[Totally OT] Roku woes

Anyone out there have a Roku? I apologize if this is US-centric, I
don't know if Roku is sold outside this country.

I just bought one, and last night I set it up. It's the low-end
one for regular, non-HD TV. Before I made the purchase, I checked
the FAQ on their site to make sure I would be able to install and
use it. Here's what it says:

What do I need to enjoy Roku at home?

Chances are you probably already have everything you need, including a:

* TV
* High-speed Internet connection - either wired or wireless
* Few minutes to set it up

That's it!

I have a wired, high-speed internet connection, so I figured I was
good to go.

I was a little concerned when the instructions said to connect the
Roku to my "router", seeing as I do not have a router. I have one
computer, and it's connected to the Internet via a DSL modem. This
qualifies as a "high-speed internet connection" as far as I'm concerned.
You'll notice that the FAQ above mentions nothing about a router.

So I hooked it up to the DSL modem and hooked everything else up, the
Roku initial page came up on my TV, and I started its set-up routine.
It asked whether my connection is wired or wireless, I clicked "wired".

It then tried to connect to "my network". WTF? At no point was I ever
informed that I would need to have a network in my home for this to
work. And because I don't have a network or router, it FAILED.

Anyone have any suggestions, other than "buy a router"? I'm sure most
people who have a Roku do not have LANs in their houses!!

Just a tad annoyed,
Joyce

PS - Thanks!

--
I want freedom, the right to self expression, everyone's right to
beautiful radiant things. -- Emma Goldman

i have no idea what this device even is, olololol, Lee
wrote in message
...
Anyone out there have a Roku? I apologize if this is US-centric, I
don't know if Roku is sold outside this country.

I just bought one, and last night I set it up. It's the low-end
one for regular, non-HD TV. Before I made the purchase, I checked
the FAQ on their site to make sure I would be able to install and
use it. Here's what it says:

What do I need to enjoy Roku at home?

Chances are you probably already have everything you need, including a:

* TV
* High-speed Internet connection - either wired or wireless
* Few minutes to set it up

That's it!

I have a wired, high-speed internet connection, so I figured I was
good to go.

I was a little concerned when the instructions said to connect the
Roku to my "router", seeing as I do not have a router. I have one
computer, and it's connected to the Internet via a DSL modem. This
qualifies as a "high-speed internet connection" as far as I'm concerned.
You'll notice that the FAQ above mentions nothing about a router.

So I hooked it up to the DSL modem and hooked everything else up, the
Roku initial page came up on my TV, and I started its set-up routine.
It asked whether my connection is wired or wireless, I clicked "wired".

It then tried to connect to "my network". WTF? At no point was I ever
informed that I would need to have a network in my home for this to
work. And because I don't have a network or router, it FAILED.

Anyone have any suggestions, other than "buy a router"? I'm sure most
people who have a Roku do not have LANs in their houses!!

Just a tad annoyed,
Joyce

PS - Thanks!

--
I want freedom, the right to self expression, everyone's right to
beautiful radiant things. -- Emma Goldman

wrote:
I have a wired, high-speed internet connection, so I figured I was
good to go.

I was a little concerned when the instructions said to connect the
Roku to my "router", seeing as I do not have a router. I have one
computer, and it's connected to the Internet via a DSL modem. This
qualifies as a "high-speed internet connection" as far as I'm concerned.
You'll notice that the FAQ above mentions nothing about a router.

So I hooked it up to the DSL modem and hooked everything else up, the
Roku initial page came up on my TV, and I started its set-up routine.
It asked whether my connection is wired or wireless, I clicked "wired".

It then tried to connect to "my network". WTF? At no point was I ever
informed that I would need to have a network in my home for this to
work. And because I don't have a network or router, it FAILED.

Anyone have any suggestions, other than "buy a router"? I'm sure most
people who have a Roku do not have LANs in their houses!!

Just a tad annoyed,
Joyce

I don't know what a Roku is but (but it sounds cool), but if it's a
network capable device, you really need a router. Don't think of it as
"getting a LAN", because essentially, you already have a LAN, that LAN
being the Ethernet "network" between your DSL modem and your PC.

Just think of a router in less intimidating terms, as a sophisticated
hub or splitter that allows you to attach two or more cables to your
DSL modem, instead of just one. You can pick up a cheap router for
$30.

Personally, I usually attach just one computer to my router, but I
still have a router, for safety reasons. I took a course a few years
back for which I needed to set up some middleware such as MySQL. If I
didn't have a router, it would have meant that anyone on the Internet
could theoretically log into my database, if it weren't for firewall
software and other security precautions. When I put a router between
my modem and my computer, all the Internet sees is the smooth, barren
interface of the dumbest, most hardened computer ever - a hardware
router, instead of the rich, sloppy interface of my Windows machine.
Plus, a router is convenient to have.

wrote in message
...
Anyone out there have a Roku? I apologize if this is US-centric, I
don't know if Roku is sold outside this country.

I just bought one, and last night I set it up. It's the low-end
one for regular, non-HD TV. Before I made the purchase, I checked
the FAQ on their site to make sure I would be able to install and
use it. Here's what it says:

What do I need to enjoy Roku at home?

Chances are you probably already have everything you need, including a:

* TV
* High-speed Internet connection - either wired or wireless
* Few minutes to set it up

That's it!

I have a wired, high-speed internet connection, so I figured I was
good to go.

I was a little concerned when the instructions said to connect the
Roku to my "router", seeing as I do not have a router. I have one
computer, and it's connected to the Internet via a DSL modem. This
qualifies as a "high-speed internet connection" as far as I'm concerned.
You'll notice that the FAQ above mentions nothing about a router.

So I hooked it up to the DSL modem and hooked everything else up, the
Roku initial page came up on my TV, and I started its set-up routine.
It asked whether my connection is wired or wireless, I clicked "wired".

It then tried to connect to "my network". WTF? At no point was I ever
informed that I would need to have a network in my home for this to
work. And because I don't have a network or router, it FAILED.

Anyone have any suggestions, other than "buy a router"? I'm sure most
people who have a Roku do not have LANs in their houses!!

Just a tad annoyed,
Joyce

PS - Thanks!

--


I am not familiar with Roku, but there are several tutorials available on
YouTube (free, of course).

MaryL

Takayuki wrote:

Anyone have any suggestions, other than "buy a router"? I'm sure most
people who have a Roku do not have LANs in their houses!!

I don't know what a Roku is but (but it sounds cool), but if it's a
network capable device, you really need a router.

OK, but does the average person know this? Yes, it's a network-capable
device, but why does the company assume that everyone who buys one has
a router?

A Roku is a device that allows you to view streaming video on your TV.
Not just any old streaming video, though - you can't watch Youtube for
example. This is not a technical limitation, but rather a marketing one.
They're trying to get you to purchase various "channels" that provide
films, TV shows, and other programming, or music channels, to watch or
listen to on your TV, via the Internet. I have Netflix, the dominating
online DVD service, and they are the main reason to get the Roku, but
other services are quickly getting added on. (Some of the services
available are free ones, but if they're anything like the free "on
demand" movies and shows available via cable TV, they're not going to
be very good.)

Don't think of it as
"getting a LAN", because essentially, you already have a LAN, that LAN
being the Ethernet "network" between your DSL modem and your PC.

Just think of a router in less intimidating terms, as a sophisticated
hub or splitter that allows you to attach two or more cables to your
DSL modem, instead of just one. You can pick up a cheap router for
$30.

OK, but here's what is intimidating. My modem is in my study, next to the
computer. If I attach a router to the modem, how will I attach the Roku,
which is in my living room, to the router? Buy a 90-foot ethernet cable?
which will be running across the floor from one room to another? I rent
an apartment and I can NOT be drilling holes in the walls to hide cables
going from one room to another.

I'm not going to go wireless, end of discussion. I need to figure out
how to do this with a wired connection, without cables all over the place
and without vandalizing my apartment.

Personally, I usually attach just one computer to my router, but I
still have a router, for safety reasons. I took a course a few years
back for which I needed to set up some middleware such as MySQL. If I
didn't have a router, it would have meant that anyone on the Internet
could theoretically log into my database, if it weren't for firewall
software and other security precautions. When I put a router between
my modem and my computer, all the Internet sees is the smooth, barren
interface of the dumbest, most hardened computer ever - a hardware
router, instead of the rich, sloppy interface of my Windows machine.
Plus, a router is convenient to have.

OK, you've sold me. But I still don't know what to do about the cables.

Thanks,
Joyce

--
If an animal does something, they call it instinct. If we do exactly
the same thing for the same reason, they call it intelligence.
-- Will Cuppy

wrote:
Takayuki wrote:

Anyone have any suggestions, other than "buy a router"? I'm sure most
people who have a Roku do not have LANs in their houses!!

I don't know what a Roku is but (but it sounds cool), but if it's a
network capable device, you really need a router.

OK, but does the average person know this? Yes, it's a network-capable
device, but why does the company assume that everyone who buys one has
a router?

A Roku is a device that allows you to view streaming video on your TV.
Not just any old streaming video, though - you can't watch Youtube for
example. This is not a technical limitation, but rather a marketing one.
They're trying to get you to purchase various "channels" that provide
films, TV shows, and other programming, or music channels, to watch or
listen to on your TV, via the Internet. I have Netflix, the dominating
online DVD service, and they are the main reason to get the Roku, but
other services are quickly getting added on. (Some of the services
available are free ones, but if they're anything like the free "on
demand" movies and shows available via cable TV, they're not going to
be very good.)

Don't think of it as
"getting a LAN", because essentially, you already have a LAN, that LAN
being the Ethernet "network" between your DSL modem and your PC.

Just think of a router in less intimidating terms, as a sophisticated
hub or splitter that allows you to attach two or more cables to your
DSL modem, instead of just one. You can pick up a cheap router for
$30.

OK, but here's what is intimidating. My modem is in my study, next to the
computer. If I attach a router to the modem, how will I attach the Roku,
which is in my living room, to the router? Buy a 90-foot ethernet cable?
which will be running across the floor from one room to another? I rent
an apartment and I can NOT be drilling holes in the walls to hide cables
going from one room to another.

I'm not going to go wireless, end of discussion. I need to figure out
how to do this with a wired connection, without cables all over the place
and without vandalizing my apartment.

Personally, I usually attach just one computer to my router, but I
still have a router, for safety reasons. I took a course a few years
back for which I needed to set up some middleware such as MySQL. If I
didn't have a router, it would have meant that anyone on the Internet
could theoretically log into my database, if it weren't for firewall
software and other security precautions. When I put a router between
my modem and my computer, all the Internet sees is the smooth, barren
interface of the dumbest, most hardened computer ever - a hardware
router, instead of the rich, sloppy interface of my Windows machine.
Plus, a router is convenient to have.

OK, you've sold me. But I still don't know what to do about the cables.

Thanks,
Joyce
++++
I have a router and I read your explanation -- I still don't know what
it does (LOL). Best wishes. MLB

On Sun, 10 Oct 2010 22:13:21 +0000, bastXXXette wrote:

I was a little concerned when the instructions said to connect the Roku
to my "router", seeing as I do not have a router. I have one computer,
and it's connected to the Internet via a DSL modem. This qualifies as a
"high-speed internet connection" as far as I'm concerned. You'll notice
that the FAQ above mentions nothing about a router.

So I hooked it up to the DSL modem and hooked everything else up, the
Roku initial page came up on my TV, and I started its set-up routine. It
asked whether my connection is wired or wireless, I clicked "wired".

It then tried to connect to "my network". WTF? At no point was I ever
informed that I would need to have a network in my home for this to
work. And because I don't have a network or router, it FAILED.

Anyone have any suggestions, other than "buy a router"? I'm sure most
people who have a Roku do not have LANs in their houses!!

Your DSL modem may, or may not, perform the functions of a router, except
multiple output ports. If it is, you can put a cheap Ethernet switch on
its output and the combination will look like a router. Google the
modem's brand and model, or bring up it's user interface (usually
http://192.168.0.1 or http://192.158.1.1) and see if it offers NAT
(Network Address Translation) - it it does, hanging a cheap switch on the
output will make it look like a full blown router. If it doesn't have
NAT, you will need a separate router, but if it does and you use a second
router, you are just asking for trouble: you will probably have to assign
the two devices to separate subnets, for example, 192.168.0 and
192.168.1. Getting a router to work reliably on anything except its
default subnet can get ... interesting (BTDT, not fun - removed the
second router and installed a switch).

What you are trying to accomplish is to give each networked device its
own IP address on the local private subnet. The 192.168 addresses, and
some others (10.0.0.0 – 10.255.255.255 and 172.16.0.0 – 172.31.255.255)
are not accessible from the public network and have to be translated by a
router to the address provided by your ISP. A DSL model/router and
switch will do that as will a simple DSL modem (less common) and an
external router. A simple modem and a switch won't work, and stacked
routers is something best left to the pros.

Just a tad annoyed,

Par for the course.

--
Ted Davis )

In ,
typed:
Anyone out there have a Roku? I apologize if this is US-centric, I
don't know if Roku is sold outside this country.

I just bought one, and last night I set it up. It's the low-end
one for regular, non-HD TV. Before I made the purchase, I checked
the FAQ on their site to make sure I would be able to install and
use it. Here's what it says:

What do I need to enjoy Roku at home?

Chances are you probably already have everything you need, including
a:

* TV
* High-speed Internet connection - either wired or wireless
* Few minutes to set it up

That's it!

I have a wired, high-speed internet connection, so I figured I was
good to go.

I was a little concerned when the instructions said to connect the
Roku to my "router", seeing as I do not have a router. I have one
computer, and it's connected to the Internet via a DSL modem. This
qualifies as a "high-speed internet connection" as far as I'm
concerned. You'll notice that the FAQ above mentions nothing about a
router.

So I hooked it up to the DSL modem and hooked everything else up, the
Roku initial page came up on my TV, and I started its set-up routine.
It asked whether my connection is wired or wireless, I clicked
"wired".

It then tried to connect to "my network". WTF? At no point was I ever
informed that I would need to have a network in my home for this to
work. And because I don't have a network or router, it FAILED.

Anyone have any suggestions, other than "buy a router"? I'm sure most
people who have a Roku do not have LANs in their houses!!

i have no idea what a Roku is, but I'm assuming its just another thing that
needs an internet connection.

If you want more than one device connected to your internet connection at a
time, you have two options:

1) wireless network
2) cable network

Either way, you'll need a router, either a wireless one, or a cable one, or
one that can do both (we have one that does both - the PCs are on cable, the
consoles & phones go via wi-fi)

Setting up a wireless network is easy (I've done it) and its really not all
that hard to stop most people from using it for free. It simply requires a
password - and like all passwords, the longer and more 'random' it is, the
better security it is - but its not totally foolproof because nothing is.

The other option is to run cables, which I must admit are more reliable and
less prone to interference and 'hackers' but are ugly and make a good
triphazard. They are faster (IMHO) and are less prone to being hijacked by
freeloaders (although not totally - depends where they get 'in').

The only other option is to take out your internet connection from your PC
and plug it into the Roku when you want to use the Roku and vice versa, not
something I"d recommend.

You'd be surprised how many houses have LANs - I reckon most families with
teenagers do!

Yowie

Jack Campin - bogus address wrote:

Running the connection through the computer to use its modem (as you
thought you could do) would mean using USB cable. Using a router
would mean using cat-5 ethernet. Same problem, except that cat-5 is
much cheaper than USB and easier to do in long runs.

No, I never thought I was going to use the computer. Initially, I assumed
that the Roku device had modem capabilities and could be hooked up to the
phone line directly on one end, and to the TV on the other.

Then when I realized that I still needed a device that could connect
to the net, I thought a modem would work. But it's not set up that way.
It's expecting to talk to a router, and it doesn't work if it's connected
to anything else. I just wish the company had been more explicit about
that on their website - I would have been better prepared.

Joyce

--
It is better to give than to lend, and it costs about the same.
-- Unknown

Yowie wrote:

If you want more than one device connected to your internet connection at a
time, you have two options:

1) wireless network
2) cable network

Either way, you'll need a router, either a wireless one, or a cable one, or
one that can do both (we have one that does both - the PCs are on cable, the
consoles & phones go via wi-fi)

Hmm, that sounds good. I'd prefer to the computer to be connected by
a cable, but I don't care about the Roku. (The Roku just allows you to
access streaming video on the Internet and play it on your TV.)

Setting up a wireless network is easy (I've done it) and its really not all
that hard to stop most people from using it for free. It simply requires a
password - and like all passwords, the longer and more 'random' it is, the
better security it is - but its not totally foolproof because nothing is.

Does this mean I'd need to use the password every time I watched an
Internet video on TV? I don't know how I'd do that, because there's no
keyboard attached to it.

The other option is to run cables, which I must admit are more reliable and
less prone to interference and 'hackers' but are ugly and make a good
triphazard. They are faster (IMHO) and are less prone to being hijacked by
freeloaders (although not totally - depends where they get 'in').

I suppose one other option is to move the computer into the livingroom
and put it next to the TV - then there wouldn't be cables going all over
the place. But I like having a separate room for the computer!

The only other option is to take out your internet connection from your PC
and plug it into the Roku when you want to use the Roku and vice versa, not
something I"d recommend.

I tried that already and it didn't work. The Roku kept trying to connect
to my (internal) network. It didn't know what to do with a DSL modem.

Joyce

--
It is better to give than to lend, and it costs about the same.
-- Unknown