What broadband speed do I need for a smart tv?

Brendan Burgess

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I am awaiting delivery of a smart TV I bought at the weekend.

From my desktop pc which is connected via a cable to the UPC modem, I get speeds of 120.

From my laptop in the same office, the speed falls to 40.

But downstairs where the TV is, it falls to 18.

Is 18 enough?

Should I get a wireless extender?

I have an internet radio in another part of the house which is unusable because the speed in that particular area drops to 5. Can I get a wireless extender with two receivers - one for the TV and the other for the radio?

Brendan
 
Have run Smart TV - YouTube, Web, Netflix, etc on 3Mb without problems and even when the bandwidth was shared with another user also on Netflix it worked fine. Sky downloads can be a bit slow so greater bandwidth is recommended if you have that. BUt in answer to your first main question; yes I would have thought 18Mb should be fine.

If you are having problems with radio, it could be wireless dropping out rather than 5Mb which should be ample. So boosting signal in that area could help. (I swear by Netgear stuff, especially if you also have a netgear router and you can easily mix with powerline connectors too). I also found that older internet radios can be a bit picky with security protocols. Workaround solution I used was TuneIn app on mobile device - you can even get a base station for iPhone easily. The app is just as easy on android but the base station is harder to come by, but there are some available. Personally, however where possible I prefer power-line wired connectors for all my fixed devices and only use wireless for phones and tablets. I just find it more reliable.
 
Thanks Woodie

That sounds encouraging. I will see how I get on when the TV is delivered. When that is sorted, I will have a look again at the radio issue.

Brendan
 
I use a this pair of wired powerline adaptors to connect my TV to the internet. http://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-Link-PA411KIT-Powerline-Adapter-Starter/dp/B0084Y9N3O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420468699&sr=8-1&keywords=tp-link+av500 (This newer pair) has, for what it's worth, a higher speed rating. I think it's a better option to use a network cable rather than WiFi if the TV has a network port.
 
Or these if you don't mind loosing a socket, but better yet these with power socket pass through. The latter are more expensive but I have found reliable - I have 6! Equally you may find better prices elsewhere the links above are the most convenient if you want no wait.
 
Our android IP TV boxes run off of 2mb bb.We recently changed from Eircom 8mb bb to UPC 60mb bb and the android boxes work so much better and we dont get any buffereing at all now.I can have 2 android boxes on,the home pc,my daughters Ipad and my wifes laptop and all work nice and fast now.

WiFi can be dodgy due to it being easy to hack and also loss of signal due to walls and structures in the way of the signal.Also other signals jamming the wifi.

Hard wired bb in your house is the way to go.Install some cat6 and get a good bb speed supplier you wont have any problems
 

+1 Use a TP - link myself for a desktop computer - always better to have a wired connection if possible.
 
Leo said:
WPA2 secured WiFi really isn't 'easy' to hack.

Anyone with concerns should hide the SSID and use MAC filtering.
Click to expand...

You would be surprised Leo,a chap who I used to work with but who now works in a large tech company in Blanchardstown showed me how it easy it is to hack in a typical domestic house.
 
flowerman said:
You would be surprised Leo,a chap who I used to work with but who now works in a large tech company in Blanchardstown showed me how it easy it is to hack in a typical domestic house.
Click to expand...

Breaking WEP is quick and easy enough, but WPA2 is a little more involved. If the router has the PSA feature enabled (PSA has a vulnerability), then someone within snooping range can capture enough data to allow them brute force it, but doing so can take 2+ hours.

With PSA disabled, breaking WPA requires you to capture the handshake exchanged when a device successfully connects to the network, you can then grab the encrypted password. Breaking that again requires brute force, using a dictionary of common words/phrases used as passwords and can take days depending on the hardware the attacker is using. Using good complex passwords renders that more time consuming again.

So, if you have something specific to protect that someone is willing to spend time sitting outside your house within WiFi range, then you probably should be employing further security measures. MAC filtering requires spending a little time in your router admin console, but is easy and very effective.
 
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