Remote Control Your Home from your PC – Part 1

Connect Everything - Remote Control your TV

Your computer is able to connect more devices in your home using Wi-Fi and Windows 7 built in functions.
Make use of your windows 7 utilities to turn your network into a super – LAN in which you can stream your videos and mp3 on your stereos. Make your TV Wi-Fi compatible using your cell phone. Send your pictures from camera to your computer wireless. Equip your Laptop and Tablet. Inthis part we lets discess about some devices to connect your TV and Audio system and the basic functionality to configure on your PC and other devices to make them compatible to work.

Devices that were scattered around the house and not living up to their potential can now be made work together. Now Microsoft has developed one built in function called HomeGroup. By using this home group and Wi-Fi you can connect those devices in your home to a Super LAN.

Choose a Wi-Fi router for the best transfer speeds, and with USB ports for maximum flexibility. In order to ensure that your home network transmits between to all devices, you first need to set up the communication center your Wi-Fi router. You should use the device is of right standard by looking for an N symbol on the packaging of your router. So use a best router hub to make these things possible.

Buffalo AirStation Wi-Fi Router

Creating your Home group

A homegroup in Windows 7 makes it easier to share files and printers on a home network. You can share pictures, music, videos, documents, and printers with other people in your homegroup. As a security measure, other people cant change the files that you share, unless you give them permission to do so. When you set up a computer with Windows 7, a homegroup is created automatically if one doesnt already exist on your home network. I assume that you already have an existing homegroup in one of your Windows 7 computers. If a homegroup already exists, you can join it. To connect a second computer to the homegroup go to the first computers control panel, then click HomeGroup

Connect Everything - Access Home Group from Control Panel

Windows 7 computers, go to the Control Panel > HomeGroup then click Join Now:

Connect Everything - Join Home Group

The concept of homegroup simplifies the file sharing on small scale home networks. In older versions of Windows like 2000 and XP, users had to supply a login and password for another machine or map a network drive to access shared content or devices. First ensure that the Network location type is set to Home on all computers. Otherwise Windows will refuses access for security reasons.
Click,Control Panel Network and Internet Network and Sharing Center Home Network then go to View your active Networks.

Exchanging Data

In Home Group you can see the share data of other computer option . The PC on which the data actually is must be turned on and active. You can also Deactivate the StandBy and Idle modes on those devices.

Adjusting the Shared Settings

All the file in the ‘Documents’ libraries are shared in the home network group. If you want to add a particular folder. Open it in the explorer and then Share with HomeGroup. This is to no one can alter your files even they access them. You can also block with the same method.

Adding More devices

Lets see about how to connect more devices in your home to your computer and mobile now. All Windows 7 computers now have the access to your multimedia files using the Home Groups function. Other devices need a one more setting ‘DNLA’ and ‘UpnP-AV’, So first activate the DNLA(Digital Living Networking Alliance) and UPnP-AV(Universal Plug and Play Audio/Video) settings. The functionality of Windows 7 is compatible devices like TV, Game consoles, media streamers and lot of them can be accessed through your PC.
Add this setting to access those Choose ‘Home Group and Sharing Options’ in the Control Panel and put a mark in front of ‘Stream My Pictures, Music and Video to all the devices on my Home Network’.

Connect your Wi-Fi TV

You don’t need a most expensive TV to play video from your computer. Make your old TV set Multimedia compatible. You can see your films on the Big Screen of your TV.

If you want to control playback directly from your computer, it is best of you use your TV as additional display. Modern laptops like Intel Core i-series CPUs use Intel’s new Wireless Display functions. You need a receiver on the other end. The Netgear PTV1000 solves this problem, this is a TV adapter for Intel Wireless Display.

Connect Everything - Remote Control your TV

You can connect your laptops through Wi-Fi and your computer through HDMI cables. Install the provided software for the device to play the movies from your laptop and Desktop.

Use TV as a Media Player

Some TVs are already equipped with a media player functions. They can control the browsing and play back of contents either on a connected USB storage device or the network through HDMI cable or Wireless connection. If you TV supports wired networking but not Wi-Fi means, the HomePlug option is again your best to avoid laying cables around the house. The network capable TVs come with configuration settings but can usually recognize your network. They scan your shared folders and DNLA, UPnP servers, including your computer’s media library and some extrernal hard drives.

Upgrade your TV with a Media player

If your TV does not have a networking connectivity or USB support, several devices exist that connect through HDMI and allow you to stream both from shared networks and connected USB hard drives.

Using existing Game Console

Connect Everything - Remote Access Your Game Consoles

If you have a Xbox, you can also use it to access files on your PC through the network, play them directly on your TV. The Media Center Extender functionality of Xbox brings you, to see TV recordings and Live TV tuner card is Installed in Windows PC. The latest Xbox 360 models come with Wi-Fi built in and older ones can be fitted with an adapter to work perfectly with your home network.

Audio

Connect Everything - Control You Audio Players

Hi-Fi systems can be easily used to play your MP3 using the same DNLA and UPNP-AV functions of your PC or external storage devices.

Connect Everything - Control You Audio Players

If you want the best solution to connect means go for Sonos player, D-Link, Logitech players based on your budget.

Connect Everything - Control You Audio Players

The Wireless player stream your music from your music collection and let you to control anywhere
from the house. Connect your player to the router, install the configuration software on your computer. Then you can easily stream your music using your PC to Audio player . You can control everything using PC or your Audio player.

In this part we discussed about how to connect Wi-Fi TV and Audio players, lets wait for the next part to of Connect Everything to connect your cell phone, Camera, Printer and use it anywhere from your home without wired connections.

Tags:

Raja Rajan Avatar

Help Us Grow

If you like this post, please share it with your friends.

You are free to copy and redistribute this article in any medium or format, as long as you keep the links in the article or provide a link back to this page.

Subscribe to Newsletter




Privacy Settings

Privacy & Cookie Overview

Our website uses cookies to provide you with the best user experience possible. These cookies are stored in your browser and perform essential functions such as recognizing you when you return to our website, as well as helping us to understand which sections of the website you find most useful and engaging.

To learn more, you can read our Privacy & Cookie Policy or reach out through our Contact form.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Strictly Necessary Cookies must always be enabled to ensure the proper functioning of this website and to allow us to provide you with excellent service. These cookies are also essential for saving your cookie preferences.

Google Adsense

We use Google AdSense to keep this site free by displaying relevant ads. AdSense requires essential cookies that cannot be disabled, but you can manage other cookies. We respect your privacy and provide options to control non-essential cookies.

For more details on how Google handles your data, visit Google's Data Usage Policy. Please review our Privacy Policy for more information on how we protect your data.

AddToAny

We use AddToAny for social sharing. It doesn’t store cookies, ensuring a privacy-friendly experience. AddToAny complies with GDPR and CCPA by default.

For more, see their Privacy Policy.

OneSignal

We use OneSignal to send notifications to users who opt in. OneSignal complies with GDPR and is certified under the EU-US and Swiss-US Privacy Shield frameworks.

For more, see their Privacy Policy.

3rd Party Cookies

This website utilizes third-party cookies, which can enhance your experience and support our ongoing efforts to improve our services.

Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics to collect anonymous data, such as visitor numbers and popular pages, to improve user experience and site performance. Keeping this cookie enabled helps us refine the site based on visitor activity.

For more information, see Google’s Privacy Policy.

Discover more from Prime Inspiration

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading