairs next to my TV with my ReplayTV connected to that jack.

2) plug my modem into the 1st buffalo

2)have only my replay plugged into this buffalo

3)Upstairs, I would have the second replayTV hooked up to the second buffalo

4) in my office (second floor also) have the third buffalo with my server and workstation plugged into it.


I figure since internet is only a max of 10MB/s anyways, G network should be fine and my 2 upstairs computers are hardwired on teh same router so file transfers should be blazing between them. The server in step (4) above is a webserver that serves my personal photos, etc, but i figure it shouldn't be a problem with this setup?*
I personally don't like cable, but that's a completely different religion...

What you describe should work just fine. Just make sure you don't have 2.4ghz cordless phones anywhere near the units. If you're lucky enough to have 2.4ghz phones that allow manual setting of the channel, set it to be at least 3 channels away from your WiFi.


The buffalo devices discussed here are 802.11g - i.e. 54mbps... thats the theory anyway. You'll likely get 20 or so consistantly, bursting higher.


But what you want to do should work just fine.


John


----------



## sfhub

Quote:

_Originally posted by bobby_t1_
*I figure since internet is only a max of 10MB/s anyways, G network should be fine and my 2 upstairs computers are hardwired on teh same router so file transfers should be blazing between them. The server in step (4) above is a webserver that serves my personal photos, etc, but i figure it shouldn't be a problem with this setup?*
You'll see effective transfer rates of 2.2MByte/sec with a one hop bridge

using Buffalo equipment.


If you meant 10Mbps, Buffalo 802.11g is plenty. If you meant 10MByte/sec

you'll lose some bandwidth using 802.11g.


I prefer to run external web servers on wired connections rather than

wireless bridges since less can go wrong, but circumstances may make

that impractical for your scenario.


----------



## bobby_t1

Thanks for the info guys. I meant 10Mbit/s, so 1.25Mbyte/s. Cable modems (even DSL modems) aren't any faster than this AFAIK.


So even if I get effective xfer rates of 2.2MByte/sec with the buffalo equipment I figure I should be fine!


----------



## wnm106

Having trouble with my Buffalo WBR-G54 setup. I have two Buffalo routers, set them both up as Ethernet bridges linked to each other;s MAC addresses. Both are set in Turbo G mode as to only pickup G-signals. Set specific Lan Ip's for both routers. Buffalo #1 - 192.168.11.1 Buffalo #2 - 192.168.11.2. Both have DHCP turned off.


Was able to test the Ping function and they both were able to communicate with each other. I then ran a wire from Buffalo #1's WAN port to a Lan port on my 802.11 B router, which is connected to the cable modem. 802.11 B routerI connected my Replaytv to the Lan port on Buffal #2.


I was able to confirm that buffal0 #1 was being recognized by the 802.11 B router by checking the DHCP log. Still, when I try a connect from my Replaytv nothing happens. It just hangs. Any suggestions?


----------



## scorpi0

Hi all! I set up my two WBR-G54s last night in the following configuration:


BUFFALO 1 (MAIN)

- DHCP enabled

- NAT enabled

- Wireless enabled

- Bridge mode enabled, not dedicated

- Buffalo2 MAC address added as connected bridge

- DSL Modem connected to WAN port

- Desktop PC connected to LAN1 port


BUFFALO 2 (AP/BRIDGE)

- DHCP disabled

- Wireless enabled

- Bridge mode enabled, not dedicated

- Buffalo1 MAC address added as connected bridge

- ReplayTV connected to LAN1 port


I use dynamic address for all of them.

I use different ESS-ID on each Buffalo for now in order to identify which one I'm connecting over wireless.


I can connect both Buffalos over wireless with my laptop.

I can ping both Buffalos from my laptop regardless of which one I connected as AP

Both Buffalos can ping each other successfully.

My laptop can connect to internet successfully.

My desktop can connect to internet successfully.

My ReplayTV can connect to internet successfully.

I can ping the ReplayTV from both Buffalos successfully.


However I cannot ping my ReplayTV and my desktop from my laptop. DVArchive cannot see the Replay either.


What might I be missing here?


Thanks!


----------



## skleiser

Quote:

_Originally posted by wnm106_
*Having trouble with my Buffalo WBR-G54 setup. I then ran a wire from Buffalo #1's WAN port to a Lan port on my 802.11 B router, which is connected to the cable modem.*
Don't use the Buffalo WAN ports. Plug a Buffalo LAN port into the 802.11b router. A router routes between 2 different IP networks, one on the WAN port, a different one on the LAN port. You want ONE IP network in the house, and the 802.11b router routes between the house LAN network and the cable company's WAN network.


----------



## wnm106

Thanks for the help. Just one more question. Is it necessary to setup the LAN IP Address for each Buffalo Bridge under the 192.168.0.* format since my router uses that IP address for the LAN, or can they be setup as they currently are, with the 192.168.11.*? Thanks.


----------



## skleiser

Quote:

_Originally posted by wnm106_
*Is it necessary to setup the LAN IP Address for each Buffalo Bridge under the 192.168.0.* format since my router uses that IP address for the LAN?*
Yes. They need to agree.


----------



## UTmtnbiker

Okay. I think I have IVS set up. Anybody willing to send me a test clip?


ReplayTV name = Brutus

Internet ID = 00004-54831-84176

*Cancel the test clip request - Got one and it works*


Set up the Buffalo router to always send the same IP address to the ReplayTV. I haven't seen this part described anywhere in the thread yet, but I think it's under LAN Settings -> DHCP Server. Very bottom of the page, you can set it to MANUAL ASSIGNMENT


Correct me if I'm wrong on the above.


IVS instructions are already in this thread so I won't bother repeating that.


TIA.


Also...just tried transferring a 1 hour, 2GB show (Buffy) from my ReplayTV to my PC. I'm steadily getting a transfer rate of around 520 KB/s according to DVArchive. Is this about average?


----------



## moyekj

Quote:

_Originally posted by UTmtnbiker_
*Also...just tried transferring a 1 hour, 2GB show (Buffy) from my ReplayTV to my PC. I'm steadily getting a transfer rate of around 520 KB/s according to DVArchive. Is this about average?*
Sounds pretty slow if DVA is set to full throttle. Full throttle limit for a 5K RTV is around 1.3MBytes/s & 2.6MBytes/s for a 4K RTV. I get around 2.5MBytes/s w/ my 4K machines & Linksys 802.11g setup (DVA full throttled & source RTV turned off & not recording).


----------



## indy_dude

I bought two of these and had them working but had to reset the two because I kept losing the connection.


My main problem is I don't know how to configure these so that the will work with my router


My ip behind the router is 192.168.0.3 with .0.1 being the gateway and router interface.


What is the best way to configure these? I know have to turn off DHCP on both devices and input the other's unit's mac address into the configuration, but other than that I forget how I did this.


Has anyone come up with a simple how to on these things?


----------



## jasonsf

Anyone submitting logs from the Buffalo router to DShield.org? I can't find a way to get the logfile in to the correct format and have it submitted automatically. This was easy with my old Linksys.


Jason


----------



## wnm106

I currently have a Wireless B router running my 2 Wireless B NIC Cards for my two computers. This router does all the DHCP for my network. I also have hardwired to the Wireless B router a Buffalo Bridge #1. No DHCP. This Buffalo Bridge is then mapped to two other Buffal Bridges (#2 and #3) which are hooked to my replay tv's. All my Bridges communicate fine with each other. What I'm wondering is if I replace one of my Wireless B NIC cards with a Wireless G NIC card, will that work on this current setup since none of the Buffalo Bridges have DHCP enabled? I know an option would be to swap the positions of the G and B routers and have the G router to the DHCP, but I would then be in the same situation with my other B router. Thanks.


----------



## roddie

Quote:

I replace one of my Wireless B NIC cards with a Wireless G NIC card, will that work on this current setup since none of the Buffalo Bridges have DHCP enabled?
This setup will work fine, my DHCP server is actually a FreeBSD server (also doing NAT) connected to one of my Buffalos directly. It's all layer two at that point.


----------



## rtvaddict

I just want to thank jwtseng and other great members of this forum / thread who have given crystal clear advice on how to setup the wireless - G networking. I bought 3 buffalo units from Compusa and got the whole thing setup in a few hours ... it would've been a lot faster if I'd carefully read the difference between wireless Mac address vs the unit's mac address. Also I'd setup a "circular loop" by specifying the Mac addresses of the other two units for all three of them ... then I had to make them into a star config. I also setup a aux B network with the old B router by plugging it into a LAN port downstairs ... to keep the laptops going with the old cards for now. But overall it was pretty much effortless thanks again to the great level of detail available here.


I am very happy with the overall setup now ... my 2 year old is able to watch his alphabet videos etc saved upstairs wherever he needs. However one of my goals of this setup remains unfulfilled.


I have Dish network and for Cricket matches on PPV (which I pay a whopping $200 per series), they only allow you to watch on one receiver. So I was hoping to stream the match live to the other replay unit upstairs and watch it after 10pm from bed. That was my major motivating factor to get this setup done sooner than later. Little did I realize that you cannot stream live video (correct?) from one replay to other. Also the recorded shows have to be completed before you can stream them. So I am now forced to record the game in 15 or 30 min segments and stream upstairs to watch with a delay :-( Anyway I am still a happy camper given the great 11G setup that I now have going all around my house.


----------



## damager

FINALLY got my two Buffs working. That was a non-trivial install (at least for me), but the step by step instructions were great. My one point of advice for anyone else trying this is to reboot each unit AFTER you finish configuring. I had a situation similar to some others here where it looked like everything was configured correctly, but the bridging wouldn't work. It took a reboot of each unit for the bridging to actually start working.


Now that I have the units working, I'd like to add MAC level filtering. My question is this - do I need to enable the MAC filtering and enter all my addresses on BOTH Buffalo units, or only on the one communicating out to the net?


Thanks in advance for your input...


----------



## sfhub

Quote:

_Originally posted by damager_
*Now that I have the units working, I'd like to add MAC level filtering. My question is this - do I need to enable the MAC filtering and enter all my addresses on BOTH Buffalo units, or only on the one communicating out to the net?*
LANSettings->WirelessMACFilter

This is MAC filtering for wireless clients associating with the AP


NetworkSettings->PacketFilter

This is MAC filtering for units using the WAN connection


It is safer to be connected to the Buffalo using wired ethernet when

making the WirelessMACFilter changes so in case you make a mistake

you aren't suddenly surprised and locked out until you can find your

ethernet cable.


----------



## sirtron

I have a USR router hooked in to my cable modem

The USR works great with my wired computer and my wireless laptop

Purchased a replay TV unit and needed a ethernet connection so

I purchased a Buffalo wgr-54 router to use the bridging feature but I can not get it to work.

I configured the buffalo (added the mac address of the USR router in the bridge section) and then followed the rest of the instructions (no dhcp) but can not get it to work.


What am I missing????

Help Please


----------



## sfhub

Quote:

_Originally posted by sirtron_
*I configured the buffalo (added the mac address of the USR router in the bridge section) and then followed the rest of the instructions (no dhcp) but can not get it to work.*
Your USR does not support WDS bridging. You can still use bridging with

Buffalo and keep your current USR setup. You just need to buy 2 Buffalo's

(or 1 more in your case) hopefully at $50/each.


See this post for more details:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...75#post3173175


----------



## sirtron

in that case it's just cheaper to buy a ethernet bridge...


ANybody know anything on USR if they are going to do it?


----------



## sirtron

What if I use the USR in the AP mode and the Buffalo for the laptop?


Will that work.


----------



## qtv

If you're asking if that will work wirelessly then the answer will be no, regardless of how you set them up. Currently, it's only been confirmed that the WBR-G54 will wirelessly communicate with another Buffalo wireless device or the Apple AirPort. If, at some point in the future, USR provides a firmware update that enables support for WDS, perhaps the situation will be different.


----------



## Simrdai

I was reading a review on these buffalo routers on tomshardware site (tomsnetwork) and he remarked that using them in bridge mode effectively halves the bandwidth. have you noticed that when streaming video?

The reason I ask, is I could probably get away with just a simple 802.11b ethernet-wireles bridge device (one port) and hook it in to my existing wireless LAN. I can get a signal to the living room but its usually a low signal (unless I finally move the router to a more central location like I"ve been planning to do for a year now).


----------



## sfhub

Quote:

_Originally posted by Simrdai_
*I was reading a review on these buffalo routers on tomshardware site (tomsnetwork) and he remarked that using them in bridge mode effectively halves the bandwidth. have you noticed that when streaming video?*
Using an 802.11 bridge in general reduces the bandwidth due to the

half-duplex nature of 802.11 and the protocol overhead associated with

switching directions. That is not specific to Buffalo solution, but any 802.11

based bridge which needs to switch direction for the reverse channel.


----------



## bobby_t1

What a pain in the butt! I received my 3 buffalo WGr-G54's from compusa today -- 3 separate orders for rebate purposes. They mistakingly sent me one WLA-G54 instead of a WBR-G54. Now i have to see what their policy on in-store exchanges is!


----------



## sfhub

Quote:

_Originally posted by bobby_t1_
*They mistakingly sent me one WLA-G54 instead of a WBR-G54. Now i have to see what their policy on in-store exchanges is!*
You can return/exchange online purchases at B&M locations.

http://www.compusa.com/terms.asp#returns


----------



## Simrdai

Quote:

_Originally posted by sfhub_
*Using an 802.11 bridge in general reduces the bandwidth due to the

half-duplex nature of 802.11 and the protocol overhead associated with

switching directions. That is not specific to Buffalo solution, but any 802.11

based bridge which needs to switch direction for the reverse channel.*
So if I were to get one of those Dlink Ethernet to Wireless bridges it would only have half the bandwidth? Ugh.

Sucks if your device only has an Ethernet port...right away you lose bandwidth when converting that to wireless.


This is making me rethink where I locate my replay now when it comes in.


----------



## sfhub

Quote:

_Originally posted by Simrdai_
*So if I were to get one of those Dlink Ethernet to Wireless bridges it would only have half the bandwidth? Ugh.

Sucks if your device only has an Ethernet port...right away you lose bandwidth when converting that to wireless.


This is making me rethink where I locate my replay now when it comes in.*
This shouldn't be so surprising.


When they quote 11Mbps for 802.11b you don't actually get that, more

like half.


When they quote 54Mbps for 802.11g you actually get around half that.


IMO you should be less concerned with bandwidth drop and more

concerned there is enough bandwidth to stream HQ, which multiple

people have verified is possible with the Buffalo ap/bridge/routers.

At least, as a RTV user, that would be my main concern.


----------



## madpoet

Ok, I've read this entire thread and want to be clear before I go out and make my purchases .


What I currently have:

Netgear WGR614 802.11g router/base station hooked up to cable modem (channel 11, G mode only, no WEP)

Replay 5040 hardwired to it

Linksys WET54G bridge connected via wireless G to the WGR614

Replay 5504 hooked to the bridge


The bridge and the router are seperated by a floor, but are almost directly in line with each other. I can stream from the 5040 with no problems, but streaming from the 5504 to the 5040 doesn't work. Lots of glitches and hangs.


So I read this thread and get very interested. Direct bridging sounds ideal to me! I guess my question involves getting it back to the cable modem. Would I bridge #2 to #1, then hardwire #1 back to my router? That's not a problem at all. Will I need to turn the wireless on my router off to prevent interference, or could I set the Buffalos up on their own wireless LAN (seperate channel, SSID)? If I bridge #2 to #1, do I need to do the reverse also or is that creating a loop? Essentially I want them only talking to each other when show streaming.


Thanks,

MP


----------



## sfhub

Quote:

_Originally posted by madpoet_
*So I read this thread and get very interested. Direct bridging sounds ideal to me! I guess my question involves getting it back to the cable modem. Would I bridge #2 to #1, then hardwire #1 back to my router? That's not a problem at all. Will I need to turn the wireless on my router off to prevent interference, or could I set the Buffalos up on their own wireless LAN (seperate channel, SSID)? If I bridge #2 to #1, do I need to do the reverse also or is that creating a loop? Essentially I want them only talking to each other when show streaming.
*
Follow the suggestions in this post, replacing dlink with netgear in the

example.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...75#post3173175


----------



## madpoet

Thanks. I think I missed the $50 Buffalo deal sadly, but it's still a good solution.


----------



## bobby_t1

I do'nt understand why this Buffalo router does not print the Wireless MAC address on the back of the actual case like it does for the WAN and LAN MAC addresses. What a pain in the butt when you are setting these up for the first time. I had to constantly keep disconnecting and reconnecting different routers to my PC to setup them up. One main reason was because I don't like the 192.168.11.xxx convention they use. I am used to 192.168.1.xxx.


When I first setup the WDS bridging, i entered the LAN MAC address of the units into all the other units when in fact I should only enter the Wireless MAC address.


Question: When i finally pickup my 3rd router today, do I enter in the wireless mac address of the other 2 units into each of the 3 routers? or do I only put the wireless mac address of the main router than is connected to my broaband connecting into the buffalo's that are connected to teh replays? (and put both of their wireless MAC address in the main buffalo)


----------



## moyekj

Write down the Wireless MACs of each so you don't have to keep re-hooking things up.

You should setup a star configuration with WBR-G54 connected to broadband at the center. So:


A=WBRG54 connected to broadband, setup as router+bridge, DHCP enabled

B=WBRG54 for RTV1, setup as bridge, DHCP disabled

C=WBRG54 for RTV2, setup as bridge, DHCP disabled


A: Enter wireless MAC of B&C

B: Enter wireless MAC of A

C: Enter wireless MAC of A


----------



## bobby_t1

Quote:

_Originally posted by moyekj_
*Write down the Wireless MACs of each so you don't have to keep re-hooking things up.

You should setup a star configuration with WBR-G54 connected to broadband at the center. So:


A=WBRG54 connected to broadband, setup as router+bridge, DHCP enabled

B=WBRG54 for RTV1, setup as bridge, DHCP disabled

C=WBRG54 for RTV2, setup as bridge, DHCP disabled


A: Enter wireless MAC of B&C

B: Enter wireless MAC of A

C: Enter wireless MAC of A*
*moyekj:* Great, thanks for the confirmation. This is exactly what I expected.


----------



## madpoet

Any more good deals on the Buffalo out there?


----------



## wnm106

Have three Wireless G bridges setup, all with DHCP and SSID disabled. Bridge A is hardwired to a Wireless B router which manages the DHCP side of things. Bridge B and C are currently bridging with A. Currently have two computers working off of Wireless B USB adapters. Trying to Replace one Wireless B USB adapter with a Wireless G USB adapter. I was wondering if there was anything I needed to do special that will allow my new Wireless G USB Adapter to run the internet for my computer. It's closest in Vacinity with Bridge C. Thanks for the help.


----------



## bobby_t1

I have a question about the configuration of the Buffalos. I'd like to do a fixed-IP solution and give my replays fixed IPs but still have them use DHCP so the IPs are managed by the Buffalos.


I go into the administration util and on the DHCP server page, I see that the 2 replays have been assigned 192.168.1.4 and 192.168.1.6. I woudl like these to be 192.168.1.100 and .101.


When i change these to "MANUAL" assignments and try to edit the IP address, i'm given an error message that says:

Quote:

Item: Manual assignment setting -- MAC address

Detail: Entered IP address or MAC address is already assigned by DHCP server.

Configuration Error. Try again.
I know for a fact these IPs addresses aren't taken. WHen I even try to give them .200 and .201 suffixes I get the same error message. If you hit "DELETE" next to that IP assignment, it just changes the assignment from MANUAL back to AUTO. I expected it to delete that IP assignment all together for that MAC Address (revoke the IP).


Anyone else notice this weirdness?


----------



## icecow

Is there any dirt cheap 802.11g(or 802.11a even) routers with LOOPBACK?


cow


----------



## bobby_t1

Quote:

_Originally posted by bobby_t1_
*I have a question about the configuration of the Buffalos. I'd like to do a fixed-IP solution and give my replays fixed IPs but still have them use DHCP so the IPs are managed by the Buffalos.


I go into the administration util and on the DHCP server page, I see that the 2 replays have been assigned 192.168.1.4 and 192.168.1.6. I woudl like these to be 192.168.1.100 and .101.


When i change these to "MANUAL" assignments and try to edit the IP address, i'm given an error message that says:




I know for a fact these IPs addresses aren't taken. WHen I even try to give them .200 and .201 suffixes I get the same error message. If you hit "DELETE" next to that IP assignment, it just changes the assignment from MANUAL back to AUTO. I expected it to delete that IP assignment all together for that MAC Address (revoke the IP).


Anyone else notice this weirdness?*
I figured out my own problem and confirmed it with Buffalo tech support (i didn't realize they were 24/7!)


You have to release the IP from the computer you are trying to change the IP address for. For somereason, the buffalos aren't smart enough to sever the connection and release the IP on its own. Once you do that, you can change the IP like I described above with no problems.


----------



## sfhub

Quote:

_Originally posted by bobby_t1_
*You have to release the IP from the computer you are trying to change the IP address for. For somereason, the buffalos aren't smart enough to sever the connection and release the IP on its own. Once you do that, you can change the IP like I described above with no problems.*
You can also reboot the buffalo and make the changes, then reboot the

replays to pick up the changes.


----------



## sfhub

Quote:

_Originally posted by icecow_
*Is there any dirt cheap 802.11g(or 802.11a even) routers with LOOPBACK?*
All the linksys routers support loopback with the latest firmware.

The current generation Netgear support loopback. If you went with

buffalo but wanted loopback, just disable the buffalo router and get

a dirt cheap wired router which supports loopback.


----------



## bobby_t1

After doing some streaming from one replay to the other yesterday, i noticed that the replay I was streaming from created a audio+video sync problem when it was recording "24" yesterday. Anyone else have this problem occur?


----------



## icecow

Quote:

_Originally posted by sfhub_
*All the linksys routers support loopback with the latest firmware.

The current generation Netgear support loopback. If you went with

buffalo but wanted loopback, just disable the buffalo router and get

a dirt cheap wired router which supports loopback.*
Are you saying all linksys and current netgear WiReLeSS router support loopback too, or just the wired routers?


I don't have any buffalo products. I'm interested in having both loopback and 802.11g or a or maybe even b if cheap enough. The replays are all wired connections to the router so the loopback needs would only apply to wired lines, if that matters.


If two routers can be connected together like a router and a switch I was not aware of that/never clear on that.


cow


----------



## sfhub

Quote:

_Originally posted by icecow_
*Are you saying all linksys and current netgear WiReLeSS router support loopback too, or just the wired routers?*
Yes, I know the netgear G ap/routers support loopback and linksys

supports loopback all the way back to BEFSR41 v1.


----------



## Simrdai

CompuSA still has the rebate offer for these base stations.

I already ordered one for pickup...when I get there, I'll see about buying the 2nd one too on a separate purchase so I can get rebates.


----------



## bobby_t1

I have been in contact with Buffalo via email and they are saying they are considering loopback support in a future firmware.... i really hoping for this support.


----------



## damager

I looked at www.compusa.com, and while they ARE offering a rebate that makes the final cost $65 or so, the $49.99 rebate deal is dead.


----------



## madpoet

Plus they are sold out on line and in every store near me


----------



## moyekj

Quote:

_Originally posted by madpoet_
*Plus they are sold out on line and in every store near me *
Call your local store to confirm if they are indeed sold out. Checking online inventories they claimed all sold out in 50 mile radius, but calling my closest local store they still had 19 available - they admitted the online inventory checker was B.S.


----------



## Simrdai

I just got two of the buffalo bridge base stations.


I was setting it up and I noticed if I try to set anything in the Wireless section under LAN settings, it says

Item: Wireless -- Wireless channel

Detail: ** Programming error **

Configuration Error. Try again.


Anyone ever get that?

hmm

It already came with v2.01 of the firmware.


----------



## Simrdai

I just noticed something very bizarre!

I bought two WBR-G54's but the first one I opened and plugged in reports that its really a WBR-B11 !!!

Which is a 802.11b router!

The label on the device itself in the back specifically says WBR-G54

and even the documentation that came with it says Air Station g54 WBR-G54


So how the heck did this box get totally mislabeled but the insides are something else entirely?


----------



## skleiser

Quote:

_Originally posted by Simrdai_
*I just noticed something very bizarre!

I bought two WBR-G54's but the first one I opened and plugged in reports that its really a WBR-B11 !!!*
Have a look at the 1st paragraph in this earlier post in this thread.


----------



## Simrdai

Sorry for all the posts tonight!

Just wanted to update anyone who cares, that I returned that buffalo bride and got another one from compusa, and its ok now.


So for those of you who buy these G54's make sure you connect to it via web browser and verify it says G54 in the system information screen.


I'm pretty happy with it so far...I got wireless bridging working and DVarchive can see the RTV through the bridge 


EDITED!

I just read that paragraph you pointed out to me!! Ahhh so that's what happened!

Oh welllllll. Alls well that ends well I guess....


----------



## bobby_t1

I'm noticing that my Wireless lan disappears every so often for a few mins.. the 2 other buffalos in the WDS bridge setup ihave disconect as well as my laptop. When running the windows advanced setings which shows you the visible wlan networks, I see my wlan appears then disappear... then all of a sudden it comes back.


what could be causing this? I even tried setting "broadcast my ssid" to true to see if that would solve it, but alas, no!


----------



## Bigjohns

Quote:

_Originally posted by bobby_t1_
*I'm noticing that my Wireless lan disappears every so often for a few mins.. the 2 other buffalos in the WDS bridge setup ihave disconect as well as my laptop. When running the windows advanced setings which shows you the visible wlan networks, I see my wlan appears then disappear... then all of a sudden it comes back.


what could be causing this? I even tried setting "broadcast my ssid" to true to see if that would solve it, but alas, no!*
first things to look for -


wireless telephones within 100ft (2.4ghz 'gigaset' type phones).

microwave ovens within 10 ft of the WAP.


Even your NEIGHBORS 2.4ghz phones will do it...


John


----------



## bobby_t1

Well I'm still able to see another neighbours G network when mine goes down... I have a 5Ghz phone myself and the microwave over wasn't turned on.


So maybe my immediate neighbour has a 2.4Ghz phone so it is bringing down my Wlan but not my other neighbours?


----------



## damager

Even if you are seeing interference (from your phone or your neighbors), you should start by trying another channel. Seems like most people tend to stick with 1, 6, or 11. If you are at 11, try 6 or 1 and see if that takes care of the connection loss problem.


----------



## madpoet

FYI, there is a $20 MIR here:

http://images.pricegrabber.com/rebates/5009.pdf 


I ended up getting 2 from Computers4sure for about $67 each after rebate with free shipping. Not bad, but not the greatest deal ever. Still, if it works, I will be EXTREMELY happy. Not being able to stream is killing me.


----------



## damager

I bought 2 of the Buffalo routers based on reading this thread. I was replacing an 802.11b wireless network in my home. With my old network, I would get 400KB - 500KB per second as a transfer rate from my ReplayTV unit using DVArchive.


I setup the routers (which are working great), and decided to try a transfer. The rate was around 550KB. Not very impressive, but I had it setup for mixed mode - 802.11b and g. I decided to set both routers to "Turbo" mode, and rebooted both routers. Tried another DVArchive transfer - around 550KB - 575KB.


Not impressive.


The routers are about 30 - 40 feet apart, both on the first floor of the house. 1 wall seperates them. They are both on channel 11.


Can anyone give me a heads up on the kinds of things that might be causing this slow transfer rate, even in turbo mode?


----------



## j.m.

damager,

Have you changed the Max Transfer Speed setting in DVArchive properties from the default of 614KB/sec? If not, then that is probably the problem. DVA will cap downloads at that setting. You can try increasing it (with 0 disabling the cap entirely), but you may run into problems such as reboots or stuttering on the ReplayTV. The max you are going to get no matter what is around 1.5MB/sec with the ReplayTV off (that is a limitation of the ReplayTV hardware itself).


----------



## damager

That was it - once I set this higher (to 1200) I got my transfer rate up to almost 1 MB/s. Thanks...


----------



## icecow

It's crossed my mind to search the net for plans to make a 2.4 jammer that would screw up everyithing in the 2.4 band. Leave it on for a week or two to cleanse my area(read make everyone around me give up on their 2.4 phones and routers).


Then I think "what am I thinking?"


It still apeals to me to get 802.11a or 802.11i and see about getting a 5.8 jammer so people return anything 5.8 back to the store as fast as they got it...


It would have to even get a little more complex before it worked.. The jammer would be most effective it if sniffed for 5.8 usage(besides me) and 'screamed' i.e. jammed 5.8 till they went away.


I might live in apartments for 5-6 more years so the idea is still pending. Eventually I'll start poking around google doing reasearch. If I'm lucky, it will be possible AND cheap to make. The cost will likely be the idea killer.


cow


----------



## madpoet

Evil icecow... very evil. On the other hand, I learned early on in an apartment building to make sure I turned on my WEP features. I caught someone using my wireless router and had to shut down his MAC address. SOB kept scanning my network and cracking my key.


-MP


----------



## Wunderdrug

Starting tomorrow, January 18 and continuing 'till Monday January 19,

you may be able to pick up a Buffalo WBR-G54 for $54.99 at CompUSA.


$99.99

- $9.99 (10% off coupon -- good only on the above days)

- $35.00 (Manufacturer's MIR)

= $54.99


The 10% off coupon is available on the various deal sites.


Not as nice as the $49.99 deal, but close.


----------



## pianoman41

For a network noob like myself this thread has been great. This was definitely a challenge but I came out more educated for my troubles and got a great wireless network up and running as a side benefit.  It makes me really tempted to go get a second 5XXX for the bedroom.


That being said, I still have one (sorta) OT topic regarding the wireless network. I've got two WBR-54Gs, one as a router with my cable modem plugged into the WAN and my main PC plugged into port 1 on the LAN. The second WBR-54G is upstairs by the RTV and my 5040 is plugged into port 1 on the LAN. Both units are bridged and it works great. So for convenience sake, I added a Buffalo Wireless PCI card to my second desktop PC and a Buffalo Wireless PCMCIA card for my wife's laptop. Everything works as it should *except* for some reason the second desktop PC with the PCI card keeps "timing out" from the wireless network. It seems as if the PC is idle for a while the card loses the signal and then although it shows as connected (using Windows XP Wireless Zero Configuration Utility) it says it is connected as Peer-To-Peer. When it says connected as Peer-To-Peer in reality I have no connection at all. I have to "View Available Networks" and select the SSID of my main WBR-54G and then it "reconnects" to that SSID and all is working again. Not a big deal but still, a minor annoyance. The laptop card doesn't do this (or least I haven't observed it yet) and the only difference is the laptop is running Windows 2000 so it is using the Buffalo Client Manager to connect (vs Windows XP Wireless Zero Configuration Utility on the desktop). Any network experts have a solution?


----------



## sfhub

Don't have the hardware to test out so I'm just guessing. Is there some

power saving mode setting which is disabling the wireless network card

after inactivity? What happens when you ping your router


ping -t (router IP)


----------



## damager

I have two of these Buffalo units, and they have been working great for about 9 days. Suddenly today, I keep losing the bridge connection between the two units. I can wirelessly connect to either (manually) and get into the administrator, and I can access the web through the unit connected to my cable modem, but there doesn't seem to be any connection between the two. If I reboot the unit NOT connected to the cable modem, they will reestablish the bridge, and then lose it again within 30 minutes.


My first thought is interference, so I tried changing the channels to 6 from 11.


Any other words of wisdom?


----------



## jwtseng

Quote:

_Originally posted by Wunderdrug_
*Starting tomorrow, January 18 and continuing 'till Monday January 19,

you may be able to pick up a Buffalo WBR-G54 for $54.99 at CompUSA.


$99.99

- $9.99 (10% off coupon -- good only on the above days)

- $35.00 (Manufacturer's MIR)

= $54.99


The 10% off coupon is available on the various deal sites.


Not as nice as the $49.99 deal, but close.*
Wunderbug:


Thanks for the heads up. I'll use this opportunity to buy my 5th WBR-G54. For those of you who are wondering where to get the 10% off coupon. Here it is...

CompUSA 10% Off Coupon 


Also, to save even more, why not sign up for AOL while your at CompUSA and they will give you an extra $10 off your purchase. You can cancel anytime during the 3 month free trial.


----------



## jwtseng

Quote:

_Originally posted by damager_
*I have two of these Buffalo units, and they have been working great for about 9 days. Suddenly today, I keep losing the bridge connection between the two units. I can wirelessly connect to either (manually) and get into the administrator, and I can access the web through the unit connected to my cable modem, but there doesn't seem to be any connection between the two. If I reboot the unit NOT connected to the cable modem, they will reestablish the bridge, and then lose it again within 30 minutes.


My first thought is interference, so I tried changing the channels to 6 from 11.


Any other words of wisdom?*
Well, intermittent drops like that make me think of range issues. Maybe your two units are just at the maximum range limits and the bridge sort of comes and goes. Of course, that doesn't explain why everything worked fine for 9 days and then kaput.


You could always try to reconfigure and then swap the router and bridge units. See if you can isolate the problem to a specific unit or to your specific setup. Let us know what happens.


----------



## sfhub

Quote:

_Originally posted by damager_
*Any other words of wisdom?*
Buy a few 5ghz phones, go to each neighbor, knock on door, smile and

say happy holidays, ask them for their old 2.4ghz phone to recycle in an

eco-friendly way.


----------



## cweb

I am having problems adding a 2nd replay to my wireless (all WBR-G54's) setup.


I started off testing a 1 replay (2 WBR-G54) setup and it worked flawlessly. Then I went to two replays (3 WBR-G54s). Not only can I not connect to the third AP, but after a short while the central AP will hang (red light on),


I used the instructions laid out by sfhub using: AP2AP1AP3. I basically used the same setup as in the single replay setup. Settings in AP2 remained the same. AP1 had AP3's MAC address added to it. AP3 is an exact copy of AP2, but has its own unique IP address. I originally had all three in WDS Dedicate mode. I later put AP1 in WDS Non-Dedicated mode. Leaving the other two in Dedicated mode still no success.


Later I removed AP3 from the equation and went to a single replay setup. Everything is again working flawlessly. I would like, though, to get the two replay (three WBR-G54) setup to work. Anybody have any ideas?


----------



## damager

Update - I switched my Buffs from Channel 11 to Channel 6, and the problem seemed to go away. I'm guessing that this is interference related.


Thanks to all for the ideas...


----------



## j.m.

Ok,


I'm back with another Buffalo UK new firmware update. This time we have moved up all the way from 2.02 to 2.05. So, what's new? Who knows. The release notes link isn't working at the moment and no info is included in the download. I will flash and report back.


As always, UK firmware is at http://www.buffalo-technology.com/ww...d/firmware.htm . Please note that one person has reported that a Buffalo USA rep told him that flashing UK firmware will void the warranty. However, for every version of the firmware I have checked, the USA and UK firmwares have been binary IDENTICAL. YMMV.


[UPDATE - Flashed both of my WBR-G54s successfully. There are no discernible changes from 2.02. Loopback is still not supported.]


[UPDATE 2 - As quickly as 2.05 appeared, it has disappeared from the UK site. Why? Who knows.]


[UPDATE 3 - It's back again.]


----------



## scorpi0

Quote:

_Originally posted by damager_
*I have two of these Buffalo units, and they have been working great for about 9 days. Suddenly today, I keep losing the bridge connection between the two units. I can wirelessly connect to either (manually) and get into the administrator, and I can access the web through the unit connected to my cable modem, but there doesn't seem to be any connection between the two. If I reboot the unit NOT connected to the cable modem, they will reestablish the bridge, and then lose it again within 30 minutes.


My first thought is interference, so I tried changing the channels to 6 from 11.


Any other words of wisdom?*
I had experienced a similar problem more than a couple times past weekend. In my case rebooting the unit NOT connected to the modem didn't help, however rebooting the unit connected to the modem did the trick.


BTW the DHCP server on my second unit (not connected to Internet) is disabled. So when the bridge connection is broken and my laptop gets connected to this unit, laptop cannot get an IP and I cannot get to the administrator console unless I reset it to the factory settings.


----------



## Elixer

I jumped in on the buffalo deal at compusa, and I got a slight glitch, maybe someone can tell me what I did wrong.


unit A is connected to WAN via cable modem. It has the wireless mac ID of unit B, has DHCP on, Bridge ON, and WEP is ON.


unit B is connected to the Replaytv in bridge mode, DHCP off, WDS (bridge) on, wireless mac ID of unit A in the WDS section, WEP ON.


I got a computer with a Buffalo PCI card to talk to unit A.


If the PCI card is active but NOT unit B, all is fine.

If the computer is off (pci card NOT active) then the unit B ->replaytv is fine.


If BOTH are in use at the same time, I can't get anything to work.


So, can anyone give me a pointer to what to look for?


----------



## damager

I think I figured out why I was getting bridging disconnects. The buffs ran fine for 9 days or so, and then one day I figured I'd get smart and move the remote buff up on top of a shelf and off my desk. Heck, it was closer than before, and that has to be better, right?


Only problem was that right on the other side of the wall, now no more than 1 foot from the Buff, was our 2.4 Ghz cordless phone base. I moved the unit back to my desk and its running fine.


----------



## madpoet

Just wanted to say that I got my three units installed tonight and am thrilled. Setup was a breeze, once I remembered to Apply the Mac addresses for bridging . My 2 Replays now stream flawlessly. So glad I decided to try this out, and many thanks for the advice.


-MP


----------



## bobby_t1

anyone have any tips on how to reduce audio sync problems in recordings?


Last week when 1 unit was recording 24, I tried downloading from it using DVArching on my PC. 24 had audio sync problem about 1/2 way through the episode. Considering I"ve never had this problem, it's gotta be due to the downloading/streaming.


I want to be able to stream from one unit to the other w/o having to worry if the source is recording. The units are on separate floors, so running up and downstairs to see if the unit is currently recording will be a pain in the butt and totally unmanageable.


tips?


----------



## K. Soze

Quote:

_Originally posted by Elixer_
*I jumped in on the buffalo deal at compusa, and I got a slight glitch, maybe someone can tell me what I did wrong.


unit A is connected to WAN via cable modem. It has the wireless mac ID of unit B, has DHCP on, Bridge ON, and WEP is ON.


unit B is connected to the Replaytv in bridge mode, DHCP off, WDS (bridge) on, wireless mac ID of unit A in the WDS section, WEP ON.


I got a computer with a Buffalo PCI card to talk to unit A.


If the PCI card is active but NOT unit B, all is fine.

If the computer is off (pci card NOT active) then the unit B ->replaytv is fine.


If BOTH are in use at the same time, I can't get anything to work.


So, can anyone give me a pointer to what to look for?*
What are both of the ip addresses? They must be different. For example, I use 192.168.11.1 (first one) and 192.168.11.3 (second.) Can you ping the unit connected to the replay? Did you set your replay up to the new ip?


----------



## smccaffity

Quote:

_Originally posted by jwtseng_
*No. The WBR-G54 could serve as your wireless router for your internet connection for sure, but if you want to use a second or third, etc unit in bridging mode all you have to do is turn off DHCP and voila! All you have left is a 4-port switch on a wireless bridge!*
This may have already been mentioned. I apologize if it was, but this thread is quite extensive now and I could have just overlooked it.


I currently have a Linksys WRT54g router and two wet54g bridges connected to two 5040's. Cannot get streaming to work. Not particularly happy with Linksys, period. Oh, I also have a WET11 bridge attached to my xbox.


If I go with the WBR-G54 and use one as the router, and two for the 5040's as bridges, can I also connect my xbox to one of the WBR-G54's that has a 5040 bridged to it?


----------



## qtv

Yes, that shouldn't be a problem at all since the WBR-G54s each include four (4) LAN ports, two of which you would use for the ReplayTV and XBox.


----------



## jwtseng

Quote:

_Originally posted by smccaffity_
*If I go with the WBR-G54 and use one as the router, and two for the 5040's as bridges, can I also connect my xbox to one of the WBR-G54's that has a 5040 bridged to it?*
Absolutely! That's the beauty of these Buffalo units...a 4-port switch on a wireless bridge! I'm glad you found the thread.


----------



## Elixer

Quote:

_Originally posted by K. Soze_
*What are both of the ip addresses? They must be different. For example, I use 192.168.11.1 (first one) and 192.168.11.3 (second.) Can you ping the unit connected to the replay? Did you set your replay up to the new ip?*
Argh. I guess I was typing too fast, and entered in 192.168.11.11 instead of 192.168.11.10. The .11 was already in use. Stupid mistake. 


On a unrelated note, for some reason the main router didn't respond at all, I couldn't access 192.168.11.1, I couldn't ping it either. All LEDs were normal though. I power cycled the unit 3 times, and still nothing. Then I gave up and hit the INIT button to reset it. Anyond see this issue before?


I tried both wired & wireless access to main router, and NADA. I wonder if it is possible to crash the router??? (but shouldn't a power cycle cure that?)


----------



## damager

Unfortunately, I continue to experience daily loss of the bridge between my Buffalo units. I am going to try attaching an external antenna to one of the units this weekend, but would like to hear if anyone else is having this problem.


----------



## jwtseng

damager:


Try switching the boxes to see if you can isolate it to one box being defective. Otherwise, I think that range and/or interference issues are probably your culprit. The external antenna might help in that case. Good luck.


----------



## magordon

I have a problem with Streaming. I have a replayTV in the living room nowhere near eathernet and after hearing your success with laptop streaming, I jumped in and most everything works well..... except streaming video.


My configuration: I have a buffalo A connected to the WAN and Desktop computer in router configuration. I have a buffalo B in living room connected to Replaytv configured in bridging mode. Connection shows everything is OK.


Replay TV draws an IP from DHCP, updates fine, no problems.


I run DVarchive on the desktop and I see the replay fine, download shows fine, but while streaming (using both BS player and videoLAN) the picture is very poor, mostly on the bottom half.


I tried playing a downloaded show using both players and they worked fantastically.


So I looked into bandwidth problems. DV Archive showed that I was downloading at 500-550 KBs, I estimated this to be about 5Mbs and figured that it was ok. ( Is my math right... 500 KBs = 5000Kbs = 5Mbs???)


So I downloaded netIQ and connected the laptop to the bridge unit and pretty continuously got throughput readings of 20Mbs, meaning I was getting the top connection speed (since 54Mbs is full duplex)


So... is my streaming software somehow bad, is my math bad, or is my Karma bad?


Thanks for any help... I want to watch TV in the most selfishly cool way!


Mark


----------



## sfhub

Quote:

_Originally posted by magordon_
*So... is my streaming software somehow bad, is my math bad, or is my Karma bad?*
Have you tried adjusting the bandwidth cap in DVArchive config? The

default is 600KB/s


----------



## magordon

I bumped it up to 1200 KBs and it still continues to have the same problem. I'm using VideoLAN, are there any custom settings that need to be explored on the desktop (or laptop) side? What players seem to work the best?


Also, for other people who have streaming working well, what is the displayed speed in the DV Archive download window?


Thanks


----------



## j.m.

Quote:

_Originally posted by sfhub_
*Have you tried adjusting the bandwidth cap in DVArchive config? The

default is 600KB/s*
FWIW, the cap does not apply to streaming, only downloads. Streaming goes as fast as possible.


Most likely magordon needs to adjust the RWIN value on his/her PC. Find the details via a search. I have posted many times on the matter.


----------



## sfhub

Quote:

_Originally posted by j.m._
*FWIW, the cap does not apply to streaming, only downloads. Streaming goes as fast as possible.*
Yup, I misread the question, thought it was about slow DVA.


----------



## sfhub

Quote:

_Originally posted by j.m._
*Most likely magordon needs to adjust the RWIN value on his/her PC. Find the details via a search. I have posted many times on the matter.*
Yes, I recall the various conversations about streaming we all had now 

At least I remember participating in the conversations about streaming

problems from DVA to Replay.


I think it ended up being very likely all the streaming problems were due to

tcp ACK problems between windows and Replay interacting poorly with the

tcp1323 options of windows (1323 options were designed to dynamically

adjust tcp parameters to match the conditions of the link)


Those options are good for general purpose internet, but for a streaming

app which needs constant flow of data working in a LAN environment, it

is better to always have the throttle on full and forget about adjusting the

tcp parameters. I think there was a side theory that replay may be

dropping ACKs periodically and that was screwing up window scaling

algorithm and timestamp calculation.


Basically if you don't want streaming problems turn off rfc1323

window scaling and timestamps, and bump your RWIN as high as

possible.


Turning off timestamps will fix the streaming problems from DVA to Replay

and turning off window scaling and bumping up RWIN will fix the streaming

problems from Replay to PC streaming app.


HKLM\\SYSTEM\\CurrentControlSet\\Services\\Tcpip\\Parameters \\Tcp1323Opts=0


HKLM\\SYSTEM\\CurrentControlSet\\Services\\Tcpip\\Parameters \\TcpWindowSize=64240

(assumes MSS of 1460, else choose highest multiple of MTU-40 which is less than 65535)


----------



## larry907

I recently purchased a Linksys wrt54g and I also own a linksys wap11 and a linksys 5-port switch. Can this combo used to between my computer and 5504. If so, how do I set it up? Thanks,

Larry


----------



## j.m.

Well, the 2.05 firmware I mentioned in this post is back on the UK site once again. It is bit-for-bit identical to the 2.05 file that appeared then disappeared a few days ago. Weird.


----------



## scorpi0

Quote:

_Originally posted by damager_
*Unfortunately, I continue to experience daily loss of the bridge between my Buffalo units. I am going to try attaching an external antenna to one of the units this weekend, but would like to hear if anyone else is having this problem.*
I also continued to experience bridge failures after changing from ch11 to ch6. I don't think it's a range issue, because they are fairly close to each other.


Then I turned off the AP mode, it now runs in dedicated bridge mode. It's been three days, no bridge disconnection yet.


----------



## SeeSpotRun

I am a bit confused as to how many of these WBR-G54 units I would need.


I have two Replays each of which are in different rooms (one is in a bedroom, the other is in the living room) and my internet connection is in my office. I want to be able to have the replays get their guide data from the internet but be able to stream from each other and from DVarchive on a pc in my office connected to the wireless router I already have (so I can use use my internet in the house with my laptop). My exsisting router is a D-Link XtremeG.


So, can I just get two WBR-G54 and have them act as a client to my existing router and put one on each replay? Do I need to get three WBR-G54 and have the third on my wireless network or must I have four WBR-G54 and put two on my wireless network?


Is the $65 after rebate price at CompUSA the cheapest price on the WBR-G54 these days?


Is there any reason not to just go out and buy two D-Link DWL-G810 bridge units instead?
http://www.dlink.com/products/?pid=241 


-SeeSpotRun


----------



## sfhub

Quote:

_Originally posted by SeeSpotRun_
*So, can I just get two WBR-G54 and have them act as a client to my existing router and put one on each replay?


Do I need to get three WBR-G54 and have the third on my wireless network

...

Is there any reason not to just go out and buy two D-Link DWL-G810 bridge units instead?
http://www.dlink.com/products/?pid=241 
*
2 will not work because dlink doesn't support WDS bridging.

You'll need 3. You can keep the existing dlink if you want or you can

replace it with one of the 3 Buffalos. The other two will sit with your

Replays and primarily function as bridges.


Reasons not to buy dlink dwl-g810 over buffalo

1) buffalo come with 4-port switch which is nice if you want to bridge more

than one device in bedroom or living room, no need to buy a separate

switch

2) buffalo uses true bridging as opposed to MAC masquerading so you

won't have problems with scenarios where MAC address is significant

like xbox and DHCP

3) buffalo is proven to stream well with Replay, dlink streaming is not well

known yet

4) buffalo can act as a bridge *and* and AP simulatneously, extending the

range of your "G" network to cover your whole house


Reasons to buy dlink dwl-g810 over buffalo

1) dlink uses MAC masquerading for bridging so it will work with any vendor

AP regardless of whether they support WDS

2) dlink will probably be easier to setup


I don't know the relative prices of what your are comparing, but please

factor in that you are getting a lot more with the buffalo's and since they

have so much functionality they are very flexible. If your current dlink

router dies, you can't replace it with a dwl-g810, but with buffalo the

units are all interchangeable.


----------



## SeeSpotRun

Quote:

_Originally posted by sfhub_
*I don't know the relative prices of what your are comparing, but please

factor in that you are getting a lot more with the buffalo's and since they

have so much functionality they are very flexible. If your current dlink

router dies, you can't replace it with a dwl-g810, but with buffalo the

units are all interchangeable.*
Thanks for that good info, that is the kind of thing I was looking for. What about encryption? I am not too worried about my neighbors snooping on my network traffic but I don't want them attaching to my network to use my internet or looking at the files on my network. Can you turn on WEP with the AirStations?


I checked into prices and two d-link units would cost about 200. Three of the Buffalo units would cost about 300 (but about 200 after rebate).


I have had pretty bad luck with routers lately. I had one of the original Linksys 802.11b routers since they came out and it worked great until 3 months ago and it died. I then went and bought a new one from Linksys but since Cisco took over, they seem to be making junk. The first one didn't even work out of the box and got exchanged. The second one worked intermittantly for 2 months but it locks up all the time (won't even respond to ping but the switch in it still works). I got tired of that and bought the D-Link one last month (jumped to G instead of B) and it works fine.


I did have one more question... I have a desktop computer with a wireless card in it and an ethernet card. I know that I could do some sort of bridge with Windows XP so that I could attach the Replay to the desktop with a cross over cable and have the Windows computer forward packets via wireless. However I never could figure out how to get that to work. Once I bridged the connections, the computer could no longer surf the net. Anyone have any experience with a software bridge?


-SeeSpotRun


----------



## sfhub

Quote:

_Originally posted by SeeSpotRun_
*I am not too worried about my neighbors snooping on my network traffic but I don't want them attaching to my network to use my internet or looking at the files on my network. Can you turn on WEP with the AirStations?


I checked into prices and two d-link units would cost about 200. Three of the Buffalo units would cost about 300 (but about 200 after rebate).
*
Buffalo supports WEP encryption for the wireless connections and more

advance AES encryption for privacy, MAC filtering and disabling SSID

broadcast for restricted access.


d-link is 200 without 4-port switches  There was a CUSA sale on buffalo's

earlier in the year for $50AR each. With all the buffalo rebates make sure

you buy on individual receipts since the rebates are limited one per

household.


Having worked with network gear for a while, I find it hard to say Cisco

and crap in the same breadth, but that is my experience with the new

Cisco-branded Linksys equipment too. Maybe it is just a bad run

associated with the manufacturing change from Taiwan to China but

it is really disappointing compared to the original Linksys equipment a

few years back. Current dlink seems to work better than Cisco-branded

linksys, but Buffalo offers new level of flexibility and performance.


----------



## SeeSpotRun

Alrighty, I picked up two Buffalo WBR-G54 "Wireless broadband basestation-g" units today. Since these were open box items (last ones), I didn't get a manual. I quick call to tech support got me a tech in less than 2 mins. First we reset the boxes to factory defaults (hold in the reset button until the red diag light goes on and then back off). We zipped on through the various menus and presto, I have a wireless G bridge up and working. I took one unit and connected it to my wired network and I'm typing this message from my laptop connected right to the other unit while in my bedroom. So far I'm impress with Buffalo. Perhaps I will retire the D-Link and just use the Buffalo. I'm getting ready to try out the replay and see how it likes the Buffalo units.


The tech did have a pretty good suggestion, you can go in to the management section, look at the configuration and print out a copy. That might come in handy at some point in the future.


-SeeSpotRun


----------



## Frayser

Quote:

_Originally posted by damager_
*Unfortunately, I continue to experience daily loss of the bridge between my Buffalo units. I am going to try attaching an external antenna to one of the units this weekend, but would like to hear if anyone else is having this problem.*
Damager:


Had the same problem. My 3 Buffalo units were disconnecting from each other on a daily basis. Buffalo CSR recommended the following for my non-DHCP units which are connected to my 5504 and 5040:


1. Go to Network Settings -->Routing setup, all routing setups should be set to none.


2. Network Settings-->Address Translation: select "Do Not Use" and uncheck the Log Output box.


3. Network Settings-->Packet Filter: uncheck Log Output box.


4. Network Settings-->UPnP: set to "Do Not Use"


5. On all units, try either channel 1, 6 or 11. (Mine used 11 initially, so I switched to 6).


After trying the above over the weekend, my units have worked flawlessly, no disconnects, no having to restart Replay or the units, and I have had perfect streaming. Since I'm not a network expert, I can't tell you technically why any of the above works, but, for whatever reasons, it has.


Good luck.


----------



## SeeSpotRun

Quote:

_Originally posted by Frayser_
*Damager:


Had the same problem. My 3 Buffalo units were disconnecting from each other on a daily basis. Buffalo CSR recommended the following for my non-DHCP units which are connected to my 5504 and 5040:


1. Go to Network Settings -->Routing setup, all routing setups should be set to none.


2. Network Settings-->Address Translation: select "Do Not Use" and uncheck the Log Output box.


3. Network Settings-->Packet Filter: uncheck Log Output box.


4. Network Settings-->UPnP: set to "Do Not Use"*
When I walked through the setup with the tech tonight he had me make those changes and a few others (but I don't remember them all).


I tried streaming on all 3 quality levels and they all worked fine. I did notice that on a small tv, standard mode looks fine but on a bigger tv I wasn't that happy.


-SeeSpotRun


----------



## damager

Thanks Frayser - I'll try these things...


----------



## drees

I am a newbie in this wireless network thing. Any help would be highly appreciated.


I have one Replay in the family room, a pc and a laptop in the office. My neighbor just installed a wireless router and we would like to share the network.


So, can I get two WBR-G54:

- put one in the office and talk to the neighbor's router while act as a router so I can connect pc and laptop to it

- put the other one on replay and bridge to the first one


Thanks.


----------



## jwtseng

drees:


The Buffalo solution would work if your neighbor's router was also a Buffalo WBR-G54. Then your first WBR-G54 would act as a bridge to your neighbor's and your second WBR-G54 would bridge to your first. You would in essence have a 2-hop bridged connection to your second WBR-G54, and throughput may suffer (still faster than 802.11b). But it would work.


Again, all of this depends on all the equipment being Buffalo or otherwise WDS-bridging compliant. In other words, a Buffalo WBR-G54 is unlikely to be able to bridge to another brand of AP. The only other brand that supports WDS-bridging (and is compatible with Buffalo) that I know of is the Apple Extreme Basestation.


----------



## tnkrtrn

This seems to be the help thread for the wireless WBR-G54. I think I've got my setup all figured out but since this is old hat to you guys I'd like to get your opinion on it...plus I've got a question or two.


Here is my proposed setup.


Internet=>4port linksys router=>CAT5=>WBR-G54(1)=>Shared(?) wireless brigde=>WBR-G54(2)=>Replaytv


First of all I'm assuming if I turn off DHCP in the WBR-G54's they essentially become wireless switches and the router will assign ip addys to anything that requests it. The CAT5 going from the router to the WBR-G54, should it go from the uplink to the WAN port. I'm still a little confused there. Also I plan on using the ports on the WBR-G54's to connect computer to should I expect any problems there.



I've only got one Replaytv right now and plan on using this setup for the nightly updates and to move files from the replaytv to my pc.


----------



## damager

I set my connections based on Frayser's input and also added a Buffalo antenna to my non-DHCP unit. I haven't had a drop for a day and a half - I'll let everyone know if my problem is resolved.


On a side note - have you looked at the cost of the Buffalo add-on antenna? Holy crap - $59.99 for a plastic antenna - couldn't have cost Buffalo more than $10 per unit. The antenna ends up costing more that the access point / router / bridge unit!


----------



## qtv

Quote:

_Originally posted by tnkrtrn_
*Here is my proposed setup.


Internet=>4port linksys router=>CAT5=>WBR-G54(1)=>Shared(?) wireless brigde=>WBR-G54(2)=>Replaytv*
This configuration should work just fine. If you plan or want to allow other wireless clients to connect to the Buffalo WBR-G54s, you'll probably want to set one of them up as a shared bridge. Otherwise, just set it up as a dedicated bridge to maximize the bandwidth capability of the WBR-G54.
Quote:

*First of all I'm assuming if I turn off DHCP in the WBR-G54's they essentially become wireless switches and the router will assign ip addys to anything that requests it.*
That's correct. The router should be the only DHCP server on your network, for the sake of simplicity.
Quote:

*The CAT5 going from the router to the WBR-G54, should it go from the uplink to the WAN port. I'm still a little confused there.*
No, the connection should go from the uplink on your Linksys router to one of the LAN connections on your Buffalo WBR-G54.
Quote:

*Also I plan on using the ports on the WBR-G54's to connect computer to should I expect any problems there.*
There shouldn't be any problems there.


Hope this helps. Let us know if you run into any problems.


----------



## tnkrtrn

Can someone tell me why the WLA-G54 is more expensive than the WBR-G54. It seems like the WBR has more features. I don't know I might be missing something.


----------



## sfhub

Quote:

_Originally posted by tnkrtrn_
*Can someone tell me why the WLA-G54 is more expensive than the WBR-G54. It seems like the WBR has more features. I don't know I might be missing something.*
So far, no one has been able to come up with a good reason to get the

WLA-G54 over the WBR-G54.


----------



## SeeSpotRun

Quote:

_Originally posted by tnkrtrn_
*Can someone tell me why the WLA-G54 is more expensive than the WBR-G54. It seems like the WBR has more features. I don't know I might be missing something.*
Perhaps the WBR-G54 is less expensive because they made a lot more of them so they cost less to make?


-SeeSpotRun


----------



## seidelhd

Ok, I'm going to let you experts give an opinion on my situation to see if it will work.


I currently have Comcast highspeed internet modem connected to a Siemens 802.11b wireless router with a built-in print server. I have 2 computers networked via the LAN ports and my wife's notebook connects wirelessly. I was hoping to connect my new ReplayTV via ethernet cable to use DVArchive and update through the internet, but can't get the wire through a specific wall in the basement, so I'm going to use the Buffalo routers that are so highly thought of here. $65 each after rebate is a great deal, and since my wife uses her computer near the router that will be on the ReplayTV, it will help her reception.


Anyway, I still want to have access to a print server so we can print from any computer. I have an old SMC Barricade 7004ABR router that is collecting dust but still works fine that has a built-in print server. I will no longer have the current wireless router when I get the Buffalo ones. How can I best hook the older, non-wireless router into the network with the two Buffalo routers to let all the computers use it just as a print server?


Would it be easier to use the SMC as the main router and the Buffalo just as a wireless access point? (by connecting a LAN port to the Buffalo's WAN port and disabling DHCP on the Buffalo, I assume) or should I reverse it and connect the WAN port on the SMC to a LAN port on the Buffalo and try to configure it that way?


I emailed SMC support and they said that it probably wouldn't work and they don't support using it that way anyway, so I turn to y'all.


Sorry for the long-winded message. I've learned a ton from lurking on here. Thanks for any input.


----------



## sfhub

Is there a particular reason you wouldn't keep the Siemens and have it

continute to function as your router/print server/802.11b AP?


If you are definitely getting rid of it, you can use the SMC just as a print

server, just configure some dummy IP info for the WAN port, configure

the LAN port to have an unused IP on your local subnet, and connect the

SMC LAN port to Buffalo LAN port using wired ethernet.


----------



## seidelhd

sfhub -


The Siemens router has been kinda flaky lately and I have the 2-year CompUSA replacement policy. They will let me return it and exchange it for credit up to the purchase price, which was $150... so, I can get both Buffalo routers for less than the original price of my current wireless router.

That is why I won't have it anymore.


I'm a little unclear with your instructions. Should I just connect the two routers LAN port - LAN port? I'd need a crossover cable for that, right? How do I configure "some dummy IP info" for the WAN port?


Thank for the help.


----------



## duckman360

Finally got around to getting my Buffalo's. WOW, gotta luv em! Very easy to setup and configure.


CP


----------



## sfhub

Quote:

_Originally posted by seidelhd_
*which was $150... so, I can get both Buffalo routers for less than the original price of my current wireless router.

That is why I won't have it anymore.


I'm a little unclear with your instructions. Should I just connect the two routers LAN port - LAN port? I'd need a crossover cable for that, right? How do I configure "some dummy IP info" for the WAN port?*
That's a nice deal you are getting.


No need for crossover, all the ports on the Buffalo are auto MDI/X so

they will figure out whether they should be crossover or not internally.


Just pick an IP address you'll never send traffic to, like 192.168.99.2

and assign it to the WANIP, set WANGW to 192.168.99.1. I just arbitrarily

picked these numbers, you can pick anything you like, subject to the

restriction that your router should never see packets address to those

IPs; they are just placeholders.


The only important address is the LANIP because that is what you'll

configure the LPT port monitor to use for your print server function.


----------



## seidelhd

Thanks for the help. I got the print server on the old router configured to work with my original wireless router. Now I'm off to CompUSA to exchange it for the Buffalo routers (hopefully).


Just curious, though, does anyone know if the D-link 624 router supports bridging like the Buffalo router does? I looked on the D-link website but can't find any specific info on this. It is on sale for $60 at computers4sure (after rebate, of course) and it can go up to 108MB. If I can connect two of those instead, it may work out better than the Buffalo routers.


----------



## SeeSpotRun

Quote:

_Originally posted by seidelhd_
*Just curious, though, does anyone know if the D-link 624 router supports bridging like the Buffalo router does? I looked on the D-link website but can't find any specific info on this. It is on sale for $60 at computers4sure (after rebate, of course) and it can go up to 108MB. If I can connect two of those instead, it may work out better than the Buffalo routers.*
No, the D-Link 624 does not do bridging. I curren't have one of them and ended up buying the Buffalo routers so I could bridge. If I didn't already have the D-Link, then I could just use one of the Buffalo routers as my router in addition to one side of the bridge but I'm past the return period on the D-Link and really, it is working fine and I'd rather not mess with it.


-SeeSpotRun


----------



## sfhub

Quote:

_Originally posted by seidelhd_
*Just curious, though, does anyone know if the D-link 624 router supports bridging like the Buffalo router does?*
I guess the key is it doesn't do real bridging like the buffalo but you could

still get a bridging setup only if you use MAC masquerading bridge like

DWL-G810.


However, I'd suggest you just go with the Buffalo's. You are getting a

better deal, have more flexibility, and have a proven working solution.


----------



## j.m.

Quote:

_Originally posted by seidelhd_
*Thanks for the help. I got the print server on the old router configured to work with my original wireless router. Now I'm off to CompUSA to exchange it for the Buffalo routers (hopefully).


Just curious, though, does anyone know if the D-link 624 router supports bridging like the Buffalo router does? I looked on the D-link website but can't find any specific info on this. It is on sale for $60 at computers4sure (after rebate, of course) and it can go up to 108MB. If I can connect two of those instead, it may work out better than the Buffalo routers.*
I'm pretty sure it doesn't. That is what makes the Buffalo solution unique. AFAIK, it is the only router + bridge out there. Besides, 108mbps isn't (by itself) going to benefit you for ReplayTV streaming. Even the real world speeds provided by 54mbps 802.11g routers such as the Buffalo WBR-G54 are WAY faster than the maximum speed of which a ReplayTV is capable. Even so, the problem is that pretty much every 54mbps 802.11g solution EXCEPT the WBR-G54 does not reliably stream high quality ReplayTV video well, if at all. This is apparently not due to speed (as I say 54mbps is more than enough) but latency or some other network issues. Therefore, there is a better than average chance that the D-link 624, 108mbps notwithstanding, would not have what it takes to stream HQ reliably either. The Buffalo is a proven success. If you want reliable wireless HQ streaming, choose a different solution at your peril.


----------



## moyekj

Quote:

_Originally posted by j.m._
*Even so, the problem is that pretty much every 54mbps 802.11g solution EXCEPT the WBR-G54 does not reliably stream high quality ReplayTV video well, if at all.*
I respectfully disagree - I have 3 bridged 802.11g Linksys WAP54Gs that work very well for streaming between 3 RTVs at all quality levels. This equipment was available several months before the Buffalo WBR-G54 came onto the scene. Granted if one had to start over today the Buffalo solution is the obvious choice since it is cheaper and more flexible, but it is not the only solution available for reliable wireless streaming at high quality. However, I do agree there seems to be very few solutions (given all the vendors out there) for handling this task right now.


----------



## j.m.

Quote:

_Originally posted by moyekj_
*I respectfully disagree . . . However, I do agree there seems to be very few solutions (given all the vendors out there) for handling this task right now.*
Well, that *is* why I said "*pretty much* every 54mbps 802.11g solution." I recalled that you had gotten things to work with a Linksys bridge-only device way back, but I couldn't remember the model number and respectfully don't think it is the best solution for one just starting out at this point (as you said).


----------



## sfhub

Well I wouldn't say Buffalo (I don't mean to pick on Buffalo, but actually

mean any 802.11g 54mbps solution) is WAY faster than Replay.


In my testing I usually see about 2.1MByte/sec FTP transfers. Replay HQ

usually goes between 850-1400KByte/sec. There's definitely room for

other activity, but it's not at the point I'd feel comfortable throwing

anything at it. If you add an extra wireless hop, you'll have problems

streaming HQ. If you have multiple simultaneous streams you can have

problems too. But then again, I might just have different expectations

for WAY faster 


The 54mbps is nominal speed, which is essentially a half-duplex wireless

channel and with all the overhead usually you'll see about half that in

real world bandwidth.


----------



## jwtseng

Quote:

_Originally posted by moyekj_
*I respectfully disagree - I have 3 bridged 802.11g Linksys WAP54Gs that work very well for streaming between 3 RTVs at all quality levels. This equipment was available several months before the Buffalo WBR-G54 came onto the scene. Granted if one had to start over today the Buffalo solution is the obvious choice since it is cheaper and more flexible, but it is not the only solution available for reliable wireless streaming at high quality. However, I do agree there seems to be very few solutions (given all the vendors out there) for handling this task right now.*
I'm really impressed at how large this thread has become. The point of it all, of course, was to add another data point in the quest for proven and reliable and high quality RTV-to-RTV WLAN streaming. I think the Buffalo WBR-G54 fills a sweet spot just like sfhub said: It's a great deal with a lot of flexibility and a proven solution.


But it's definitely not the only way as moyekj has noted, lest we all get branded as "Buffalo Snobs". But what about those Linksys/Cisco boxes? Are there some QA issues with them or what? For every post that says Linksys equipment works fine for streaming, there seems to be another post saying that Linksys doesn't work. It seems like even within the same Linksys model there are different flavors and interoperability is unpredictable at best. I found this out after owning 3 WAP11's, 2 BEFSR41's, and 3 WET11's. To this day, I still have issues daily with these Linksys boxes (especially with renewing DHCP leases).


Anyhow, I'm glad that we have all found the Buffalo stuff. As long as Buffalo keeps making the good stuff, I'll be staying away from Linksys...regardless of price. I'm proud to be a Buffalo Snob!


----------



## sfhub

Quote:

_Originally posted by jwtseng_
*To this day, I still have issues daily with these Linksys boxes (especially with renewing DHCP leases).*
I'm pretty sure that problem has to do with interaction between Replay

DHCP renewals and any MAC masquerading bridge (ie it is not just a

linksys problem)


There are so many versions of Linksys products that I lose track of what

works and what doesn't. In my experience the Cisco-branded Linksys

has taken a turn for the worse, but I'm not sure if that is just a temporary

situation related to their shift in manufacturing from Taiwan to China and

it'll eventually clear up or a more long-term organizational problem.


They changed the chipset for the WET11v2 from Intersil to Agere Hermes2.

I don't know if it is the chipset or design flaw, but the new WET11v2 gets

40points less signal strength than v1. Also the build quality seems to have

gone down.


On the flip-side, there were some posts on PlanetReplay that the WET54Gv2

now works with streaming for Replay. I haven't verified this myself, but it

would be a positive development for Cisco-branded Linksys from a product

standpoint. The support though has taken a dive as well, moving overseas.


I think in the end Buffalo just has the right equation, great product, very

flexible, performs well, has great support, great price, and happens to

get promoted on these forums by some knowledgable people. It's like the

Perfect Storm of positives for a product.


I think it is less us being Buffalo snobs than just promoting a product that

works. I can't tell you how many times I've refrained from recommending

a product because I don't like getting egg thrown on my face, and Linksys

has done that to me. Their old v1 products were great, but recently,

recommending Linksys based on past experience has not been a good

situation. Buffalo on the other hand, most of the time you make the

recommendation and people are extremely happy, so every new user

that says "success" is more reason to recommend them.


I think there are a few solutions out there that work, but after evaluating

Buffalo still comes out on top.

1) WAP54G - works for streaming, but can't act as AP+Bridge simultaneously,

more expensive than Buffalo, and you need to buy separate switch if you

want to use with multiple devices

2) WRT54G - out of box, useless for bridging. With hacked firmware can

run WDS-based bridging, but asking someone to install hacked firmware

is too much work for the average AVS inquiree

3) WRT54G/WET54G combination - WET54Gv1 definitely doesn't work and

has been shown to not work by smart folks repeatedly. There are some

reports WET54Gv2 works, but suffers from same problems as #1, more

expensive, lacks 4-port switch, no simultaneous AP+Bridge, plus has added

complexity of MAC masquerading, which can cause problems with applications

which utilize MAC addresses directly.


There are a bunch of other products and scenarios, I'm just summarizing

the ones that seem to be discussed the most on Replay Forums, but I

think in most analysis, Buffalo will still come out on top, especially for

someone without existing infrastructure, and even if they have existing

infrastructure, many times Buffallo still comes out on top, either because

of price comparison or because the flexibility allows Buffalo to work

side-by-side with existing equipment.


----------



## damager

Just wanted to follow up here since people have been so helpful with suggestions for my "bridge dropping" issues. I purchased a Buffalo antenna and added it to my "non broadband" router, and the bridge has been up and stable for 4.5 days - looks like I had a range / interference issue.


Thanks again to all for the help...


----------



## mickey3205

Hi everyone,


I've been lurking this thread for sometime. I just got 2 Buffalo WBR-G54 and spent few hours last night to set it up without success. I have RTV5504 and XBox in family room and want to be able to transfering files from RTV to my 2 desktops and a laptop wirelessly.


I'd greatly appreciate if some one could walk me through how to configure the 2nd WBR-G54 as a bridge. I'd prefer if:


1. I can keep my current 802.11b D-Link 713P (with print server) and be able to use WBR-G54 as 802.11g.


2. If #1 above is can't doable then I can use one WBR-G54 as router and how can I set 2nd WBR-G54 as a bridge. Would some one please have step by step instructions for bridge setup. Do I need to enter LAN MAC and/or WAN MAC in both WBR-G54. I'm newbie so please bear with me.


Thank you very much in advance.


Best regards,

mm


----------



## sfhub

Read through this info. What you want to accomplish is discussed.

Ask more specific questions if you still can't get it working.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...63#post3088963 

http://www.buffalotech.com/wireless/...t/faq/wds.html


----------



## mickey3205

sfhub,


Thanks so much. I'll read it through and post again if I still need help.


Best regards,


mm


----------



## seidelhd

Mickey - I spent part of today doing exactly what you want to do. I am also using an older (non-wireless SMC) router as a print server only by connecting it LAN-LAN to my Buffalo router.


My suggestion is to call Buffalo tech support. I called them 5 times today, speaking with three different guys. They were great and walked me through what I needed to do. I also had some issues that are specific to Comcast that they helped with.


You can specify the WBR-54G to only recognize other 54g wireless cards, but that may not work right if you want to download stuff from your ReplayTV to your notebook. However, tomorrow, OfficeMax is having a Belkin 54g wireless card for $30 after rebate - quite a deal.


Thanks also to they guys on this thread and forum for giving me info, help, and advice on this setup too. No I need to download and figure out DVArchive.


----------



## Health Nut

Hi,


I have no experience with networking or routers. I'm likely going to buy a Viewsonic Airpanel to control Music Lobby from my computer in the bedroom, separated from the home theater room (living room) by 1 wall in the side direction and 2 walls straight-on and about 45-50 feet distance . What wireless router brand/model number do you recommend so that I don't need to add special antennas/extention boosters, bridges or whatever?? I'd prefer just to get a beefy wireless router instead on having to get extensions, or are all wireless routers basically the same? I have zero knowledge in this area and would appreciate advice on what to purchase so I can sit in the HT room and have it talk to my computer in the bedroom... What to purchase??


----------



## mickey3205

seidelhd,


Thanks for your tips. I've had a chance today to try again. Anyway, have you got your systems up and running yet. Congrats if you have.


Best regards,

mm


PS: Thanks to every one on this board for tremendous help. Hat-off to you all.


----------



## seidelhd

Mickey - I finally got it all set up last night. I've been experimenting with DVArchive some today. If you have any specific questions, I'll try to help you out, but I also suggest calling Buffalo customer support. They really helped me out getting the bridging set up correctly.


----------



## mickey3205

seidelhd,


I was able to do Ping test last night in the same room. However, when I took it to other room (10' away), it can't bridge back to router. I'll take your advice and call tech support tonight to find out what I did wrong. If you or others have any suggestions I'd very much appreciate.


Best regards,


mm


----------



## avsplayer

I posted this in another thread, but FYI this week at Officemax you can pick up a Belkin 54g router and a Belkin 54g access point for $80 + tax/AR ($40 each).


They both support WDS bridging and will work to connect ReplayTVs to the net and each other on a network.


----------



## jwtseng

Quote:

_Originally posted by avsplayer_
*I posted this in another thread, but FYI this week at Officemax you can pick up a Belkin 54g router and a Belkin 54g access point for $80 + tax/AR ($40 each).


They both support WDS bridging and will work to connect ReplayTVs to the net and each other on a netwo*
Someone try this out and let us know! Sounds like a great deal!


----------



## avsplayer

Sorry I didn't post the complete info on the Belkin 54g - I had purchased the equipment, but had not connected it.


Now I have and it does work. I did have to update the firmware on the access point (AP), but bridging works fine! And the second AP extended the range of our 54g network in the house!


I connected the AP directly to a ReplayTV unit in one room. I then setup the AP to bridge with the router (in another room where computers and another ReplayTV unit are directly connected via wired ethernet).


It took me a while to set everything up since I had multiple security protocols in place (WEP, MAC filtering, etc.). By the way, the router also supports WPA security.


I didn't use two Belkin 54g routers, but I don't see why that wouldn't work as well since the routers have a dedicated mode that turns them into an AP (turning off NAT and routing functions) while keeping bridging and security on. The AP only has one ethernet port, while the router has four, so if you need multiple ports, you might try getting two routers or use a hub/switch in combo with the AP.


Of course the rebates this week are one/person or household so unless you know someone else or have another address to mail to, you would want to purchase a router/access point combo to get both rebates. That is what I did.


Cheers!


----------



## jfunk

Since they both use WDS, Belkin and Buffalo should work together..? Anyone try this? 


Thanx.


Jason


----------



## avsplayer

Belkin's instructions state that right now, bridging will only work with Belkin products so maybe it isn't true WDS. However, the same materials leave open that support for other manufacturers might come in the future.


Anyone who has a Buffalo unit could try it out with a Belkin unit... I think Officemax is pretty lenient on returns (unlike CompUSA) if you can't get it to work with your existing network.


----------



## kclfoxtrot

After reading the numerous messages, it is still unclear to me if I can use this router as a wireless adapter for my xbox. I have a linksys wireless router and would like to attach this unit to my xbox. Will these 2 work in unison together. Seems like a much better alternative than just buying the microsoft wireless adapter for $100.


----------



## Health Nut

Quote:

Anyone who has a Buffalo unit could try it out with a Belkin unit... I think Officemax is pretty lenient on returns (unlike CompUSA) if you can't get it to work with your existing network.
I think there is a point where the savings just isn't worth the effort... With all the headaches that go on with HTPC, I'm starting to do the opposite route... I'm looking to throw money for a 100% reliable solution.


Anyway, I just picked up the D-Link AirPlusâ„¢ DI-624 Xtreme G 54Mbps Wireless Router... so hopefully I won't be let down.


----------



## sfhub

Quote:

_Originally posted by jfunk_
*Since they both use WDS, Belkin and Buffalo should work together..? Anyone try this? *
I've seen others mention Belkin and Buffalo WDS interoperate. Since they

are both getting WDS from Broadcom they should work together.


----------



## MaxH

OK, I've had two of my WBR-G54s running for a few days now, so it's time to first say thanks for all the advice: oldnacl for reprinting the BuffTech info on WDS that is SO PROMINENTLY displayed on their site (not!), moyekj for the "ABCs" of setting them up, Frayser for passing along the tweaks Buffalo Tech gave for the non-routing units, and everyone else who had helpful advice or cautionary tales.


Now, since others have already posted some very handy instructions already, I wanted to just give some general guidelines that I wish I had thought of from the beginning:


First off, the reset button is your friend. There are lots of things you can do that will cause your unit to become inaccessible, but even if you can access the settings page, if it's not doing what it is supposed to, it might help to reset it and go through the settings again. Typos may be corrected or settings that seemed like a good idea at the time may deserve a second look.


Second, for networking noobs like me, start with the unit you will use as a router. Consider using stickers if you have more than two.

Once the router is set up, SHUT DOWN, unplug it, plug in the next unit and reboot. Set it up as a bridge.

(Repeat if you have more than two units.)

Once that is set up, SHUT DOWN, unplug it, plug in the first (router) unit, connect all other units to the router's LAN ports, and reboot.

Now make sure you can access all the units' setup pages.

Shut down, unplug them all except the router, reboot, and make sure you can still see each unit wirelessly from the computer plugged into the router.

At that point, you're good to go, and if you have any problems after moving the bridges, you can start by bringing them back into the room and seeing if it is a signal problem.


Third, if you have a problem after setting them up, reboot the computer and the router unit. If that doesn't do it, start from that computer and check the router, then the bridges.


Fourth, yes, it does take 5 or 6 or 12 tries to get the firmware upgrades to "take" for some reason. Just keep trying.


Last but certainly not least, let me restate that Buffalo Tech support is your mommy, your daddy, and your best friend. I called them three times when I hit a wall, and each time I hung up much closer to where I needed to be AND with a better understanding of what I was doing.


This all may seem obvious, especially if you've read this thread from the beginning, but while I am a power user in some areas, I had only had one router before and it required minimal setting up. However, I tried to "wing it" and lost hours in the process, which was the inspiration for this post.


I hope I haven't scared anyone off of these routers. It is not exactly PnP, but I found it rewarding, and I'm incredibly happy with the result. (I'm even getting the episodes of "24" that I missed because of *#@&$$#& Comcase through Poopli!) Now I just need to get a second RTV to go with my third WBR-G54!


----------



## pianoman41

Here's a quick (sorta) OT question about the Buffalos:


First off, I've got four Buffalo devices--two WBR-G54 units which work flawlessly, a laptop PCMCIA 54G card which works flawlessly and then a PCI card for another desktop. The PCI card in the desktop is the problem child. It connects to one of the WBR-G54s downstairs about 20 linear feet away (though a wood floor). It works fine when it is (finally) connected, but when the PC sits idle for a while the card switches from access point to peer-to-peer connection and when it does that I lose complete connectivity. I use Windows XP and Windows Wireless Zero Configuration Utility to connect, and when I select "View All Available Wireless Connections," it will show the downstairs access point, I select it and then it connects again and the world is great. However, it will only "show" the access point when I have SSID broadcasting enabled. For security reasons I want to disable SSID broadcasting but when I do, it (obviously) won't show available networks so I have nothing to choose from to select and therefore I can't reconnect.


I've checked all the settings and I've made sure that the PCI card is not using any power-saving timeouts or connection timeouts, and under the Wireless Zero Configuration Utility under advanced I've made sure that it is selected to connect to access points (and not peer-to-peer).


So it's a two-part question: how do I keep the PCI card connected all the time (the signal quality never drops below half so it is not disconnecting because of signal loss), and if I can't do that then how can I easily reconnect without having to broadcast my SSID?


----------



## sfhub

The 2 things I could suggest you try. I think in windows zero config you

can manually specify the SSID of the AP rather than just having it scan all

available. I think you can also specify a preference for a particular AP.


The other thing to try, is under control panel->system->hardware->

device manager->network adapters->adapter entry->power management

there should be an option for the wireless network card where you can

disable window's ability to turn of device to save power.


----------



## pianoman41

Quote:

_Originally posted by sfhub_
*The 2 things I could suggest you try. I think in windows zero config you

can manually specify the SSID of the AP rather than just having it scan all

available. I think you can also specify a preference for a particular AP.


The other thing to try, is under control panel->system->hardware->

device manager->network adapters->adapter entry->power management

there should be an option for the wireless network card where you can

disable window's ability to turn of device to save power.*
Thanks for the suggestions, but I've already done both of those. SSID is manually entered already and when it is successfully connected, the first line in the help balloon over the connection icon says "Connected to alpha (alpha)" (for this example pretend my SSID is "alpha"). But after it's been idle for a while it switches to read "Connected to alpha (peer-to-peer)." It still lists the correct SSID, speed and excellent signal strength, but when it says peer-to-peer I can't connect. And when I check available connections it shows 'alpha' greyed out (but correct). It's really weird. And I've disabled Window's ability to power save with the device.


----------



## madpoet

After having added those suggested tweaks, I've yet to have a single instance of dropped connections and lost replays in the last couple of weeks. Love these things


----------



## Topberb

Quote:

_Originally posted by jwtseng_
*Someone try this out and let us know! Sounds like a great deal!*
Setup time was about 3 hours(playing around with mac addresses and getting ip address correct. Also needed to update the firmware on the AP to enable WDS bridge mode. After all completed was very satisfied with the result. I network both Mac and Windows and this setup works fine with either. Have downloaded several 3-4 gig movies without problem to mac and windows pc's ,edited commercials and recorded to dvd.

Very happy with the information found in this and other replay forums. Thanks for all the info.


----------



## karen514

Quote:

_Originally posted by sfhub_
*1) buy 2 Buffalo WBR-G54, $50x2 = $100

2) leave your existing dlink 802.11b wireless network in place, set to use

wireless ch6

3) place buffalo#1 side-by-side with dlink, connect buffalo#1 lan port to

dlink lan port using wired ethernet, configure buffalo#1 to use wireless

ch11, disable DHCP server in buffalo#1, leave WAN port unconnected,

configure as AP/bridge

4) place buffalo#2 where you'd like your wireless bridge,

configure buffalo#2 to use wireless ch11, disable DHCP server in

buffalo#2, leave WAN port unconnected, configure as AP/bridge,

connect replay and/or other devices like laptop to buffalo#2 LAN port
*
Thanks so much for this help. I have one question though. I have a Netgear Router not a dlink and it seems like I have no choice on it but channel 11. There is a dropdown menu, but I only see channel 11. I haven't hooked up my other routers yet. Does it sense interference and give you more channels or would it matter if I left my 802.11b router and Apple Powerbook on channel 11 and the new Buffalos on channel 6? Thanks in advance for help.


Karen


----------



## HawksRCool

I picked up a pair of WBR-G54s over the weekend and they work like a charm! I'm having a couple of problems that maybe someone can assist me with. First off I'm bridging my 2 5040s and they are up one floor and through one wall apart (40 feet). They always see each others guides but when I'm using IVS, I can't stream between the 2. This typically happens when I'm surfing the net (with my temporary hard wired laptop) and watching TV upstairs, my DSL line is downstairs. I think I'm asking too much from the upstairs Buffalo? (Streaming, IVS, Internet)


Speaking of IVS, I have both setup fine but I can't add the other to the addressbook? Is this expected?


The ONE BIG question I have hopefully I can get some assistance with. I purchased the Wli-cb-g54a Wireless G54 WiFi card (The one with the rebate) to go with my Compaq Presario 2105 laptop. When it connects to my bridged Buffalos, it won't recieve any packets. When I click the Support tab on my Wireless Network Conection my IP reads 169.254.xxx.xxx. Is there something that I need to configure with my Buffalos? Anyone else have problems setting up the WiFi card?


----------



## sfhub

Quote:

_Originally posted by HawksRCool_
*Speaking of IVS, I have both setup fine but I can't add the other to the addressbook? Is this expected?*
Buffalo's don't currently support loopback so local LAN IVS won't work.

You could use your old router instead and just disable the router on the

Buffalo an use it purely as a bridge.


Unless you have extremely fast uplink, Buffalo should have enough

bandwidth to IVS and stream simulatneously. When you say streaming

doesn't work, does it stream, but is choppy, or does it not show the

remote replay in the replay guide?


Don't know what the problem with your laptop card is. The address you

gave is the default address Windows picks when it can't find a DHCP

server, so basically the laptop card is not associated with the AP.


You should make sure at least one AP is configured to act as Bridge and

AP simultaneously. Then verify SSIDs match and MAC filtering doesn't

restrict your laptop card. Basically go through the standard 802.11

debugging steps.


----------



## HawksRCool

IVS isn't too much of an issue with me as long as I can stream btween the two units. I get a mixed reaction when I'm attempting to stream & IVS. A couple of times the responce has been the sender is off line, but more often than not, it's crashed the replay that I'm attempting to stream to (blackscreen reboot).


I'll look into setting up the 2nd buffalo as an access point tomarrow. I don't have any special restrictions setup yet. Just happy to get them bridged and working. I'm kinda new to this configuring routers crap, but I'm catching on.


----------



## icecow

Quote:

_Originally posted by madpoet_
*Evil icecow... very evil. On the other hand, I learned early on in an apartment building to make sure I turned on my WEP features. I caught someone using my wireless router and had to shut down his MAC address. SOB kept scanning my network and cracking my key.


-MP*
You mean he was cracking the WEP key?


cow


----------



## octavian

They now have the 2.05 firmware for download on the American web site. Probably the same as the UK site, but at least now it is official.


Edit: Just compared the UK firmware to the US firmware and they are different. Have to wait until I get home to see what's new though.


octavian


----------



## j.m.

Quote:

_Originally posted by octavian_
*They now have the 2.05 firmware for download on the American web site. Probably the same as the UK site, but at least now it is official.


Edit: Just compared the UK firmware to the US firmware and they are different. Have to wait until I get home to see what's new though.
*
Yeah, I installed this firmware the other night. I haven't noticed any difference from the UK 2.05. However, as you say, this time they aren't binary identical. Also, the second version number (which I believe is the wireless firmware version) has also been bumped from 1.01 (UK) to 1.03 (US). In any case, there don't appear to be any new features in the US 2.05 versus the UK one--still no loopback for those interested.


----------



## cweb

Anybody know what the functionality changes are in version 2.05 versus version 2.01?


----------



## sfhub

Quote:

_Originally posted by j.m._
*Yeah, I installed this firmware the other night. I haven't noticed any difference from the UK 2.05. However, as you say, this time they aren't binary identical.*
I hadn't noticed but someone mentioned to me the "security" button

from the "top" menu results in a corrupt config page.


I always go straight to advanced so never noticed it. The UK version

doesn't have this problem.


----------



## madpoet

Yep, wireless security is fairly lackluster and easy enough to break if you are determined. I wasn't limiting it by MAC, which I should have done.


-MP


----------



## sfhub

Quote:

_Originally posted by madpoet_
*Yep, wireless security is fairly lackluster and easy enough to break if you are determined. I wasn't limiting it by MAC, which I should have done.
*
MAC addresses are easily spoofed and MAC addresses can be picked up

by monitoring the packets. If they were determined to sample enough

packets to recover your WEP key I'm surprised they wouldn't just record

the MAC address from your packets and set their MAC to yours.


----------



## madpoet

*shrug* Just glad they didn't get that far . Part of why I hate living in apartments! Thankfully I've since moved.


----------



## MaxH

Now that I've got my routers working, I'm hoping someone here has some advice on troubleshooting.


My router and my dedicated bridge tend to lose their connection, and when I'm surfing wirelessly with my laptop I often get short pauses where the Internet Connection disappears and reappears, or long periods where I cannot see any access points from my laptop, including a neighbor's D-Link. I suspect there may be someone nearby with a 2.4GHz phone that is generating interference, but I don't know how to find out if that is the problem. I've switched my Buffalo routers to channel 11 to see if that makes a difference, as my routers and the neighbor's were on ch. 6, although their signal strength seemed low enough that we shouldn't cause each other much interference. Besides, if it was the neighbor's router causing the interference, it should have remained visible while only mine disappeared, right?


Any help or direction in this matter would be greatly appreciated.


----------



## Scyber

So I picked up 2 belkin F5D7230-4's the other day as I saw them at a very good price. I set them up as bridged access points only allowing the other MAC address to connect. I deactivated 802.11b client connections and activated "turbo mode". Yet I still get alot of stuttering on High quality mode (so much so that it is basically unwatchable). The APs are less than 20 feet away with one pane of glass in between them.


Anyone got any setting suggestions for the belkin units to help improve streaming?


----------



## tlnmp

Scyber, I got the same Belkin setup and have the same problem.

I tested my throughput and only get about 1Mbps. Its very

poor performance. Even though I specify G-only, I still stutter.

Turbo did not make any difference.


----------



## sfhub

I tested this config for Belkins and it streamed High perfectly.

See if using the same firmware and router settings makes any

difference for you. The only difference was I was using a 7230-4

router/ap/bridge and a 7130 ap/bridge. The 7130 looks exactly

like the 7230-4 without the 4 port switch and wan connection.

I even loaded the 7230-4 firmware on the 7130 ap/bridge and it

works fine.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...hreadid=364557 


The Belkins actually performed 5% better than the Buffalos during some

basic performance testing (but I still liked the Buffalos better because

the firmware is more flexible)


With straight FTP transfers I was getting a solid 17.5-18 mbps (a little over

2MByte/sec)


I found it is very easy to isolate whether streaming will work or not with

my test setup. If my FTP transfer results in consistent 2MByte/sec then

the G bridges will support streaming High. If the transfer rate cannot

remain constant (as in it reaches a peak then backs down resulting in

valley/peak transfer graph vs solid horizontal transfer graph) then it

will stutter in High.


----------



## roger_richards

Which FTP client are you using to test xfer speed?


I have a two belkin WDS setup. I am streaming fine one way from a 5000 on a 7130 to another 5000 on my wired 100bT bridged by a 7230-4. When I try to steam the reverse direction, I get very poor performance - not even standard quality will stream (lots of stutters, sometimes even a 5000 reboot). It is strange I am getting this asymetrical behaviour. I've swapped the 7130 and 7230-4 and get the same behavior. Any suggestions?


----------



## sfhub

I'm using ncftp but I don't think the ftp client makes a whole lot of

difference.


I remember testing both directions without problems. I'm currently

running the Buffalos but if I get around to it, I'll retest the Belkins

to see if there are any differences.


----------



## tlnmp

Thanks Sfhub, it seems like the latest version of firmware

(F5D7230-4_V4.00.03.bin) they broke something. I switched

the one you were using and now and geting 1.5MBps, much

better than the 1Mbps.


----------



## roger_richards

sfhub, where did you get firmware version FW 3.00.05?


The only version available on the Belkin website is 2.00.04 for the AP and V4.00.03 for the router/AP.


----------



## sfhub

Quote:

_Originally posted by roger_richards_
*sfhub, where did you get firmware version FW 3.00.05?


The only version available on the Belkin website is 2.00.04 for the AP and V4.00.03 for the router/AP.*
 http://networking.belkin.com/update/index.html#1 


I don't think 3.00.05 was specifically meant for 7130, but I loaded it up

anyway because I was lazy and wanted both firmware to be at the

same level and was willing to deal with minor UI inconsistencies.


From what I can tell the firmware is basically the same except for the

UI which changes slightly between the AP and the Router/AP


----------



## roger_richards

sfhub, are you avoiding or not recommending the later V4.00.03 firmware available for the router/AP (it is on the support downloads page specific to the router)?


----------



## sfhub

Nope, not really avoiding. It is on my todo list to test out. I've never tried

that firmware so I don't know if it works well or not.


I have tested 3.00.05 and I know it works well for my setup. That's

all I'm trying to convey.


----------



## leesweet

Any one have any comments on the Netgear 108 Mb router/bridges [VGT624] (it explicitly says on the web site you can do single point-to-point bridging or multiple by turning the router function off). Don't know about loopback.... I think these, as long as you locked them down to 'g-turbo' only, you would get close to 'wired' 100Mb (what, on 108 Mb wireless. getting 50-60Mb?). What do we get, 60-70% of the rated speed for wired meaning about 60-70Mb internally. That's what I understand from the above reading on the wireless side...


(Already got a bunch of Netgear stuff for PCs and that's on a separate channel, etc., and trying to avoid a bunch of attic wiring work!  )


Or is it there something wrong with this idea?!



Other PCs in the host would/are talling to 'normal' 10Mb/g AP'sl like the WDR614.


----------



## sfhub

Quote:

_Originally posted by leesweet_
*I think these, as long as you locked them down to 'g-turbo' only, you would get close to 'wired' 100Mb (what, on 108 Mb wireless. getting 50-60Mb?). What do we get, 60-70% of the rated speed for wired meaning about 60-70Mb internally.*
You'll probably see around 45-48mbps max. It's about half of wired

100mbps fdx, but better than regular 'g'. If you only get 70mbps with

wired, you have some limitation in your network, either the switching

fabric, the NICs, tcp/ip tuning, the network protocol, the disk write speed,

etc.


If you do ramdisk to ramdisk transfer over good quality network equipment

you should see 90-95% of 100mbps on wired.


----------



## leesweet

*SO* for RTV usage with no other major usage on that net segment, no problem?


----------



## leesweet

I thoiught Ethernet was always limited inherently to about 70% of 'max' (meaning from cables, NICs, collisions, etc.,)... It can really do closer to 100% of theoretical?!


(Also, um, I am an EE and a Net Engineer...  I'd like to see references for this!  ) If this is not a net urban legent, people have been upgrading forever way too early!


----------



## sfhub

Quote:

_Originally posted by leesweet_
**SO* for RTV usage with no other major usage on that net segment, no problem?*
Honestly I couldn't say that unless I've personally tested the equipment.

In my testing, if equipment can maintain a solid FTP transfer graph vs

sporadic spurts (resulting in valley/peak transfer graph) then it'll work

fine for all aspects of streaming.


For whatever reason, some equipment combos can maintain overall

bandwidth that should be sufficient for streaming, but at times will

drop to a level which will cause stuttering.


So let's say you need 18mbps for streaming high. One equipment combo

does average 20mbps with high/low 21/19mbps while another does

26mbps with high/low 10/40mbps, the first will stream fine while the

second would have stuttering problems.


----------



## leesweet

Well, I'll definitely try it unless I hear major negative responses.

Messing around in the the insulation-filled attic, having to walk the whole length of the housh *and* fish cfables and punch boxes where needed: worth $200 from Amazon!  (priceless)


(The also allows me to carrry a Centrino (not that I have one...) laptop around the house, perhaps to the garage, etc.)


----------



## phlegmer

Just an FYI, www.computers4sure.com has the WBR-G54 for $54.95 after rebate.

Link for the lazy


----------



## sfhub

Quote:

_Originally posted by leesweet_
*I thoiught Ethernet was always limited inherently to about 70% of 'max' (meaning from cables, NICs, collisions, etc.,)... It can really do closer to 100% of theoretical?!


(Also, um, I am an EE and a Net Engineer...  I'd like to see references for this!  ) If this is not a net urban legent, people have been upgrading forever way too early! *
That wasn't my experience. I remember testing the network performance

as part of debugging of application performance problems while at Sun's

performance test lab in Menlo Park. With memory to memory ftp I was

seeing between 10-11MByte/sec transfer rates.


Just to make sure my memory wasn't failing me I googled to see if someone

else had published similar testing to back up my memory. These folks

published 10.8MByte/sec for memory to memory FTP for 16.4MB file.

http://ccjsun.riken.go.jp/ccj/doc/NFSbench1.html 


There's always been some conversion confusion in various discussions due

to network MegabitPerSec using base10 Mega and file size using base2

Mega (ie network Megabit is 1000*1000=1,000,000 bits and file size

MegaByte is 1024*1024=1,048,576 bytes)


I'm using as the theoretical max of 100Mbps

100,000,000bits/sec / 8bits/Byte / 1024Bytes/KB / 1024KB/MB = 11.92MB/s


Also some people consider just the payload as the measure of transfer

rates and other people include the tcpip header overhead in that measure.

Whatever the transfer rate for the file, depending on how you look at it

you can multiple by 1500/1460 to account for the tcp and ip headers which

the switch is dutifully transferring. IMO how efficient or inefficient your

transfer protocol is, shouldn't hurt a switch's performance #s since it

should be measured on its ability to send raw bits. This adds about

2.7-3% to any file transfer rate from ftp.


Now it seems you are suggesting this violates some principle of how

ethernet works. I don't think that is the case, but I can only report on

what I've seen in testing.


BTW it was my impression that for point to point transfers, switches

shouldn't experience collisions like a hub would since the machines are

not sharing the same transmission media. Also this allows the units on

the switch to operate full-duplex because CSMA/CD protocol wouldn't

be required.


I understand in general how this stuff works but am not an expert, so

it is possible I'm not describing things correctly. If I've misunderstood

something then please feel free to let me know.


----------



## leesweet

Hm, perhaps, but texts and real-life alway came up with Ethernet runing into a max of 70-75% of 'total advertised limits' (say 70Mb for 100Mb net) due to collisions and the like. Now, this was back in the day of hubs and the like and before everyone had 'switched to the desktop', as you say, which could result in much closer to 100% real throughput. Any net gurus want to chime in?!


P.S. Of course, you could get also much hgher throughput on a home net where only one host (one RTV streaming) was running than a work net where you are dealing with hundreds of folks!


----------



## sfhub

Quote:

_Originally posted by leesweet_
*Hm, perhaps, but texts and real-life alway came up with Ethernet runing into a max of 70-75% of 'total advertised limits' (say 70Mb for 100Mb net) due to collisions and the like. Now, this was back in the day of hubs and the like*
Hubs could explain the 70-75%. Hubs need to run Carrier Sense Multiple

Access / Collision Detection so the receiver unit is occupied and they can

thus only run in half-duplex. Switches on the other hand are not using

a shared medium so you shoudn't be getting collisions.


Also around 90+% of 100Mbps is based on the assumption you have an

unloaded switch with only 2 units connected transferring to each other.


If you are talking about fully loaded switch, you run into issues with the

backplane of the equipment. Vendors commonly do not include a

backplane with enough bandwidth to handle all ports running 100Mbps

simultaneously, as it would be cost prohibitive (and in most cases

unnecessary unless you are a telco). A 16-port switch needs a backplane

with 4 times the bandwidth of a 4-port switch to support 100Mbps on all

ports (ie in the gigabit backplane range). You are not going to see that in

any home equipment, but that is not a limitation of 100baseT, but the

vendors' implementation of 100baseT equipment.


----------



## Scyber

Quote:

_Originally posted by sfhub_
*Nope, not really avoiding. It is on my todo list to test out. I've never tried

that firmware so I don't know if it works well or not.


I have tested 3.00.05 and I know it works well for my setup. That's

all I'm trying to convey.*
Thanks for the info on 3.00.05. I immediately upgraded to the latest version (4.00) when I got everything hooked up. I will see if the older firmware works better later this week.


----------



## eshwayri

I have 2 Replay units and 3 Buffalo WBR-G54s. Now the question becomes how do I connect. One of the Buffalo's I am connecting to my Cisco 1548M switch. All the InterNet routing is handled by a Linux computer that is on this switch so the Buffalo just needs to act as wireless "bridge". I will connect each of the Replay's to one of the remaining two Buffalos. The part I am unclear about is what Buffalo to bridge to what Buffalo.


If I bridge each of the Replay Buffalo's to the main Buffalo that is connected to my Cisco 154M switch, then I should see full bandwidth between the Replays and my wried LAN. Problem is if I want to stream a show from one Replay to another doesn't it have to go to the main Buffalo and then back out again. to the other Replay's Buffalo? That would in effect cut the throughput by 1/2 - correct?


The other method would have me bridge the main Buffalo to one of the Replay Buffalo's and then that Buffalo to the other Replay's Buffalo. In that case I would get full bandwidth between the two Replays but it would be 1/2 to the devices connected to my Cisco. Are these the only two ways of doing it?


I assume the Buffalo's are not smart enough to work out any loop conditions (ie- each of the Buffalo's is bridged to the other two)?


I guess what I want is a bridge, but not a bridge. I want each Buffalo to be able to talk directly to the other two. An adhoc mode with the Buffalo's as equal clients. In effect instead of a bridge I want them to act more like routers. This would be relatively easy if we had access to iptables. Any way to fake it? or do we have to wait for hacked firmware?


----------



## sfhub

I'd go with the second option you listed. The Replay's would see full

bandwidth between each other (which BTW is about 20-21MByte/sec)

Your machines on the Cisco switch would see full bandwidth to one

replay and less bandwidth to the other. In my testing it is more like

2/3 bandwidth for the two hop setup vs 1/2 bandwidth you mentioned.


Buffalos don't understand spanning tree yet, so they won't work out

loops by themselves and won't figure least cost path.


You will most likely not be able to stream HQ if the replays are 2 hops

from each other. You can stream medium with that setup.


Make sure you don't configure any loops when you setup the Buffalos

(despite the manuals seems to sometimes imply). The bridges will lockup

over time.


Also, make sure you are using 2.05 fw if you are doing the 2 hop config.

I never figured out why, but I had a friend setup that way and the bridges

kept locking up in a few days (they didn't if configured as your first

suggestion). Once 2.05 got loaded the lockups stopped happening.


----------



## Scyber

the 3.00.05 firmware works much much better for the Belkin F5D7230-4 Router. I can stream HQ now with no skips. Thanks.


----------



## cephraim

Pulling my hair out here.

Have two of the Buffalo units set up as described in this thread.

Have been able to stream from my RTV to DVA without a problem.

Have been able to download 4-5 shows via IVS no problem.


Today I can't even pass the IVS test at:
http://www.isalwaysright.com/replay/ivstest.php 


Nothing has changed that I can see.

I have the RTV IP address (as seen on the RTV, set manually to 192.168.11.9) in the NAT (port forwarding) table on my router Buffalo. Port used is 29000, shown on device and in NAT table.


Downloads seem to be frozen.


What is up? Any ideas?

I am told that IVS is working fine...


Thanks,

Eph


----------



## cephraim

Building on my last note --


Since the bridge buffalo is NOT set as a DHCP server, should the IP address of the RTV be set to the same address as this bridge?


Or, should it be different? I've had it different, so far...


----------



## sfhub

Can you still surf Internet from your PC?


Can you ping the LAN port of your Buffalo acting as router?


Can you ping the WAN port of your Buffalo acting as router?


Can you ping your Replay at the expected IP address (sometimes replay's

change IP even though the configuration would make it seem like they

shouldn't)


If you post your ISN # someone can debug the WAN portion of the IVS

flowchart to see if there is a problem there.


----------



## j.m.

Quote:

_Originally posted by cephraim_
*Building on my last note --


Since the bridge buffalo is NOT set as a DHCP server, should the IP address of the RTV be set to the same address as this bridge?


Or, should it be different? I've had it different, so far...*
No, it should be different. Every ddevice on your network should have its own unique IP address within your subnet (i.e. 192.168.11.X).


What is the range of DHCP adddresses your router is configured to give out? Don't set your ReplayTV with a static IP that is within this range. You can, however, use the DHCP MAC address->IP mapping feature for an IP in that range.


----------



## j.m.

Quote:

_Originally posted by sfhub_
*If you post your ISN # someone can debug the WAN portion of the IVS

flowchart to see if there is a problem there.*
I did this an hour or so ago, and it wasn't working. However, I did it again just now, and it is. Apparently, he fixed the problem, or it fixed itself. (cephraim, this is for the unit with nickname="Eph" right? I had to track down your ISN via poopli, so I want to be sure I got the right one).


----------



## cephraim

I reset (unplugged & replugged) my RTV and all is well now.

What causes this type of problem?


Thanks


----------



## cephraim

Quote:

_Originally posted by j.m._
*I did this an hour or so ago, and it wasn't working. However, I did it again just now, and it is. Apparently, he fixed the problem, or it fixed itself. (cephraim, this is for the unit with nickname="Eph" right? I had to track down your ISN via poopli, so I want to be sure I got the right one).*
Correct and correct.


re: keeping the RTV IP address out of the range that the router's DHCP range.

I see the "assigned IP address" on my router set to .2 and the # of PCs set to 16 (default). Does this imply I should set the RTV to above .18?


Thanks,

Eph


----------



## j.m.

Quote:

_Originally posted by cephraim_
*Correct and correct.


re: keeping the RTV IP address out of the range that the router's DHCP range.

I see the "assigned IP address" on my router set to .2 and the # of PCs set to 16 (default). Does this imply I should set the RTV to above .18?


Thanks,

Eph*
If you set a static IP in the ReplayTV setup, then yes. If you used the router's feature to always assign that particular DHCP IP address to your ReplayTV, then no. (The feature I'm referring to is the "manual assignment" option at the bottom of the DHCP Server page under the router's Advanced settings.)


----------



## cephraim

Quote:

_Originally posted by j.m._
*If you set a static IP in the ReplayTV setup, then yes. If you used the router's feature to always assign that particular DHCP IP address to your ReplayTV, then no. (The feature I'm referring to is the "manual assignment" option at the bottom of the DHCP Server page under the router's Advanced settings.)*


I've been using a static IP address on the RTV (just not outside the DHCP range).


Which method is preferred?


----------



## j.m.

Quote:

_Originally posted by cephraim_
*I've been using a static IP address on the RTV (just not outside the DHCP range).


Which method is preferred?*
It shouldn't really matter much. However, there is a problem in 5.1 b19 that seems to manifest more often with a static IP (though IIRC it can happen even with DHCP--sfhub is the expert on this problem). This thread describes the problem, which is most likely the same one you experienced earlier. If you find that it happens again/frequently, you might try assigning a "static" IP via the DHCP MAC address mapping feature, otherwise I'd leave well enough alone for now.


----------



## sfhub

I agree, if it works, leave it alone. If you find problems in the future,

there are some suggestions in this thread:

http://www.poopli.com/forum/showthre...s=&threadid=80


----------



## cephraim

Thanks guys.

I'll consider some of these changes if the problem occurs again.


Eph


----------



## HawksRCool

Has anybody been able to add their Linksys BEFSR41 wired router to their network full of Buffalos? I need Loopback capability because one of my replays won't stream. The faulty replay is the topic of another thread so I don't want to dicuss it here. When adding the BEFSR41, I supose my network would have to start


Wall---DSL/Modem---BEFSR41---Buffalo. Right?


----------



## sfhub

Yup, that's right. Just make sure all the buffalo's only have wires

connected to their *LAN* ports.


Also, assign a dummy IP for the Buffalo WAN port, like 192.168.66.1

WAN GW should be LAN IP of Linksys.


There should only be one DHCP server on the network.


That DHCP server should have the LAN IP of the Linksys as the gateway.


Port forwarding rules should be done on Linksys.


Make sure all your LAN IPs are unique.


----------



## octavian

There is new firmware on the US web site: Version 2.06


They don't seem to document the changes anymore, so I have no idea what is different.


octavian


----------



## j.m.

Quote:

_Originally posted by octavian_
*There is new firmware on the US web site: Version 2.06


They don't seem to document the changes anymore, so I have no idea what is different.
*
Not much apparently. The corrupted "Security" page has been fixed. That's all I've noticed. Still no loopback for those interested.


----------



## roger_richards

Just wanted to confirm sfhub's recomendation for the Belkin Ver. 3 firmware (which is not the latest on their support page). I downgraded my Belkin units to Ver. 3 and my streaming problems went away! Go and buy Belkin 54g units with confidence.


----------



## damager

I noticed that someone else here has been having disconnect problems between Buffalo devices - just thought I would share my experience and what worked for me.


First, I think the bridging disconnects are caused by signal issues. I did the following, and have not experienced a bridging disconnect for 4 weeks or so:


1. Get rid of 2.4 Ghz phones. I had one right near one of my Buffs, and I am convinced that the problem was largely caused by the phone.


2. I applied all of the router settings that are listed earlier in this thread - Buff recommends these settings if you are experiencing disconnects.


3. I bought 2 cheap patch antennas off EBay ($12 each) with the correct connectors, plugged them into the Buffs, and pointed them at each other.


Seems to have fixed my problems...


----------



## bobby_t1

Quote:

_Originally posted by j.m._
*Not much apparently. The corrupted "Security" page has been fixed. That's all I've noticed. Still no loopback for those interested.*
I encourage everyone to email [email protected] for loopback feature request. Surprinsingly, they respond to email very quickly and take serious interest in customer feedback for freatures. They are aware of the concern for loopback, but I was told in my last email exchange they have no idea how to prioritize it since they don't hear from many people.


----------



## damager

I'm still not clear on why we need lookback - I think it alows you to move shows from one reply in a home to another - but why wouldn't you just stream instead?


----------



## j.m.

Quote:

_Originally posted by damager_
*I'm still not clear on why we need lookback - I think it alows you to move shows from one reply in a home to another - but why wouldn't you just stream instead?*
That's exactly what it does. I'm not sure why people need/want to do that insead of stream. I guess some people move their shows to their ReplayTV with the biggest HD.


Personally, the only time I ever used loopback for IVS was to test my port forwarding, and I don't even need it for that anymore. I would like the Buffalos to have this feature for feature completeness and to (hopefully) help put an end to the recurring confusion over this matter.


----------



## qtv

Quote:

_Originally posted by damager_
*I'm still not clear on why we need lookback - I think it alows you to move shows from one reply in a home to another - but why wouldn't you just stream instead?*
I had assumed it would be used by folks with multiple ReplayTV units on a network that was less than optimal for streaming. In a scenario where one (or more) of the ReplayTV units were connected using 802.11b, you probably might not be able to fully enjoy streaming a high quality (or maybe even medium quality) recording between the units.


In this case, it might preferable to transfer the show from the original unit to a second unit.


----------



## tluxon

I don't have a Buffalo (yet), but count me in as someone who wants loopback. Although I can't see using it much, I only have one Replay near my two HD receivers (Comcast doesn't want to give me two HD receivers yet so I'm talking HD-OTA and HD-cable, but they're both at the HDTV), and it's really for my wife's shows. Anything I put on there is at risk of deletion, so if I want anything on it to stay on a Replay I have to IVS it over. You know - the back-to-back DVArchive issue - it's a bit of a pain to always remember to jump off of it before starting another DVArchive show streaming.


Cheers,


Tim


----------



## ManhttnBeachMofo

My two new (refurbished) 5040's are on their way to me. I currently have a 802.11b network setup but will upgrade this to allow streaming from one 5040 to another, to my 802.11a/b/g equipped laptop, etc.


My question is... Should I get 2 of the nifty Buffalo routers *OR* something like 2 of the D-Link DWL-2100AP?


The D-Link uses their "AirPlus Xtreme G" to link up with other D-Link devices at up to 108Mbps. Plus, the DWL-2100AP can act as a bridge, repeater, etc. I'm tempted to go all the way up to 108Mbps just to make sure I've got plenty of bandwith.

*BUT*, does anyone know if the 108Mbps "Xtreme G" will be dragged down to a normal 54Mbps 802.11g when I connect with my laptop? My laptop has a built in (mini-PCI) 802.11a/b/g adapter/antenna and it doesn't make sense to get the 108Mbps setup if it will have to fall back to 54Mbps to support my laptop (there is no way I want a card sticking out of my laptop).


Thoughts? Is 54Mbps enough?


Thx.


----------



## skleiser

Quote:

_Originally posted by ManhttnBeachMofo_
*Should I get 2 of the nifty Buffalo routers OR something like 2 of the D-Link DWL-2100AP? Is 54Mbps enough?*
This thread fully documents the fact that smooth high quality streaming can be obtained via the Buffalos or Belkin's 54G router / access point. I personally would (and HAVE) gone with what is known to work.


On the other hand, if you want to try the D-Link, please be sure and post your results!


Steve Kleiser
_Smart TV & Sound Magazine_ Evangelist


----------



## ManhttnBeachMofo

Quote:

On the other hand, if you want to try the D-Link, please be sure and post your results!
According to D-Link tech support, the D-Link APs can bridge together at 108Mbps and my normal 802.11g notebook can still connect at 54Mbps without dragging the overall network speed down. Sounds too good to be true, but I'll give it a try.


This weekend I'll probably buy a couple of the D-Links at Fry's or BestBuy and see how it works. I'd love having a 108Mbps wireless network for copying large files around.


Heh heh, my *first* RTVs aren't even here yet but I'm already all excited...


----------



## ManhttnBeachMofo

From Buffalo's tech support...


The new "WHR3-G54" should be out in April and it will incorporate a 125 Mbps chip from Broadcom. Linksys and Belkin products will use the same chip and products from all 3 companies should be interoperable.


Based on the excellent reviews of Buffalo's products, this sounds like a great product. Like others have stated, no official plans for loopback support yet.


----------



## cephraim

Quote:

_Originally posted by ManhttnBeachMofo_
*From Buffalo's tech support...


The new "WHR3-G54" should be out in April and it will incorporate a 125 Mbps chip from Broadcom. Linksys and Belkin products will use the same chip and products from all 3 companies should be interoperable.


Based on the excellent reviews of Buffalo's products, this sounds like a great product. Like others have stated, no official plans for loopback support yet.*
Crap! Isn't that the way it always works!?!? I just got my WBR-G54s up and running, and now they're coming out with the faster ones!


I may have some (slightly) used WBRs for sale come April!


Eph


----------



## SeeSpotRun

Did anyone else have problems getting their rebates from Buffalo?


I checked on-line and they have no record of my submission so I called in and again, no record found.


-SeeSpotRun


----------



## sfhub

Sent mine in 12/22 they just mailed the check 3/11.


However, this is GFS and they have been known to screw things up in

the past. They also handled the Replay rebates.


----------



## Elixer

Quote:

_Originally posted by SeeSpotRun_
*Did anyone else have problems getting their rebates from Buffalo?


I checked on-line and they have no record of my submission so I called in and again, no record found.


-SeeSpotRun*
DeJa Vu! Yes, this is also the case for me & my friend. We both mailed it in January, and not in the system, and no record of it. I called, and they said give it 2 more weeks...


Hmmmmm


----------



## SeeSpotRun

Actually I too bought one at the same time a friend did. I called him to let him know that my rebate wasn't found. So he called in and his wasn't found either. They gave me an address to resubmit too. Good thing I kept copies of everything.


-SeeSpotRun


----------



## hammick

These wbr-g54s are the best hardware I have purchase in a long time. High quality streaming is flawless.


I wish I would have known about these before I upgraded to the dlink 108mbps junk. I am ditching all my dlink and never going back!


I think the whole 108mpbs think is a scam anyways just like the 22mpbs stuff dlink first came out with. I must admit though that my old dlink 802.11b stuff streamed medium quality just fine and I cold never get the 802.11g stuff from dlink to even bridge properly.


It seems like it takes dlink nine months or longer after a product is released to work out the bugs. Good riddance!!!


p.s: the rev. c of the dwl-2000ap is just as bad or worse than the rev. b


----------



## Jeffwa

Quote:

_Originally posted by SeeSpotRun_
*Did anyone else have problems getting their rebates from Buffalo?


I checked on-line and they have no record of my submission so I called in and again, no record found.


-SeeSpotRun*
I had completely forgotten about the rebates I sent in in January for my brother overseas. Hadn't checked this thread in a while, either. Reminded me to look at the rebate site, and lo and behold, the rebates were printed on the 19th, which means they'll be coming any day now.


Thinking back, I thought I had screwed these up by sending them in to late. Guess a couple of days late didn't matter.


----------



## pianoman41

They had no record for two of mine getting sent in as well. Good thing I keep copies of everything. I had to resubmit them and hopefully they will get processed quicker than another eight weeks.


----------



## jeepskate

Quote:

_Originally posted by ManhttnBeachMofo_
*According to D-Link tech support, the D-Link APs can bridge together at 108Mbps and my normal 802.11g notebook can still connect at 54Mbps without dragging the overall network speed down. Sounds too good to be true, but I'll give it a try.


This weekend I'll probably buy a couple of the D-Links at Fry's or BestBuy and see how it works. I'd love having a 108Mbps wireless network for copying large files around.


Heh heh, my first RTVs aren't even here yet but I'm already all excited...*
I'd suggest that you stick with what's been proven to work here. I bought two 2000AP's (already had 1 operating as an AP) to use with my 5504's. I fought with them for a week (D-Link tech support was useless) flashing different versions of firmware and with each version they'd fix a bug or add a feature and screw something else up. The best that I could get was each ReplayTV able to connect to the LAN and internet, PC's on my LAN able to connect to the ReplayTV's with DVA, but no connection between the two ReplayTV's. I played with client mode, bridged mode, AP mode, and multi-bridged mode in various combos on all three units. My Buffalo's are due in tomorrow and the D-Link's are going back up on Ebay.


----------



## jwtseng

Can't go wrong with the Buffalo's at this point. Good quality, proven solution, and inexpensive to boot! I'm glad everyone is having good luck with them.


As far as rebates go, I believe that the web-based status may be behind. I got my rebate and there still is no record of my submission on the web page.


----------



## SeeSpotRun

Quote:

_Originally posted by jwtseng_
*Can't go wrong with the Buffalo's at this point. Good quality, proven solution, and inexpensive to boot! I'm glad everyone is having good luck with them.


As far as rebates go, I believe that the web-based status may be behind. I got my rebate and there still is no record of my submission on the web page.*
I have to agree that Buffalo is the way to go. I'm very satisfied with them and I've use a lot of different routers.


As far as the rebates go, I resubmitted and see it is listed on line now but I'm still waiting....


-SeeSpotRun


----------



## Elixer

Quote:

_Originally posted by SeeSpotRun_
*Did anyone else have problems getting their rebates from Buffalo?


I checked on-line and they have no record of my submission so I called in and again, no record found.


-SeeSpotRun*
I was monitoring the rebates for a long time, and it is a pattern. First they say no record, please wait. Then you wait 2 weeks, and then in my case, it turned up INVALID, since the offer wasn't mailed in on time. BS. I looked on rebate form (I kept a copy of the pdf) and it clearly shows my submission should be valid. Then I found their web site where you can see exactly the reason, and they had the wrong offer # listed. I got on the phone again, and after 30 mins got it fixed, and just yesterday got the rebate. This *SAME* thing also happened to my Bro.


Damn rebate companies.... grrrr

This is the place to find info about the rebate: https://www.web-rebates.com/ 



Good luck all.


----------



## SeeSpotRun

Elixer, thanks for the link to check. That one allows a lot more flexiblity in searching.


I hate rebates!


-SeeSpotRun


----------



## WarrenJ

A rebate is the manufacturer's way of letting you know you paid too much.


Regards,

Warren


----------



## ManhttnBeachMofo

Argh, I've spent hours and hours trying to get my 2 new G54's set up. This is how I want my ultimate setup:



Cable Modem BEFW11S4 G54#1 RTV#1


G54#1 G54#2 RTV#2


Where is a wired connection and is wireless.


I want to keep my BEFS11S4 up so I can have a 802.11b network on channel 11 and keep my G54's communicating on an 802.11g on channel 1.


This is how I've tried to set everything up:


BEFW11S4

- 802.11b on Channel 11 (SSID = 38th_St)

- DHCP is on

- IP = 192.168.1.1


G54#1

- 802.11g on Channel 1 (SSID = 38th_St_G)

- DHCP is off

- IP = 192.168.1.100

- WDS is on

- G54#2's MAC ID (from the web config) is entered in WDS


G54#2

- 802.11g on Channel 1 (SSID = 38th_St_G)

- DHCP is off

- IP = 192.168.1.200

- WDS is on

- G54#1's MAC ID (from the web config) is entered in WDS


I can't get the G54's to bridge. There is no interferance on Channel 1. If I unplug G54#2, I can connect to the web thu G54#1 using either a wired connection or the 802.11g connection. But I cannot get the two to bridge.


Any suggestions? Do I need to fool around with the WAN settings? DHCP? What am I supposed to put in the gateway? Or what about NAT routing?


Argh.


Thx,

Mofo


----------



## sfhub

Do you have *WLAN* MAC id entered? The Buffalo's have 3 MAC addresses

(WAN, LAN, WLAN) and are easy to mix up.


Make sure you have nothing connected the WAN ports on the G54s.


What does the status page say about the bridge connections?


----------



## ManhttnBeachMofo

Quote:

_Originally posted by sfhub_
*Do you have *WLAN* MAC id entered? The Buffalo's have 3 MAC addresses

(WAN, LAN, WLAN) and are easy to mix up.


Make sure you have nothing connected the WAN ports on the G54s.


What does the status page say about the bridge connections?*
On G54#1, I have the WAN port connected to my Linksys "master" router. I'll check and make sure I have the WLAN MAC id entered.


Thx for the help...


----------



## eshwayri

That sounds wrong. You don't want anything connected to either of the WAN ports. Connect the master router to one of the four "normal" ports. Also for bridging you need to use the Wireless MAC and *NOT* the wired/wan MAC.


----------



## ManhttnBeachMofo

Quote:

_Originally posted by eshwayri_
*That sounds wrong. You don't want anything connected to either of the WAN ports. Connect the master router to one of the four "normal" ports. Also for bridging you need to use the Wireless MAC and *NOT* the wired/wan MAC.*
That did it - or so I think. G54#1 talks nicely with the Linksys. Now I just have to see if I can get the two G54s talking with each other.


Thx.


----------



## SeeSpotRun

Just a data point... it took a while and I had to resubmit... but today I got a rebate check from Buffalo.


-SeeSpotRun


----------



## skleiser

Quote:

_Originally posted by SeeSpotRun_
*I had to resubmit... but today I got a rebate check from Buffalo.*
I got MY rebate today too - without resubmitting.


----------



## ManhttnBeachMofo

OK, so the G54's are bridged and my RTVs can see each other, stream, etc. But I have quality problems (stuttery, jagged edges, etc.) while streaming at medium quality.


Any way to eliminate this?


I've verified I can get about 2,500 KB/sec over the bridge (FTPing a zip file from one computer to another across the bridge). Worst case, this drops to 1,500 KB/sec. During playback, I've turned each RTV's network monitor on, and at medium quality the speed is roughly 4-500 KB/sec. So I should have plenty of excess bandwidth. At worst case (during a quick sports scene) this jumps up to 700 KB/sec or maybe even 1,000 KB/sec.


Thoughts or suggestions?


I have my 802.11g on channel 11 in G only mode. I have an 802.11b on channel 1 but I've turned this off completely (in case it was somehow causing interferance). No change.


What settings can I change - in my routers or RTVs - to fix this?


Thx.


----------



## sfhub

Try a different wireless channel.


If you have more than one wireless hop between units, try to rearrange

so there is only one hop.


When you transfer FTP, you should see a solid transfer graph.


That's what I see. My graph is a straight line across oscillating only

about 50-100KByte/sec. If you are seeing drop offs to 1500KByte/sec

on a system not being used for anything else, then something is likely

causing interference, there is a problem with the setup, firmware needs

to be updated, or there is a bug somewhere.


----------



## gee

Does anybody know on good deals for the Buffalo WBR-G54?


Thanks.


----------



## MaxH

I second sfhub. With two Replays, I found that I get a relatively large amount of tiling and jitter if the two Buffalos attached to the Replays have to go through the router in my computer room. i.e.,


Replay1RouterReplay2


But then I get pretty much flawless streaming when I set it up like this:


RouterReplay1Replay2


Although Replay2 might occasionally have to try twice to establish a net connect, in the end I spend far more time streaming between units than that one unit does connecting to the WAN.


You also might want to look at external antennas, especially if neither configuration is satisfactory. I found 5dB antennas with an MC connector (which is what the WBR-G54 has) for a low as $15.


Also, check out the whole WBR-G54 thread, but especially these posts:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...31#post3268531 
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...64#post3136764


----------



## sooner

Quote:

_Originally posted by gee_
*Does anybody know on good deals for the Buffalo WBR-G54?


Thanks.*


$58.95 after $20 rebate: Here 


Rebate is 1 per person so use different addresses, etc. if you need more than one. Expires 4/30/04. I didn't really search anywhere else, so you may be able to find something better. Look at the rebate for other eligible vendors.


----------



## ManhttnBeachMofo

Quote:

_Originally posted by MaxH_

*I second sfhub. With two Replays, I found that I get a relatively large amount of tiling and jitter if the two Buffalos attached to the Replays have to go through the router in my computer room. i.e.,


Replay1RouterReplay2


But then I get pretty much flawless streaming when I set it up like this:


RouterReplay1Replay2*
*
I'll try fooling around with your suggestion tonight. My setup is:



Cable Modem Linksys 102.11b G54#1 RTV#1


(WDS bridge between G54#1 and G54#2)


G54#2 RTV#2



Linksys is 192.168.1.1

G54#1 is 192.168.1.100

G54#2 is 192.168.1.200

RTV#1 is 192.168.1.150

RTV#2 is 192.168.1.250


G54s are bridged to each other. G54#2 is in WDS only mode. I've tried putting G54#1 in bridge only mode as well and no changes. DHCP is disabled on both G54s (handled by my Linksys).


I have a question about the gateway. The gateway is set to 192.168.1.1 on all of my RTVs, routers, computers, etc. Does this force everything to go through my Linksys? Can RTV#1 and #2 talk directly to each other without going through the Linksys? I could imagine this forcing packets from RTV#1 to G54#1 to Linksys back to G54#1 and then over to G54#2 and RTV#2. Not sure if this is what happens or not. Basically I just want to make sure both sides of the WDS bridge can talk without getting routed through my Linksys connection to the outside world. Is this possible? I hope my G54#1 is smart enough to send stuff directly to G54#2 instead of through my Linksys.


I will disable all of the address translation settings on the G54s and will also try giving them a unique ESS ID.


Thx for the help.*


----------



## sfhub

The GW is only used for non "local" data. ie if the traffic is not destined

for the 192.168.1.x subnet. It is not going to have any effect on your

streaming. If you want to test that theory, just disconnect the cable from

G54#1 to the Linksys 802.11b and streaming should continue to work.


I think in your setup, the most important is to make sure your Linksys

802.11b and Buffalo 802.11g are running on different channels as far

apart as possible.


Try making sure you have the settings listed here:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...hreadid=364557 


Many people have this working great, so there is something particular

to your setup or environment which is giving you problems.


Make sure when you change the channel on the Buffalos, both ends

of the bridge are using the same channel. Also reboot the Buffalos

after changing channels.


While doing configuration changes, I tend to reboot my Buffalo's alot

since sometimes they indicate the change took, but they don't really

start using the settings until after reboot.


----------



## ManhttnBeachMofo

Quote:

_Originally posted by sfhub_

The GW is only used for non "local" data. ie if the traffic is not destined

for the 192.168.1.x subnet. It is not going to have any effect on your

streaming. If you want to test that theory, just disconnect the cable from

G54#1 to the Linksys 802.11b and streaming should continue to work.


I think in your setup, the most important is to make sure your Linksys

802.11b and Buffalo 802.11g are running on different channels as far

apart as possible.


Try making sure you have the settings listed here:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...hreadid=364557
I made the changes (and the other ones suggested, such as disabling address translation, etc.) and everything seems to work! Thx for the help!


The one thing I can't figure out is this... If I try to measure the bandwidth, I get about 1,500 KB/sec going to the "end" of the WDS bridge but only about 600 KB/sec going back the other way (this is just my own tests using FTP). Streaming from my living room to bed room works fine at medium (but I've never tried streaming the other way). If I try streaming to VLC/DVArchive on my laptop (802.11g connection directly to WBR#1 - i.e. not across the WDS bridge) it's basically a tile mess at the bottom of the screen).


I might try using my WBR#1 as a connection to the outside world instead of the Linksys just for the hell of it, but I originally wanted the Linksys there because of the loopback feature.


Thx again.


----------



## moyekj

I have 2 hop configuration with 3 WBR-G54s and streaming HQ works fine:

-- wireless

== wired


WBR1: Dedicated bridge (G-only)

WBR2: Bridge + AP (G-only)

WBR3: Dedicated bridge (G-only)


RTV1==WBR1--WBR2==ROUTER

RTV2==ROUTER

RTV3==WBR3--WBR2==ROUTER


So, streaming RTV1RTV3 path is 2 wireless hops:

RTV1==WBR1--WBR2--WBR3==RTV3


Also, I stream from any RTV to wireless g laptop client using VideoLAN without many problems (a few freezes/glitches per 60 min show) from almost any location in the house.


I must say streaming using these WBR-G54 units is better than my recent previous solution (3*Linksys WAP54G units).


----------



## sfhub

Quote:

_Originally posted by moyekj_
*I have 2 hop configuration with 3 WBR-G54s and streaming HQ works fine:

...

I must say streaming using these WBR-G54 units is better than my recent previous solution (3*Linksys WAP54G units).*
Wow, long time WAP54G finally switched to WBR-G54? When did that

happen? 


With two wireless hops the bandwidth you get is just on the edge of

what is necessary to stream HQ so there's not a bunch of leeway like

with one hop. Basically it'll work for some but is not guaranteed for

all setups.


----------



## moyekj

Quote:

_Originally posted by sfhub_
*Wow, long time WAP54G finally switched to WBR-G54? When did that

happen? *
Late last week  For some reason my WAP54G using tricked config to get bridging + AP stopped working for AP mode. I could still bridge but could not do bridge + AP. I tried latest firmware release which enables bridging + AP capability, but that didn't work well for streaming, so it was time... I "donated" by WAP54Gs to my workplace since our floor was in need of wireless LANs in conference rooms on my floor.


Was it ever confirmed with the WBR-G54s if seamless roaming (with all units using same ESSID) really works? My laptop g client (also using Broadcom chip) does have option of "connect to strongest signal". I know the company position on this is that it doesn't, but it seems at least a couple early on in this thread believed it was working for them. I'm considering if it is worth enabling AP mode on all 3 units instead of just the central one.


----------



## jwtseng

moyekj:


Welcome to the club!


----------



## sfhub

Quote:

_Originally posted by moyekj_
*Was it ever confirmed with the WBR-G54s if seamless roaming (with all units using same ESSID) really works?*
When I tested it did work, but I don't run in that mode so I haven't tried

in a while. Basically it's worth it for you to enable AP in all your WBR-G54s.


----------



## moyekj

jwtseng: Thanks for finding these devices and starting the thread... I have never felt better about a purchase before seeing as I had the luxury of all the good information and experience from sources such as yourself.


sfhub: Thanks, turns out my laptop client DOES NOT have "connect to strongest signal" setting as I had previously thought - it does allow specifying an order of preference for ESSIDs to connect to, but that doesn't really do much good for roaming and staying connected to strongest signal and would require all ESSIDs to be broadcast. So I'm sticking to one unit with AP mode enabled for now. The lowest connection strength I got inside the house was "good" and I would rarely have a need for streaming to that location. Looks like the radio on these Buffalos is a lot more powerful than the WAP54G - I was a little concerned with the antenna being "hidden" inside the units but that turns out to be of no consequence.


----------



## roddie

Just when I thought I couldn't use another one, I decided to buy a broadband adapter for the Gamecube.


Anyone see any good deals lately?


For those asking about seemless roaming, a lot of it is based on the client as well. My Orinoco/Proxim card does it very well.


----------



## cephraim

Quote:

_Originally posted by roddie_
*


For those asking about seemless roaming, a lot of it is based on the client as well. My Orinoco/Proxim card does it very well.*
I bought the Orinoco, too, but don't see how to enable roaming.

All I see is the ability to select/activate one AP vs. another.

Where do you enable auto-roaming?


Thanks.

Eph


----------



## roddie

Eph,
Quote:

I bought the Orinoco, too, but don't see how to enable roaming.

All I see is the ability to select/activate one AP vs. another.

Where do you enable auto-roaming?
It actually just works by default when you walk into an area with stronger coverage. My SSIDs are all different, and I can walk from room to room and the association will switch instantly. I've tried this while watching streaming video (not that it's realistic, but still), and didn't notice a difference.

http://www.krweb.net/buffalo.jpg 


Notice the little circle over the active AP - It will automatically move when I walk from one room to another. I'm not sure what the criteria is, but it does seem to stay stable and not bounce, so that works for me.


I just ordered my fourth Buffalo from Computers4Sure.com. Yay.


----------



## moyekj

Gotta say it seems the router on these WBR units is a little flaky. I have been using a Linksys as a router so far, but figured I would try using the WBR currently connected to the router instead. WAN settings are pretty simple: Cable Modem with a static WAN IP. I unplugged the Linksys and I enter info as follows in one WBR:


WAN Settings -> WAN Port

___IP Address of WAN = Manual Setting

___IP address == 

___Subnet mask == 255.255.255.224 (Yes, this is right)

Set

WAN Settings -> Network of WAN

___Default gateway == 

___DNS (Name) server address: Primary & Secondary

Set


I then reboot the unit and try the "Line Test" and it says the unit can successfully connect to the internet. However, I am unable to connect to any internet address either by name or number, but the LAN works fine. So I go to:

Management -> System Information

and all the WAN summary information is shown correctly. In any case I re-enter all information again pressing Set buttons and re-booting the unit again, still no good. I then go check the summary information and it says:

Connection (establishing manual connection) in the WAN section. So I re-enter all information a third time and then see the correct WAN info but still no internet access. Finally I said to hell with this, re-set back to fake WAN info and disabled DHCP and went back to my Linksys router and everything works great.


What's up with that? Am I missing something? The units have been working great otherwise but why is the WAN setup so flaky?


----------



## sfhub

It's unlikely something so basic could be broken without more people

complaining, so this is most likely something particular to your setup.


What is the LAN IP of the Buffalo you have acting as the router?


When you switched from Linksys to Buffalo, did you also change the LAN IP

of the Buffalo to match what you have configured as your LAN GW?


Can you ping the LAN IP (by IP number) of the Buffalo from your PC?


Can you ping the WAN IP (by IP number) of the Buffalo from your PC?


Can you ping the WAN GW (by IP number) of your ISP from your PC?


----------



## moyekj

sfhub, at first I tried to set LAN IP to same as my Linksys (192.168.1.1) so I wouldn't have to re-configure the LAN. Today, I factory reset the WBR unit (held the indented button in for 10 seconds) and decided to keep things as simple as possible and keep it on it's default LAN: 192.168.11.1, subnet 255.255.255.0. Then I plugged the laptop ethernet port into the WBR and DHCP assigned 192.168.11.2 to the laptop. Then I went through the WAN configuration as indicated in my previous post. When complete, from laptop:

ping LAN IP = 192.168.11.1 = no problem

ping laptop IP = 192.168.11.2 = no problem

ping WAN IP = no answer

ping WAN GW IP = no answer


Obviously the cable modem & the WBR are not talking well to each other, though the WBR WAN light does flash when connected to cable modem. This time around the "Line Test" failed, confirming WAN is unreachable.


I can't imagine I'm doing anything wrong as the setup is so simple, but maybe I am overlooking something. Now that I'm back to Linksys router I double-checked the WAN IP & Gateway and verified they can be pinged with no problems. There's a couple of things I may try to solve the problem:

1. Connect WBR to Cable Modem via a switch. This would eliminate any auto-negotiation/auto-sense problem that may be happening.

2. Try one of the other WBRs instead (on the theory that this one is flaky).


Thanks for any other tips sfhub.


----------



## sfhub

Quote:

_Originally posted by moyekj_
*Obviously the cable modem & the WBR are not talking well to each other, though the WBR WAN light does flash when connected to cable modem. This time around the "Line Test" failed, confirming WAN is unreachable.*
Have you tried either

1) having the Buffalo clone the WAN MAC address of the Linksys

or

2) rebooting the cable modem after connecting the buffalo to the cable modem


Cable modem ISPs have been known to tie service to a particular MAC

address, many times the first MAC address the cable modem encounters.


In today's age, I don't think they'd be draconian enough to have the MAC

address restriction survive beyond rebooting the cable modem (since this

would produce unnecessary support calls), but it isn't beyond the realm

of belief, so in that case either try cloning the linksys *WAN* MAC or you'd

need to contact the cable modem ISP and tell them you are using a different

WAN MAC address.


----------



## moyekj

sfhub, great idea, I never thought of rebooting the Cable Modem or cloning the Linksys MAC. BTW I did try with switch and with other WBR unit with same result, so you must be right. I'll try cloning the Linksys router MAC to see if that does it, if not the reboot of the cable modem. I have a feeling that will do it. I'll post back in a few minutes.


----------



## moyekj

Well, cloning the MAC didn't do it, but rebooting the Cable Modem did. I'm writing this connected via one of the WBRs. Now off to try and get the LAN IP to 192.168.1.1 again. Thanks very much for the help sfhub!


----------



## moyekj

Everything is working now. One annoyance left is that any time I make any changes to the WBR acting as router and press Set button I lose WAN access. I have to go Initialization->Reboot to regain WAN access. From then on everything is normal until I make a change to the router again - at which point a reboot fixes it. Still a little flaky, but I guess not a big deal. The Linksys router is retired for now but I may bring it back should WAN outages occur very often with the WBR.


----------



## skleiser

Quote:

_Originally posted by moyekj_
*Gotta say it seems the router on these WBR units is a little flaky. I have been using a Linksys as a router so far, but figured I would try using the WBR currently connected to the router instead.*
Quote:

_Originally posted by moyekj_
*The Linksys router is retired for now but I may bring it back should WAN outages occur very often with the WBR.*
I continue to use a Linksys BEFSR41 wired router along with my Buffalos. If nothing else, the Linksys [slightly?] increases the Buffalo wireless performance by removing the routing overhead.


----------



## bsoplinger

Did anyone else purchase one of these units at CompUSA 1/4-1/6 of this year and get a $35 rebate form that the Buffalo (not CompUSA) rebate center is claiming is invalid because the rebate was actually from 1/27-2/4 not 1/4-1/6 as CompUSA printed on the rebate?


For that matter, in a case like this, where there isn't a separate rebate form, just something that prints on the receipt, who's responsible for the information being correct? CompuUSA? The rebate center? Who do I go to to get my $35 back?


----------



## sfhub

I suggest you just go to compusa, present them with their receipt and

rebate form and ask them to call the rebate center.


Usually that fixes things up and if not, the manager will usually just

credit you the money.


----------



## moyekj

Quote:

_Originally posted by moyekj_
*Everything is working now. One annoyance left is that any time I make any changes to the WBR acting as router and press Set button I lose WAN access. I have to go Initialization->Reboot to regain WAN access. From then on everything is normal until I make a change to the router again - at which point a reboot fixes it. Still a little flaky, but I guess not a big deal. The Linksys router is retired for now but I may bring it back should WAN outages occur very often with the WBR.*
While this is just an annoyance for changes made to the router via the LAN it effectively makes WAN-based administration worthless. i.e. I can't login to the router from work anymore and make a port-forwarding change or any other change because as soon as I click the "Set" button to apply the change I lose connectivity to the router and cannot reboot it remotely. This surely cannot be normal behavior - anyone else with this problem? I wonder if it stems from the fact I changed the unit LAN settings to be 192.168.1.1 from the default 192.168.11.1? (My Linksys BEFW11S4 router doesn't suffer from this problem.)


----------



## sfhub

AFAICT it is a bug. I always reboot when I make WAN changes. I don't

do any remote admin so it doesn't bother me, but I can see where in

your usage it would get annoying.


Call support and complain. At least you'll be pleasantly surprised to speak

to someone who can give you intelligent responses and maybe they even

have a workaround.


----------



## moyekj

Quote:

_Originally posted by sfhub_
*AFAICT it is a bug. I always reboot when I make WAN changes. I don't

do any remote admin so it doesn't bother me, but I can see where in

your usage it would get annoying.


Call support and complain. At least you'll be pleasantly surprised to speak

to someone who can give you intelligent responses and maybe they even

have a workaround.*
OK thanks, will do - at least it's good to know it's not a "just me" bug. I haven't updated to newer firmware to see if the problem still exists, but it sounds like from your response the problem would still be there. As you said it's not a huge deal, however there have been occasions in the past where I am out of state or country and wanting to make a (temporary) change remotely, so it's nice to have the capability in case. Normally I just leave remote administration turned off.


----------



## moyekj

Just talked to Sergio in technical support. As sfhub mentioned - very intelligent support. He claimed that with his unit and firmware 2.06 that upon every change the unit will reboot itself automatically and that therefore remote administration does work for him - and he uses it all the time. He did say that with the older Broadcom chipset the bug I described is indeed there, but if you are "lucky" enough to end up with the newer chipset then it is no longer a problem. He says an easy way to tell if your unit has the newer chipset (without opening up the unit) is to look on the bottom and one of the screw heads below one of the legs should be painted green. I'm not home so can't check but hopefully one of my 2 other units has the newer chipset and I can use it as the router. Other than that he said there is no easy fix since even an RMA cannot guarantee I will get a replacement unit with new chipset.


----------



## j.m.

Quote:

_Originally posted by moyekj_
*Just talked to Sergio in technical support. As sfhub mentioned - very intelligent support. He claimed that with his unit and firmware 2.06 that upon every change the unit will reboot itself automatically and that therefore remote administration does work for him - and he uses it all the time. He did say that with the older Broadcom chipset the bug I described is indeed there, but if you are "lucky" enough to end up with the newer chipset then it is no longer a problem. He says an easy way to tell if your unit has the newer chipset (without opening up the unit) is to look on the bottom and one of the screw heads below one of the legs should be painted green. I'm not home so can't check but hopefully one of my 2 other units has the newer chipset and I can use it as the router. Other than that he said there is no easy fix since even an RMA cannot guarantee I will get a replacement unit with new chipset.*
Neither of my units have a green screw. However, I don't have the problem you mention (at least I don't think I do). When I change something in the "Address Translation" area and hit Apply, my WBR-G54 router reboots (red diag light comes on) automatically. Thereafter, I do lose WAN connectivity--but only for a few seconds, after which it picks up the WAN DHCP IP again. This is on 2.06 BTW.


----------



## moyekj

Turns out my unit does have green screw - which implies newer chipset. I upgraded firmware from 2.01 -> 2.06 and the problem has gone away


----------



## sfhub

Well I went back and retried with 2.06 and can change WAN info without

problems. Apparently they fixed it between the 2.01 and 2.06 and I've

just been blindly rebooting for no reason never having bothered to check

if they fixed the bug.


I don't have the green screw.


----------



## Charles Hickox

What if you have Dvarchive at Main and try to watch 3 different high quality shows from the server at 1,2 and 3?

I note that in your setup 1 is acting as a repeater for two as well as an ethernet converter for RTV1. What if you are trying to watch different high quality shows from the server on 1 and 2? Could you still watch a high quality show from RTV2 on 3? The flow would have to go in reverse. I don't think the units can handle that?

Isn't it better to have all the traffic oneway from the server with only 2 Replays on each channel? Please see configuration below

ServerSwitch\\Bridge1\\RTV1RTV5

.............................\\...................\\R TV2

..............................\\Bridge 2\\RTV3

........................................................\\RTV4

.........are spaces

---------HardWired

+++++Wireless

Bridge 1 channel 1

Bridge 2 channel 5

Would RTV5 be able to watch medium quality show from server?

What if it was hardwired to WBRG54 at RTV1?


----------



## sfhub

Sorry, I got a headache trying to read your diagram.


I can tell you one wireless hop is about 2-2.1MByte/sec bandwidth


2 wireless hops is about 1.3-1.4MByte/sec.


I didn't test more hops nor did I test transfers in both directions.


Streaming requirements for no stutter are roughly

standard: 250-350KByte/sec steady state 450-500 peak.

medium: 450-600KByte/sec steady state 650-700 peak.

high: 850-950KByte/sec steady state 1100-1200KByte/sec peak.


These are just rough estimates.


These are single radio design bridges (regardless of how many antennaes)

so the wireless connections are essentially half-duplex.


Based on that information and some simple FTP tests you should be

able to figure out what configuration will work best for you.


----------



## Charles Hickox

Antenna cable looks easier to hide than Cat 5e and the antenna is less obtrusive than the WBR g54. I have a long hall with each RTV off the hall and farthest from the door. Does it work to put the antenna in the hall where it is line of sight to the router and run the antenna cable 15' to the WBR G54 near the RTV?


----------



## pianoman41

Quote:

_Originally posted by bsoplinger_
*Did anyone else purchase one of these units at CompUSA 1/4-1/6 of this year and get a $35 rebate form that the Buffalo (not CompUSA) rebate center is claiming is invalid because the rebate was actually from 1/27-2/4 not 1/4-1/6 as CompUSA printed on the rebate?


For that matter, in a case like this, where there isn't a separate rebate form, just something that prints on the receipt, who's responsible for the information being correct? CompuUSA? The rebate center? Who do I go to to get my $35 back?*
I got two with the $35 rebates around 01/10. Even though it is not a Comp USA rebate you can search all old rebates for a time period on their web site. You should be able to find a copy of the actual form.


----------



## j.m.

Ok, it looks like Buffalo WBR-G54 owners can expect a new firmware version soon. The Japanese page (which usually gets the first release) just released 2.20. You don't want to use the Japanese version as it will have Japanese text etc. Wait for the US/UK release. Here's a poor (automated online) translation of the Japanese release notes:

Quote:




Version rise contents are as follows.


Ver2.06 -> Ver2.20

1. AOSS (TM) (AirStation One-Touch Secure System) it

corresponded. As for details please access the text of attachment.

1. It tried to display the log of radio client

wire link. 2. With environment, the problem which has the case where

it cannot communicate the WAN port was corrected.

1. Initialization manner of the

configuration by the configuration initialization switch of the

computer rear was modified. Former manner: 3 seconds it continues to

push the configuration initialization switch. Future manner: When 3

seconds it continues to push the configuration initialization switch

and DIAG LED begins blinking, you separate, when -> after AOSS run

DIAG LED begins blinking, it continues to push the configuration

initialization switch and DIAG LED goes out, you separate, ->

initialization


In addition, correction addition of help display was done.
From that, it looks like the new AOSS feature of the new WBR2-G54 is merely a software change that we may get in the original WBR-G54 with the 2.20 firmware. From what I gather, AOSS just automatically sets up wireless encryption/security, so it isn't a big deal for advanced users anyway. Who knows what else might be new in this version. Let's hope for WPA over WDS bridges and loopback.


----------



## jwtseng

j.m.:


Thanks for keeping us all up to date! I was just in CompUSA and saw the "new" WBR2-G54. It looked like there was a physical button on the unit as well as some software button to activate this A.O.S.S. feature. I use all of mine completely open without encryption anyway. I'm not really that paranoid about someone being *that* interested in hacking into my stuff. If they are, more power to them. If only I had so much time...


Anyways, thanks again!


----------



## j.m.

Quote:

_Originally posted by jwtseng_
*j.m.:


Thanks for keeping us all up to date! I was just in CompUSA and saw the "new" WBR2-G54. It looked like there was a physical button on the unit as well as some software button to activate this A.O.S.S. feature. I use all of mine completely open without encryption anyway. I'm not really that paranoid about someone being *that* interested in hacking into my stuff. If they are, more power to them. If only I had so much time...


Anyways, thanks again!*
I knew it had a button on the back, but the pictures I've seen don't make it clear that it is a new button. As best I could tell from the translation above, it seems there may be some timing involved with the normal reset button on the back to make AOSS work (i.e. press it so many seconds for AOSS and so many for reset). However, that's just a guess since the translation is far from perfect. Did it look like a separate button from what you could tell?


In any case, AOSS doesn't seem to do anything that one can't do manually, which is what I'd do anyway. However, it is a nice feature for the average user.


I'll report back when I see the US/UK version has been released.


----------



## phlegmer

Has anyone messed with the new WHR3-G54 . I know that they are not "cheap" yet but just curious.


----------



## moyekj

Al least they are "honest" in their marketing:

Quote:

When operating in High Speed Modeâ„¢, this Wi-Fi device achieves an actual throughput of up to 34.1Mbps, which is the equivalent throughput of a system following 802.11g protocol and operating at a signaling rate of 125Mbps.


----------



## tyoung88

In light of the current deal at Outpost.com for the Buffalo 802.11g router and the wealth of information I've got from reading through all these posts I'm resurrecting this thread to help new buffalo converts like myself!


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## eappell

Wow, I can't believe this thread is still alive... Last year I read the original thread and went out and bought three of these great Buffalo routers and have been VERY happy ever since. I recently switched from cable to DSL and the transition was seemless. The very thorough administrative software makes everything very easy. I use one of these as a bridge for a RTV 4504 and my XBOX. The other is in a bedroom for another RTV. I also have a laptop and PocketPC that connect wirelessly to the internet. It all works flawlessly.


I just wanted to put my experience out there since I've been so pleased with the performance of these units.


-eddie


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## HiHoStevo

Quote:

_Originally posted by tyoung88_
*In light of the current deal at Outpost.com for the Buffalo 802.11g router*


Do you have a "link" for this deal?


I am going to be moving and my new home does not have every room pre-wired with an rj-45 cable connection back to a switch like my current abode.


Thanks,


Steve


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## tyoung88

Quote:

_Originally posted by HiHoStevo_
*Do you have a "link" for this deal?


I am going to be moving and my new home does not have every room pre-wired with an rj-45 cable connection back to a switch like my current abode.


Thanks,


Steve*
Steve,


Here's a link to the deal being discussed on AVS. There is a link in the thread to the long discussion on FW.

Buffalo Router Link 


Basically 42.99 - 30.00 rebate = 12.99 + tax + shipping. Came out to $56 out of pocket for me. Haven't seen Buffalo routers this cheap in awhile.


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## HiHoStevo

sounds like a great deal...... wonder if they limit the rebates to one per household???


Steve


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## qtv

From the rebate form
Quote:

Limit one (1) Buffalo Technology Rebate per product for this offer per customer, person, receipt, family, household, or address. This offer is not to be combined with any other Buffalo promotions.


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## madpoet

I bought 3 last time... just had the rebates go to 3 addresses


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## roddie

Also from the rebate form:

Quote:

This offer allows customers to purchase a single product or a combination of products identified above.
I'm guessing the "per product" in the quote above means you can buy one of each product and get a rebate on each. I just bought one of each (except for the USB adapter) - The antenna will come in handy.


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## jwtseng

Long live this thread!!! I'm amazed at the response to these Buffalo routers. I think that the current $12.99 deal is fantastic...it makes the title of this thread even more pertinent!


Glad you guys are still enjoying yourselves! My 2 RTVs and 4 WBR's are working just fine as from day 1.


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## icecow

I guess I should be asking here..


do these Outpost Buffalos do sveasoft?


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## phlegmer

Well, like many others, I too had to take advantage of the Outpost Buffalo deal that they had. I currently have 3 WBR's on my home network. 2 for my Replays and one main one connected to the cable modem. This solution has served me well and love it. The one thing that bothered me though was that the WBR's were part of the "discontinued" list and therefore not a whole lot of firmware updates (if ever) will be made for this. PLUS, I already of buyers of the WBR's that I have (selling more than what the net cost will be of the WBR2's)! So all in all I figured this would be a good thing.


1. Using a more current hardware solution (even if they look the same) that has more future firmware updates.


2. Have buyers that will purchase my WBR's for quite a bit more than what I'll end up paying for the WBR2's


Tonight I finally installed the WBR2's and here are some of my initial observation.


Interface: First of all, the setup interface looks the same BUT it looks a lot more polished. The WBR interface was functional but looked sorta tinker toyish to me. WBR2's interface has pretty much the same everything as the WBR but just looks more professional. The color is different and I noticed that the wording of things makes more sense in some places.


Other than a AOSS section in the interface, there are some other minor differences. I noticed that the Radius security stuff is no longer in the WBR2's. Not that I would ever use it. WBR2 has a small section for IPSec that WBR didn't have. Interfacewise, that is it. (from what I can tell)


Performance: Seems to be the same as before which doesn't surprise me.


Cosmetic: Form facter is same. LED's are a little different. There is a new AOSS LED on it now which replaced the front Diag LED. The WAN LED moved down a level and what is in its place..... I don't know. It's just an LED with no label. Side LEDS look the same.


The back has minor differences as well. The WAN plug is now right next to the 4 LAN ports. The WBR has a spacer seperating the WAN and the cluster of LAN ports. AOSS button is now present where the reset button used to be. Reset button has now moved below the WAN port. I was pleased to see that they have the Wireless MAC address now labeled on the back where the WAN MAC address used to be. Makes much more sense when using WDS Bridging.


Blinkies: OK, I love blinkies (LED activity). The more feedback I can get from a device the better. This is one thing that I noticed right away was when I streamed video from one Replay to another. The WBR would start out blinking sorta slow and spuratic until all of a sudden the stream would seem to stablize and it would then flicker like crazy. With the WBR2, it starts out sorta like the WBR but when it's in full stream, it just blinks sorta fast. I know, I know... who cares. Well, it really isn't a big deal but I'm just used to watching that type of blinky when starting a stream. Just going to have to get used this new way of blinking I guess 


This is just my initial observations of the new Buffalo's. Setup was a snap. Just plug each new one (one at a time) into my laptop via cat5, went the corresponding WBR that was already on the network via main computer, then just manually copied each section side by side. I called Buffalo if it is possible to save a WBR setup file and load it into the WBR2. They said that they are different enough that it wouldn't work. That would have been too easy.


Later....


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## Slider1214

Has anyone tried bridging the WBR-54G to a WBR2-54G? I just picked up a WBR2-54G. I am currently using a WBR-54G to power my network and want to know if this is feasible.


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## roddie

Quote:

Has anyone tried bridging the WBR-54G to a WBR2-54G? I just picked up a WBR2-54G. I am currently using a WBR-54G to power my network and want to know if this is feasible.
I've got a WBR2-54G bridging to a couple of my WBR-54Gs and they work great.


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## Jeffwa

I have a mixed network of 2 WBR-G54 & 1 WBR2-G54 and they all work together nicely. The WBR-54s are even running a significantly different version of the firmware (1.31 I believe) than the WBR2-G54 (2.x).


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## roddie

Quote:

The WBR-54s are even running a significantly different version of the firmware (1.31 I believe) than the WBR2-G54 (2.x).
FYI - There are new versions for each model on Buffalo's site (as of a couple of weeks ago).


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## Jeffwa

Quote:

_Originally posted by roddie_
*FYI - There are new versions for each model on Buffalo's site (as of a couple of weeks ago).*
I know, but I'm in the "If it ain't broke don't fix it" camp. Though I'm sure once I find I have some free time and no other pending projects, I'll break my network so I can fix it.


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## HiHoStevo

I too took advantage of the outpost deal... although I have not had the opportunity to set my system yet..... They ran out and I only wound up with 2 of the three units I selected...


1. Has anyone got their rebates yet?? I have not


2. As I only have two... I was thinking of leaving my D-Link setup as the main router and using these to both stream data between the Replay Units as well as act as a signal extender for the rest of the network...


Is this possible?


Steve


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## Jeffwa

Quote:

_Originally posted by HiHoStevo_
*1. Has anyone got their rebates yet?? I have not*
I received my rebate earlier this week (11/1) You can check on the status of your rebate @ http://www.web-rebates.com/buffalo


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## Slider1214

Quote:

_Originally posted by roddie_
*I've got a WBR2-54G bridging to a couple of my WBR-54Gs and they work great.*
Awesome.


I only have one Replay in my house (5504 I picked up from CC last winter during the big "sale") and we use it religiously. I just upgraded my WBR-54G to the newest released firmware (dated 10/18/04) and it's running great. My wife's new laptop kept losing the signal while mine (with a Buffalo G card) was fine. After upgrading, it works fine now. I'll be setting up my Replay on the second one as well as extending my wireless network. Hopefully should be easy after spending 4 hours reading this thread.


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## BoulderGeek

Has anyone tried bridging the Buffalo WBR2-54G with a SMC Barricade 802.11g 54Mbps Wireless router?


The SMCs are $21.99 after rebate, while the Buffalos seem to be full price everywhere. Even on eBay people did the recent Outpost.com offers and sold them for $36 + $14 shipping (profit there) and got the rebate, essentially making $30.

http://www.computers4sure.com/produc...ductid=1574067 


Will an SMC and a Buffalo bridge as seamlessly as Buffalo Buffalo?


** Update: I think I answered my own question. Two router/Aps will bridge on 802.11G via WDS if they use the Broadcom chipset. I believe these two units do.


Also, FWIW, at the following link you can get a Buffalo WBR2-54G and matching Buffalo 802.11g PCMCIA card for $49.99 after rebate, making the router the same $19.99 as the Outpost deal and the PC card adapter $30, which is about the best I've seen it by $5.

http://www.computers4sure.com/produc...eyword=buffalo


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## sfhub

SMC hasn't used broadcom in the past, so you should double check to

be sure. Not all vendors enable the bridging feature. Linksys is an

example of this. For WRT-54G you need to use 3rd-party firmware.


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## BoulderGeek

Oh, hey, thanks, sfhub! I guess I didn't have all the info that I needed.


Guess I'll stay with Buffalo for WDS.


Glad you pointed that out! :-o


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## Anubus12

Wanting to convert my Linksys system over to Buffalo. Anyone clarify which to buy? There are 3 versions out I believe.


WBR-G54

WBR2-G54

WBR2-G54S


and even the:


WHR3-G54


Which to buy and why?


I have 2 5504 replays. Does that mean I should buy 2 routers and bridge them together right?


THanks for any info.


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## BoulderGeek

I haev been using old 802.11b for three years now.


I just got two WBR2-G54 units for $20 apiece with the rebates, and one PCMCIA 802.11g Buffalo card for my PowerBook.


My ReplayTV and PCs will be wired into the WBR2-G54 units, which will bridge and one of which will serve 802.11G wireless as well.


I believe that the WBR2-G54S units are 108Mb/s. And I would guess that like 802.11G throttles back to 802.11B levels when a standard "b" device connects, the 108Mb units would just throttle back to G or B levels when a G of B device connects. SOmeone feel free to correct me if I am high.


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## delusion602

Since this one is back on the front page, figured I'd put this here rather than start a new thread..


I have a 'remote' 5040 off a WBR2-G54 bridge, and another 5040 and a DVArchive box hard wired to the 'core' WBR2-G54.


For the most part, streaming across the WDS is fine, and upon the remote 5040 bootup, both DVA and the hard wired Replay can see it and access the guide data fine.


But after a few minutes, DVA starts spitting out error messages stating it's unable to grab the remote 5040's guide.


Some quick troubleshooting confirmed what I initially suspected to be the problem: Both the WBR2 and ReplayTV use the default httpd port of 80, and, as far as I can tell, there is no way to get either device to listen on an alternate port.


So basically, DVArchive winds up hitting the Buffalo's httpd, thinking it is actually the Replay, and of course complains when the Buffalo can't provide any guide information.


It seems as though unplugging and reseating the wired connection between the remote 5040 and the Buffalo causes remote http connections to be forwarded to the Replay (temporarily.) But after a minute or two, the Buffalo's httpd starts responding to the requests again.


At first I suspected this had something to do with the Buffalo's UPnP support (enabled by default), but disabling UPnP on the remote Buffalo did not seem to have any effect.


Considering many of you are likely to have a comparable hardware configuration, I'm wondering why I've seen no other mention of this issue? Am I missing an option on either the Buffalo or Replay to bind the HTTPD to an alternate port? (You can specify the WAN configuration port on the Buffalo, but it doesn't look like you can change the _LAN_ config port?) Or is the 'expected' behavior of the Buffalo to forward on the HTTP request to the WDS client device rather than respond to it itself - and I just got a flaky unit?


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## sfhub

Quote:

_Originally posted by delusion602_
*Some quick troubleshooting confirmed what I initially suspected to be the problem: Both the WBR2 and ReplayTV use the default httpd port of 80, and, as far as I can tell, there is no way to get either device to listen on an alternate port.*
Why is this relevant? Your Buffalo and Replay have different IP addresses

so they can be individually contacted. The SSDP broadcasts from Replay

tell DVA to contact the Replay IP address, not the Buffalo IP address.


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## delusion602

Um, for WDS the Replay and the Buffalo use the same IP address. That's what makes it a "bridged" connection.. no IP routing is going on between the Buffalo and the Replay.


Anyone else?

_Edit_: The misinterpretation of this issue does bring to mind something else possibly relevant though... In the interest of simplicity I have disabled all routing functions including DHCP on the remote Buffalo unit, set it up as a dedicated 'dumb' WDS bridge, and statically addressed both the Replay and Buffalo.


Now I'm thinking a plausible workaround would be to leave routing functions enabled on the remote Buffalo unit, and use it as a 'border router' instead of a dedicated bridge. In this instance, the Replay and Buffalo would in fact utilize seperate IP addresses, and the trouble would be alleviated.


It should work fine in theory (and may be what I end up doing), but I was trying to keep things as simple as possible on the initial setup.


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## sfhub

Quote:

_Originally posted by delusion602_
*Um, for WDS the Replay and the Buffalo use the same IP address. That's what makes it a "bridged" connection.. no IP routing is going on between the Buffalo and the Replay.*
That is correct, no IP routing is going on between Buffalo and Replay,

but that is still not relevant.


The Buffalo responds to its own IP address in WDS bridge mode. This IP

address is different from the Replay IP address.


It's a "bridge" not because every unit is using the same IP address. It

is a bridge because different medium are being treated as one logical

network.


The only reason Buffalo and Replay might share the same IP is if you

are contacting them through the WAN port. However, if this is what

you are doing, you have misconfigured your network as all the streaming

should be taking place over the LAN side.


A quick rule of thumb which may help in your debugging... If nobody

complains about a problem that would seemingly affect everyone, the

problem is likely particular to your own configuration or setup.


All I can say so far is that your theory as to why DVA can't contact your

replay doesn't make any sense.


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## delusion602

Now you're really not making any sense.


You're telling me I can bind an address (let's say, 10.0.0.1 for example's sake) to the Buffalo in dedicated WDS mode, and then bind another arbitrary IP address to the ReplayTV which is hardwired to it (say, 10.0.0.2), and the Buffalo - in DEDICATED WDS MODE - will magically know what to do with that traffic?


I guess I'm not making myself clear, because surely that's not what you're trying to say (because it's very much incorrect.)


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## sfhub

Quote:

_Originally posted by delusion602_
*You're telling me I can bind an address (let's say, 10.0.0.1 for example's sake) to the Buffalo in dedicated WDS mode, and then bind another arbitrary IP address to the ReplayTV which is hardwired to it (say, 10.0.0.2), and the Buffalo - in DEDICATED WDS MODE - will magically know what to do with that traffic?


I guess I'm not making myself clear, because surely that's not what you're trying to say (because it's very much incorrect.)*
That is exactly what I'm saying. I've been doing that for over 7 months,

as have many folks in this forum.


There's nothing magical about Buffalo knowing what to do with the

traffic. It is all done by standard ARP. In WDS bridging, you have

one logical network. There is no routing or directing of traffic going

on. The ARPs are broadcast across the entire logical network. Just

like there is no routing being performed for a LAN, there is no routing

(in the tcp/ip sense) being performed for a LAN which has a WDS bridge

segment.


The only time potentially traffic would need to be directed is if you

had a loop in your WDS bridge configuration, but since the Buffalo's

don't support Spanning Tree Protocol, they can't handle the loop,

so you'll just need to resolve the loops by hand.


For all intents and purposes, the Buffalo in WDS bridge mode acts just

like you had a switch which is hardwired to the other side to another

switch (except the Buffalo is an added device which is attached to the

bridge, has its own IP, and is individually addressable) The WDS bridge

is just replacing the need to run CAT5 between the 2 switches.


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## MaxH

My media room WBR-G54 has an IP of 192.168.11.54 and the Replay attached to its LAN port has an IP of 192.168.11.101. My bedroom bridge has an IP of 192.168.11.55, the Replay attached to it 192.168.11.102. Both of those are in dedicated WDS mode. You cannot assign two devices the same IP number, or you will get problems...kinda like you're having now, probably.


I'd bet that's your problem.


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## sfhub

Quote:

_Originally posted by delusion602_
*Edit: The misinterpretation of this issue does bring to mind something else possibly relevant though... In the interest of simplicity I have disabled all routing functions including DHCP on the remote Buffalo unit, set it up as a dedicated 'dumb' WDS bridge, and statically addressed both the Replay and Buffalo.


Now I'm thinking a plausible workaround would be to leave routing functions enabled on the remote Buffalo unit, and use it as a 'border router' instead of a dedicated bridge. In this instance, the Replay and Buffalo would in fact utilize seperate IP addresses, and the trouble would be alleviated.


It should work fine in theory (and may be what I end up doing), but I was trying to keep things as simple as possible on the initial setup.*
The first configuration described above (assuming your buffalo and replay

have the same IP like you describe) is broken. I do not understand why

you would insist on statically assigning both the buffalo and the replay

to the same IP address over some imaginary theoretical image of what

you feel a bridge should look like. Just assign a different LAN IP for the

buffalo and Replay and watch everything start working.


The second configuration is what the majority (if not all of us) are using.


I don't understand your distinction between the first configuration (dumb

dedicated WDS bridge) and the second configuration (border router), other

than the 1st might have the LAN IP of the buffalo misconfigured to be the

same as Replay.


The only other explanation for how we can be totally at odds in this

discussion is that your WBR2-G54 has some new mode of operation

not available in the WBR-G54 firmware most of us are using.


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## delusion602

MaxH:


When you traceroute to 192.168.11.102 from a PC on your LAN, what does the traceroute look like? That is, do you see it's uplink Buffalo at 192.168.11.55 as an intermediary hop? Or does the traceroute go directly to .102, with the Buffalo transparent at the IP layer?


sfhub:


So we have a Buffalo unit at IP address "A", taking packets from a downlinked ReplayTV at IP address "B", and passing them along to uplink router at IP "C".


Do you still maintain that the Buffalo is acting as a dedicated bridge, and is _not_ doing any IP layer routing? If so, you may want to refrain from taking the CCIE exam just yet.


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## sfhub

Quote:

_Originally posted by delusion602_
*sfhub:


So we have a Buffalo unit at IP address "A", taking packets from a downlinked ReplayTV at IP address "B", and passing them along to uplink router at IP "C".


Do you still maintain that the Buffalo is acting as a dedicated bridge, and is not doing any IP layer routing? If so, you may want to refrain from taking the CCIE exam just yet.*
You have a condescending attitude which is somewhat problematic but

they do not test for that in exams.


To prove to yourself that there is *no* IP layer3 routing in the configuration

I described (and which most of us are using) there is a simple test you can

do (everything is connected to the LAN ports of the Buffalo, WAN ports are

unused)


Laptop1

10.0.0.1

255.0.0.0

|

wired ethernet

|

Buffalo1

192.168.1.1

255.255.255.0

|

WDS

|

Buffalo2

192.168.1.2

255.255.255.0

|

wired ethernet

|

Laptop2

10.0.0.2

255.0.0.0


traceroute from Laptop1 to Laptop2. There will only be *1* line in the

traceroute. There can be *no* IP layer3 routing because Buffalo1 and

Buffalo2 have no clue how to get to 10.0.0.0/8 network. Further if there

was routing, there would be more than 1 line in the traceroute.


Just because Buffalo1 and Buffalo2 have IP addresses does not mean

they process the packets at IP layer3. Visually you just have the wrong

picture of how things are architected.


You should view the Buffalos as separate components internally connected

rather than one monolithic device.


So from a *logical* rather than physical perspective the Buffalo is actually:


4-port switch with WDS wireless uplink

|

wired ethernet (internal to device)

|

Buffalo router device


The Buffalo is essentially just another device hanging off the switch and

when you create a WDS wireless uplink, the Buffalo router device sub

module is not involved with the WDS uplink.


The device as a whole (in particular the switch and WDS uplink sub

modules) however is involved at layer2 with the MAC address tables

just like any switch would be. All direction of traffic across the WDS

wireless link are done using MAC address only.


There is a 4-tuple of MAC addresses in the wireless frame header

1) initial source

2) final destination

3) intermediate sender

4) intermediate receiver


WDS is a layer2 bridging technology and all the directing of packets is

based on MAC addresses described above. This is regardless of what

IP address you have the Buffalo LAN configured to.


----------



## sfhub

Quote:

_Originally posted by delusion602_
*MaxH:


When you traceroute to 192.168.11.102 from a PC on your LAN, what does the traceroute look like? That is, do you see it's uplink Buffalo at 192.168.11.55 as an intermediary hop? Or does the traceroute go directly to .102, with the Buffalo transparent at the IP layer?
*
It has a one line entry containing only 192.168.11.102.


There is no 192.168.11.55 in the traceroute and this is as expected.


How do you think we are bridging multiple devices behind a Buffalo

WDS bridge if they all share the same IP address?


----------

