Hopper 3 USB WiFi adapter - Hopper to router WiFi issues

[tpribors]

This is my other Hopper WiFi problem. There are two. The other topic is about the Wireless Joey and Access point infrastructure.

This one is about the Hopper 3 to the home WiFi router link.

I used to not care how robust the Hopper-Router link was since it was only used for "maintenance". But now that Dish has started using Internet Streaming on some of the channels that used to be over satellite, we have problems at times when the programming does the typical "buffering" spinning circle...

In my new house the built-in WiFi is unable to maintain a link to my router. It's not that far, but there are two walls, but most important, the kitchen appliances in the line of "sight". I have the latest Verizon 5G system. The hopper connects but can't maintain a signal. I can't get a WiFi extender due to the service and if I upgrade (which I can't due to 5g bandwidth) the cost would be the same as Cox fiber which I have at the house and Cox provides their "panoramic wifi" which places two or 3 repeaters...

Anyway, I thought about trying a USB wifi adapter and using an external antenna. I have an older TP-Link device that I used on my laptop when the built-in card died. I figured I'd try it to see if it worked before trying one with external antennae. The Hopper did not recognize the USB WiFi adapter. I tried it in both USB ports...

Does anyone know if the internal WiFi can be bypassed? Dish has one but it's for the older units and doesn't say if it is compatible with Hopper 3 and it doesn't have external antenna capability anyway...

 

[tpribors]

I think I found a way, maybe not the best as it depends on a router capability...

The Verizon router configuration for WiFi networks has three "networks". The basic network, a Guest network and a "Internet of Things" (IoT) network.

It turns out the IoT network is limited by the router to the 2.4GHz band. The goal is to use the lower frequency / longer range for the remote controlled devices. I put all of the things like the Pool controller, Water Shutoff, solar monitor panel, etc on the IoT net.

I'd just remembered this after I posted the above so I switched the WiFi net to the -IoT net. We'll see if the link stays up better.

 

[Foxbat]

You might also try Powerline (Ethernet over Power) to present an Ethernet port where your Hopper 3 is located. I've used the following to good success over the years:

TRENDnet Powerline 1300 AV2 Adapter Kit​

​

 

[Bobby]

You might also try Powerline (Ethernet over Power) to present an Ethernet port where your Hopper 3 is located. I've used the following to good success over the years:

TRENDnet Powerline 1300 AV2 Adapter Kit
View attachment 189859​

Do these need to be plugged into power outlets on the same power circuit breaker?

 

[rvvaquero]

Do these need to be plugged into power outlets on the same power circuit breaker?

I've used them before on different circuits and they worked. It's my understanding that they should be on the same leg, but I never paid any attention that so don't know if it's true.

 

[tpribors]

Do these need to be plugged into power outlets on the same power circuit breaker?

They say yes for best performance but they do work if not. I understand thr originals used the hot wire for the high frequency but new ones use neutral which all join in the panel. But the grounds meet there too so signal return loss is 50%... and gigabit device on the same circuit will prob get 500 bit but on different circuits maybe 300...

 

[HipKat]

This is my other Hopper WiFi problem. There are two. The other topic is about the Wireless Joey and Access point infrastructure.

This one is about the Hopper 3 to the home WiFi router link.

I used to not care how robust the Hopper-Router link was since it was only used for "maintenance". But now that Dish has started using Internet Streaming on some of the channels that used to be over satellite, we have problems at times when the programming does the typical "buffering" spinning circle...

In my new house the built-in WiFi is unable to maintain a link to my router. It's not that far, but there are two walls, but most important, the kitchen appliances in the line of "sight". I have the latest Verizon 5G system. The hopper connects but can't maintain a signal. I can't get a WiFi extender due to the service and if I upgrade (which I can't due to 5g bandwidth) the cost would be the same as Cox fiber which I have at the house and Cox provides their "panoramic wifi" which places two or 3 repeaters...

Anyway, I thought about trying a USB wifi adapter and using an external antenna. I have an older TP-Link device that I used on my laptop when the built-in card died. I figured I'd try it to see if it worked before trying one with external antennae. The Hopper did not recognize the USB WiFi adapter. I tried it in both USB ports...

Does anyone know if the internal WiFi can be bypassed? Dish has one but it's for the older units and doesn't say if it is compatible with Hopper 3 and it doesn't have external antenna capability anyway...

You need Mesh routers.

 

[tpribors]

You need Mesh routers.

Tried but verizon won't give it to me. Need the most expensive service which costs as much as cox with their fiber. And I hate cox

 

[HipKat]

Tried but verizon won't give it to me. Need the most expensive service which costs as much as cox with their fiber. And I hate cox

Give?? You know you can buy them, too, like most of us have

 

[Foxbat]

Do these need to be plugged into power outlets on the same power circuit breaker?

As others have mentioned, the new system does work no matter which leg of the power line you're plugging in to. I don't have testing numbers to back that up, but either I was lucky all those years ago, or like others have mentioned, the new standard uses all the wires to send the signals so it doesn't matter.

 

[tpribors]

You might also try Powerline (Ethernet over Power) to present an Ethernet port where your Hopper 3 is located. I've used the following to good success over the years:

TRENDnet Powerline 1300 AV2 Adapter Kit
View attachment 189859​

I had two of these, TP link gigabit version. I inserted them into the path. One at the Hopper and one at the router connected to the ethernet port.

They pair up and with a laptop the through put isn't pretty. I speedtest on the ethernet at the router and get the 100mbit down and 10+ or so up that Verizon says I get with this class of product. Speedtest at the hopper end of the "extended powerline ethernet" is actually about 100mbit download but only about 5mbit uplink. That is kinda what I expect when the TPlinks are on separate circuits. (There is no way to combine them).

The uplink speed just isn't enough to keep up with Dish Anywhere. I connected my usual tablet and started watching a DVR recording and a live channel and both picture quality was horrible. It looked like the old days when the app would allow a choice between viewing resolution - it looks like the Dish Anywhere app used a lower resolution because the speed wasn't there. The picture was blurry and "fine print" (like on the TV drug ads) was unreadable...

I also tried a wifi extender. This extender (the 3200 model from Verizon) doesn't work with wifi between the extender and router, but it will backaul over ethernet if connected so I used the Powerline. The result was the same. The Hopper connected to the WiFi on the extender, but the actual speed of the ethernet uplink had same results. Signal strength was impressive since they were sitting right next to each other.

The good part is that since the download ("cloud to router" and "router through powerline" to Hopper) is the 100mbit I get from the raw 5g system, the stuff that was once not very robust (ie, the Dish stuff that is now streamed instead of received over satellite, like the new MeTV) is more stable.

I'm thinking of seeking an actual Wifi extender that will interoperate with the 5g router (the one that Verizon supports is only available with the next up speed/service class but that is not available at my location, that's what I meant by Verizon supplies it...)

The funny thing is that this extender is at the dark end of the house and over a two hour period, most of the 5G and all of the 2.4G devices had migrated to the extender. Devices other than the Hopper don't work in this location. I actually switch my phone off WiFi at night becausse of the timeouts. With the extender everything worked... Uploads would suck since the upstream backhaul sucks but downloads worked OK.

I'll keep poking at this...