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USB Extender

I've run into a new situation. I have a customer that is moving into a condo and I'm trying to help them set up their TV viewing. The lady is handicapped and will spend most of her time in the bedroom at the rear of the condo. There is only one cable connection at the front of the condo and that's where the cable box will be. There's no way to run a coax from the front of the building to the back, No attic access and no basement. Other tenants on both sides of their space. There is however an Ethernet cable that apparently was run in the past when the condo was being built. It fortunately runs from the front room where the cable box will be to the back bedroom. So - - - - At the front of the condo where the cable box is, i can use an HDMI splitter and and HDMI extender to feed the TV in the back bedroom. No Problem!. BUT the big problem is, the cable box remote isn't IR. It's Bluetooth. I've searched the Internet and I can find wired Bluetooth extenders, but I can't find anything that will extend Bluetooth wireless. - - - a wireless Bluetooth extender. That is, - - - - The cable box remote control emits wireless Bluetooth to control the cable box and the box is way up in the front of the condo. The lady is home all day long mostly by her self and would like to be able to change the channels from her room with out having to get into her wheelchair. There are wireless IR extenders that have a receiver at one end that takes the output of the TV remote and wirelessly sends the signal to another room to an "IR Emitter" at the other end that recreates and emits the IR signal. But I don't see an equivalent for Bluetooth. Anyone got any ideas ??

Reply to
Jim Davis
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I did some of the no doubt same quick checks you did, but one thing to bear in mind is...

"Bluetooth uses the 2.4GHz radio frequency to connect with your device, and this is the same frequency of your wireless router. When Wi-Fi could be the biggest interference, other Bluetooth devices can also conflict with your connection. So first check if you?re too close to the router, and move away from other Bluetooth devices."

That was not to point out any possible solution, but to reinforce a couple possible issues, and why bluetooth remote extenders may be hard to find. Open low power bands are rife with interference, and causing interference with others is also an issue.

Have you contacted the cable company to see if they offer any other receivers which might work better for the application?

Sorry, that's all I have to offer with the few minutes I have at the moment.

Reply to
Bob La Londe

Ok Jim,

Not knowing the layout and structure my only suggestion would be to run another COAX cable from front to rear. I know this will be a challenge but IF there is carpet though out the condo. And that is a BIG IF!!

I have run coax in the space behind the tack strip around a large room and then when it came to the box plate location I have this Special Tool that I pulled the carpet back, cut out a portion of the tack strip (8") placed this tool up against the sole plate and connected my drill and drilled a 3/8" hole through the drywall and sole plate and up the CENTER of the sole plate and into the wall cavity and then pushed the Coax through, terminated and connected to the wall plate at both ends and done. Only used this tool on this job and never needed it since.

Again this a BIG IF!!! But if it is hardwood flooring Bah Bah Bah!!!

IF you think it is a possible solution I can see if I can find the tool again or we can t-a-l-k about a different plan.

Let me know.

Les

Reply to
ABLE1

Sorry for the past bad formatting. This should be better!!

Ok Jim,

Not knowing the layout and structure my only suggestion would be to run another COAX cable from front to rear. I know this will be a challenge but IF there is carpet though out the condo. And that is a BIG IF!!

I have run coax in the space behind the tack strip around a large room and then when it came to the box plate location I have this Special Tool that I pulled the carpet back, cut out a portion of the tack strip (8") placed this tool up against the sole plate and connected my drill and drilled a 3/8" hole through the drywall and sole plate and up the CENTER of the sole plate and into the wall cavity and then pushed the Coax through, terminated and connected to the wall plate at both ends and done. Only used this tool on this job and never needed it since.

Again this a BIG IF!!! But if it is hardwood flooring Bah Bah Bah!!! IF you think it is a possible solution I can see if I can find the tool again or we can t-a-l-k about a different plan.

Let me know.

Les

Reply to
ABLE1

Cable company is useless to talk to. I had to call back twice to find a (Ahem) technician that knew that the remote control used Bluetooth. I have some emails out to some mfg's to see if they can direct me. I see that there is some way to send Bluetooth via WiFi but I still don't see that there is a way to "emit" a Bluetooth signal at the cable box end. All I have seen so far require a USB connection. There isn't a practical way to get a wire from the front of the condo to the back. The TV room is at the front right of the condo. Next room is a laundry closet. The next room is the kitchen, the next room is the living room and then the bedroom is at the rear left of the condo. I see some talk about using WiFi to send Bluetooth. I haven't followed up on this yet but even so, I don't find any device that will re-transmit a Bluetooth wireless signal. I've sent a few emails to some tech support sites. Waiting to see if I get any response. I'll keep you-all posted. Thanks

Reply to
Jim Davis

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