Setting up a Homeplug Network for BRAVIA & Blu-ray

[Joeboy22]

Hi Everyone

I really hope you can help me here.

I bought a KDL-46EX503 TV in March. I also bought a Sony dongle UWA-BRA100.

Since i've had it the BBC i-player and all the other on demand channels have worked intermittantly. I've been busy with other things and only just recently i've started to try and sort it out.

I've been through the network set up on auto and am getting the ok on the Wireless device,local access and internet access. When i go to the i-player i get all kinds of different results. Sometimes it connects and plays a whole programme( 1 in 10 attempts) Or starts then crashes,Or it's really slow and makes it onto the BBC site and it then crashes,sometimes i get the I-Player banner screen and its sits on loading for ages going nowhere,sometimes i dont get that far. This service not available. The list seems endless. I spoke to Sony support and they were very helpful and suggested i put the TV back to factory settings and reset my BT Infinity homehub which i did but with the same results. Also asked me to get the ip address from my pc,default gateway etc etc. Also checked the software which he said was the current version.Rang BT and used ipconfig to get that,(NOT sure if DNS was right though) and when i go down the manual network set up custom route i get local access and internet access fail,so go back to auto and get the 3 ok's.

I sent off for a wired cat5 cable and connected it and it worked instantly no problems. I also took my dongle back and changed it for a new one thinking it MUST be the dongle BUT its exactly the same. My BT infinity connects successfully over a dozen produts from iphones to xboxes,wii's and blackberrys but wont do this and its driving me crazy !!

Sorry for the long story, any ideas ? Gonna ring Sony back tomorrow anyhow

Joe

Message was edited by: Catmambo

[Catmambo]

Hi Joe

Wireless technology still can be a little bit of a dark art, so I'd maybe just return your dongle and grab a pair of Homeplugs or something like that. I can personally recommend this one - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Comtrend-Powerline-ethernet-adapter-Filter/dp/B001M06Y0M/ref=pd_cp_ce_3 may be available from other sellers etc, but I use them myself and the are great!

Thanks

[Joeboy22]

Hi Catmambo,thanks for taking the time to reply.

I also have BT vision which my daughter has in her room upstairs and that uses power adapters to connect to my BT homehub so i would guess thats that out the window as an option. Believe it or not i've just tried again and at the 2nd attempt its worked and i managed to watch 10 minutes before it stuttered and then crashed. Futher attempts have been the usual fare of errors and i'm sitting here looking at the BBC I-player banner. So i think i've come to the conclusion thats it just absolute rubbish from Sony. I mean the hub is in the same room as my TV about 12 feet away and it wont work. I'll think i'll go with the CAT5 and somehow get it around the edge of the floor i've just laid and across a doorway behind the trim without messing it up (groan..it took me ages :smileysad:) as it seems to be the only way i'll get to use my internet TV.

I'll give sony one more chance tomorrow and if they fail then stick the dongle on ebay.

Joe

[Joeboy22]

On reflection i could find a sony shop and go in and stick it somewhere else !!!!!!

[Catmambo]

Make sure you have the latest update as well for the TV just in case this improves things.

Maybe just add a 3rd homeplug/powerline to your existing ones as a simple solution..

Thanks

[Joeboy22]

Sorry i've just clicked into what you're saying about the extra power adapter. Could i just add another power adapter and that picks up the broadband ? Or would i need another pair ? Sounds a good option though. Would save me taking up part of my floor which i REALLY dont want to have to do. The BT ones i have are about 2 or 3 years old. Do you think it would be compatible with the TV ?

[Joeboy22]

Yes you're right they are COMTREND adapters. I've had a chat with a mate of mine at work and he has 2 that he has never used so he will bring them in for me to try. Trouble is that i'm not back in work til Tuesday so will have to wait. What i might do though is disconnect my daughters BT vision and plug it in behind the TV to see if it works. Will try that a bit later on today.

As a side note i left the wired connection connected overnight across the room as the sony bloke told me the other day not to turn the TV off overnight as that was when it did its updates(although he reckoned they were current). This morning i tried it and it played a whole 45 minute program wirelessly with only a couple of stutters. I then left it a few hours and it got onto the bbc i-player and played about 30 seconds before crashing and wouldnt restart no matter what...strange. Half of me thinks it could be the hub as our broadband has been cutting out intermittanntly but nothing major, sometimes its ok for a few days then it will cut off everything wireless in the house at once 3 times in an hour.

Thanks for the idea though it will really help me out if it works.

Will update later.

Joe

[Joeboy22]

Hi there

Just tried my daughters comtrend power adapter and it worked first time !!! Brilliant. I'm back in work tomorrow so will hopefully be able to try and see if it works.

Catmambo

Thanks for all your help so far. I'll have a read of those manuals now to see what i need to do.

Joe

[Catmambo]

Just be aware you have to pair/add extra homeplugs to your existing homeplug network, you can't simply plug them in. So check the comtrend manual on how to do this. I found the easiest wasy to do this was plug them all into a 4 way extension bar, so you can sync them all simultaneously without having to run up and down stairs - but don't forget you should not use them in an extension bar as this can prevent them from working..

Here is the manual for the old white one

http://download.comtrend.com/PowerGrid902_EU.pdf

New Black one

http://bt.custhelp.com/ci/fattach/get/1794443/1281102986/redirect/1

Thanks

Message was edited by: Catmambo

[Catmambo]

Yes absolutely, you can run Powerline/Homplugs in odd numbers as its just forming a virtual network.

I'm not sure on intercompatibility, so maybe someone else on the boards can advise or check another forum etc. However if you have BT ones, they are probably Comtrend, in which case you could maybe pick up a single extra unit from eBay or just get the pair and keep one as a spare as the ones I linked to previously are also Comtrend..

£40 or pulling up floorboards seems like a no brainer

No issues with TV compatibility as its basically just a wired network connection from the router - I run PS3 and BRAVIA off those Comtrend devices and they are great!

Good Luck and do feedback on how you get on!

Message was edited by: Catmambo