The Official HTPC Thread

[STAN JONES]

These are homeplugs..

http://p.playserver1.com/ProductImages/8/0/1/3/5/8/8/1/18853108_300x300_1.jpg

They use power outlets/sockets to form/extend your network. For example, if you didn't have wifi or want to use it, you would plug one homeplug into a power socket and connect it to your router with a short ethernet cable (supplied usually). You'd then take the second homeplug and do the same near the device you wish to give network access to (PS3, HTPC, NAS, 360, etc) and connect that device to the second homeplug with another short ethernet cable. Ta-daaaaaa, nucca, network happiness.

"Hardwire with ethernet" means ethernet cables over wifi where possible because it gives faster speeds and the connect is consistent (people suffer with black spots in their homes with wifi etc). Gigabit ethernet refers to the speed your devices can exchange and transfer data on your network. Gigabit is faster than 10/100 connections that most people probably use. HD/BluRay files can be big. You should be fine for the most part at the moment but later down the line Gigabit ports/connections will be more important.

Gigabit ports connected to a 10/100 port/device will only transfer info at the 10/100 speed. This will create a bottleneck. This is what I said you wouldn't want after investing a Gigabit capable devices. Homeplugs, while easy to use and definitely serve their purpose, aren't the most adequate way of achieving maximum network speed. Personally at the moment I have 2 HTPCs running off 200mbps homeplugs, despite my router and nas being gigabit. This is because it works fine for my intended purpose, and because I'm a lazy motherfukker who doesn't practice what he preaches and am yet to run the ethernet cables.

etc. etc.

yea im gonna hardwire everything

i got my modem and router in tv stand in my living room along with a reciever,360,and roku.I got space in the shelf for the htpc if i use the case 2guns got and im most likely gonna just sit the server next to the stand where the speakers are

 

[↓R↑LYB]

Yea I was told by a dude on my job to purchase my parts from microcenter, its one 5 mins away from my house

Im not in a rush right now tho, im just trying to figure out all the parts I need then I'll cop them at the end of the month when I do my taxes

Props for this tho breh

Now I just need to decide on a htpc or gaming pc and pick the parts

Breh, get a gaming PC and just throw a 2-3TB hard drive in there. Unless you planning on going ham and getting a 30TB NAS or some shyt.

 

[Liquid]

@2gunsup

Video card in a case like the one I posted yesterday
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811154087

 

[Tha Snowman]

yea im gonna hardwire everything

i got my modem and router in tv stand in my living room along with a reciever,360,and roku.I got space in the shelf for the htpc if i use the case 2guns got and im most likely gonna just sit the server next to the stand where the speakers are

Do it. Post up if you hit any snags. I wired my house last year. Best thing I could have done.

 

[GoldenGlove]

What kind of routers do yal have? And what are your D/L speeds wired compared to wireless?

 

[STAN JONES]

Breh, get a gaming PC and just throw a 2-3TB hard drive in there. Unless you planning on going ham and getting a 30TB NAS or some shyt.

i was gonna do this but i already have a gaming laptop that i rarely play games on

if gaming is the only reason to get a video card then ima go the htpc route

 

[STAN JONES]

What kind of routers do yal have? And what are your D/L speeds wired compared to wireless?

i got a ASUS RT-N56U

i usually get between 3-4 mbs wireless

dont know about wired since ive never connected my laptop via ethernet

 

[↓R↑LYB]

i was gonna do this but i already have a gaming laptop that i rarely play games on

if gaming is the only reason to get a video card then ima go the htpc route

Do you need an HTPC, or a storage server? If you just need a HTPC, cop one of these:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883220142&Tpk=asus eeebox

It's a small form factor computer, great for something like XBMC client. If you gonna build a storage server instead, that's something else

 

[STAN JONES]

Do you need an HTPC, or a storage server? If you just need a HTPC, cop one of these:

Newegg.com - ASUS Eee Box EB1021-B059E EeeBox PC AMD Dual-Core Processor E-450(1.65GHz) 2GB DDR3 320GB HDD Capacity AMD Radeon HD 6320 Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit

It's a small form factor computer, great for something like XBMC client. If you gonna build a storage server instead, that's something else

im doing both(server & htpc)

 

[↓R↑LYB]

I already got my wish list together for my NAS server once I move into my new crib next year. shyt's gonna be so piff rack mounted in my basement

Case: RSV-L4500 (15 3.5" drive bays)

30TB, that's about 600 50GB blu ray rips

 

[Tha Snowman]

What kind of routers do yal have? And what are your D/L speeds wired compared to wireless?

They should be the same. A wireless n connection can very reasonably transfer 10-20 MB/s. So unless you have an internet connection that exceeds 100 mbit, your download speeds shouldn't be any different.

 

[GoldenGlove]

i got a ASUS RT-N56U

i usually get between 3-4 mbs wireless

dont know about wired since ive never connected my laptop via ethernet

They should be the same. A wireless n connection can very reasonably transfer 10-20 MB/s. So unless you have an internet connection that exceeds 100 mbit, your download speeds shouldn't be any different.

Yeah, I know. I have a wireless N router and I get a great wireless signal throughout my entire house. 20mbps over wifi, and over 30 through ethernet. I see people wiring up their whole house for an ethernet connection and I'm like damn... I'm good on that.

 

[STAN JONES]

I already got my wish list together for my NAS server once I move into my new crib next year. shyt's gonna be so piff rack mounted in my basement

Case: RSV-L4500 (15 3.5" drive bays)

30TB, that's about 600 50GB blu ray rips

i like this case

i was gonna go with BitFenix Prodigy Mini-ITX Computer Case - Black BFC-PRO-300-KKX - Micro Center but this one is smaller,still looks decent,and can fit way more drives

 

[↓R↑LYB]

i like this case

i was gonna go with BitFenix Prodigy Mini-ITX Computer Case - Black BFC-PRO-300-KKX - Micro Center but this one is smaller,still looks decent,and can fit way more drives

Yeah, that Roswell case is a server case, and it's mad cheap, supports lots of form factors, and got good reviews. 15 hard drive bays will last me a long time.

 

[Tha Snowman]

Yeah, I know. I have a wireless N router and I get a great wireless signal throughout my entire house. 20mbps over wifi, and over 30 through ethernet. I see people wiring up their whole house for an ethernet connection and I'm like damn... I'm good on that.

I wired my house not to increase my internet speed, but the speed between devices in my house. I stream bluray rips, and regularly transfer files, and the latency and overhead of wifi connected devices causes problems and took up more of my time than I liked.

Wired, I can stream to multiple rooms and still use the net from my main box without any slow down and without any degradation in the stream quality.

But you're right, if you're in a single user situation, going wired isn't necessary.