With a smart TV, the telly world is your oyster. Netflix. Prime Video. BBC iPlayer. You can watch them all on your smart TV. Once you’ve connected it to the internet, your favourite shows and films are only a couple of button presses away.
Most new TVs these days are ‘smart’. But how do you connect your TV to the internet? We’ll show you exactly how - with wireless and wired options explained.
1. The wireless option - connect via Wi-Fi
The majority of smart TVs are made to work with your Wi-Fi. That’s because they have a built-in wireless adapter.
Connecting to the web should only take a couple of minutes. But, if your Wi-Fi signal isn’t the strongest, we’d recommend putting your router and telly in the same room. That way, you can connect to your telly quickly. And everything you watch should run smoothly without buffering ruining the action.
What’s good about a wireless connection?
There are no trailing wires – perfect for keeping your living room nice and tidy. There’s nothing for you to trip over either
Place your TV anywhere in the room – you could wall mount it for the best viewing angle possible
Incredibly simple to set up – press a few buttons and you’re ready to get watching
How to connect
Hit the Menu button on your TV remote
Choose the Network Settings option, then Set up a Wireless Connection
Select your wireless network name from the drop-down list
Type in your Wi-Fi password using your remote
2. The wired option - plug straight into your router
Want the strongest, most stable connection? Plug your TV directly into the internet with an Ethernet cable. To do this, you’ll need to make sure your router is near your telly. Or, failing that, just make sure you get an Ethernet cable that’s long enough.
When you’re connecting multiple devices, you want to make sure your connection stays strong. So, go for a powerful router that’s designed for high internet usage.
What’s good about a wired connection?
Easy to set up – just plug the Ethernet cable into your TV
It offers the most reliable connection – so your film won’t freeze up halfway through
It’s a lot faster than Wi-Fi
How to connect
Find the Ethernet port on the back of your TV
Connect an Ethernet cable from your router to the port on your telly
Select Menu on your TV’s remote and then go to Network Settings
Select the option to enable wired internet
Type your Wi-Fi password in using the buttons on your remote
3. The powerline option - for when your TV is upstairs
Sometimes it’s just not practical having your telly in the same room as your router. But even if your TV is upstairs or in another room, you can still watch Netflix.
The further you are from your router, the weaker the signal becomes. But you can extend the reach of your home network for smoother streaming with a powerline kit.
A powerline kit usually includes 2 adapters and 2 Ethernet cables. Once the adapters are plugged into power sockets and your router, the internet signal is then sent down your electricity cables.
What’s good about a powerline connection?
It sends a strong internet connection upstairs or through thick walls
You’ll extend the internet right into the far corners of your home
It’s super easy to set it all up
How to connect
Plug the first powerline adapter into a socket in the same room as your router
Use an Ethernet cable to connect the adapter to your broadband router
Plug the second powerline adapter into a socket in the same room as your smart TV
Then plug an Ethernet cable into the Ethernet port on your smart telly
Connect the other end of the Ethernet cable to your powerline adapter
Why is fast broadband important?
Watching online video is the main benefit of a smart TV. The faster your broadband, the better quality your catch-up TV, film night and box set binge will be. Particularly if your smart TV is also 4K UHD. Netflix and Amazon stream a selection of shows and films in 4K. And you’ll want to take full advantage of them.
Super-fast broadband will give you the best possible regular streaming experience – and it’s near-essential for 4K streaming. So what are you waiting for?
Still confused about the world of smart TVs and all things Wi-Fi? Have a chat to one of our in-store experts over on ShopLive. They’ll be able to help you get tech-ready for some quality streaming sessions.
