Cabling from hub and openreach modem to BT TV box

[QM]

Hi, Our Openreach modem is sited in the hallway with a cable to the hub. We're currently using everything on Wi-Fi but not able to use the full functionality of the BT TV box for on demand etc as it's not cabled to the hub and sited obviously with the TV and in a different room. How does everyone else work around this, do I need to get a longer ethernet cable to run under the carpet from hub to box or modem to hub so I can physically connect the hub to the BT TV box? (Fibre 2 package with Digital Voice).TIA

[Will168 · Accepted solution]

You could do as you suggested and run a longer cable from the Hub to the TV. It’s reliable and will be able to make full use of your Fibre 2 speeds (assuming you’re not talking hundreds of metres of cabling length).

You can also use a set of powerline adaptors. You plug one into a socket next to your Hub and run a short ethernet cable from it to the Hub. The other adaptor goes into a socket next to your TV and you run a short cable from that one to your BT TV box. Speeds will be dependent on the state of the electrical wiring in your home. For Fibre 2 speeds, I would expect it should be fine.

The latter option would be more expensive, but is also easier and neater than fishing cables under carpets or tacking them along the wall. If you ever decide to relocate your TV or Hub, it would also be easier to move the adaptor with it too. Use your preferred search engine with the term “powerline adaptors” to see options.

[QM]

It's not far from the hub to the 2 pieces of equipment I want to connect to so I've opted to lay some Cat5e cable to each. Many thanks. 

[Will168]

No worries.

If you have two pieces or more of equipment to connect at the TV end, you could also just lay one cable from the Hub to that location and add a simple multi-port unmanaged network switch at the TV end. That would achieve the same result with just one cable and you could distribute to multiple equipment off the network switch (depending on the number of ports on the switch you opt for).