Yipes, I'm tempted to let this pass. I currently have high speed cable internet at home hooked up to my computer through USB. Do I have to have an Ethernet connection to set up a sling box? ** YES. ** I have a jack on the back of my modem for an ethernet connection but I do not have an ethernet card in my computer. I f I need to have an ethernet connnection what is the best and cheapest way and place to buy this suff? ** Where you feel comfy. There are USB to Ethernet and card Ethernet. The card has to be compatible with the bus available and you need to have slots available. There are other options like wireless for a Desktop too. ** If i HAVE to have an ethernet connection will I just need some type of router and ethernet card? Where would be the best place to buy this stuff if I have to have it. ** Redundant question, see above. Router, may or may not be required. Depends on what your modem can do. ** By doing this can someone be on my home computer internet, someone be watching the TV that I have the slingbox hooked up to AND me watching TV on my phone but a different channel that the person is watching on my TV that the sling box is hooked up on? ** I can't exhale that long. Your home network in a LAN (local area network). The Internet in this case is a (WAN) Wide area network. One user per slingbox. Pretend it can be hooked up like a VCR, but can't record. The slingbox's remote can be thought of as the "VCR's" remote or can be configured to be the "TV's" remote. Sometimes you can watch something different, other times you can't. Depends on how it's hooked up. ** If not what do I nned to do? Someone told me all I need is a router with a USB and Cat 5 output connected to my computer and sling box? I cant wait to watch TV on my Cell phone! Can some one please help me? ** Ask "someone" to find you a router with a USB cable. Not likely to exist. ** Sounds like connecting it might be way over your head. Potential obstacles: Cable router will likely need to support "MAC address cloning" and the cable modem will have to support "BRIDGE MODE" if the modem can't support NAT and port forwarding. Best if the modem/router supports both NAT (Network address translation, DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) and port forwarding. There are also issues like where is the TV signal in relation to your LAN. Lots of issues. Lot's of unknowns. Maybe lots of options.

It's HTML, re-edit with < br >'s

You cant use both. It's one or the other.

camholms said: What do you mean both? I am just using the USB ..I do NOT want to use ethernet. ...so......can I just use a router with a USB output and and Cat 5 cables connected to my computer and slingbox? I have a cable modem, it will be connected to a router and then the router connects to the computer down one line and to my sling box down another via cat 5. So will will this work?

You would buy a router. Then connect CAT 5 from the router to your cable modem.Then a cat 5, from router to computer and another cat 5, from router, to the slingbox.

Far as I know - You can't use both the cat 5 and USB connection on your modem, at the same time, you have to use one or the other.

...Follow Me on Twitter... Why is it after I push 1 for English I still can't understand the person on the other end?...

Yes, you can buy a special router with USB outputs on it.  Just like you could buy a router and a usb ethernet adapter for your computer (basically your paying to have it built in). 

What you cant do is use both the USB and ethernet port on your cable modem (Which is what I understood your original question to be -- it's a very common question).  They are the same port, and you can use one or the other but not both.

Also, regarding watching a different channel at home and on sling.  That question has been asked and answered several time.  Do a search.

camholms said: Why would I need to have my computer hooked up to my router with an ethernet adapter and ethernet cable...I DONT have an ethernet card in my computer or even an ethernet jack on the back of my computer. LOOKIN THE LINK TO THE PDAHOME PHONE FORUM ABOVE ...People with the 6700 and SLingbox are telling me I just need a router with a USB output and CAt 5 hooked up to the computer and slingbox!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHO IS RIGHT????????????

Hi calholms,

I can sense your frustration, so I'm happy to step in and help clarify a few points. Technically, everyone is correct. The problem you're facing is that you have several options available to you on how you can get everything hooked up.

One thing I'm unclear on is your modem. I've never seen a dedicated modem with both USB and Ethernet ports. I'm not saying they don't exist, but it's just not something I've ever encountered. If you're postive you have just the modem, and not a modem/router combo then your missing link is the router.

Router: If you don't have one, you really need it. This is the device that lets you connect more than one thing to your network. You can buy one that has both USB and Ethernet ports, but there are fewer choices, and they're typically much more expensive than Ethernet only models. Read below.

Ethernet: If you open your computer case and look on the main board, you should see several white connectors. Some may have different cards already installed. If you have an open one, you can buy an Ethernet card to fit into one of those slots (they're known as PCI slots. PCI Ethernet network cards are dirt cheap. You can usually buy them for less than $10, which is much cheaper than the price differential of buying a router with a USB port. Plus, they're easy to install. Even if you're afraid you don't know how to put it in, I bet you know someone that would be willing to help you.

If you don't have an open PCI slot, look at the cards already installed and determine if you could free one up. For example, if you have a modem installed in one, I'm willing to bet you never use it anymore. You could take that card out and put the new Ethernet board in it's place.

Your local electronics stores will sell Ethernet cards, but if you want some online suggestions, you could purchase one at Newegg.com or Mwave.com. I've personally done a lot of business with both online stores, and have been a very satified customer. In fact, Newegg is currently selling the DFE-530TX network card for 11.99 with free shipping. I use this exact card in 3 different PCs, and they all work beautifully. Here's a link: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product...

Sling on!

Matt Whitlock's Mind Over Matt'er - Technology musings, opinion, and more.

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