(ish) USB advice needed

[bigtone]

I've got a USB webcam, which I want to position in my garage, allowing pictures of the 3000M rebuild to be shown on my web site as it happens (and I can keep an eye on it from work!). The trouble is, the cable is about a metre long, and I'm going to need about 12m of cable to reach from the pc to the garage. I've heard somewhere that USB has a distance restriction, as if some sort of booster will be needed to make it operate at that sort of range. Any ideas anyone? The extension cables i've seen at maplin and the like are only 1.8m each....

TIA, Tony
www.tvr-3000m.co.uk

[jimbro1000]

Absolutely right - you are not going to get a 12m USB cable. I think it is only a 2m or maybe 3m maximum length. Without moving things closer (in the garage?) I don't see how you are going to acheive this with a USB camera

[pdv6]

Some hints Here.
Can't vouch for the accuracy of the information as it came up on a google search.

[Bonce]

When I set up a garage webcam for www.megabird.co.uk I used an old webcam with 1.8m cable in the corner near the ceiling with a 3metre extension cable (5m is pushing it for USB I wouldn't recommend trying any longer) which was then connected to a laptop with a wireless network card that beamed the images onto the internet via the home network.

I'm such a geek sometimes.

[pdv6]

Some more here
and here

[jimbro1000]

The relay hubs is a good idea (wish I'd thought of that before opening my gob and making myself look stupid)

Just make sure they are powered hubs, not passive ones...

[bigtone]

Thanks for all that! I'll take a look and see how much the powered hubs are then.

Bonce: How much did the wireless network cards set you back? There is a chance I could get hold of an old old laptop from work....

Cheers, Tony

[Bonce]

I borrowed an old laptop from my boss and forked out £200 for an SMC Barricade wireless hub and PCMCIA card. You'll be able to find similar kit for less money. The hub also acts as a cable modem router, firewall, 3 port hub and print server. Very handy!

The webcam laptop is offline now so I use my wireless LAN around the home - it's great having the freedom to read pistonheads on the toilet.

[egomeister]

I use one of these with no probs..

www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?action=c2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid=32312

[bigtone]

egomeister said: I use one of these with no probs..

www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?action=c2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid=32312

SOLD! Wow, how do they do things this cheap! I reckon with three of those, and four 3m extensions, i'll be away! Thanks!

Bonce: Que something or other about talking crap...?!

[mister-x]

Q:How does ebuyer manage to sell items so cheaply? A:Because they have little or no customer services/ support in place and ignore customer problem. They also accuse customers of lying, take unauthorised credit card payments and a list of other things verging on the boundries of the "Sale of goods" act.

I'd seriously consider looking elsewhere before ordering from them because you're playing with fire doing so. Eventually you'll get burned.

Don't believe me? Check out my website "ebuyerdotcon" and see the amount of complaints from unhappy customers and the "crimes" section to see the sort of misery they inflict upon customers.

[TJMurphy]

Bonce said:
The webcam laptop is offline now so I use my wireless LAN around the home - it's great having the freedom to read pistonheads on the toilet.

Don't you find that burns your legs then / or falls into the bath

[egomeister]

mister-x said: Q:How does ebuyer manage to sell items so cheaply? A:Because they have little or no customer services/ support in place and ignore customer problem. They also accuse customers of lying, take unauthorised credit card payments and a list of other things verging on the boundries of the "Sale of goods" act.

I'd seriously consider looking elsewhere before ordering from them because you're playing with fire doing so. Eventually you'll get burned.

Don't believe me? Check out my website "ebuyerdotcon" and see the amount of complaints from unhappy customers and the "crimes" section to see the sort of misery they inflict upon customers.

Although I have only ordered once from them, ebuyer delivered my £350/12 item order promptly and correctly (and cheaper than I could find elsewhere) This is just my personal experience, but I didn't have a problem.

[mel]

Bonce said:it's great having the freedom to read pistonheads on the toilet.

the mental image of it !!!!!!!!!!

[Bonce]

It's where my best posts have originated.

We have a wireless LAN at work too but the toilets are far too cold to spend any longer than necessary in there.