Preferred Network Connectivity for the Hopper and Joey System

[sparc]

Preferred connectivity ranked from highest to lowest based on Dish documentation:

1) Hardwired ethernet to only one Hopper in your system for both OnDemand and DLNA - One ethernet connected Hopper will bridge all the devices in your system for home media and OnDemand. (Do not connect more than one)

2) Hopper Internet Connector (HIC) – a dedicated MoCA bridge that provides you an easy hardwired solution when you have ethernet access near a joey or via a client line connection. HIC is preferred when you don’t have ethernet access at your Hopper location.

3) Wifi Adapter – 1 adapter needed at a single Hopper location in your whole system

Extra Notes:

WARNING: Connecting more than one H/J device to your home network/internet after the s213 update could result In serious stability issues with your entire H/J system. Connect only 1 hopper or use a HIC.

Hardwiring in general is preferred over wireless as it's less prone to interference, difficulty in setup, and connectivity issues.

The HIC has been the most reliable method of hardwired connectivity since launch. Highly recommended among users on the forum. HIC is very flexible since it makes it easier to swap around Hopper and Joey locations. You’ll never have to worry about networking in the future. The HIC is also provided free during the initial H/J install.

Wifi adapters are also provided for free during the H/J install.

In some instances, bridging may be turned off on the hoppers. You can re-enable bridging with the info in the topic linked HERE.

 

[sparc]

If you absolutely had to go wireless, eckmanmj posted a topic about wireless bridges here (alternative to USB wifi adapter):

• Connecting Hopper/Joeys to Home Network Using a Wireless Network Bridge/Repeater

 

[chiwolve]

Homeplug

Anyone work with Homeplug adapters like this for network connectivity? I would think this would be preferred versus wireless bridge. Some provide 500 Mbps service.

Also, related to conversation on other threads saying Joey can operate without coax (although not officially supported by DISH) - would 500 Mbps suffice for quality video over network? What about 200 Mbps homeplug?

 

[stimpson]

Anyone work with Homeplug adapters like this for network connectivity? I would think this would be preferred versus wireless bridge. Some provide 500 Mbps service.

Also, related to conversation on other threads saying Joey can operate without coax (although not officially supported by DISH) - would 500 Mbps suffice for quality video over network? What about 200 Mbps homeplug?

Yep. I have them all through out my house. Not sure what the speed is though. I have had them for several years. I'll dig up the order from Amazon and get the numbers.

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[GaryPen]

If you absolutely had to go wireless, eckmanmj posted a topic about wireless bridges here (alternative to USB wifi adapter):

• Connecting Hopper/Joeys to Home Network Using a Wireless Network Bridge/Repeater

A bridge probably isn't going to provide any benefit over the wi-fi adapter, if you are only going to connect the one device at that location.

 

[sparc]

A bridge probably isn't going to provide any benefit over the wi-fi adapter, if you are only going to connect the one device at that location.

only thing i can think of is the better antenna design for a dedicated bridge. I've never really compared a USB wifi adapter to a dedicated wireless bridge, but i assumed that the antennas would be better in a separately powered and dedicated device.

Only a guess on my part as i've always just went with a DD-WRT wireless bridge (repurposed router) rather than mess with plug in adapters.

Of course USB Wifi adapters have their advantages too like being discrete and relatively easy to configure (for wireless anyways).

 

[sacflies]

I am out of contract with DirecTV and am thinking about switching to Dish and the Hopper/Joey system. I have Encore repeaters at every location where a Joey would go, and also an Encore repeater where the Hopper would go....all running off my main router (same Encore) in a bedroom where there will not be a Joey going at this time(only a SD TV in that room). I have various devices hooked to the ethernet ports on the repeaters for internet access. Could I use this setup for the Hopper install? Would this be adequate for everything that is needed in the Hopper setup? Thanks.

 

[isaacmorseMI]

I am out of conract with DirecTV and am thinking about switching to Dish and the Hopper/Joey system. I have Encore repeaters at every location where a Joey would go, and also an Encore repeater where the Hopper would go....all running off my main router (same Encore). I have various devices hooked to the ethernet ports on the repeaters for internet access. Could I use this setup for the Hopper install? Would this be adequate for everything that is needed in the Hopper setup? Thanks.

Should work fine. Is a Joey going in a location near your main router? If so, you could use an HIC to hardwire the system into your network.

 

[sacflies]

Should work fine. Is a Joey going in a location near your main router? If so, you could use an HIC to hardwire the system into your network.

No, a Joey would not be going in the room with my main router (I edited my post indicating this). As the single Hopper system is currently limited to 3 Joeys, and the room with the main router still has a standard def TV, I guess this room would be completely left out of the TV equation for now. Which is OK because nobody currently watches TV in this room. The other 3 rooms where the Joeys would go all have HDTV's. So the single Hopper/3 Joey setup would be fine for now.

Thanks for the reply. Having a difficult time deciding what to do here...stay with DirecTV and have them install the Whole Home DVR setup (adding 2 HD receivers for $98 w/ free install...monthly bill about $90) or jump to Dish and the Hopper. I would save quite a bit the 1st year. The single Hopper (3 tuner) system would be fine for my home as there is only 2 people living in the house.

 

[isaacmorseMI]

No, a Joey would not be going in the room with my main router (I edited my post indicating this). As the single Hopper system is currently limited to 3 Joeys, and the room with the main router still has a standard def TV, I guess this room would be completely left out of the TV equation for now. Which is OK because nobody currently watches TV in this room. The other 3 rooms where the Joeys would go all have HDTV's. So the single Hopper/3 Joey setup would be fine for now.

Thanks for the reply. Having a difficult time deciding what to do here...stay with DirecTV and have them install the Whole Home DVR setup (adding 2 HD receivers for $98 w/ free install...monthly bill about $90) or jump to Dish and the Hopper. I would save quite a bit the 1st year. The single Hopper (3 tuner) system would be fine for my home as there is only 2 people living in the house.

If there is coax in the room an HIC can go there. The Joey has RCA outputs which you can connect to that TV if you want to. But you would need a 2nd Hopper.

 

[sca]

dumb question. what is dnla?

 

[sperry85]

No, a Joey would not be going in the room with my main router (I edited my post indicating this). As the single Hopper system is currently limited to 3 Joeys, and the room with the main router still has a standard def TV, I guess this room would be completely left out of the TV equation for now. Which is OK because nobody currently watches TV in this room. The other 3 rooms where the Joeys would go all have HDTV's. So the single Hopper/3 Joey setup would be fine for now.

Thanks for the reply. Having a difficult time deciding what to do here...stay with DirecTV and have them install the Whole Home DVR setup (adding 2 HD receivers for $98 w/ free install...monthly bill about $90) or jump to Dish and the Hopper. I would save quite a bit the 1st year. The single Hopper (3 tuner) system would be fine for my home as there is only 2 people living in the house.

It is your technicians job to achieve connectivity in this order.

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&...J5dGVjaHRyYWluaW5nfGd4OjYyM2NkMGZjZGJmMzE5Zjg

 

[wlwgampa]

Question on H/J Setup

I am going to go with a 1 Hopper/ 3 Joey setup. My main HD tv is in the living room downstairs with 3 other SD tv's located in the kitchen, upstairs computer room and the master bedroom (upstairs also). My router is in the computer room. Where would be the best location to put the Hopper? Also, do I need coax run to all of the Joeys?

 

[sparc]

I am going to go with a 1 Hopper/ 3 Joey setup. My main HD tv is in the living room downstairs with 3 other SD tv's located in the kitchen, upstairs computer room and the master bedroom (upstairs also). My router is in the computer room. Where would be the best location to put the Hopper? Also, do I need coax run to all of the Joeys?

it really depends more on the quality of the existing coax and how that coax is run to every location.

Check out the wiring diagrams here to get an idea: http://www.satelliteguys.us/hopper-zone/279755-hopper-joey-wiring-diagrams.html

 

[Stargazer]

Ubiquiti and Deliberant make nice affordable wifi gear that is higher powered than the routers you buy in the stores. You have to order them on the internet though as they are not sold in stores. They have more powerful radios and antennas. A lot of the newer units are mimo in them.

 

[sparc]

It is your technicians job to achieve connectivity in this order.

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&...J5dGVjaHRyYWluaW5nfGd4OjYyM2NkMGZjZGJmMzE5Zjg

A note on that...

The techs aren't obligated to connect everyone up for DLNA. Their goal is to get the hoppers connected for OnDemand.

If you want something like a HIC installed, I would make sure that you can provide a coax line and ethernet access in the same room before he arrives. A tech isn't going to go out of their way to run new coax lines near your router/ethernet access unless it happens to be in the same room as one of your hopper/joey TV locations. They'll choose the easy route with wifi adapters on the hoppers before running a whole separate coax line to your router. (based on that document that sperry85 posted)

 

[JFaber99]

Eventually when all the hoppers and joeys see each other as one system, will one device plugged into the router be enough for the entire system?

 

[sparc]

Eventually when all the hoppers and joeys see each other as one system, will one device plugged into the router be enough for the entire system?

No concrete info besides the way the system works now.

If i had to take a guess, i would think at least ondemand will work between 2 hoppers when only 1 is connected after the integration software. The wiring diagrams make it look like that's how it was intended to work (unless that's an error).

That's why it's easier just to get a HIC for hardwiring purposes than worry about what Dish may or may not do in the future. It's a nice easy guarantee that everything will work immediately and in the future.
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[Dishman1978]

A note on that...

The techs aren't obligated to connect everyone up for DLNA. Their goal is to get the hoppers connected for OnDemand.

If you want something like a HIC installed, I would make sure that you can provide a coax line and ethernet access in the same room before he arrives. A tech isn't going to go out of their way to run new coax lines near your router/ethernet access unless it happens to be in the same room as one of your hopper/joey TV locations. They'll choose the easy route with wifi adapters on the hoppers before running a whole separate coax line to your router. (based on that document that sperry85 posted)

+1

 

[stimpson]

No concrete info besides the way the system works now.

If i had to take a guess, i would think at least ondemand will work between 2 hoppers when only 1 is connected after the integration software. The wiring diagrams make it look like that's how it was intended to work (unless that's an error).

That's why it's easier just to get a HIC for hardwiring purposes than worry about what Dish may or may not do in the future. It's a nice easy guarantee that everything will work immediately and in the future.
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I have a HIC now, and I like this way over Ethernet at each box.

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