Vodafone TV - no Wi-Fi built in

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butlerboy

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#250845 28-May-2019 11:49

So my contract with Vodafone was up last week, I rang them and got a better deal which included Vodafone TV.

The box arrived today so I attempted to set it up but it told me I needed to connect it via Ethernet cable. After much frustration I decided to give them a call, a long time later after talking to various people I find out that it doesn't have Wi-Fi built in.

Was told by the customer service person that I needed a Wi-Fi extender that would cost me $179. How can Vodafone sell/giveaway a streaming box which doesn't have Wi-Fi built in. This is 2019 ffs.

What a complete waste of time this thing is. A shame as I was looking forward to using it. Guess it'll just sit in the cupboard collecting dust or it may make a good door stop.

sbiddle

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#2246928 28-May-2019 12:07

I'd never connect any streaming box via WiFi - and Vodafone are clearly being very smart by ensuring people don't this as well. It's a guaranteed support nightmare.

Linux

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#2246929 28-May-2019 12:07

Wi-Fi not built into the unit is fantastic, You should be streaming over Ethernet

+1 to Vodafone

Oblivian

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#2246968 28-May-2019 12:08

Designed in line with the way some boffin decided the TV is the central point of the home and should have the ONT and router behind it and everything else planned around it/attached (sky, freeview box, etc - just so happens most direct to tv devices aren't considered as needing wifi or to ensure stability I guess).

butlerboy

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#2246973 28-May-2019 12:17

Seems insane to me. Most people I know don't have their modem anywhere near their TV. I stream most things to my TV via Wi-Fi with no issue 99% of the time.

Handsomedan

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#2246974 28-May-2019 12:20

butlerboy: Seems insane to me. Most people I know don't have their modem anywhere near their TV. I stream most things to my TV via Wi-Fi with no issue 99% of the time.

I'm with you here...my router/modem/ONT is all a good distance from the lounge and I couldn't connect anything in my living room to Ethernet without cabling being done under the floor or through the house.

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butlerboy

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#2246975 28-May-2019 12:23

Handsomedan:
butlerboy: Seems insane to me. Most people I know don't have their modem anywhere near their TV. I stream most things to my TV via Wi-Fi with no issue 99% of the time.

I'm with you here...my router/modem/ONT is all a good distance from the lounge and I couldn't connect anything in my living room to Ethernet without cabling being done under the floor or through the house.

Yeah same here. My modem is in the kitchen. Just seems to me it's missing basic core functionality by having no Wi-Fi. I understand connecting via Ethernet is better but for most people that isn't an option.

jonathan18

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#2246978 28-May-2019 12:37

Not providing wifi is one of those things that sounds good in theory, but simply doesn't match the real-world situation of many of their (potential) customers: so many people simply don't have the option to lay cables (no pun intended!) to be able to provide Ethernet to beside their TV - whether it's because they rent, or their house has concrete floors, or they don't have the money to do it, or the knowledge...

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invisibleman18

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#2247034 28-May-2019 13:09

When I signed up they provided the WIFI extenders free when I said the router was not located within a metre of the TV. Would have thought they would usually be included in new signups since they are needed for it to work. How far the router would be from the TV was one of the first questions they asked me.

Morm

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#2247042 28-May-2019 13:23

Yeah, they could have bundled some extenders at sign up - worth raising with vodafone

Their wifi extenders actually work really well

Otherwise you can get a cheaper wifi extender elsewhere - as long as it has an Ethernet port and the wifi is good enough by the tv it should be ok.

Better than leaving the stb in the box...

Lias

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#2247050 28-May-2019 13:37

Given how often people bitch that their "internet" is crap when it's actually their horribly over-saturated 2.4ghz WiFi, I'd say it's a no brainer. I'd actually like to see all ISP's provide routers without WiFi, and make every customer responsible for their own WiFi.. We'd probably shave $20/month of the cost of broadband with the reduced support overheads lol..

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froob

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#2247150 28-May-2019 14:55

I was given the Vodafone TV last time I signed on for another 12 months, and was given the Vodafone extenders for free (even though I have ethernet to my TV location). But, from memory it was an advertised promotion at the time.

My in-laws were also just upgraded from a T-Box to the Vodafone TV a week or two ago, and Vodafone actually sent a contractor out, who wired a new ethernet run to behind their TV.

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rugrat

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#2247430 29-May-2019 01:37

Lias:

Given how often people bitch that their "internet" is crap when it's actually their horribly over-saturated 2.4ghz WiFi, I'd say it's a no brainer. I'd actually like to see all ISP's provide routers without WiFi, and make every customer responsible for their own WiFi.. We'd probably shave $20/month of the cost of broadband with the reduced support overheads lol..

Then you'd get people ringing up asking how to set up their wifi, what do they need to buy.

Apple TV 4k movies, Netflix 4k, Amazon 4k, Freeview all playing fine on wifi here, where's the -1 button.

sbiddle

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#2247451 29-May-2019 07:09

Morm:

Yeah, they could have bundled some extenders at sign up - worth raising with vodafone

Their wifi extenders actually work really well

Otherwise you can get a cheaper wifi extender elsewhere - as long as it has an Ethernet port and the wifi is good enough by the tv it should be ok.

Better than leaving the stb in the box...

FWIW it's not an extender required to connect the box to a WiFi network - it's a wireless bridge. Some devices may offer extender and bridge capability in one, but not all will.

Morm

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#2247467 29-May-2019 07:51

sbiddle:

Morm:

Yeah, they could have bundled some extenders at sign up - worth raising with vodafone

Their wifi extenders actually work really well

Otherwise you can get a cheaper wifi extender elsewhere - as long as it has an Ethernet port and the wifi is good enough by the tv it should be ok.

Better than leaving the stb in the box...

FWIW it's not an extender required to connect the box to a WiFi network - it's a wireless bridge. Some devices may offer extender and bridge capability in one, but not all will.

That is true - the Vodafone ones are actually a Bridge when used as a pair and are video optimised which is why they work well (as well as beamformed 5ghz wifi between them)

Aredwood

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#2247495 29-May-2019 08:25

A cable to your TV has always been required for best results. Sure, some people would be lucky, and get good reception using only a “rabbit ears” type antenna. But most people had to invest in a proper roof mount antenna and coax cable to their TV. Even if that meant putting the antenna on a 10M high pole. (must have been very expensive to do).

Only difference now, that cable is now a CAT6 instead of a coax cable.

Streaming over Wifi is equivalent to using “rabbit ears”. While streaming over Ethernet is equivalent to using a properly installed outdoor antenna.