Connecting Smart Tv, Internet And Sky Box

[gumboot]

Hi all

At the moment, the ethernet cable at home from my router is plugged into my Sky box situated under my smart TV. I can only access the apps, youtube etc on my smart tv by unplugging the cable from the sky box and plugging it into the back of the tv. Trying to access the web without plugging the cable into the tv results in a "no internet connection" box displayed on the TV screen.

I can't figure out how to get access to the apps etc via the Sky remote control so I assume I need some way to split the ethernet signal into two and provide one feed to the sky box and the other to the TV. Does such a device exist? I'm thinking along the lines of something simplistic that works like a telephone cable splitter/combiner.

I've looked online at various switching boxes but I'm not certain which to buy. If this is what ai need do these devices need a separate power supply? Can I have some links to recommendations please?

Thanks for all your help.

[Ellipsis]

> Ellipsis. I don't think that would work in this case as the TV is not WiFi

It does not have to be. It plugs into the extender with a cable. In summary:

1) TV plugs into extender with an ethernet cable
2) Sky box plugs into extender with an ethernet cable
3) TV and Sky box think the extender is a router
4) Extender gets its internet connection over a wifi connection to house's main router

[Graham-W]

Ellipsis. I've just taken another look at your link and see no socket on the device to plug an ethernet cable into. The blurb just talks about wireless and WiFi, nothing about hard wiring ethernet cables. It's just a a booster/extender for WiFi.

[Ellipsis]

Graham-W, you are right! Thanks so much for pointing that out. As I said, my model is no longer available so I searched for something similar, but that link was not good enough. This is much closer to what I have:

Amazon.co.uk User Recommendation

[hc4361]

Phew! Thanks, methyl.

All should be well, gumboot. Fingers crossed!

[Graham-W]

Ellipsis. Yes. That should work perfectly and is substantially cheaper than my solution.

[gumboot]

//As far as I am aware, the devices I linked to and recommended simply provide extra ethernet ports at the router. So if you had only one port free you can use these to give more ports for extra cables but that device has to be plugged directly in to the router so all the cables you needed to connect would have to reach the router//

I'm missing something here hc4361. I understand that the device may be nothing more than a glorified ethernet extension socket for mor cables, but I fail to understand why the device needs to be in close proximity to the router. Surely, within reason, if the device is connected via an ethernet cable to the router, the cable length is immaterial? Does it really matter that the device would be in the next room to the router or does the signal in the ethernet cable degrade in some way preventing optimum performance of the device?

[gumboot]

hc4361, thank God for that!! I'm keeping my fingers and everything else crossed that the box will do the job!!

thank you very much for your help.

[hc4361]

Sorry for leading you astray halfway through.

[gumboot]

Hooray! Had the TP link box and patch cables delivered yesterday. I placed the box behind the TV and connected the Ethernet cable, the Sky box (via patch cable) and TV (via patch cable) to it with random socket selection. Switched it all on and it worked like a dream. I'm chuffed!

Thank you all for your help. I'm very grateful. No hard feelings over leading me astray hc4361. It was a baffling problem and there was no one more baffled than me! Thanks again.

[hc4361]

Hurrah!

[gumboot]

For future reference, I did notice that the device packaging and instructions discusses the methods and merits of connecting two or more computers together. There is no mention of using the TP Link box for the purpose I have. We now know it's more versatile than the device makes out from the packaging, instructions and the seller's web pages!