# Wifi And Netflix



## dask (Sep 15, 2019)

In order to watch a documentary only available on Netflix I thought I could maybe get myself a Netflix gift card and watch it through my laptop. The guy in the electronics department at Fred Meyer told me I could but only if I had wifi. All I have, however, is Ethernet. Do I really need wifi? Couldn't I watch Netflix through the Ethernet if I created an account with them?


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## Culhwch (Sep 15, 2019)

You shouldn't need wifi specifically, just an internet connection. Seeing as though you are here I imagine you have that. The speed of your connection will have more of an impact than anything.

In Australia you can generally get a two week or four week free trial of Netflix - is that an option to try it out and watch the doco where you are?


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## Nozzle Velocity (Sep 15, 2019)

Right, it should work either way. Wi-fi and ethernet are just different ways of connecting to your router.


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## dask (Sep 15, 2019)

Culhwch said:


> In Australia you can generally get a two week or four week free trial of Netflix - is that an option to try it out and watch the doco where you are?


Yes, Netflix offers a 30 day free trial. But I'm always leery of things like this afraid they may backfire like the time I cancelled my first isp. I had to yell and scream over the phone for about 20 minutes to do it and that is not an exaggeration.


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## Elckerlyc (Sep 15, 2019)

dask said:


> The guy in the electronics department at Fred Meyer told me I could but only if I had wifi.


That's a weird remark, really, it makes no sense.
If you can visit this Forum, you can visit Netflix and stream video. It doesn't really matter how you connect your laptop to your router, wired or wireless. My take is though, only use wifi when wired is not doable.


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## dask (Sep 15, 2019)

Sounds good. Thanks.


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## Dave (Sep 15, 2019)

Maybe he said that because new laptops don't tend to have ethernet CAT sockets any longer? They don't even have DVD drives. Some even will only work with one particular web browser. If you can read this now then you can get Netflix.


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## tinkerdan (Sep 15, 2019)

I would have to agree that that statement had to have come from assumptions about the device you were going to use.
Tablet computers that I've seen only have the wifi; although you could probably find a usb to ethernet to attach.
Notebook computers could suffer the same problem.
Maybe newer laptops; however higher end laptops that I've seen still have ethernet.
If you have a docking station that might likely have ethernet.


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## mosaix (Sep 16, 2019)

Dave said:


> Maybe he said that because new laptops don't tend to have ethernet CAT sockets any longer?


Maybe he said it because he was incompetent, Dave.


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## Dave (Sep 16, 2019)

mosaix said:


> Maybe he said it because he was incompetent, Dave.


That has to be on the list of options.


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## picklematrix (Sep 16, 2019)

People might have begun using the words 'wifi' and 'internet' interchangeably. Ethernet isn't very common in my neck of the woods, so maybe folks forget that it is an option.


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## Culhwch (Sep 16, 2019)

picklematrix said:


> People might have begun using the words 'wifi' and 'internet' interchangeably. Ethernet isn't very common in my neck of the woods, so maybe folks forget that it is an option.



Youngsters these days. Probably never even heard the dulcet beeps and squawks of a dialup connection.


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## -K2- (Sep 16, 2019)

picklematrix said:


> People might have begun using the words 'wifi' and 'internet' interchangeably. Ethernet isn't very common in my neck of the woods, so maybe folks forget that it is an option.





Culhwch said:


> Youngsters these days. Probably never even heard the dulcet beeps and squawks of a dialup connection.



WiFi vs. Ethernet, just in case anyone is confused... 










K2


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## Parson (Sep 16, 2019)

It's been so long since I've used my ethernet connections I had to check and see if my newest laptop had a port. It does; and I'm glad. I might just  plug it in soon just to see how much better my connection might be.


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## -K2- (Sep 16, 2019)

Perhaps I AM behind the times, yet I'm missing how, somewhere within everyones' connections there is not a hard-wire at some point.  Though there is public WiFi in some, maybe most, major cities now, I suspect that most folks still run off cable, dsl, whatever, and from there once in the house sends out over WiFi.  For my private system (excluding security servers and whatnot), it's cable>cable-modem>WiFi>ethernet to my PC or, out to whatever connects up remotely using WiFi.

K2


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## Dave (Sep 16, 2019)

I've worked in libraries and archives in some old steel framed buildings where there is no mobile phone coverage inside. They all tend to have free WiFi today, but there was a time when the only way to log on to the Internet was to plug into a socket under the table. I'm sure that must still be the case in a few places. There is also poor mobile phone coverage in some rural areas. The false advertising that the UK companies put out about 99% coverage is a con. They mean 99% of the population, not 99% geographically. So, Ethernet is not going to go away anytime soon.


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## Josh K (Sep 16, 2019)

I tend to stick to ethernet if I can.  Nothing beats a direct connection.  Sounds to me like the guy had no idea what he was talking about - I think it's safer to assume that over anything else.  I've used the netflix free trial and had no issues, though that was a few years ago.  Netflix is a big enough company that I highly doubt you'll have any serious problems - and anyways, what is it, like $8/mo?  I've heard of a lot of people - they'll sub to netflix for a month, watch what they want, then cancel the sub for half a year until more stuff comes out.


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