What cable connects a TV or streaming box to the router?
A network (Ethernet) cable. A Cat6 cable is plenty for any home broadband, and a wired connection is more reliable than Wi-Fi for 4K and live TV over broadband.
Checked 10th November 2026.
How to connect it
- Plug one end into a spare socket on the back of the router (usually yellow or marked LAN).
- Plug the other end into the TV or box's Ethernet or LAN socket.
- The TV normally switches to the wired connection by itself; check under network settings.
Worth knowing
- Can't run a cable? Powerline adapters send the network through the mains wiring.
Cat6 network cable, 3m£2.09 at TV Cables
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Answer checked by Tely. Prices and stock from TV Cables’ product feed, last updated 10th November 2026. Shop links earn Tely a small commission; it never decides what we recommend. How we check.