Web browsing around the house - suggestions?

Spocker

Heres a little problem I'm having...

I recently moved into my new house thats CAT5 cabled throughout. I have a lot of music that I want the missus to be able to listen to when shes hoovering in the buff ( )so I gt my hands on an Exstreamer - does the job perfect; MP3's sit on a PC somewhere else in the house and the Exstreamer (connected to a HI-FI in the kitchen) serves up a nice web page with all the playlists/tracks on it - click the one you want and bobs your uncle.

Heres the nub of the problem - it means I gotta leave at least 2 PCs on all of the time, 1 for the storage and 1 for the browsing. The MP3's are gonna be moved to a Buffalo Linkstation as soon as I can afford it but it still leaves the problem of the second PC - all I (really meaning she) wants to do is browse to the web page and pick the next song/playlist.

I'm looking for suggestions of easy ways to do this - the current setup is the PC hooked up to the TV but it's noisy and you gotta fiddle with a keyboard and mouse; I've got a Palm with a Bluetooth card and a Bluetooth dongle on one of the PC's upstairs which connects OK but I can't see the web page (for some reason).

I'd like not to have to spend too much money, I haven't got any wireless gear and it's got to be simple

Thanks in advance

S

Stephen

How about this: Netgear MP101 - http://www.netgear.com/products/details/MP101.php

Its a wireless device but its got an ethernet port too. Comes with remote control.

Spocker

Not a bad idea, but I already have a streamer - all I want to see is its web page.....

DjDangerousDave

Well ur always going to have to leave on the computer with the storage unless you go for that network storage device (which i think is a bit over the top) unless u have plans for the print server stuff.

I myself would simply leave on the computer and invest in a 250 gig internal HD.

Whats all this about having a pc conected to a tv??

Spocker

DjDangerousDave wrote:

Whats all this about having a pc conected to a tv??

Composite out from cheapo graphics card -> AV input on TV

Quality is crap too, really hard to read the text at any resolution over 800 & 600

DjDangerousDave

So what has that got to do with the mp3 streaming?

Stephen

Yeah, why bother with the webpage thingy at all. With that netgear box you only need the PC with the mp3s on it to be on. You can use the remote to select a song.

Spocker

DjDangerousDave wrote:

So what has that got to do with the mp3 streaming?

Sorry Dave, I misunderstood your question - the PC is plugged into the telly so the missus can see the webpage with the list of songs/playlists so she can choose what she wants - saved me having to rig up a monitor

Stephen wrote:

Yeah, why bother with the webpage thingy at all.

Cause thats the way the Extreamer works and I ain't going to change it now. There is a little app that creates the playlists for you based on the folders your MP3s are in and a Java app that serves these lists to the websever thats built into the firmware of the box

I also think its better to be able to view all of the playlists/songs on the monitor/TV/whatever rather than the three line display of the Netgear box (I'd could manage to live with it but this isn't for my benefit :rolleyes: )

Khannie

I don't think there's a much more elegant solution, though you could invest in a remote control for it, and maybe look at some PVR software that has music functionality (like myth tv or whatever). This would remove the mouse / keyboard crip.

If you're going to leave your machine on all the time, I'd suggest underclocking it and passively cooling it.....That way it's silent and if your mrs is any way like mine, that will get you a lot of love.

hostyle

You should go buy some lotto tickets and when you win get one of these: http://www.sonos.com/us/index.htm

Spocker

Khannie wrote:

If you're going to leave your machine on all the time, I'd suggest underclocking it and passively cooling it.....That way it's silent and if your mrs is any way like mine, that will get you a lot of love.

Cheers Khannie, hadn't though of that, sounds like a plan. I'll give it a shot and see how it goes.

Cheers guys

DjDangerousDave

you got a wired network though, why not lash the storage pc into the attic and you can just forget about it.

Spocker

DjDangerousDave wrote:

you got a wired network though, why not lash the storage pc into the attic and you can just forget about it.

Already thought of that, now I just have to get off my arse and move the bleedin' box...

DjDangerousDave

Thats what i have done and its really great. I also put my wirless router and my cable modem up there.

Fallschirmjager

well as it happens...i am sort of near this (excluding a wife in the buff tho)!

i have bought a Linksys NSLU2UK. this is a linux server (about the size of your hand).

now you can attach this to yor hub with cat 5, and then attach via usb 2 to a disk drive (a maxtor in my case)

now this is where it get tricky. you have actually a linux server and you can login to it. there is a german company that has developed a music (and video) server that is UPnP and u can download the music bit for free and is itunes compliant as well as i recall. they have the embarasing name of twonkyvision.com! anyways you load this onto the server and u can stream across to any client that is UPnP complaint. as i recall the bufallo linkstations is exactly that, but i could be wrong.

now i have not done the latter because you have to dick about with the OS and i have not completed that so far..and is a bit bit rough and ready...


hope that helps

Spocker

Thanks for that Fallschirmjager, it sounds interesting. Is your system up and running or still a work-in-progress?

Fallschirmjager

well it was working on it until my fecken pc went bang...just get me disk so i should be ready to rock fairly soon.

i have the linksys attached to my hub, but a word of warning (and i do think it is winXP to be honest), i have fairly regular disconnects bwetween XP and the linux box...not sure exactly why...

i will modify the linksys when i get it a bit more stable between winXP tho. it is a really cheap NAS solution by the way...it is very quiet and i have only booted it sincy buying it when i accidently disconnected it from the power....so it is reliable...

i seem to recall you do need to boot a different version of LINUX which has support implications obviously...but there are a lot of people with it working...it is proven technology -- just a little rough around the edges...i will check for a link or 2 for you...might be later today tho before i find them..

Fallschirmjager

actually i just googled and this puppy arrived...


http://www.nslu2-linux.org/



looks like you might find some info there altho it has the faint odour of a point head site to me