Two different things called IPTV
- Your broadband provider’s own TV service. Some providers deliver TV over their network to a set-top box they supply, sometimes as multicast streams on a separate virtual network (a VLAN). This is managed IPTV.
- Internet IPTV apps. Players such as IPTV Smarters, TiviMate or a Smart TV app stream channels over the ordinary internet connection, like any other video app. The IPTV vs OTT guide explains the difference.
The router’s IPTV mode is for the first kind only.
What the settings do
| Setting | What it does | Needed for app-based IPTV? |
|---|---|---|
| IPTV / VLAN mode | Tags or separates traffic onto the VLAN your provider uses for TV | No |
| IPTV port or bridge port | Sets aside a LAN port for the provider’s set-top box | No |
| IGMP proxy | Passes multicast TV streams from the broadband side to your home network | No |
| IGMP snooping | Stops multicast streams flooding every device on the network | No (harmless if on) |
| ISP presets | Profiles for specific providers’ TV services | Only if your provider’s TV box needs it |
Names differ between router makers. TP-Link, for example, groups them under an IPTV/VLAN section, and ASUS puts them on an IPTV tab in the LAN settings.
When to turn it on
Only when your broadband provider’s own TV box needs it and the provider tells you which settings to use, typically when you replace the provider’s router with your own. Copy the VLAN ID, port and mode from the provider’s instructions exactly.
When to leave it off
- You watch IPTV through apps on a Fire TV, Android TV, Smart TV, phone or computer.
- You don’t have a TV set-top box from your broadband provider.
- You’re not sure. A wrong VLAN setting can cut devices off the internet.
If app-based IPTV buffers, the fixes are elsewhere: Wi-Fi vs Ethernet, internet speed and the router settings that do matter.