We've cut the cable

[ChiefD 19,209]

2 minutes ago, Birdie048 said:

Does a digital antenna work for the local games?   We pickup up 1 and we get 36 stations.  <$50 

It will work on anything broadcast on the major networks - ABC, FOX, CBS, NBC. As long as their signal is strong enough to reach your house. The antenna usually tells you what your mile radius is, so as long as the local affiliate is within that radius you should get those channels.

[36Kevon 104]

On 10/23/2020 at 11:56 AM, ChiefD said:

It will work on anything broadcast on the major networks - ABC, FOX, CBS, NBC. As long as their signal is strong enough to reach your house. The antenna usually tells you what your mile radius is, so as long as the local affiliate is within that radius you should get those channels.

Or check out your range to your address on tvfool  dot com. 

[Dinsy Ejotuz 12,986]

I haven't been able to find a straight answer to this question, so I suspect it's a dumb question.  Hopefully someone can set me straight...

I'm setting up a Google Nest router connected to Verizon's incoming Internet in my basement.

I will have remote WIFI add on points on the ground floor and the main floor. These will be WIFI connected to the router only -- not ethernet connected.

Is there any advantage (speed/reliability, etc) to connecting a computer/XBOX/tablet/ to the WIFI add-on points on the ground or 2nd floor via ethernet instead of using WIFI?

i.e. if the whole system isn't wired back to the original router is there anything to gain by making the final connection hard wired instead of WIFI?

[gianmarco 28,464]

31 minutes ago, Dinsy Ejotuz said:

I haven't been able to find a straight answer to this question, so I suspect it's a dumb question.  Hopefully someone can set me straight...

I'm setting up a Google Nest router connected to Verizon's incoming Internet in my basement.

I will have remote WIFI add on points on the ground floor and the main floor. These will be WIFI connected to the router only -- not ethernet connected.

Is there any advantage (speed/reliability, etc) to connecting a computer/XBOX/tablet/ to the WIFI add-on points on the ground or 2nd floor via ethernet instead of using WIFI?

i.e. if the whole system isn't wired back to the original router is there anything to gain by making the final connection hard wired instead of WIFI?

I wouldn't think so unless the component you are using has some kind of obstruction that degrades signal.

[Dinsy Ejotuz 12,986]

So I finally found someone describing exactly what I was trying to get at, and they suggested it actually helped quite a bit when they actually tried it.  For the cost of a cable and maybe a couple 4-port switches it can't hurt to try.

[steelerfan1 368]

On 10/23/2020 at 2:56 PM, ChiefD said:

It will work on anything broadcast on the major networks - ABC, FOX, CBS, NBC. As long as their signal is strong enough to reach your house. The antenna usually tells you what your mile radius is, so as long as the local affiliate is within that radius you should get those channels.

Just curious. We are getting ready to lose dish as it is horrible. Is it mandatory that the had antenna be near a window? Our tv is not by one. Thanks for any assistance.

[Mister CIA 8,344]

23 minutes ago, steelerfan1 said:

Just curious. We are getting ready to lose dish as it is horrible. Is it mandatory that the had antenna be near a window? Our tv is not by one. Thanks for any assistance.

Maybe, but probably not.  I live in a 2nd floor apartment where all windows face away from the location of the "big city" broadcast and genrally things work well for me.  The local CBS channel can be a problem, but I've had varying levels of success toggling between an antenna with power (juiced) and powered off (passive). Bear in mind that neighboring flats represent a crap-ton of drywall between me and the broadcasting stations and I sit about 10 feet below an intervening ridge.  And, my antenna is a 29.99 Best Buy special. 

Buy a cheap-o and see what happens.  If at first you don't succeed, take it back and trade it for door #2, door #3, etc.

Full-disclosure:  Nowadays I roll with YouTube TV.  It's $70-ish per month and they have very generous terms when it comes to sharing your account with multiple households. Subject to change, obviously.

[ChiefD 19,209]

3 hours ago, steelerfan1 said:

Just curious. We are getting ready to lose dish as it is horrible. Is it mandatory that the had antenna be near a window? Our tv is not by one. Thanks for any assistance.

No, it doesn’t. I spent less than $50 on mine and it works fine. As long as you are within the suburbs of a decent sized city you should pick up all the local channels.

[steelerfan1 368]

15 hours ago, Mister CIA said:

Maybe, but probably not.  I live in a 2nd floor apartment where all windows face away from the location of the "big city" broadcast and genrally things work well for me.  The local CBS channel can be a problem, but I've had varying levels of success toggling between an antenna with power (juiced) and powered off (passive). Bear in mind that neighboring flats represent a crap-ton of drywall between me and the broadcasting stations and I sit about 10 feet below an intervening ridge.  And, my antenna is a 29.99 Best Buy special. 

Buy a cheap-o and see what happens.  If at first you don't succeed, take it back and trade it for door #2, door #3, etc.

Full-disclosure:  Nowadays I roll with YouTube TV.  It's $70-ish per month and they have very generous terms when it comes to sharing your account with multiple households. Subject to change, obviously.

Thanks. I think we will do as you say and just get them from Amazon and send them back if they don’t work.

[steelerfan1 368]

12 hours ago, ChiefD said:

No, it doesn’t. I spent less than $50 on mine and it works fine. As long as you are within the suburbs of a decent sized city you should pick up all the local channels.

We are kind of in the sticks but about an hour or so from Charlotte. Worst that happens is it doesn’t work and we return it I guess. Thanks Chief.

[Socrates11 385]

Bought this one and put it in the attic. Ran a cord through the wall from it to an Amazon recast. No other amplifiers or signal enhancers. Works like a champ. I'm about 30 miles from the broadcast antennas.

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MYMVPVX/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[The Z Machine 4,964]

Put down my $100 for a Starlink receiver.  Says that I could get it in the fall.  I hate Comcast so much that I use a slower ISP just so I don't have to deal with them, but I'm nearly maxing out my bandwidth now on 20 Mbs down, 5 Mbs Up.  I do realize all of that bandwidth and it's not shared or metered in any way, so that's a plus with my current ISP.

[madshot31 319]

On 12/23/2020 at 12:40 PM, Dinsy Ejotuz said:

I haven't been able to find a straight answer to this question, so I suspect it's a dumb question.  Hopefully someone can set me straight...

I'm setting up a Google Nest router connected to Verizon's incoming Internet in my basement.

I will have remote WIFI add on points on the ground floor and the main floor. These will be WIFI connected to the router only -- not ethernet connected.

Is there any advantage (speed/reliability, etc) to connecting a computer/XBOX/tablet/ to the WIFI add-on points on the ground or 2nd floor via ethernet instead of using WIFI?

i.e. if the whole system isn't wired back to the original router is there anything to gain by making the final connection hard wired instead of WIFI?

This is highly dependent on the quality of signal you are purchasing and what router/modem hardware you are using. Without knowing more specifics I would say yes it will affect it, but not too much unless you are a extreme power user. One thing with gaming is wifi connections can lead to more issues(not always the case) with NAT settings if your into online multiplayer.

[Dinsy Ejotuz 12,986]

3 hours ago, madshot31 said:

This is highly dependent on the quality of signal you are purchasing and what router/modem hardware you are using. Without knowing more specifics I would say yes it will affect it, but not too much unless you are a extreme power user. One thing with gaming is wifi connections can lead to more issues(not always the case) with NAT settings if your into online multiplayer.

So the answer for us is that it does make the connection more stable.  Doesn't do anything for speed, but we have high speed and tons of bandwidth, so making the last jump hard-wired instead of over the air/WIFI was worth it for us.  Kid still finds things to yell about while gaming, but lags/latency spikes aren't the cause.  Progress?

Went with three Google routers (not a router + points) so I could wire each to an ethernet switch and hard-wire stuff out of that in the same rooms.  Our speed, coverage and latency are all way better.

Edited February 22 by Dinsy Ejotuz

[madshot31 319]

2 hours ago, Dinsy Ejotuz said:

So the answer for us is that it does make the connection more stable.  Doesn't do anything for speed, but we have high speed and tons of bandwidth, so making the last jump hard-wired instead of over the air/WIFI was worth it for us.  Kid still finds things to yell about while gaming, but lags/latency spikes aren't the cause.  Progress?

Went with three Google routers (not a router + points) so I could wire each to an ethernet switch and hard-wire stuff out of that in the same rooms.  Our speed, coverage and latency are all way better.

Sounds like a good decision all around. As for the gaming, lag will always be the thing to kill you. Not the decision the pilot made...