[HofstraJet]

I currently have several (ok, 12) HR20-100s, HR20-700s, and HR24s around the house all connected to whole home over ethernet. The four feeds from the current dish go to a 16 port multiswitch in the attic (no SWM yet). From there, four lines go to the multiswitch in the home theater which feeds 6 receivers, four lines go to the multiswitch in the master BR which feeds 3 receivers, and the remainder go around the house to other rooms. I am getting an HR34 installed next week and obviously move to SWM. So, I want to confirm what I need for the HR20s to work.

I believe I will need a 16 port switch in the attic again and an 8 port in the home theater. The four existing lines to the MBR can feed the 3 HR20s in there without a switch with SWM.

So for each HR20, what will I need to add and is there a difference between what the -100 and -700 needs?

Should I switch to DECA or stick with hardwire ethernet (been working fine - slight delay when starting or doing trick play on shows recorded on other units - does that exist with DECA as well)?

I think that answers what I need for now. I'm sure I will think of more as I continue to plan the upgrade. Thanks!

 

[veryoldschool]

Might be worth reading up on this: http://forums.solidsignal.com/content.php/327-EXCLUSIVE-White-Paper-More-than-16-tuners-in-the-home

 

[dpeters11]

VOS, does the standard config for the 20-100s the BSF still apply in this type of config?

 

[carl6]

My suggestion would be to go all SWM, and entirely DECA networking. However that is (as you already noted) a complex setup.

You could use a single SWM32 (not intended for home market, but could be used), but would need to tie the DECA portion of the four internal SWM8's together externally (through ethernet). Or you could use two SWM16's and tie them together via ethernet.

In either case, consolidate receivers that have the heaviest MRV use on a single SWM to minimize MRV traffic over ethernet.

 

[veryoldschool]

VOS, does the standard config for the 20-100s the BSF still apply in this type of config?

The HR20-100 will always require a DECA to be powered off the #2 SAT input, which will require a splitter, but the BSF has always been a variable from where the splitter is placed. If it's on the SWiM/dish side, the SAT #1 needs the BSF, but if the splitter is between the inputs and the DECA, then the BSF isn't needed as the DECA is doing the same function.

 

[HofstraJet]

Might be worth reading up on this: http://forums.solidsignal.com/content.php/327-EXCLUSIVE-White-Paper-More-than-16-tuners-in-the-home

Wow. That was incredibly helpful. Thanks!!!

Looks easy enough. Here's what I plan on doing:

Attic
Four-way power-passing splitter for each line from dish.
Each splitter:

• 1 output to attic SWiM 8
• 1 output to Home Theater SWiM 8
• 1 output to MBR WB68
• 1 output terminated

SWiM 8 - feed various DVRs around house and one CCK

MBR
No change (keep WB68 and ethernet)
OR
Three outputs of attic SWiM8 go to MBR DVRs

Thoughts?

Home Theater
SWiM8

• 1 HR20-100
• 2 HR20-700s
• 2 HR24s
• 1 HR34
• 1 CCK to home network

Am I missing something?

The task will be getting in touch with the installer before he shows up to ensure he has the necessary equipment on the truck.

Thanks!

EDIT:

Now that I add it up, if I have six lines coming to the Home Theater (I think I have two extra), I could just put a SWiM 16 with CCK in the attic and run each DVR directly off of that and be done with it.

 

[inkahauts]

I'd run all swim now. AS time progresses and you switch out receivers over time, the newer receivers will all be swim with deca built in like the hr24 and hr34, so in the long run, just doing the switch now and getting it over with is easier, since your doing a big upgrade, rather than doing it half way. With as many wires as it sounds like you have running in your home, I would imagine you could easily put two swim16's in the attic and run with it. Plus then you only need to split the dish signal to two swim16s, instead of four as you are purposing now. It actually would likely be less complicated over the long run to do that anyway as well.. And likely easier to trouble shoot if you don't have half the stuff on wb68s and half on swim and so on...

Also, I am a bit confused by some of your numbers of receivers and different places and how your wiring them up. (you make it look like you plan on running 15 tuners off of one swim8 the way its listed in your post, and that's not doable at all) Can you simply name the receivers and their locations one at a time? Also might mention how many wires you have running to each room, and where they currently go to/come from. Might be easier to understand and therefore easier to give you a better idea of what you can do.

Here's one example of what you might want to do. If I am reading your stuff close to correct. From a swim 16 in the attic, you run two lines to the home theater room. Then in the home theater room you would use a two way spliter and send signal to a hr34 and one hr20. Then the other line I'd use a four way spliter to hook up the remaining four dvrs. Simple, clean and efficient.

 

[dpeters11]

The HR20-100 will always require a DECA to be powered off the #2 SAT input, which will require a splitter, but the BSF has always been a variable from where the splitter is placed. If it's on the SWiM/dish side, the SAT #1 needs the BSF, but if the splitter is between the inputs and the DECA, then the BSF isn't needed as the DECA is doing the same function.

I thought while both worked, the model with the BSF was the one officially supported by DirecTV.

 

[LameLefty]

Home Theater
SWiM8

• 1 HR20-100
• 2 HR20-700s
• 2 HR24s
• 1 HR34
• 1 CCK to home network

Um, you have 15 tuners on this SWiM8. That's not gonna work.

 

[HofstraJet]

Um, you have 15 tuners on this SWiM8. That's not gonna work.

Oops. I'm still stuck on non-SWM math counting outputs not tuners. :bang

OK - let's try this again with the new math.

Dish Outputs
Four-way power-passing splitter for each line from dish.
Each splitter:

• 1 output to attic SWiM 16
• 1 output to Home Theater SWiM16
• 1 output to MBR SWiM8
• 1 output terminated

Attic
SWiM 16 - total 9/16 tuners used

• 4 HR20-700s in various rooms - 8 tuners
• 1 CCK - 1 tuner

MBR
SWiM8 - total 7/8 tuners used

• HR20-100 - 2 tuners
• HR20-700 - 2 tuners
• HR21-700 - 2 tuners
• CCK - 1 tuner

Home Theater
SWiM16 - total 16/16 tuners used

• 1 HR20-100 - 2 tuners
• 2 HR20-700s - 4 tuners
• 2 HR24s - 4 tuners
• 1 HR34 - 5 tuners
• 1 CCK to home network - 1 tuner

 

[LameLefty]

Oops. I'm still stuck on non-SWM math counting outputs not tuners. :bang

OK - let's try this again with the new math.

Dish Outputs
Four-way power-passing splitter for each line from dish.
Each splitter:

• 1 output to attic SWiM 16
• 1 output to Home Theater SWiM16
• 1 output to MBR SWiM8
• 1 output terminated

Attic
SWiM 16 - total 9/16 tuners used

• 4 HR20-700s in various rooms - 8 tuners
• 1 CCK - 1 tuner

MBR
SWiM8 - total 7/8 tuners used

• HR20-100 - 2 tuners
• HR20-700 - 2 tuners
• HR21-700 - 2 tuners
• CCK - 1 tuner

Home Theater
SWiM16 - total 16/16 tuners used

• 1 HR20-100 - 2 tuners
• 2 HR20-700s - 4 tuners
• 2 HR24s - 4 tuners
• 1 HR34 - 5 tuners
• 1 CCK to home network - 1 tuner

That's better - and it will work - but the CCK's don't use a tuner. They are simply a bridge from the coax network to ethernet. So in that case, your first SWiM can be an 8 rather than a 16.

 

[HofstraJet]

That's better - and it will work - but the CCK's don't use a tuner. They are simply a bridge from the coax network to ethernet. So in that case, your first SWiM can be an 8 rather than a 16.

Great. Thanks!

Just to confirm, even though the CCK uses a port on the SWM splitter, it doesn't count as a tuner? Makes sense now that I think about it, but just want to be sure. And I now see that I can use the HR34 as the CCK for the Home Theater SWM16.

 

[LameLefty]

Just to confirm, even though the CCK uses a port on the SWM splitter, it doesn't count as a tuner? Makes sense now that I think about it, but just want to be sure. And I now see that I can use the HR34 as the CCK for the Home Theater SWM16.

Correct. The CCK just needs to be on the coax network somewhere to bridge it to ethernet at a switch or router. And yes, the HR34 will also act as a bridge to your wider LAN through its ethernet port - unlike an HR24, the 34 can use both coax networking (DECA) and ethernet simultaneously. I am running that way and have been for months without a problem.

 

[veryoldschool]

Great. Thanks!

Just to confirm, even though the CCK uses a port on the SWM splitter, it doesn't count as a tuner? Makes sense now that I think about it, but just want to be sure. And I now see that I can use the HR34 as the CCK for the Home Theater SWM16.

You might want to look here: http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=207005

You may be able to do this with 4 SWM8 and get all of them on the same DECA/coax network.

 

[veryoldschool]

I thought while both worked, the model with the BSF was the one officially supported by DirecTV.

It may be but has always been one of the stupidest changes I've seen.
Both configurations work the same.
There is no difference other than one needs a BSF and the other doesn't.

 

[veryoldschool]

Oops. I'm still stuck on non-SWM math counting outputs not tuners. :bang

OK - let's try this again with the new math.

Dish Outputs
Four-way power-passing splitter for each line from dish.
Each splitter:

• 1 output to attic SWiM8
• 1 output to Home Theater SWiM8
• 1 output to MBR SWiM8
• 1 output to Home Theater SWiM8

Attic
SWiM8 - total 8 tuners used

• 4 HR20-700s in various rooms - 8 tuners

MBR
SWiM8 - total 6 tuners used

• HR20-100 - 2 tuners
• HR20-700 - 2 tuners
• HR21-700 - 2 tuners

Home Theater
2-SWiM8 - total 15 tuners used

• 1 HR20-100 - 2 tuners
• 2 HR20-700s - 4 tuners
• 2 HR24s - 4 tuners
• 1 HR34 - 5 tuners
• 1 CCK to home network

There's a lot to look at, but this looks like it's worth looking into further.

 

[HofstraJet]

Thanks, VOS.

2 questions:

1: What's the advantage of 2 SWM8s in the HT instead of a 16?
2: From what I can tell, the advantage to using the diplexer setup to bridge the SWMs instead of allowing them to be bridged through my home network is that the traffic is kept off of the home network. Is that accurate?

Thanks again.

 

[veryoldschool]

Thanks, VOS.

2 questions:

1: What's the advantage of 2 SWM8s in the HT instead of a 16?
2: From what I can tell, the advantage to using the diplexer setup to bridge the SWMs instead of allowing them to be bridged through my home network is that the traffic is kept off of the home network. Is that accurate?

Thanks again.

1. might be cost and that if one fails, the other hasn't. Another thing is my SWM8 never got as warm as my SWiM-16, which borders on HOT.
2. The traffic is one and the other is you can run network status testing where the whole network is tested.

I've been a fan of DECA from the early days, so when I can combine everything into one network, it makes troubleshooting easier, as I can use the receiver tests in the H/HR24 [and up] and "see" how everything is running.

 

[HofstraJet]

OK. Thanks. Cost isn't an issue as D* is doing this upgrade as part of the HR34 install which requires the SWM "upgrade."

 

[veryoldschool]

OK. Thanks. Cost isn't an issue as D* is doing this upgrade as part of the HR34 install which requires the SWM "upgrade."

You're going to be "way off the range" with this install and doubt any of my suggestions are going to be even known, let alone understood by them.

You might get 2 SWiM-16s and a couple of CCKs, but that would be the extent of it.