A portable solution - i need a router, no?

[Dingostrategy]

Riddle me this.

Ok so I move a lot. And I'm addicted to what I got.

I know I could use a 'soft' solution and just play directly from my laptop (or even my mp3 player), but when I move, I move for up to a month. I'm thinking about chucking an SB3 into the wheelybag.

Is the simplest solution this?:

- Laptop contains library and SC.
- Laptop wired OR wireless to a router (router wouldn't be connected to the internet)
- SB3 wired OR wireless to that router

(Most of the places I go, it's to somewhere with SOME kind of hifi - but right now I normally drag along a little altec lansing Ipod speaker system). I could drag the Boom along but first I'd have to pry it from the cold dead hands of the friend who borrowed it, and second, lug it. It ain't light. I already lugged it from Australia to India via France.

First thing out of the way - why? I know the audio advantage is pretty redundant given the system. A: 2 reasons. 1 - I like to spend some evenings listening away from the laptop. 2 - remote. 2a - gives me the option to stream radio to the system if I can be a*sed connecting to the internet (assuming there's a connection. We're talking northern Pakistan or Kabul, or rural Bangladesh, here).

Oh and a third reason is because I can and I wanna.

But I was just wondering if there is no clever way to circumvent the router altogether and connect the laptop directly to the SB3. Is there a piece of software to get your computer (a PC, XPSP3) to emulate a router or is that nuts?

Or does anyone know of a super-micro router?

You can see why this is in the newbie section. I have no idea. I am just of the view there are no stupid questions. There might be a better idea out there

Thanks in advance for your thoughts on what I admit is a little bit of a riddler.

[SuperQ]

If I were moving around that much, I would probably just bring my laptop with squeezecenter and use a software squeezebox like squeezeslave, squeezeplay, or softsqueeze.

[Dingostrategy]

If I were moving around that much, I would probably just bring my laptop with squeezecenter and use a software squeezebox like squeezeslave, squeezeplay, or softsqueeze.

Yes, and I have been. I want to take it a step further. If I move a few days at a time it's fine. But after a week it starts to feel like home and home needs a squeezebox.

[aubuti]

But I was just wondering if there is no clever way to circumvent the router altogether and connect the laptop directly to the SB3. Is there a piece of software to get your computer (a PC, XPSP3) to emulate a router or is that nuts?

Or does anyone know of a super-micro router?

You can connect the SB directly to the laptop with a crossover cable. You will need to set the laptop and SB network settings so that they are on the same subnet, etc etc.

There are also travel wifi routers that are about as big as a pack of cigarettes. The usual major brands (Linksys, Netgear, etc) and some minor brands make them.

[Dingostrategy]

You can connect the SB directly to the laptop with a crossover cable. You will need to set the laptop and SB network settings so that they are on the same subnet, etc etc.

bingo that's what I wanted to hear.

There are also travel wifi routers that are about as big as a pack of cigarettes. The usual major brands (Linksys, Netgear, etc) and some minor brands make them.

Ugh don't mention cigarettes as I'm trying, and failing, to quit. However that's good news - I did (of course) google this before posting with little success. Is google dead? I'll try that MS one I can't think of its name now. Bonk? Twit? Knob? Cock? Nah I can't remember at the minute.

Cheers Aubiti - the xover tip was a good one. It'll be a new challenge but that's precisely the point.

[aubuti]

Ugh don't mention cigarettes as I'm trying, and failing, to quit.

Well, they're also the size of a deck of playing cards. ;o)

[Dingostrategy]

Well, they're also the size of a deck of playing cards. ;o)

Not helpful. Are there moderators on this forum because that's plain abusive.

[pski]

a few things:

1. you can connect the boom directly to your laptop with a cable (if your laptop has a wired ethernet port.) the boom has auto-sensing ethernet port so you don't need to worry about a "crossover" cable. the wired port will have to be configured with a "static" (use THIS address) IP rather than obtaining the IP automatically (from DHCP) and the IP on the boom will also have to be set "static" on the same network segment. (eg. 192.168.1.1 for the PC and 192.168.1.2 for the boom.) changing the wired port configuration should not effect your ability to use wifi to connect to the internet.

2. the boom can "float" on wifi, using either the SC on the laptop (around the same hotel, for example) or using your SC at home (by configuring your home router to accept remote connections to SC.) thus, you can use a "local" wifi network between your laptop and boom for better sound quality (due to the higher "local" speed) or you can use the boom to listen to your home SC anywhere there is wifi with internet access (using LAME to limit the speed requirements of the outbound connection.)

3. you can use softsqueeze on you laptop with some powered speakers.

pski

[agillis]

Most travel routers are wifi only or have one Ethernet jack. I would use one of the new small flat Linksys home routers. Or if you have windows on your laptop set up internet connection sharing. Then you can connect your squeezebox to your laptop and your laptop will be the router!