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Some help and advice on how to connect your TV or set-top box to the Internet for on-demand content and catch-up TV services.

Why connect to the Internet?

Many of the new digital TV sets and set-top boxes on the market come with an Internet connector as standard. There’s a whole range of new services now available to connected-TV sets and set-top boxes, such as:

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Watch catch-up TV services such as BBC iPlayer, ITV Player, 4oD from Channel 4 and Demand 5
Movie services such as Now TV, LoveFilm, Netflix and Blinkbox
On-demand TV shows, from providers such as BT Vision
Watch TV content from computers on your home network or wireless laptop
Watch Internet-only channels on your TV (e.g. Connect TV on Freeview)

To get these services, you’ll need to have a digital TV service, and a way of connecting your hardware to the Internet. First off, here’s a summary of the various services:

Virgin Media TV Service

To get Virgin’s TV service, you’ll need a box connected to the Virgin Media fibre optic network. As Virgin’s installers do this for you, there’s no help we can offer you here on how to hook it up.If you’re in a cable TV area and not yet signed up to the Virgin Media TV service, find out more at virginmedia.com

YouView

YouView combines live TV from Freeview, with on-demand content over the Internet. You can get a YouView box on the high street, or from Internet providers BT and TalkTalk

Ethernet socket on the Humax T1000 YouView box

BT Vision

BT Vision combines live TV from Freeview, with thousands of hours of TV shows and movies that can be streamed over a BT Broadband connection. BT’s offering is all about being connected, and their set-top boxes require connection to a BT Home Hub. Help with this below.

BT Vision V+ Box Ethernet socket

Freeview Internet TV Service

New Freeview HD boxes, such as the Humax HD Fox T2, have a built-in Ethernet socket for connection to the Internet. This provides access to services such as BBC iPlayer and other services.

Sky Internet TV Service

Sky+ and Sky+HD boxes have an Ethernet socket on the back. This allows Sky+ customers to access on-demand services and movies via the Sky Anytime+ service, and also offers access to catch-up TV services.

The Ethernet socket on the back of a Sky+HD box

Freesat Internet TV Service

Many of the higher-spec Freesat boxes have an Internet socket. This includes the Humax Foxsat and Humax Foxsat HDR Freesat set-top boxes.In December 2009, Freesat launched its first Internet-based service – Owners of Freesat HD boxes could connect their boxes to the Internet and watch content from the BBC iPlayer on their TV. Want details of how to get BBC iPlayer on Freesat? See our BBC iPlayer on Freesat section.

Ethernet socket on Humax-HD Freesat box

TalkTalk TV Internet Service

TalkTalk now offers a TV service using YouView. Before this, TalkTalk operated TalkTalk TV – formerly known as Tiscali TV, and before that, HomeChoice. For more details, see our TalkTalk TV section.

How to connect your TV / Set-top box to the Internet

If you have a set-top box or digital TV set that’s capable of connecting to the Internet, you may need a little advice on how to do this. Let’s see if we can help.

Step 1: Identify a free Ethernet socket on your Broadband router:

Ethernet sockets on the back of a BT Home Hub Router

Ethernet sockets on a TalkTalk Broadband Router

Step 2: Identify the Ethernet or LAN socket on your set-top box or TV set:

Ethernet socket on Humax-HD Freesat box

Step 3: Connect the two Ethernet sockets together:

Now this is often the tricky one, especially if your TV and Internet router are in different parts of the house.

Essentially, you have three options:

A) Run an Ethernet cable from Router to TV/Box. You need to get a CAT5 RJ45 Ethernet patch cable, with an Ethernet plug at each end. These come in lengths from half a metre to 50 metres, and you can order them online from maplin.co.uk

B) Move your Router to the same room as your TV / Box: If there’s a phone extension point in the same room as your TV setup, then you could relocate your broadband router to the same room, and connect the two together using a short Ethernet leadC) Use a Powerline / HomePlug adapter: For many, this will be the solution of choice, as it doesn’t involve running long cables around your home, or relocating your router. These are clever little devices that send computer data safely over your home’s mains wiring.You get a kit, which has a sender and a receiver – Plug one into a mains socket near your router, and the other one into a mains socket near your TV / Box. Then run an Ethernet lead from the HomePlug unit to the Ethernet socket on the Router and TV box. As if by magic, they will start talking to each other via the mains wiring.You can buy a set of HomePlugs from PC World , Dabs.com and Maplin.co.uk

A set of HomePlugs made by Devolo

TV Wireless Connectivity

It’s always surprising that set-top boxes and digital TV sets don’t come with wireless built-in as standard. If you’re looking to use wi-fi for your TV or box, there is an option though: The Netgear Universal Wi-fi adapter.

This little box has an Ethernet socket, and lets you convert a TV or set-top box that only has an Ethernet socket, into something that can connect to a router over wi-fi.

The Netgear wi-fi to Ethernet adapter is available from Amazon, Maplin.co.uk and PC World

Connectivity Questions

Got a question we can help with? Please get in touch!

Related Links:

YouView – Freeview plus digital TV
How to browse the Internet on your TV
YouView from BT – BT’s digital TV service
IPTV Explained – TV and streaming services on the Internet
Online Catch-up TV – Missed a TV show? Catch it online
On your PC – How to get TV and radio on your PC

16 comments

Julie Gibson29 December 2013 at 1:45 pm

I now have the Netgear WiFi adapter set up, signal light showing connection…now how do I use it??? I may just be dumb, but now have no idea how to access my internet services, e.g. Netflix, through my TV. Connected via digital stream free view+ box. :o(

ReplyPhilip25 January 2014 at 10:45 pm

I’ve done all that and my lap top works perfectly on an ethernet cable from my BT infinity router. However my Philips HDTP 8530 tells me I am connected but cannot see the router. IP address etc are all rows of zeros. Is there a problem with BT routers and set top boxes?

Replyjan26 October 2014 at 4:00 am

Every router running dd-wrt can act as a wireless bridge to enable wifi for Ethernet TV boxes.

Replyjohn2 January 2015 at 10:56 am

If I plug in a Wifi Extender in the room with My YV and Freesat box can I connect and recieve On Demand TV

ReplyAdele29 January 2015 at 10:30 am

Thanks for the article. For those who live outside UK and want to access NowTV, you can use UnoTelly as I do to get around the geo block.

ReplyLewis25 May 2015 at 6:12 pm

I have a BT YouView HD box that I am trying to connect to the Internet. I am using a TP link wifi adaptor, much like the Netgear one above, and connected to the back of my BT box via Ethernet cable. I cannot get it to connect to anything, it just says that it couldn’t connect to a router and that’s it. And help appreciated!

ReplyHenry Hodges2 December 2015 at 8:28 pm

Thank you has been very helpful I will go for the Home Plus they look like the most straight forward option.
Regards
Henry

Replysteve6 October 2016 at 5:57 pm

i have a wifi enabled tv and wifi sky HD+ box can i not connect them wirelessly instead of using hdmi cable

ReplyJudy10 October 2016 at 7:30 am

Found+this+problem+myself.+Believe+it+or+not+but+only+the+talk+talk+set+top+box+is+compatible+with+talk+talk+router.+Disgusted+by+this+as+they+don’t+inform+you+of+this+when+you+sign+up+with+them.

ReplyTom1 December 2016 at 7:33 pm

Just had a broadband service installed in an extension to our home (BT) in order to view television in that section of the property the TV’s are smart TV can they be set up without using a pc to activate the system?

Replychrisbuck9916 February 2017 at 9:17 pm

go+into+you+internet+settings+of+your+digi+box,+under+static+ipaddress+not+dhcp.+assign+your+skybox+the+same+iprange+e.g+router+192.168.0.1+assign+your+skybox+an+ipaddress+that+is+not+the+same+as+any+other+device+on+your+network+to+avoid+ipconflict.+((so+i+choose+192.168.0.100+since+there+are+254+to+choose+from,+if+you+plug+the+ethernet+cable+to+the+ethernet+port+after+going+into+network+settings,+select+your+wifi+card,+right+click+select+properties,+then+select+internet+connection+sharing,+it+will+assign+that+device+as+a+shared+virtual+device+with+an+address+of+192.168.137.+whatever+it+chooses,+all+you+then+have+to+do+is+again+select+an+address+for+your+set+top+box+within+the+same+range,+avoiding+conflict.+which+there+shouldnt+be+unless+you+have+other+devices+using+that+shared+connection.+192.168.137.10+..+happy+days,+there+both+in+the+same+range,+on+the+same+wavelength+if+you+must,+can+see+and+communicate+with+each+other.+

What+you+do+after+that+i+have+no+idea,+unless+you+put+the+ipaddress+of+your+skybox+into+a+webrowser,+open+the+remote+management+and+set+it+up+from+there,+i+dont+know+how+your+model+works,+but+all+networks+work+the+same

ReplyLilly8 June 2018 at 10:32 pm

Can I connect a wireless router to my TV socket in one room and use it as bridge to the original rout er connected to my PC in the other room!

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angela brown13 January 2019 at 3:58 pm

I have just bought a set top box, my internet is good, but i plugged Ethernet cable into the box and its saying not connected can you tell me why this is happening

Replydavid clarke3 April 2019 at 1:59 pm

I have a Samsung series 7 smart tv connected to the internet. My new Humax HDR1100s box can also be connected. What if any are the benefits of connecting the Humax box over my Samsung tv?
david

ReplyCharley Lock19 March 2020 at 6:33 pm

I+have+a+Manhattan+freeview+box,+I+have+an+Ethernet+cable+in+the+back+and+the+other+end+straight+in+to+my+router,+Iâm+the+same+room!+but+when+I+Go+on+to+the+freeview+it+says+to+connect+to+a+network+?+Can+someone+help?

ReplyMahmoud Cassim28 March 2021 at 2:23 pm

I want Vision tv I have a Sony Bravia TVs. Can you guide me ?

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Jennifer A. Miller, 40, fell asleep in death in Franklin, Indiana, on Monday, April 19, 2021.

She was preceded in death by her paternal grandparents, Harold and Sarah (Walters) Miller, Ohio; maternal grandmother, Carolyn (Spencer) Taylor, Florida; brother, Mark Miller, Waldron, IN, and daughter’s father, Michael Stephen Kees II, Shelbyville, IN.

She is survived by her father, Tim Miller, Ohio; mother, Ginger J. Taylor, Colorado; sister, Melissa Glass, Zionsville, IN; daughters, Markiah Miller-Kees, Franklin, IN; Ava Sims, Shelbyville, IN; and Kallie Rattray, Franklin, IN; nieces and nephew, Jasmine, Aiden and Emersyn Glass, Zionsville, IN.

Jennifer was born in Greenville, Ohio, on February 11, 1981. She was loved by friends where she grew up in both Bristol, NH, and Waldron, IN. She graduated from Waldron High School in 1999.

A private memorial service for family members and invited guests will be held this weekend.

Keeping with her wishes, she will be cremated and her ashes will be laid to rest in Bristol, NH, later this year.

Services have been entrusted to Freeman Family Funeral Homes and Crematory, 819 S. Harrison St. in Shelbyville.

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Online condolences may be shared with Jennifer’s family at www.freemanfamilyfuneralhomes.co

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