[LewisPA]

I have a Blue-Ray player that allows internet access through a LAN cable directly to my router. But my router is in another room and my wife won't let me run a cable out the bedroom, through the living room, down the hall, and into the other bedroom. As unreasonable as her attitude is, I have to abide by it, so I would like to attach some kind of wi-fi adapter to the player.

Can anyone tell me if there is such a thing and, if so, where I can get it?

Thanks.

[crazy4laptops]

LewisPA, on 15 February 2012 - 10:12 AM, said:

I have a Blue-Ray player that allows internet access through a LAN cable directly to my router. But my router is in another room and my wife won't let me run a cable out the bedroom, through the living room, down the hall, and into the other bedroom. As unreasonable as her attitude is, I have to abide by it, so I would like to attach some kind of wi-fi adapter to the player.

Can anyone tell me if there is such a thing and, if so, where I can get it?

Thanks.

It all depends on which blu-ray player you have...

The LG ones with the USB port support a wifi adapter
http://www.tigerdire...C7BBTkwCjCECjCE

I think Sony does too...

[coastie65]

Hi, Maybe this : http://www.amazon.co...29335761&sr=8-5

[LewisPA]

coastie65, on 15 February 2012 - 11:57 AM, said:

Hi, Maybe this : http://www.amazon.co...29335761&sr=8-5

[LewisPA]

That looks like just what I need. I also found one by IOGear that's a little cheaper.

Thanks.

[LiveBrianD]

What bluray player brand is this? I don't think you can use a standard USB wireless adapter like you can in a PC, but the manufacturer probably offers an adapter (for instance, my dad's sony HDTV has ethernet and I can buy a wireless adapter for it and plug it into the USB port if I want). The other option would be to take an old wireless router, install ddwrt on it, and use it as a bridge. That will connect to your router wirelessly and then allow other devices to connect via its' ethernet ports. (note: that voids your warranty on the router and there is a chance of bricking it.)

This post has been edited by LiveBrianD: 15 February 2012 - 04:02 PM

[LincolnSpector]

Or consider using HomePlug devices (https://www.homeplug.org/home/). These turn your house's AC power into a wired network. Faster and more dependable than WiFi.

That's what I use.

Lincoln

This post has been edited by LincolnSpector: 16 February 2012 - 08:27 AM

[LewisPA]

Thanks all. I bought the NetGear adapter suggested by coastie65. Haven't tried it yet -- waiting for two HDMI cables.

[LewisPA]

Update: I bought the NetGear adapter, installed it and went through the setup procedures. I was thrilled that everything went smooth as silk. I was even able to sign up for one of the movie services. Great news, huh?

Not so fast. The next day, the green "WLAN" light turned red, indicating that it lost communication with my router at the front of the house. No internet.

So I moved the adapter to different locations in the house, just to see if it would work somewhere else. It worked in the same room that the router is in and in a few other places, but not where I wanted it to work. The tech at NetGear (in India, based on the accent) put me through a few hoops to no avail. I gave up when he wanted me to change the channel on the router. I didn't want to risk screwing up the other devices on my network.

I returned the adapter to Staples and went to Best Buy, where they sold me a Sony USB adapter that the guy said was the only one that would work with the Sony player. I had my doubts, and wasn't thrilled with the $80 price, but I thought I'd give it a try.

When I plugged it in to the USB socket, I got a message that the "USB device is incompatible" with the player.

I thought about moving the cable modem and router to the bedroom, but the modem is also used for my Comcast phone service, which I can't hook up in the bedroom without having a wire running around the room. Besides, there's already a rat's nest of wires under the TV. I'd like to keep that to a minimum.

So, any other thoughts or suggestions?

[LiveBrianD]

Changing the wireless channel is a good idea. Go to the router's config page (usually http://192.168.1.1) and look in the wireless options for it. Try channels 1 and 11 (default is usually 6). You don't need to change any settings on other devices on the network.

[LincolnSpector]

Why don't you go with PowerLine HomePlug instead of WiFi? It's more dependable and vastly easier to setup.

You can buy a PowerLine starter kit for $50-$100. Starter kits generally have two units. You attach one to your router via Ethernet, and the other to the BD player (also via Ethernet). You plug both of them into electrical outlits, and you've got network and Internet access. It's that simple.


Lincoln

[LewisPA]

Thanks for the suggestions. I had already returned the adapter to Staples, and I was at Best Buy, so I bought a different NetGear adapter. Set it up the same way with the same result. It connected right away, but after a few hours, the dreaded red light was on.

So I went to the router to change the channel. This is not something I'm comfortable with, but I guess it's worth a shot.

The first thing I tried was reconnecting with WPS. This worked, but a few minutes later, the red light was back.

I switched to manual connection so I could change the channel, but I guess that, when I switched back to WPS, it went back to auto channel.

Can I use WPS and still select a channel, or are those two actions mutually exclusive?

If I have to give up on wireless, I can try Powerline, but that costs $30 more at Best Buy ($100), so it's my second choice.

All this for the ability to buy movies.

[LiveBrianD]

Why use WPS at all? Having it enabled is a security hole. Just use a regular password (WPA2 encryption; if you have older devices that don't support it use WPA&WPA2 combo).

[LewisPA]

Here's the latest update. I turned off WPS as you suggested and set the router to channel 1.

It's mostly good news. The light stays green most of the time. It fades to yellow and red occasionally, but goes back to green within a few seconds.

Is this behavior going to mess up my movie watching? I haven't actually rented a movie yet, but I was able to reestablish my account.

Does it make any difference which channel I choose? I really don't understand why selecting a channel, rather than let it be on auto, helped -- but it apparently did, so thanks for the tip.

[LiveBrianD]

Changing the channel can help prevent interface from other wireless signals.

[LewisPA]

I switched to channel 11 to see if that works better. I think it does. I check the light periodically and it's usually green. When it's red, it changes back to green within a few seconds. I guess this is as good as it's going to get.

The final test will be watching a movie.

Thanks for your help. I would have given up long ago without your suggestions.