Use Controller with wired SB3?

[amatala]

Hello,

I currently have 2 wired SB3s and I am thinking about buying a Controller.
The question is: can the Controller use a Classic SB3 as a bridge? I've been browsing the manuals and forums for a while but could not find a clear statement about this.

Thanks!

[propup]

The only way to do this AFAIK is in hybrid mode where your controller connects via your home's wireless network to the SB3(s).

I am doing exactly this same thing.

[radish]

No, only the SBR can act as a bridge for the SBC. To use an SBC without an SBR you must have a regular wireless network.

[amatala]

Damn! No Controller for me...

Any other alternatives? Basically, I am looking for a back-lit remote with a graphical screen. I don't need to be able to control both my SBs from one location.

[pnharrison]

Whatever you use is going to need some form of wireless network (if you want a graphical display with album art etc) Any reason why you can't setup a Wifi network by adding a Wireless Access Point, or getting a broadband modem with a wireless router built in? Both options are fairly inexpensive.

With a Wireless network in place you'll then be able to use any of:
- Controller
- iPhone with iPeng/Squidgy/etc
- Laptop or tablet PC
- PDA using Handheld skin

Or find an excuse to make use of an SBR and add both parts of the Duet to your setup...

[Millwood]

Although i agree you would probably to well to replace your router (you do have a router acting as a firewall, don't you) with a wireless - they are really cheap - if there is some home arrangement issue that makes that difficult, I believe you could also set up a wireless router as a pure access point. You plug one of its lan ports into your network, and set up its wireless but turn off all its router functions, including DHCP. You give it an address on your network that's not in the DHCP range. You could even do this right next to your SB3. Wire that now goes to the SB3 goes to the access point, new wire from the access point to the SB3 - both plugged into lan ports.

(Low end routers are much cheaper than access points, by the way).

[amatala]

I'm never ever going back to a wireless configuration again. I've had way too many stability and reliability problems - all wireless parts on the modem/router and squeezeboxes are disabled forever. From now on all will be wired all the way.

Anyway, a Controller offers much more functionality than what I really need. The biggest problem I have with the SB3 remote is that it's very hard to use in the dark. I listen to music with the lights off or dimmed very often and the "Search" function is really hard to use in these conditions... So I have to use the "Browse" function, but with all the hundreds of artists I have in my library, browsing can become very painful.

So I was also looking at the Harmony One remote - looks closer to what I need. I know I won't be able to see the cover art on the screen, but I could use it to control the volume of my preamplifier also, this way I don't have to carry around 2 remotes...

[snarlydwarf]

Anyway, a Controller offers much more functionality than what I really need. The biggest problem I have with the SB3 remote is that it's very hard to use in the dark. I listen to music with the lights off or dimmed very often and the "Search" function is really hard to use in these conditions... So I have to use the "Browse" function, but with all the hundreds of artists I have in my library, browsing can become very painful.

Not to dissuade you from a Harmony...

But: https://secure.slimdevices.com/produ...nfrared-Remote may be all you need.

[amatala]

Interesting... I didn't know about this one.
Definitely worth considering!

Thanks!

[Mnyb]

You don't have to have anything but the controller on wirelless.

SB3 and everything else can be wired as usual.

Although the controller has some reputation for not working too well in some wifi problem cases.


The backlit remote seems like a good reliable solution .

[amatala]

Yes, the backlit remote seems to be the safest bet - this remote plus the lazy-search plugin should give good results. Of course there are still some "gravity points" which are harder to manage with this combination - for example when you have 10-15 artists which start with "John" then the search function becomes less adequate. But these are exceptions...

On the other hand the wheel-thingy on the Controller looks very interesting - with this wheel it should be very easy to browse through very large collections...
I could try to get an SBC and enable the wireless access point on my modem/router just for the SBC. It should be less annoying when the wireless network drops if it used only by the SBC ... at least streaming will not stop...
How does the SBC react when losing contact with the SqueezeCenter? Does it get very angry or does it restore the connection to the previous state in a transparent manner?
The problem with the SBC is also the price - for this kind of money I would not accept anything less than perfect...