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Anonymous User
Not applicable

NOWTV Stick not picking up TV has a Powerline

I have a NOWTV account for TV & broadband.  I have one Stick in my main TV working off the wireless router in the same living room.  All working fine.  I have the other side of the house a smart TV linked up to the living room router via a Powerline giving me Ethernet connection no problem with ondemand TV & Netflix.  All working fine.  I've bought another NOWTV Stick, plugged in, got the usual pink screen, it wants to find a 'Wireless' connection' which obviously shows it's a very poor signal and cannot connect.  I can't work out why the Stick doesn't realise the smart TV has an Ethernet connection with a Powerline.  Am I doing something wrong?

 

Thanks for any help in advance.

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION
schnapps
Legend 5
Legend 5

Hi @Anonymous User 

 

Forgot to say if your powerline adpater has an inbuilt wifi feature, then have you tried resetting the powerline plug (see if there is anything in the powerline plugs manufacturers instructions manuals).

 

If the powerline plugs only work over the 2.4 ghz wifi band, then make sure the router and new second stick on the second TV is using 2.4 ghz and not 5ghz.

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3 REPLIES 3
schnapps
Legend 5
Legend 5

Hi @Anonymous User 

 

The Now TV stick works over wifi, so unless your power line adaptor also acts has a wifi extender or booster then I can't see how your powerline adpater works with the stick.

 

What happens if you relocate the old stick from your main TV to the second TV and setup the new stick on your main TV.

 

Does both sticks works or only the stick on the main TV which I am assuming is closer to your router which has a much better wifi reception.

 

Does you power line adapters have a spare Ethernet port on them, where a Now TV box might be a better option over the stick ?

schnapps
Legend 5
Legend 5

Hi @Anonymous User 

 

Forgot to say if your powerline adpater has an inbuilt wifi feature, then have you tried resetting the powerline plug (see if there is anything in the powerline plugs manufacturers instructions manuals).

 

If the powerline plugs only work over the 2.4 ghz wifi band, then make sure the router and new second stick on the second TV is using 2.4 ghz and not 5ghz.

RoyB
Legend

What @schnapps said, as to how to solve this. Just a bit more background from me.

 

Firstly, a NowTV stick doesn’t know about the TV it is plugged into, beyond what it gets from the HDMI handshake about screen resolution, and so on. It has no idea what the TV is using to get to the router, WiFi, direct Ethernet or PLAs or what, and so it can’t piggyback on that.

 

Regarding PLAs, I had the problem of getting a broadband signal  to our garden room, so I bought a pair of PLAs to run over the mains cable that goes out there. Worked perfectly to my laptop, using a short extra Ethernet cable from PLA to laptop, but did nothing for my iPad.

 

Turns out there are two sorts of PLA, and I had bought the wrong type, even though it was the ‘ordinary’, Ethernet only, type. What I needed was the ‘extra’, WiFi, type, which gives you not only the Ethernet connection, but also acts as a little local WiFi hotspot.

 

That type, as schnapps mentions, would support your distant NowTV stick.

 

It would also let you run the TV there over WiFi as well; the problem with using an Ethernet-connected NowTV box is that there will probably be only one Ethernet connection on your remote PLA, and TV plus NowTV box will need two connections.

 

You could solve this with an Ethernet switch, which are only about £15, and a couple of extra Ethernet cables.

 

But you might want to consider, if you have just ‘ordinary’ PLAs, getting a pair with WiFi instead, which will then spread your WiFi to that end of the house, for any iPads, smartphones, or other portable devices you might not be able to use there at the moment, but would like to.

 

Curry’s were kind enough to let me bring my ‘wrong’ PLAs straight back and swap them for a pair of the WiFi type, so I only had to pay the extra, but you would have to pay the price shown, I guess.

 

Anyway, here’s a link to Curry’s page of these* (other suppliers are available). You want ones that say WiFi, of which the WPA4220 might suit you nicely, for a few £s more than the alternative solution, and be very much more versatile, being a WiFi hotspot for things beyond your immediate need.

 

Good luck!

 

*Hopefully giving this isn’t breaking any forum rules; I have no connection with Curry’s, just that I know they specify which PLAs are WiFi, and which aren’t, better than some other sites.

Set a Payment PIN on your account so that no-one but you can buy memberships on it. Check your bank accounts monthly for any other unexpected payments to Now. That way you can at least nip them in the bud, while you and Now figure out whose fault they are.