Pro's and Cons RE: the New Wireless MVP

[esimko]

Hi All,

Looking for any reviews regarding the new Wireless MVP. I have good wireless connectivity in my home. Is the new MVP worth it? Any good or bad experiences with it yet???? Thanks.

[Lindsay]

For me it comes down to wireless v cable. If I can reasonably get a cable to the site I use a cable. Cable is faster and more reliable.

If you have a wireless feed and you get jumpy video, for example, you have two things to troubleshoot. And it is hard to track down wireless problems.

But if you really have to use wireless then no choice.

Just my take on it. YMMV.

[zehd]

I recognize you were looking for a review of the Wireless MVP. But I have to agree with Lindsay.

When I moved into my very old house, the first thing I did was become very intimate with the attic and its fibre glass insulation in order to retrofit Cat6 into my living room and bedrooms... It wasn't hard, just grueling..

I mention this because, IMHO, Wireless should only be considered as a last resort...

With Cat 6, I have the option for gigabit. And even with 100BaseT, you have so much more stable bandwidth overhead.

The Wireless MVP has both RJ45 jack, and wireless, so you have the option to go wired or wireless.

I understand that you have to use the new dongle, which isn't so pretty with a hardcoded On Screen Display for Play/FF/RW and volume. (Supposedly Hauppauge is looking into getting that as an optional)

[djtaylor]

There is of course one other point here, can you actually buy the old MVP anywhere other than ebay these days?!

David.

[sub]

They still a wired only version.

[ww4397]

I have two MVPs (wired versions) each of which is plugged into a Zyxel P-330W wireless router setup as a wireless bridge. This gives me two "wireless" MVPs on a 54g wireless network (with WEP encryption). The wireless router that the MVPs bridge to is located in the basement. The MVPs are on the main and second floors. This setup works GREAT and the P-330W can be had at CompUSA for between $5 and $20 (after rebates) during periodic sales events.

[jksmurf]

This gives me two "wireless" MVPs on a 54g wireless network (with WEP encryption).

LOL, I have an identical setup just with one MVP and a WRT54GS. The WRT54GS and the original (just as good) WRT54G can also be had for a song, on sale. Means if an MVP goes "kaput" or reaches the end of its life cycle, I still have the router (which might also be at the end of its cycle by that time!) but it gives me well... felix-ibility. And you can load 3rd party f/w on the routers and up the signal strength etc etc... so probably a better wireless than the MVP Wireless alone. [Cons]. One extra device, one extra power plug.

k.
[EDIT] Plus, you can plug OTHER devices into the wireless router's ports too ... another PC, an IP cam, etc. Not sure if you can RUN them all simultaneously due to bandwidth, but you can connect them...

[ww4397]

The Zyxel P-330W, that I mentioned in my post above, is on sale at CompUSA for $15 (after rebate) starting tomorrow (8/6/06) for a week.

FWIW, the wireless router that my P-330Ws bridge to is *not* a P-330W. It is a Belkin router. The point being that the P-330W connects to other brand routers in bridge mode. This is not the case with all router/bridges.

Here is the link to the router at CompUSA.