Connecting freesat box to internet

M

milosmum

New Member
I have a Humax FOXSAT HDR 500Gb which we had fitted about a year ago and works perfectly. Recently I have been trying to figure out how to connect it to the internet so I can view BBC/Itv player through the freesat and TV. We have a BT broadband Wifi homehub but it sits on the other side of the room from the freesat box so using an ethernet cable is not going to be a longterm solution. I went in to John Lewis (where we got the box) for some advice and they sold us a Humax wi-fi dongle which fits into the USB port on the humax box but it did not recognise it and it would not connect to the internet.

I have tried to read various threads on here regarding this issue but I am a total technophobe and struggle to follow the threads! Via the threads and instructions on the humax box I have figured out the following:
1. I could use 'homeplug' adaptors to send the internet through our home wiring and connect each homeplug to the homehub at one end and the humax box at the other. Is this correct? which homeplugs would you recommend? What cables do I need to connect it at both ends?
2. There appears to be some talk on the threads of using a wi-fi adapter plugged into the ethernet poirt of the humax box. This bit completely baffles me! Would this be an easier method to connect the humax box to the internet? Especially as we are short on plug points around the TV anyway!

Basically I am looking for some straight forwards, simple to understand advice/recommendations about how to connect the humax box to the internet. Which of the above options is more reliable/easiest to set up/ less expensive? Please no techno talk you will confuse me!

Many thanks x
 
Certainly the cheapest and most reliable method is to use an ethernet cable between the HomeHub and the Hummy. As the Hummy is in the same room as the Home Hub, can't the cable be lost under the carpet? Once the Hummy has picked up an address (IP address) from the Home Hub, it should just work, and you get BBC iPlayer directly at the top of the Red Button display, and ITV player on (IIRC) ch 903.

In answer to your two questions:
1) Yes. I don't have any experience of them so cannot recommend one. You will need two ethernet cables of suitable length, one for each end.
2)Pass. No experience of these.

No doubt someone will be along in a bit and tell you how to do it correctly.
 
milosmum said:
I went in to John Lewis (where we got the box) for some advice and they sold us a Humax wi-fi dongle which fits into the USB port on the humax box but it did not recognise it and it would not connect to the internet.
Click to expand...
Poor advice from John Lewis; as far as I know the dongle works in the HD Freeview boxes but not in the FOXSAT. Take it back for a refund.
1. I could use 'homeplug' adaptors to send the internet through our home wiring and connect each homeplug to the homehub at one end and the humax box at the other. Is this correct? which homeplugs would you recommend? What cables do I need to connect it at both ends?
Click to expand...
Personally I use Devolo Homeplugs; I would suggest http://www.amazon.co.uk/Devolo-dLAN...1K/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1341092680&sr=8-14 which are 200Mbps devices although cheaper 85Mbps devices are probably adequate and a bit cheaper. The Homeplugs will come with standard ethernet cables which connect router to Homeplug and Homeplug to Humax.
2. There appears to be some talk on the threads of using a wi-fi adapter plugged into the ethernet poirt of the humax box.
Click to expand...
You are looking for an ethernet bridge such as http://www.amazon.co.uk/Netgear-Uni...1_1?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1341092976&sr=1-1 This will be fine with the FOXSAT but does require a bit of configuration (the Homeplugs require no configuration) but it is clearly explained in the documentation.
 
Great ideas and solutions, but up to £50 to save running a bit of Cat5 under the carpet???;) (Assuming there is a carpet)
 
Thank you for the advice.

The dongle has already gone back to John Lewis and it has to be said they could not give me any further advice on how to connect the box to the internet!

I know the ethernet cable would be cheapest probably not easiest by the time get it run around the room under carpet round 2 doorways etc!

I will have a look at those 2 amazon links and decide which we prefer, many thanks again for the advice.
 
milosmum said:
Thank you for the advice.

The dongle has already gone back to John Lewis and it has to be said they could not give me any further advice on how to connect the box to the internet!

I know the ethernet cable would be cheapest probably not easiest by the time get it run around the room under carpet round 2 doorways etc!

I will have a look at those 2 amazon links and decide which we prefer, many thanks again for the advice.
Click to expand...

I use a pair of these without issue.

http://www.7dayshop.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=777_9&products_id=113205

I bought the 3 pack and use the 3rd for a fast net connection anywhere (mostly for Skype) there is a convenient socket with my laptop. More reliable than WiFi
 
Hoping that I can get a bit more free advice!

My Netgear WNCE2001 wireless adapter arrived this morning. I have connected it to my laptop, opened my web browser and it automatically configured itself and recognised my BT wi-fi homehub. I entered the wi-fi key and it connected to the internet easily. As instructed I then disconnected it from the computer and plugged the ethernet cable into the back of the HUMAX box (and the USB cable to power the netgear box) The three green lights are on the netgear box (one for power, one for LAN and one for WYLAN so it appears to have a good wireless connection to the internet BUT my humax box still won't connect to the internet.

When we turn to any of the internet channels - BBC or ITVplayer they say there is no internet connection!

Totally stuck as to how to solve this problem and why it is not just automatically working for us!

All further assistance gratefully received, thanks x
 
milosmum said:
Hoping that I can get a bit more free advice!

My Netgear WNCE2001 wireless adapter arrived this morning. I have connected it to my laptop, opened my web browser and it automatically configured itself and recognised my BT wi-fi homehub. I entered the wi-fi key and it connected to the internet easily. As instructed I then disconnected it from the computer and plugged the ethernet cable into the back of the HUMAX box (and the USB cable to power the netgear box) The three green lights are on the netgear box (one for power, one for LAN and one for WYLAN so it appears to have a good wireless connection to the internet BUT my humax box still won't connect to the internet.

When we turn to any of the internet channels - BBC or ITVplayer they say there is no internet connection!

Totally stuck as to how to solve this problem and why it is not just automatically working for us!

All further assistance gratefully received, thanks x
Click to expand...

Menu/System/Network - Have you got entries for IP Address , subnet mask etc. If not choose configure ethernet and select DHCP. This should get an address from your router. Note the IP address generated.

On your PC open a cmd window and type Ping xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx using the IP address you noted to replace the X's. You should get a response from the Foxsat. If so the VOD services should now work.
 
Sorry for the slow reply and thank you for the advice! However, after I posted on here I had to go out and so turned off the laptop, freesat box and netgear box. Came home a couple of hours later turned it all back on and BINGO it all worked! BBC iplayer and ITVplayer working perfectly via the HUMAX box. Yet again that old trick of turning it off and back on again did the job!

Thanks
 
Hi,

Am figuring whether to get this dLAN 200 AVmini (IEEE 1901/ HPlug AV) Starter Kit to connect my Humax to the internet at £42 or the same thing (it seems) at £25 (without the IEEE 1901). From what I understand, it seems to be a matter of the date the standard came in and the question of penetrating walls... Can it be that BOTH devices work equally well? And that the IEEE certification makes no practical difference?

Thanks for some light on this
 
I realise you don't yet have the privilege to post links, but if you can post obfuscated versions of the links to refer to these items on the web we may be better able to advise. It seems unlikely to me there is any real difference between these items other than perhaps brand and retailer.

Personally I went low-cost with (IIRC) Net-X 200Mbps, but they failed on me and I replaced them with Devolo 500Mbps with power pass-through. There is no certainty the Devolos will last any longer, but when buying for the long term get the best you can afford, and having the power pass-through means they can be fitted directly at the wall socket without tying the socket up.
 
Black Hole said:
I realise you don't yet have the privilege to post links, but if you can post obfuscated versions of the links to refer to these items on the web we may be better able to advise. It seems unlikely to me there is any real difference between these items other than perhaps brand and retailer.

Personally I went low-cost with (IIRC) Net-X 200Mbps, but they failed on me and I replaced them with Devolo 500Mbps with power pass-through. There is no certainty the Devolos will last any longer, but when buying for the long term get the best you can afford, and having the power pass-through means they can be fitted directly at the wall socket without tying the socket up.
Click to expand...

Thanks for sharing your experience which should help me to avoid trying to reinvent the wheel...

Actually I followed a recommendation above to the gadget on Amazon, that I compared with what looked like a similar option at Currys/PC World.

Will be looking again for the 500Mbps.
 
OK, well I guess you were comparing this:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Devolo-dLAN...1K/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1341092680&sr=8-14

with this:

http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/netwo...0-mbps-poweline-adapter-kit-00939204-pdt.html

As far as I can tell these are identical except for the packaging, and PC World is offering a very good price. As it happens I bought my Devolos by Internet order for local collection from PC World, as the price was also as good as could be found anywhere (I had not twigged from your first post that dLAN meant Devolo, I mistakenly presumed it was some generic brand). In theory 200Mbps is all you need and more, but it represents a theoretical maximum which will never be achieved, and I reckon the the higher the theoretical maximum is, the more likely you are to achieve something reasonable in a real situation.

I bought these to solve my urgent problem:

http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/netwo...eless-powerline-adapter-kit-20333763-pdt.html

and these in slower time (lower-priced at the time, and with some discount):

http://www.maplin.co.uk/devolo-500mbps-powerline-triple-kit-with-pass-through-sockets-526452
 
Black Hole said:
OK, well I guess you were comparing this:


with this:



As far as I can tell these are identical except for the packaging, and PC World is offering a very good price. As it happens I bought my Devolos by Internet order for local collection from PC World, as the price was also as good as could be found anywhere (I had not twigged from your first post that dLAN meant Devolo, I mistakenly presumed it was some generic brand). In theory 200Mbps is all you need and more, but it represents a theoretical maximum which will never be achieved, and I reckon the the higher the theoretical maximum is, the more likely you are to achieve something reasonable in a real situation.

I bought these to solve my urgent problem:


and these in slower time (with some discount):
Click to expand...
Right!

That's reassuring.

Given the broadband service I currently have, I will go for the 200Mbs dLan from PCWorld.

Thanks much for sharing!
 
eibocs said:
Right!

That's reassuring.

Given the broadband service I currently have, I will go for the 200Mbs dLan from PCWorld.

Thanks much for sharing!
Click to expand...


Can I put in a word for these?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B009S5O6PI/ref=wms_ohs_product?ie=UTF8&psc=1

500Mbps and cheaper than the Devolos but made by Netgear. Get some Cat6 cables, too. You can get them cheap online and they will future-proof your installation. They are better shielded than cat5(e) I gather. (Experts?)

I had 200Mbps powerlines connecting downstairs to out router upstairs. When I replaced them with the above, my internet connection time shot up. Plus, you may want a fast(er) connection to any DLNA devices in your house in the future. I backup essential files to a LAN drive, and that extra speed is worth it!
 
No need for Cat6 in a domestic situation whatsoever. The thicker cores also require a different RJ45 if you crimp your own connections.

I very much recommend the use of HomePlug with pass-through mains sockets. I know it's more expensive, but presents fewer difficulties - without pass-through there will be a temptation (or indeed a need) to run an extension between the HomePlug and the wall socket, which has a negative effect on performance.
 
Black Hole said:
No need for Cat6 in a domestic situation whatsoever.

I very much recommend the use of HomePlug with pass-through mains sockets. I know it's more expensive, but presents fewer difficulties - without pass-through there will be a temptation (or indeed a need) to run an extension between the HomePlug and the wall socket, which has a negative effect on performance.
Click to expand...
Well, good! I decided to wait and read and see... So thanks for the new ideas!!
 
eibocs said:
Well, good! I decided to wait and read and see... So thanks for the new ideas!!
Click to expand...



I would go for the higher speed Homeplug, though, at least 500. You are not going to achieve that speed, but you don't really want Homeplug to be the bottleneck of the spine of your network if you can get 500 for the price of 200Mbps. Cat6 costs little more (if anything) than Cat5e if you buy the patch cables rather than making your own. (Alien crosstalk sounds scary! Is that like Daleks?)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top