Resolved Need WiFi help for my new Smart TV

Why is that a problem? How can the TV be connected if it is powered OFF? That's as it should be. No matter where the extenders are placed the TV will be disconnected if it is powered OFF.

Wired is ALWAYS better than wifi for such things, no matter the distances.

 

What is the distance from the wifi router to the doorway at F?

You cannot daisy-chain wifi extenders like the Opticover. In other words, you can only use 1 Opticover effectively. If you use 2 they will only repeat the source router's signal. You can try to set the furthest one to repeat the 1st Opticover signal but extenders will always disconnect and have problems when daisy chained. That's by design as they are not intended to be used as a mesh network.

Your best bet is wired or a wifi mesh system (expensive). Otherwise the next best thing is to use an actual access point set in repeater mode. And you CAN use multiple access points which are set to repeat each other.

Next best thing over extenders such as Opticover are powerline adapters.

As far as I know you cannot use a wifi dongle with a Samsung tv because the Samsung operating system (it's Linux based) will not have the drivers for it. The usb ports are only for data drives.

 

I recently moved to a new (built in 2018) apartment with wired ethernet outlets in each room. Do you think there is one in the wall where I want to have my TV/HiFi? No, there isn't but the thought of wireless (which works fine in the whole apartment) never crossed my mind. I went for a "midrange" (price-wise) powerline adapter inserted into a power outlet next to the TV/HiFi. The adapter has two outlets, one for the TV and another for the streaming device connected to the amplifier. It works very well and knowing that there are alternatives, I can recommend the TL-PA7020 KIT. I didn't know it at the time of purchase but it subsequently became the winner of a UK test of powerline adapters.

 

No basement? Or better yet, a line up the wall from router to attic, across the house and down the wall at the TV. Should be quite simple IF there's attic space. Similar method beneath IF there's a crawl space or basement. You can go up to approx 300' with a single line.

 

Good choice!

 

It reminds me of the three brothers, Dumb, Dumber and Dumbest. As you say, all electrical lines are joined at the main circuit breaker. Whoever has his/her whole apartment or house on the same circuit breaker? If a circuit breaker "goes off", then the unit connected stops working due to being "powered off" but if no circuit breaker "goes off", then everything is fine. I have a TL-PA7020 KIT not only in my apartment but also in my summer house and both installations are on different circuit breakers.

(According to what I've heard/read somewhere, if there is an electricity meter installed on one of the electrical lines, that will "break" the connection.)

I think you've got it right!

 

I checked the QIG (Quick Installation Guide) and it says "wall outlets on the same electrical circuit". It says nothing about "circuit breaker".

Look at it as if it were a tree. At the root, there's a main circuit breaker and probably an electrical meter. From the trunk of the tree there are branches, each branch protected by its own circuit breaker but it's still the same tree.

With reference to my remark within brackets, if you have an electrical meter installed before one of the branches, it will break the connection.

 

That goes hand in hand with what I've heard in general for digital connections over copper wires. In many cases, when apartment buildings get connected to optical fibre, it comes to the basement only. From the basement to each individual apartment it is transferred over the old copper wires for the telephone line. This should not reduce transfer speed too much for shorter distances (maybe 300 meters is the "limit") on copper wire.

I have no answer to that but in the manual for my Rotel RA-1570 (amplifier) it says that analog cables and power cables should be separated from digital cables. But then, the Denon DCD-800NE (CD-player) shuts down the display during playback to get a "pure signal". That may be noticeable for those with ears younger than mine but in "speculative mode" I might think that interference from the metering equipment could be a problem when transferring digital data.

 

There seems to be some confusion re how to use powerline adapters. It's quite simple really.
The first adapter (closest to the router) can be plugged into ANY wall outlet, ideally an outlet near the router on the same circuit, but DOES NOT have to be on the same circuit. In all likelihood they will be on the same circuit.
The second adapter should be plugged into a wall outlet that is on the same circuit as the TV.
By circuit is meant the series of outlets on the same circuit breaker.
Simple.
You can daisy-chain powerline adapters, i.e. use 3 or more BUT the end-of-the-line adapter should be on the same circuit as the TV solely because that is the place you want Internet connectivity.

From the TP-Link Manual:

2.2 Extend Your Wired Network by Plug & Play
1. Connect one of the powerline adapters to an available LAN port of the router using an Ethernet cable.
2. Plug the powerline adapter into a wall outlet.
3. Plug the other powerline adapter into a wall outlet on the same electrical circuit at the place you want Internet. Wait until the powerline LED turns on.

I would not be surprised if all your bedroom outlets are on the same 15-20 amp circuit, as well as bedroom lights. There's no need for multiple circuits for 3 bedrooms because bedroom circuits are used mainly for lighting, clocks, etc. Most homes are wired in that manner. The bathrooms will be on a separate or 2 separate circuits and their ceiling lights might be on the same circuit as the bedrooms.

Good circuit breakers are not cheap and the builder will usually install the minimum quantity of breakers according to local elec codes. Your elec panel will likely have the minimum. Older homes will definitely have all bedrooms on the same circuit.