Gigabit switch/ethernet, will it help me?

Ok, the theory is to run real-time full motion video down gigabit
ethernet, like having a TiVo in one room, and watching it on a TV in the
next, but over ethernet instead of losing quality over s-vid/RCA's or
coax, and of course not dropping to analog until the TV - or even at all
if I get a better TV with DVI (or whatever the interface of the day is) at
some point.
I'm not sure if that requires gigabit since I forget my full mo. data
throughput requirement figures

2nd use would be to put the swap file drive for some old computers on one
server with a nice Raptor in it.
But, dunno if overhead would make that useless.
Right now I've got at least one P100-ish laptop that I still use with like
40MB of ram, and a pathetically slow, failing, 1GB HDD. While it was
hooked to the network, it would be nice to have some non-excruciating
speed while running more than 1 app at a time.
Yes, I know, it's insane, but I REFUSE to give it up till I can find
ANYTHING witha keyboard/trackball combo I like as much.
(Basically, I'm trying to get it down to as much of an input only device
as possible, more on that possibly in another msg.)
AFAIK, it simply doesn't exist and didn't exist EVER except on this one
manuf's model line - which of course, the discontinued the feature on
within a year. I think laptop makers must have stock in hospitals doing
carple-tunnel surgery.
And whoever invented the touchpad should be shot!

So anyway, will gigabit ethernet help either of these uses?
I know I gotta get gigabit cards for each computer, but willing to do
that.
Hmm, one bad thought though, what if I can't get one for 16bit PCMCIA
Well, I'd still want it for the video huh.

Finally, if the answers to everything is a go, what brand/model do folks
suggest?
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On Fri, 11 Mar 2005 06:44:41 -0800, (E-Mail Removed)lid
wrote:

>Ok, the theory is to run real-time full motion video down gigabit
>ethernet, like having a TiVo in one room, and watching it on a TV in the
>next, but over ethernet instead of losing quality over s-vid/RCA's or
>coax, and of course not dropping to analog until the TV - or even at all
>if I get a better TV with DVI (or whatever the interface of the day is) at
>some point.
>I'm not sure if that requires gigabit since I forget my full mo. data
>throughput requirement figures
>
>2nd use would be to put the swap file drive for some old computers on one
>server with a nice Raptor in it.
>But, dunno if overhead would make that useless.
>Right now I've got at least one P100-ish laptop that I still use with like
>40MB of ram, and a pathetically slow, failing, 1GB HDD. While it was
>hooked to the network, it would be nice to have some non-excruciating
>speed while running more than 1 app at a time.
>Yes, I know, it's insane, but I REFUSE to give it up till I can find
>ANYTHING witha keyboard/trackball combo I like as much.
>(Basically, I'm trying to get it down to as much of an input only device
>as possible, more on that possibly in another msg.)
>AFAIK, it simply doesn't exist and didn't exist EVER except on this one
>manuf's model line - which of course, the discontinued the feature on
>within a year. I think laptop makers must have stock in hospitals doing
>carple-tunnel surgery.
>And whoever invented the touchpad should be shot!
>
>So anyway, will gigabit ethernet help either of these uses?
>I know I gotta get gigabit cards for each computer, but willing to do
>that.
>Hmm, one bad thought though, what if I can't get one for 16bit PCMCIA
>Well, I'd still want it for the video huh.
>
>Finally, if the answers to everything is a go, what brand/model do folks
>suggest?

Gigabit is overkill for the first problem (you think the cable companies are
running gigabit into the house?) and won't help you in the least with the
second...

On Fri, 11 Mar 2005 17:00:34 -0500, daytripper
<(E-Mail Removed)> spewed:
>>Ok, the theory is to run real-time full motion video down gigabit
>>ethernet, like having a TiVo in one room, and watching it on a TV in the
>>next, but over ethernet instead of losing quality over s-vid/RCA's or
>>coax, and of course not dropping to analog until the TV - or even at all
>>if I get a better TV with DVI (or whatever the interface of the day is) at
>>some point.
>>I'm not sure if that requires gigabit since I forget my full mo. data
>>throughput requirement figures
>>
>>2nd use would be to put the swap file drive for some old computers on one
>>server with a nice Raptor in it.
>>But, dunno if overhead would make that useless.
>>Right now I've got at least one P100-ish laptop that I still use with like
>>40MB of ram, and a pathetically slow, failing, 1GB HDD. While it was
>>hooked to the network, it would be nice to have some non-excruciating
>>speed while running more than 1 app at a time.
>>Yes, I know, it's insane, but I REFUSE to give it up till I can find
>>ANYTHING witha keyboard/trackball combo I like as much.
>>(Basically, I'm trying to get it down to as much of an input only device
>>as possible, more on that possibly in another msg.)
>>AFAIK, it simply doesn't exist and didn't exist EVER except on this one
>>manuf's model line - which of course, the discontinued the feature on
>>within a year. I think laptop makers must have stock in hospitals doing
>>carple-tunnel surgery.
>>And whoever invented the touchpad should be shot!
>>
>>So anyway, will gigabit ethernet help either of these uses?
>>I know I gotta get gigabit cards for each computer, but willing to do
>>that.
>>Hmm, one bad thought though, what if I can't get one for 16bit PCMCIA
>>Well, I'd still want it for the video huh.
>>
>>Finally, if the answers to everything is a go, what brand/model do folks
>>suggest?
>
>Gigabit is overkill for the first problem (you think the cable companies are
>running gigabit into the house?) and won't help you in the least with the
>second...

Point. Sometimes I overthink these things but underthink on something
obvious like that
Of course, digital cable is compressed MPG2 and not uncompressed
streamed... I think I'm doing it again!

FYI, since posting, I've found out ReplayTV's can do exactly what I was
talking about right out of the box! You can't mix 4000 and 5000 series,
but 2 of either will let you have it on the drive(s) on one and watch it
on the other over the ethernet. It even lets you watch part on one, pause
it, then finish watching it on the other - streamed, not transferring the
whole thing like TiVo forces (at USB1 speeds I hear).
Now if I can just find a RTV5004 from before scum sucking MPAA types
forced them to remove the auto-commercial skip and internet show sharing.
The later would be AWESOME, you could effectively borrow a DVD from a
friend across the country without friggin mailing it, etc. - analog
quality loss to the RTV from the DVD but none of the DMCA cracking
conversion aggravation.
--
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For email response, or CC, please mailto:see.my.sig.4.addr(at)bigfoot.com.
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