What is TiVo and How Can it Connect to Your Home Network?

TiVo is a digital device that connects to the TV and lets users digitally record television programs onto a hard disk. It is a device that very much plays a similar role to the traditional VCR only it is digital and it has many more useful features. TiVo is modern and takes full advantage of today’s digital technology.

When you use the TiVo device and service, the beginning of actually using the service is searching through scheduled TV programs that are displayed on the main screen. TiVo gives you a full and complete listing of all scheduled television programming. From there, you are able to select the program/s that you are interested in recording. TiVo is controlled by remote control only and the actual TiVo unit/device has no buttons on it. TiVo comes with huge amounts of storage and it allows you to set TiVo to record a whole series from beginning to end in just one setting.

How to Connect TiVo to your Home Network
Historically, TiVo was actually developed by accident when developers were working on creating a new type of home network. As development progressed, the project became what we now know as TiVo rather than a home network. TiVo does however still contains some of its original great home networking features, and so TiVo users are able to very easily connect their TiVo devices to their home networks.

TiVo DVRs comes with USB ports which are used to connect with Ethernet and WiFi adapters. This also allows TiVo to be connected to home networks for file transfers and other shared resources between the two. Even more features are available when you use the Internet and specifically the TiVo Central Online web site. Users can go to this web site when they are not at home and schedule the TiVo unit to record programs while they are not home. So, if they are not at home or unexpected plans come up, they won’t miss their favorite programs.

TiVo’s compatibility with home networks means that file sharing and transfer of audio/visual can be done quite easily. If you have several TiVo units in your home, programs that you have recorded can be transferred easily between units. Furthermore, if you want to move a file from TiVo to your home computer or photos from your computer to be viewed via TiVo it can all be done via your usual home network.

TiVo was first made available in the United States. Next it became available in Canada and it has now reached Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. It is not long before this service is available throughout the world.

Home NAS devices

Network-Attached Storage (NAS) provides a way to store files remotely and to back up files on your computer, protecting you from loss of data due to a damaged hard drive among other things. A NAS is a computer that is attached to a network with the sole purpose of providing storage to other devise that might be attached to the network.

A NAS is usually dedicated and set aside only for use as a storage device even though it can often potentially be used as a normal computer and perform other tasks. NAS devices are usually controlled through the network using remote access or they can usually have a keyboard attached to them. When fully utilized, they ensure that you will not lose data even if your computer breaks down beyond repair.

The concept of NAS was originally developed for the business/work environment, however increasingly people are making more use of the technology in their homes as part of their home networks. There are all types of reasons that a person might want to use a NAS device as a part of their home network set up. Home movies, films, music and family photographs that are in electronic/digital format can all take up a huge amount of space on personal hard drives. When your files are placed on a NAS, you have the option of accessing any of these files from any computer on your home network. This can provide you with a huge amount of convenience and entertainment at your fingertips.

NETGEAR currently offers the ReadyNAS N+ series of storage devices. Each of these offers continuous monitoring of your computers and they are capable of backing up your files on a regular schedule. NETGEAR describes this technology as providing home users with enterprise level technology in their own homes. Your NAS can connect to several computers on your home network simultaneously, and devices like digital cameras can be plugged directly into a NAS for the quick download and storage of photos.

A NAS works perfectly for the increasingly popular netbook computers that are more popular than ever. Netbooks contain very little storage space because they are designed to connect with the Internet and other WANs rather than store data. Connecting a netbook to a NAS enables you to make full use of any resources stored on the NAS using your netbook as the interface (keyboard and monitor) to the stored files.

The Benefits of a Wireless Network in your Home

These days, most families have some form of Internet access in the homes. A decade ago, there may have been just one member of the average family that spent time online… if anyone at all. In today’s average family, every family member wants to have access to the Internet. This is true not only for the adults but for the youngest child as well. Social networking web sites and gaming sites have peaked the interest of children.

For most people, the current trend is to watch TV and to browse the Internet at the same time interactively, visiting the web sites that are promoted during television programs. A lot of TV programs now refer viewers to their web sites during programming. These web sites are filled with promotions, resources and more information on what they have been watching on television. To add to this, children’s television now also promotes the games that they provide. They even have an element of social networking on these sites for their young viewers.

With such a strong need for every family member to have access to the Internet, it is a good idea to set up a wireless network within your home. Without a network, whether wired or wireless, your only option is to share a single outlet for access to the Internet. This will quickly lead to arguments as family members struggle to prioritize their important work on the Internet over another’s entertainment on the Internet.

If you have a wired network in your home, you will have to run cables throughout the house to give family members access. There are many limitations with this type of set up and Internet access can start to become very complicated for everyone in the house. When a household has a wireless network, all family members can be online at the same time anywhere in the house. This solves a whole host of potential problems.

The great thing about a wireless network is that the signal is usually strong enough for the Internet to be available to everyone in the house regardless as to what room they are in. In general, a wireless signal will cover the complete area of an average-sized house. Users in rooms further away from where the router is located will have a weaker signal than those closer. This will result in slower download times but they will still be able to access the Internet.

If you need assistance setting up a network in your home, call Geeks2U on 1300 433 572 and one of our friendly and reliable technicians will help you.