What happens if I remove my USB TV tuner from my main system and connect to the USB on my router?

Is it possible that it would then be a network device just like if I did the same with a printer?

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At a first glance it just may be possible. Of course I would have to install the tuner drivers and software on the other system along with the Belkin USB Print and Storage Manager. Not going to try right now but it would be cool if I can make it work. I DO have an older Haugauge USB tuner that I could use but, if I can network my current tuner, it would save me having to add a splitter from the cable box and running a cable to my bedroom.

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It will be interesting to learn if this works.

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stephen boots
Microsoft MVP 2004 - 2020
"Life's always an adventure with computers!"

Cross your fingers! Tuner is now plugged in to the router and I still have usage on my main system. It is recognized on the bedroom system but the Hauppauge software is still installing. Since I can see it in the bedroom I'll assume this is going to work.

Device Manager on the bedroom system sees the tuner without issue.

Bedroom software installed and rebooting... The tuner is also an FM radio tuner. Stations are in the process of being detected. Looks good...

Go figure! It works!

Steps taken:

1) Of course I connected the tuner to the router.

2) Installed the router's USB software. The tuner was recognized right away.

3) Installed the router's USB software on the bedroom system. Again the tuner was seen but not operational.

4) Installed the Hauppauge drivers and software on the bedroom system. All was good except for setting up the tuner in the bedroom.

5) Since I have my cable box, DVD player and VCR in the living room all connected via composite connections on the tuner I just had to tell the software to use composite.

6) Scanned in the bedroom for FM radio stations and all went well.

7) The tuner is now working fine through the router without apparent lag on both systems.

There ARE restrictions. I cannot use the tuner on both systems at the same time. I do not consider this an issue. It is sort of funny in a way. If the tuner is in use in the living room, and I try to access in the bedroom, permission will be asked. If I do nothing permission is automatically given in 12 seconds. The funny thing is that, if I go to the living room system and actually grant access, the bedroom system sends the living room system a thank you box. Granted that I'm easily amused but I think that is hilarious!

LOL! Other than myself I wonder just how many people have an actual networked TV turner.

Now, if I were to connect a powered USB hub to the router......

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7 port 3.0 self powered hub with a 12 volt power supply just ordered. Even if it doesn't work connected to the router I can still use the thing.

If it does work I will connect my external 4TB NAS drive to the thing. This will allow me to do my 'external' images through my network on a schedule.

Whether this will work all depends on how the router sees a connected USB device. As an example my main system can do a UEFI BIOS update via USB but it must be a direct connection to the USB device. If I put the BIOS update on a memory card and insert to a USB card reader and then connect the card reader the BIOS update will not be seen. It MUST be a flash drive directly plugged in to a USB port. I don't think that this will be the case and expect to be able to share any USB device I own, including my game pad, just by selecting on which system to use the device.

LOL! I never did claim to think within the box unless the box contains a computer. Way back in the 1980's a professor of computer sciences at Cleveland State University once told me that my biggest asset was that I never had and 'formal' training being self taught. He said that I was never taught what I could not do so I just went ahead and did.

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Very cool.
-steve

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stephen boots
Microsoft MVP 2004 - 2020
"Life's always an adventure with computers!"

Agreed! Not going to do but I could actually use one wireless mouse/keyboard between all three systems.

When my powered USB hub shows up I'll connect my 4TB external NAS drive to the router and enable a schedule for images. That is assuming that the router will accept a hub.

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Well the 7-port powered USB hub showed up yesterday and I'm glad to say that it is a total success.

I plugged in both my TV tuner and 4 TB drive (in a dock). The router recognizes the difference and the drive is available from all systems at the same time while the tuner remains selectable between systems.

No setup was even necessary. I just plugged in and it was ready to go. Acronis is currently backing up to the NAS drive while I type.

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Since I have all kinds of backups on schedule such as images and data syncs between systems I changed the image schedule on my main system from every day to Monday through Saturday. I'll do a once a week to the NAS external on Sundays at the same time.

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