Analog television is gradually fading into the background. Its place is rapidly taken by free IPTV Rostelecom. And this is really convenient, because digital channels are more pleasant to watch because of the better picture and sound. But first, I need to clarify some points.
What is free IPTV from Rostelecom?
When a user concludes an agreement with this company for the provision of digital television services, a basic tariff is connected, which includes a set of paid and free programs. At the same time, even after blocking due to non-payment, the list of free channels still remains available to the user.
Which channels can I watch for free?
These IPTV channels can be watched for free:
- NTV.
- "Russia 1".
- ORT.
- "Russia K".
- "Match TV".
- "Fifth Channel".
- "Carousel".
- "TV Center".
- "First Channel".
- "Russia 24".
Connectiontariff with a minimum fee will cost 320 rubles per month. All this month 126 channels will be available. In case of non-payment, only 10 channels will work. This is the free IPTV from Rostelecom.
It is worth noting that only a few users do exactly this. But compared to other providers that immediately cut off access to services in case of non-payment, Rostelecom acts more humanely. And such a "trick" on their part with shareware IPTV television is really nice.
IPTV settings from Rostelecom via router
Often, users watch IPTV TV on a computer via a Wi-Fi router. This is the easiest, because you don’t even need a prefix and configure, respectively, nothing is needed. It is only important that your router supports the IGMP protocol. Almost all modern routers support it.
IGMP has been successfully used to support streaming video, which is ideal for implementing IPTV. To watch the video directly, you need to go to your personal account (your account) on the provider's website and select the iptv track (link).
Now install the IPTV player. LVC Player or Ace Stream Player is ideal. These are free programs that can be downloaded from the official website of the developer. Install the program, open it. Click "Tools - Settings - All - Playlist". There will be a line "Default stream". Paste the link with the list of TV channels there, whichyou copied in the personal account of your account. Now save your changes and restart the program. When you restart, the channels will start broadcasting, you can switch them by clicking on the "Show playlist" button. A complete list of IPTV Player channels available for viewing will be displayed there. Click the mouse 2 times on the channel you like, and its display will immediately begin.
IPTV settings from Rostelecom via set-top box
Setting up a set-top box in any case involves setting up a router. In the router itself, we need to make a "bridge" between two ports - LAN and WAN. It is important to note that this function is not available in all routers, and in some it is called differently. For example, in TP-LINK routers, you need to enable it in the Network - Bridge settings. Asus models call it "Wan Bridge Port". In order for IPTV channels to be successfully displayed, we need to connect the set-top box to the WAN port. But this port is occupied by the internet cable by default. Therefore, you should build a "bridge" between the WAN and the LAN port. And we will then connect the set-top box to the LAN port, which, thanks to our configuration, is now also a WAN port.
Checking performance
Immediately before setting up IPTV from Rostelecom, you need to check if IPTV works at all, and if there are any errors on the provider's side. To do this, connect a computer or laptop to the provider's cable directly. Make it easy. The way this is done has already been described above. If the picture appears on the screen, then allOK. You can proceed directly to the setup.
Router setup
The first thing to do is create a bridge between the WAN and LAN port. Open the router settings, select "Network - Bridge" in the menu. There will be a line "LAN port bridged with WAN". Here we can choose which port to map to the main WAN port. We select, for example, 1. This means that now the WAN port will be combined with LAN1. It is in it that we need to connect the prefix.
Important: if you have several IPTV set-top boxes, then in the settings you need to select a bridge between two LAN and WAN ports. There is a corresponding option in the drop-down menu.
Connecting to a set-top box
After setting up the router, we connect the set-top box to it (to the LAN1 port). Now we connect the prefix itself to the TV. Usually, an HDMI cable is used for this, which should be included with the set-top box itself. If this is an old model, then the HDMI interface and cable may not be included. Then we connect the prefix to the TV using tulips. Although if there is an HDMI interface, but there is no cable, it is better to just buy the cable itself. The picture will look much better through the HDMI interface.
Therefore, consider this recommendation: choose a set-top box with an HDMI interface, even if it comes out a little more expensive. The higher cost will pay off with better picture and sound quality.
Source selection
Now we take the remote from the TV (not from the router) and select the "Source" menu (or somethingSomething like that). Here we need to select the "Source" HDMI, that is, the interface that includes the cable from the set-top box. Usually the source button looks like a square with an arrow or the inscription "Source". If the prefix was connected through tulips, then select the "RCA" source. Have you chosen a source? Excellent! We are waiting for the IPTV TV set-top box to load.
Working with remote control
Usually, the set-top box loads quickly (tens of seconds). If you did everything correctly, then already at this stage a list of TV channels that are available for viewing will be displayed on the TV screen. Switch between them using the remote control from the set-top box and choose the one you like.
If you are watching a TV channel and want to select another one, then press "OK" on the remote control. This button usually activates the list of TV channels. Now select another channel and press "OK" again. So with the help of one "OK" button and arrows, you can already use almost the full functionality of the set-top box. Next, you will figure out for yourself how to add channels to your favorites (they will be displayed very first), watch the TV program guide, etc.
Problems setting up IPTV from Rostelecom
During the setup process, you may encounter various problems. The answers to the main questions will be described below.
Problem 1. The router has the latest firmware, the bridge is configured, but the TV still does not work.
Solution: First of all, it's worth checking if the TV works without a set-top box. Connect the provider's cable directly tocomputer. Even if television does not work in this way, then the problem is on the side of the provider. Call technical support and resolve the issue with them.
Problem 2. The router does not support bridge (Bridge function). TV still works, but picture quality suffers.
This is logical, because without the Bridge function, the load on the router increases significantly, and the image quality depends directly on the load on the router. If the TV is not connected using Bridge, then when running torrent, DC ++ and other data download programs on the computer, the image quality will suffer. Try to limit the download speed (you can set the download speed limit in the program settings), this should solve the problem. In general, it is better not to connect more than one IPTV set-top box to routers without Bridge support.
Problem 3. You have several IPTV set-top boxes for two TVs, and a router without Bridge function. Naturally, the router will not be able to provide a normal video stream to 2 TVs at once. In this case, there is also a solution - you need to use a simple switch. We connect 2 set-top boxes to it, a provider cable and a cable from the router from the WAN port.
Problem 4. If the provider provides connection of the set-top box only via cable. Not all users want to drag different wires through the apartment. The problem is especially relevant if the TV is located in a remote corner of the room, to which it is difficult to lay wires.
There is also a solution in this case - use the TL-WA701ND access point, which will allow you to connectIPTV set-top box and router via Wi-Fi interface. But for this, you will have to install special firmware on the access point.
Nothing works
If even after the performed operations nothing works for you, then you need to call the provider and ask the support service to help you. It is also difficult to solve the problem over the phone, so the company can send a specialist to your home. Usually, his services are paid only if the problem arises due to the actions of the client. If it turns out that this is the provider's fault (for example, if he sold you a router with defects), then the call and assistance of a specialist will not be paid.
It is possible that the problem may be in the hardware of the set-top box. In this case, it is best to contact the seller or return it under warranty. If on the next set-top box you manage to correctly enter the settings for IPTV from Rostelecom and everything works, it means that the problem really was in the set-top box itself.
