This is embarrassing.

[JB]

When I retired sixteen years ago I was a state of the art technician and instructor in a Tech College. That was before we called it IT, it was just electronics then.

Now I have a desk top 'puter with a broadband wireless internet connection in one room and a nice, new "Smart" big screen TV in the next room. I want to connect the TV to the internet, too. I have figured out that I need a router, preferably wireless, so I can use both on the internet (not at the same time, necessarily).

What do I need to buy? Is there some device that I need to plug in to the PC and the TV to receive the signals from the router? Do I plug the router in to the line coming from the transceiver on the porch.

Walmart has an entire shelf of routers, but they are locked behind a steel mesh so that I can't even read the specs on the boxes.

I need some basics from someone not trying to sell me something they don't understand, and I need some recommendations on hardware.

Thanks, guys.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: This is embarrassing.

I would try as hard as you can to wire your TV instead of going wireless if you ever plan to stream video. If that is not possible, your TV may already be wireless. If it is not, you will need a wireless access point that you can plug your TV's internet connection into.

So what do you have now? How is your main computer connected to the internet? You may already have a wireless router. You can post pictures if you aren't sure.

 

[Tail_Gunner]

Re: This is embarrassing.

Need the make and model of the tv JB to determine what type of nic card it has or design

Amazon.com: Customer Reviews: NETGEAR Wireless Router - N600 Dual Band Gigabit (WNDR3700)

 

[hungupthespikes]

Re: This is embarrassing.

??????
"desk top 'puter with a broadband wireless internet connection"
If it's wireless then you have a router????

Smart TV could be wireless too ????
You'll have to read at the manual to see what the TV has and what it supports.

If you don't have a wireless router... then you need one that's made for the feed from you provider.
One is made for the phone jack style (ATT) and the other for the TV (f) style cable connector.
Both style of routers will have cat 5 or 6 plugs for your TV and/or Desktop, or you can go wireless if one/both have that capability.

So the provider and the devices will determine the router you need.

If you go wireless you can setup a home network/Ethernet so everything talks to each other. (desktop, printer, TV, phone, smart cell phone, tablet, laptop, game console, dvd........)
They can all be linked either by cat and/or wireless, the router doesn't care. Most will support 10 devices without slowing down the data too much.

If your just using desktop and TV then you could run cable from TV to desktop, cat 5, f, USB ... depending on TV again, and no router at all, and the TV can link to internet though the desktop.

Crystal clear now ? :facepalm:
huts

 

[82rude]

Re: This is embarrassing.

the frimfram connects to the jimjam then to the wassafratz.

 

[Lone Duck]

Re: This is embarrassing.

Cat 5or6 plugs? what the H_LL is a cat??

 

[hungupthespikes]

Re: This is embarrassing.

Category 5 wire cable. That's the one that's a little bigger than the old phone plugs, that goes between router and desktop.
Slang is "cat 5" when the OP and I were working.
Now the category 5e, 6 and 7 are all out there, all look the same and all will work, just different shielding for faster data transfer.
huts

 

[QC]

Re: This is embarrassing.

what the H_LL is a cat??

It's a small animal with whiskers and pointy ears, but that's not important right now.

 

[Capt Ken]

Re: This is embarrassing.

Usually embarrassing yourself at our age means you sharted

 

[QC]

Re: This is embarrassing.

I think this is actually a cellular "wireless" card as I don't believe cable is an option at the Hideout. May be a little different than some are thinking here regarding the Router need.

 

[JB]

Re: This is embarrassing.

Right. Cable is not an option, though Century Link (landline) claims they can give me an internet connection over the copper wire.

What I have is a wireless connection via a link to a tower about a mile away. There is a transceiver on the porch. From that is a wire into my office. There it goes into a small box labeled "injector of power over ethernet". There is a power input to that box, and one output that plugs into the back of my PC. This may be the equivalent of a single output "router".

My TV is a Vizio model M550VSE. There is a socket labeled "ETHERNET" for connection. It has a bunch of "APPS" built in, and the ability to add more. Each APP is a website that offers video, like NETFLIX and others. There is Qwerty keyboard on the back of the remote controller for talking to the internet. I will have a learning curve to deal with once I have the net into my TV.

I currently have DirecTV and a pretty good antenna for inputs.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: This is embarrassing.

Fortunately, what type of internet connection you have is irrelevant in this situation. Get any router, wireless or wired (like bruceb58 mentioned, I'd personally try to run a wire to the TV if it's possible but wireless should work) and plug the cable that currently goes in to the back of your PC into the router. Then run a wire from the PC to the router and from the TV to the router (unless you go wireless). Does the TV have a built in wireless receiver? If it doesn't, and you want to go the wireless route, you have to add one.

 

[JB]

Re: This is embarrassing.

I am sure that the TV doesn't have a wireless receiver.

What you offer makes sense, ezmobee. I can do what you suggest, though I will have to run the wire from the router to the TV through one wall. It seems logical that a wired connection would have better bandwidth than wireless and be more secure. (I have become very paranoid about all the invasions into my world by scammers and spammers.)

Now all I have to do is decide what features I want in the router and how to select it.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: This is embarrassing.

I installed these for my mom's TV which she uses to stream movies:

Amazon.com: TRENDnet 200 Mbps Compact Powerline Ethernet AV Adapter Kit TPL-306E2K*(White): Computers & Accessories

It's another option to running a hard wire.

You plug one in near your router with a short cat5 cable and one near your TV with a short cat5 cable.

Just so you know, for the speeds you are dealing with, cat5 cable is all you need.

Everyone has their preferences of routers. I have had good success with this router:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0041LYY6K/ref=oh_details_o09_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
It has a lot of great reviews and a bunch of one start reviews. A lot of routers seem to be that way. It is the one I use in my rental home and I would buy one for my own home if I wasn't stuck with what U-verse gives me.

I have had a lot of failures with the Linksys/Cisco routers.

Out of curiosity, what speeds do you get with your wireless(WISP)? I used to have a wireless service like you have and my speeds were probably too low to really have a very good experience streaming Netflix.

I believe your TV has WiFi:
http://store.vizio.com/m550vse.html

 

[ezmobee]

Re: This is embarrassing.

Now all I have to do is decide what features I want in the router and how to select it.

If you go wired, you literally won't have to spend more than $30 for a router. Order any ethernet cables you need from monoprice.com.

 

[Turn-n-Burn]

Re: This is embarrassing.

Check page 35 of the manual, the TV should have wifi capability.

 

[JB]

Re: This is embarrassing.

I am learning, guys.

Yes, page 35 instructs me how to use Wi Fi. Surprise! My manual, printed off the net, is miniaturized to save paper, so I have to read it with a magnifier. I hadn't read that part before.

I will investigate the suggestions from Bruce. Looks a lot easier than drilling holes in a wall.

SPEEDTEST says my connection downloads at about 1.5Meg. Is that fast enough or should I change ISPs? Century Link claims up to 10Meg.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: This is embarrassing.

I believe that's what my mom has for speed. It won't be great and a lot depends on how consistent it is. What all the streaming services do is do a speed test right before you start streaming and then they set the bandwidth to that. What I have found with wireless is that it can be somewhat bursty so the speed is less consistent.

A real good test will be to try wireless and then just run a long cable to the TV around your doors to see if you see a difference. Watch a couple shows with each method and see if you can tell the difference. If you can tell a difference, start punching holes through your walls.

Just a warning. With my WISP, they were throttling services depending on the source. They would make it wide open for the speed test services but throttle the bandwidth for other sites. Hopefully, your WISP is more honest than mine was.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: This is embarrassing.

I'd first see if you can watch Netflix video on your PC before seeing if it's worth hooking up the TV. (This is assuming you don't have a really old PC that can't display decent quality video)

 

[MH Hawker]

Re: This is embarrassing.

I fixed mine by going to a 24 inch monitor