YOUVIEW MIFI ACCESS

Michaelwood · 18 May 2020, 1:30PM

I have a BT YouView box with an Ethernet socket and a USB socket, but it cannot be set up for MiFi (mobile wifi) operation. Without this, it cannot access the Apps and some of the Programme Guide features.

My internet services are via 3’s mobile phone services (we have no effective landline) with a 3MobileWiFi-A047 router. This has a single USB Micro B socket, but I have discerned that this is solely for its power supply.

Is there any piece of kit that would enable my YouView box to accept wireless access from the 3Mobile router? I bought a TP-Link_1D32 that I thought would work but cannot make it do so.

John L · 18 May 2020, 2:23PM

Hi Michaelwood,
Welcome to the Youview forum. As far as I know the Youview ideally only was meant to be used with landline Broadband. If there is a solution to use via Mobile, you would be using an extremely large amount of data usage each day. Just for a estimate, 1 hour of a recording is approx. 4gb, hence unless your mobile provider can offer unlimited data per month, you would run out of data mileage in a short time. Someone else on the forum may have more ideas, be able to help further with your query. Have you been able to connect your TV, any other WiFi devices to your mobile? Do they work ok? Be interested to know. John L

Steve Oliver · 18 May 2020, 3:19PM

Hi Michaelwood, if I wanted to do this and the 3MobileWifi router didn't have an ethernet output, I would be looking for a wifi extender with an ethernet output instead... eg. one of these, https://www.amazon.co.uk/Extender-Repeater-Wireless-Ethernet-Antennas/dp/B074C33VCP - then you can "extend the wifi" to provide an ethernet connection for Youview. I don't think you'll use much bandwidth unless you want to watch catchup, in which case, how long is a piece of string!? HTH

Roy · 18 May 2020, 3:30PM

Michaelwood said:

I have a BT YouView box with an Ethernet socket and a USB socket, but it cannot be set up for MiFi (mobile wifi) operation. Without this, it cannot access the Apps and some of the Programme Guide features.

My internet services are via 3’s mobile phone services (we have no effective landline) with a 3MobileWiFi-A047 router. This has a single USB Micro B socket, but I have discerned that this is solely for its power supply.

Is there any piece of kit that would enable my YouView box to accept wireless access from the 3Mobile router? I bought a TP-Link_1D32 that I thought would work but cannot make it do so.

@Michaelwood

Wow, something that even stumped Google!

Can you check that TP-Link product reference for typos, so we can look at it and see if we think it ought to have worked or not?

But I had success in Spain running my DTR-T1000 over one of these, or possibly an earlier equivalent:-

https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-Link-Support-Extender-UK-TL-WR902AC/dp/B01NAYG15H/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=tp-link+nano+router&qid=1589812361&s=electronics&sr=1-3

You need to put it into Client Mode for use with the YouView box. You can take the power it needs off the USB socket on the YouView box, link it with the short Ethernet tail from Nano to box, and then set the Nano to be a client of the MiFi.

With mine, the SSID had to be slightly different from the SSID of the Nano, which was slightly inconvenient for other wifi devices in the same room as the Nano that could not well reach the main router directly, but the more modern devices can rebroadcast the same SSID. Though some people still like the different SSID, so they know what they are connecting to.

Roy · 18 May 2020, 3:50PM

Steve Oliver said:

Hi Michaelwood, if I wanted to do this and the 3MobileWifi router didn't have an ethernet output, I would be looking for a wifi extender with an ethernet output instead... eg. one of these, https://www.amazon.co.uk/Extender-Repeater-Wireless-Ethernet-Antennas/dp/B074C33VCP - then you can "extend the wifi" to provide an ethernet connection for Youview. I don't think you'll use much bandwidth unless you want to watch catchup, in which case, how long is a piece of string!? HTH

£64 and a six-week wait for what looks like a Chinese knock-off of this?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Universal-Extender-Broadband-UK-RE450/dp/B013SYHHI2/ref=sr_1_5?
crid=3KHVKHBZLJ2OJ&dchild=1&keywords=tp-link+wireless+extender&qid=1589812353&s=electronics&sprefix=Tp-Link+%2Celectronics%2C154&sr=1-5

A quid cheaper, get it Thursday, a name we know......

jimb · 18 May 2020, 4:39PM

I use one of these: TP-Link TL-WA850RE
Very much cheaper!
https://tinyurl.com/yd6srju5

(And a shorter URL @Roy

)

John L · 18 May 2020, 4:59PM

Does anyone know how much data/allowance you would need via mobile to stream films? I can understand the WiFi extender idea, but the data usage has to come from somewhere. I realize broadband is now mostly unlimited, does this gadget work in a different way? Be interested to know. John L

Steve Oliver · 18 May 2020, 5:17PM

jimb said:

I use one of these: TP-Link TL-WA850RE
Very much cheaper!
https://tinyurl.com/yd6srju5

(And a shorter URL @Roy )

I did say "something like", it wasn't a recommendation! It was actually the first one a search came up with! I agree, jimb's is a great option!

Steve Oliver · 18 May 2020, 5:23PM

John L said:

Does anyone know how much data/allowance you would need via mobile to stream films? I can understand the WiFi extender idea, but the data usage has to come from somewhere. I realize broadband is now mostly unlimited, does this gadget work in a different way? Be interested to know. John L

John,

It depends on the tariff he's on - you can certainly get unlimited mobile data if you pay for it - some are quite 'cheap' (relatively speaking) these days. Like you said before, a film can be a few GB, so if he's planning on using catchup/film streaming services, I'd want unlimited, or at least 30GB allowance - something like that. Say he uses NowTV and has the HD boost - it'll use a lot more data than an SD stream.

Anaglypta · 18 May 2020, 7:20PM

Here you go @John L

At £22 a month a positive bargain!

John.

EDIT:- "NOTE" I deliberately removed who this offer is with, but if you read the OP's original post you can probably work it out.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6030166/uploads/editor/p8/qykrovdgwd3s.png

John L · 18 May 2020, 7:58PM

Thank you both Steve and John for your info. What a lovely sunny day. I think I might start watching my Youview in the garden! Just need an extension lead for the TV! John L

kodikid · 18 May 2020, 8:22PM

Or a mobile phone.
Did you know the majority of streaming is to mobile devices.

John L · 18 May 2020, 8:41PM

Yes Kodikid, I use a smart phone, tablet and also desktop pc. But watch most TV via full size TV, unless I am traveling. Then I use tablet for watching TV. John L

Roy · 18 May 2020, 10:19PM

jimb said:

I use one of these: TP-Link TL-WA850RE
Very much cheaper!
https://tinyurl.com/yd6srju5

(And a shorter URL @Roy )

Yes, that’ll do it, but doesn’t meet my criterion of being able to be powered from the YouView box, as my adapter is (whichever cupboard it is now languishing unused in).

It might well provide services to @Michaelwood though.

YOUVIEW MIFI ACCESS

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