High speed data transfer between computers - your preferred method?
 

I've recently built a PVR based out of a small 2.4 GHz Celeron computer running Win XP.

My main purpose for building this thing was to watch the recorded content on my laptop while on planes. I started out burning said content onto DVD but have since found that to be overly bulky when traveling and would like to switch to transferring the files directly to my laptop's HD before departing.

The PVR records at a high quality (about 1.5 GB per hour) and as such creates huge files. As you can imagine, transferring the files over WiFi would be time-consuming, but at the moment, that is the only way I could do it. I do not have a router with wired ports to connect that way (I have an Airport Express).

Both computers have FireWire and USB 2 port but I am at a loss as how to get the computers to recognize one another using these connections. There is a software solution I am looking at called FireNet ( www.unibrain.com ) but would rather not spend the $20 if I didn't have to. I would hope if XP has FireWire and USB support, as well as networking support, that FireWire networking could be coaxed out of it.

Any tips?

Ethernet..

If you don't want to buy a switch, try to get an "ethernet crossover cable" and you can run the cable back to back between the computers. (Or cut a normal cable and rewire it to be a crossover http://www.makeitsimple.com/how-to/dyi_crossover.htm).

If you want really fast, the Gigabit ethernet NICs and switches have gotten quite reasonable and are blazing fast.

I upgraded our lan from 100mbit to 1000mbit on all 6 machines for under $100.

Try that, it really does help.

How did you upgrade 6 machines for under $100? Is that $100 total or $100 per machine?

I use wired 100mb Ethernet in my house to connect 2 PVR's, 8 computers, and 3 NetDisks. I have not moved to 1000mb Ethernet because the PVR's don't/won't support it.

I found Netgear gigabit cards for $10 after rebate, and a gigabit router for $39.99 after rebate (all at staples).

The netgear cards normally go for $25, but places like Newegg.com sell the generic Realtek cards (same chipset as the Netgears) for only $13 :D

and here is a $46 gigabit switch

Do you ever sleep ScottC? :D

At least 8 hours a day :)

yeah but
 

yeah, but your SWITCH or HUB must have already been ready for giga.

the pci cards these days are cheap, upgrading is not expensive at all and I wouldn't buy anything but a 1000 card today. Using a cross over is nice for connecting, since one can get a TRUE 10X increased connection between connections. But, the switches, hubs and routers that will do 1000 are still more costly, and replacing them would put one certainly over the 100$ level including the switch. Good switches, not to mention replacing a wireless router (of which there is currently only one or two on the market with WIFI AND 1000) gets to be much more than 100$ just for the router.

regardless, it is the way to go and for video, is the only cheap, efficient and easy technology to put in place. I only wish my Replays could handle the 1000 connection that now sits at their backside.

Did you read my post a few ones about yours? $46 switches and $13 cards are readilly available :)

Not everyone needs a combined gigabit/wifi router, I simpply hooked my Linksys router up to one of the Gigabit switch ports.

post wasn't up yet
 

your post wasn't up yet when I was posting. The time stamps, I don't know if they are at post time, or CREATE post time. Regardless, no I hadn't seen any $$ and cents.

I'll check that out for pricing, wow 10$ a card, I have not seen that for giga yet, must have been a nice sale. That seems to be about half off for the one giga router netgear makes.

What are you all using for cable on the gigabit runs? When we redid our house I put in cat5e (best std at the time) and it is in conduit so it *could* be changed, but does gigabit require cat6 or will it work well enough over cat5/5e?

I bought a bunch of $2.99 Cat 6 cables at the Tiger direct outlet, but 2 of the PC's are still running Cat5, and have no problems at all. As long as the CAT5's were of decent quality you should be fine.

Thanks,

I ran across this article
http://www.tomsnetworking.com/Sectio...le41-page4.php

which has a good description of the fact that cat5 is part of the gigabit standard and the requirements for its use.