Remote IRTrans Control

[kjt]

I realise the following question is rather general, but may be of interest to other IRTrans users. I would like to use the IRTrans to control a TV that is in a different room from the PC running the control software. I would like to avoid a cable running from the PC to the IRTrans in another room.

As I have USB versions of IRTrans, I might be able to use something like a HomePlug/Powerline USB adapter. I've looked at a number of these. In theory icron make a suitable device, but it doesn't seem to be on the market yet. The icron WiFi solution is too expensive and sophisticated for what I wish to do.

Devolo have a dLAN duo device, but they explicitly state that it is suitable only for connecting PCs (i.e. not PC to USB peripheral). Several other manufacturers like LinkSys, D-Link, IOGear have similar devices - but I suspect they all have the same limitation. I presume the problem is that these adapters act as USB slaves rather than as masters, so they cannot connect to another slave.

It might be possible to use USB Ethernet adapters connected via HomePlug/Powerline Ethernet adapters. But that probably has the same problem, and is also a rather complex solution.

I have tried the Belkin wireless USB 2.0 (WUSB) solution. This is not usable for my purposes because it has a practical range of 5m to 6m and requires line of sight. Transmission through doors or walls doesn't work for me.

The only viable alternative would seem to be to buy the Ethernet version of the IRTrans and connect it via HomePlug/Powerline Ethernet adapters.

Does anyone have experience of the above, or any suggestions as to another solution? Thanks!

[IRTrans]

Hi,
in general extending USB cables is quite problematic. USB was never made for long distances, therefore extending USB cables might be problem.

We do have two solutions for longer distances:

1. IRTrans Ethernet device: An Ethernet cable can be up to 100m long. If you are using cascaded switches or fibre optic cables the distance can be even longer.

2. An IRTrans Bus module is connected to the IRTrans Ethernet using the simple IRTrans 2 wire bus. This bus can be up 100m long.

IRTrans