I use my WD Player with WiFi at home but thinking about connect it with cable to my router using instead. Would that make any improvement?
While I did not do extensive testing, my WDTV would freeze during playback when using wifi. This issue went away when I used wired ethernet.
A lot of complex code is removed from the execution stack when wired is used.
ALWAYS prefer connecting any device via Ethernet wire vs using Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi is a radio signal, and like any radio signal, subject to many potential problems. I never use a device wirelessly unless I absolutely have to.
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Is it really necessary to have the box wired at all?
I use an attached hard drive, download my own file images, and don’t use any of the streaming links. With all the issues I’ve had, I always thought it was easier to simplify the processing.
Short answer is YES, and here is why:
First let’s clarify the difference between Internet and connecting to home network (aka router). If one is using a router, they have a home network. It can also be set up in more detail to share and access with any device. If one wants Internet connectivity (for email, browsing, streaming online media, other devices and on WDTV, etc) they add Internet to their router/home network
I also have two large capacity HDs connected to my WDTV full of media. So full, that I need more HD space. Additional drives on PCs and especially a home network NAS to the rescue. I can leave the two HDs connected to the WDTV, and now, in addition, add more media to my NAS which I can access from the WDTV, all computers, all mobile devices and other devices.
Even a home without a NAS and elaborate home network still needs Internet to access firmware upgrades and use any of the online sources built-in to WDTV.
So, maybe you don’t, but many, many other people do want and have the need.
As for wired vs wireless connection, I know that a wired connect works better and can be faster than Wi-Fi, so any device of mine that can be wired, is.
Impressive setup, but I was thinking in terms of a basic setup. I use an attached hard drive and download my own posters. There are no updates coming, and I found most the apps to be lacking, or better options via other hardware.
I just wonder if being connected to the network slows down the box at all.
No. If connected to a wired gigabit network data travels even faster than through the basic 10/100 wired network, and way more faster than it does on many wireless networks. Keep in mind that “the network” and “the Internet” are two distinct conditions. Internet can be (and often is) an add-on to a home network. But, we are talking about the network only when it concerns the WDTV (unless one is streaming data from the Internet to the WDTV, such as from Netflix, etc) But, when you are streaming data (a movie) from a hard drive on your network this data is NOT traveling though the internet, it is flowing only through your network devices…
I understand … i used to have the same setup (HDD attached to the WDTV … no streaming) download posters and info via Thumbgen
Do some testing and compare the results … but personally, if you’re using an attached HDD to WDTV then why bother connecting to a Network ? again, do some tests.
