internet entertainment – and a bleg
My wife’s new laptop has an HDMI out. So, last night as an experiment, we watched a movie from Netflix streamed to our TeeVee. Quality was good and I was quite impressed. I’ve noticed that our Bluray player has an ethernet port on the back and I can hook it directly to Al Gore’s Internets and get Netflix directly, without having to hook the PC up to the TeeVee. Now, my internet modem and wifi gizmos are located elsewhere in the house. So, I’d like to figure out a way to hook the disc player (this Samsung) up to the internet. But my modem is on the other side of the house. Suggestions?
I guess I could move the modem to the TeeVee and get wireless for my desktop computer. But that would probably cause me networked printers to not work.
August 31st, 2009 at 11:35 am
You need a wireless bridge. This is essentially a wireless access point. Some APs allow you to set them as a wireless bridge. Then you will plug your disc player into the wired port of the bridge, and it will connect wirelessly with your main wireless access point. Here is an example of one from DLink:
http://www.dlink.com/products/?pid=663
August 31st, 2009 at 11:42 am
Most routers can be set up in a bridge type setup.
I have two netgear routers set up this way so my PS3 XBox360, and dish reciever can access the internet. The router with my home theater acts as a wireless client to the router with the DSL modem and as a 5 port switch for all my components…
August 31st, 2009 at 11:43 am
aeronathan, can i get that again in English? 😉
August 31st, 2009 at 11:54 am
Run some Cat5e. RJ45s on each end. Drill some holes, run it through the walls like running cable wires.
That is…if you have a router hooked up to your modem. I hook the cable modem up to the wireless router which has about 5 ethernet ports in the back of it for extra connections. You have to setup the router for DHCP and let it act as the gateway and the “front side” of the connection uses the modem to get out to the internet.
August 31st, 2009 at 11:54 am
By the way…they sell them as routers, but in this configuration it’s acting as a basic switch with DHCP.
August 31st, 2009 at 12:04 pm
Sorry, forget that not everybody speaks geek :p
Here’s a better explanation than I could ever give…
http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Client_Mode
Although there are simpler ways to do it. I can give you more info on my setup when I get home so I can remind myself exactly how my system is set up. Its been over a year since I’ve had to deal with it and I’m a little fuzzy on the specifics…
August 31st, 2009 at 12:16 pm
My router is also at the other end of the house from the living room and its goodies.
The PS/3 and the Media Center Extender are happy to connect wirelessly but other things aren’t so I ran a cable down the hall to a cheap switch (about $30 or less at Best Buy). That way I use one of the router’s hardlines and get 5 connections in the living room so the PS/3 & such can have hard lines (and their higher throughput) instead.
You either need a switch that can connect to your wireless or to run a hardwire down and slap a switch on at that end so you can share the love.
August 31st, 2009 at 12:18 pm
The wireless bridge setup that Craig T mentioned is your best bet. I am using this one for a MythTV box that is hidden in a closet far away from the nearest ethernet jack:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9213861&st=bridge&type=product&id=1218064407230
It will basically turn anything with a regular ethernet jack into a wireless network device. It is expensive at $99 but is well worth it if you don’t want to run wiring.
August 31st, 2009 at 1:30 pm
Or for the cost of that wireless bridge you could buy a Roku box that will work with your wifi.
August 31st, 2009 at 1:39 pm
http://www.slingmedia.com/go/slt
This is from sling that allows your electrical outlet to be used as a network cable and set up a hub by your tv and leave your modem/router in another room. If you only need one port it’s only $80 – 4 ports is $150. The major advantage of this is that it is way faster than wireless. This will come in handy when streaming video.
August 31st, 2009 at 1:54 pm
Wireless works, but a wired connection will have better speed. Use wireless for things you move around a lot, use wired for things that are gonna stay put–or for high bandwidth, such as streaming audio and video.
Go to any home center (Lowes, Home Depot, etc.) and buy some cat5 cable, end connectors, and an end crimper. Making your own custom cables is much cheaper than buying them.
This site explains basic local area networks: Dux
All you really need to know to make your own cables is the color code. This picture from the same site here shows what colors go to which pin. Both ends use the same color/pin layout.
A couple of years ago I picked up 1000′ of cat5 cable from Lowes for about $100. So it costs me 10 cents a foot (plus ends) to make cables. It’s inexpensive, easy, and really the best for bandwidth if you do it yourself.
August 31st, 2009 at 3:26 pm
Another bonus to Wired vs Wireless – security. Wired you have to physically access. Wireless, even encrypted, can be cracked with relative ease from range.
August 31st, 2009 at 4:10 pm
Another vote for wired. Wireless security just ain’t there yet.
Cut hole for a wall box next to a stud. Run a fish-tape up the wall from the hole to the attic. Attach cat five cable spool end from spool in attic, and pull down.
Run cable across attic to room with router, pull enough cable from spool to reach, and repeat process in room with router.
Do this in each room you want a connection in. You don’t have to do them all at once … just repeat every time you need a new room wired.
Install wall plates with rj45 sockets, and build a cabinet for the router and the cable-ends in the router room … pretty end rack is optional … you could simply crimp on jacks and plug them directly into the router.
If you need more than one device in a room, get a small cheap 5 port switch for that room.
August 31st, 2009 at 4:28 pm
I don’t think the printers should be a problem. I’ve got one hooked up to a remote Airport Express station and it works fine (albeit it has custom software to keep things working fine).
But, anyway, the manufacture of that Blu-Ray player just lists the RJ-45 jack as used for updating firmware, so I don’t think streaming is an option. Likewise, I initially hoped my set-top box had some sort of web-connectivity, but no, just firmware updates. (Same reason they have USB ports.)
There are apparently “Internet-connected televisions”, but I think it would just be easier to hookup a laptop.
August 31st, 2009 at 4:58 pm
or you could do what i do. i bought a Roku and used the first unlocked open wireless signal that it found. hopefully one of my neighbors isn’t going to notice that i am using his internet to download NetFlix movies.
August 31st, 2009 at 5:16 pm
Another vote for hard wired:
Security from one perspective – Even highly literate computer people have a hard time properly securing a wireless network.
But primarily, if you want that end to do streaming video, you would be much happier with a full speed cat5 connection.
August 31st, 2009 at 5:54 pm
The slingLink is hardwired and almost as fast as ethernet. But instead of drilling holes and running wire through the attic – you just plug it in to power outlet and you’re done. And if you move the tv, you don’t have to rerun more wire, you just plug it in to the new place.