Can you connect a Genie client on a different dish from the Genie DVR?

This one’s a no. All the Genie Clients in your home need to be connected to the same dish as the Genie DVR. If you want to use a separate dish for a pool house or other outbuilding on the same lot, that’s perfectly fine, but you’ll need to use regular receivers instead of clients. You’ll also need to use the HR54 Genie, not the Genie 2, because having the Genie 2 means you can’t have other receivers on your account. When you understand how the clients work, it actually makes sense why you can’t do that.

Here’s the explanation

See, Genie clients aren’t really satellite receivers. They look and act like satellite receivers, and that’s so they seem familiar to you. But really the Genie client is just that… a “client.” Client is a term used in the computer business for an input/output device that doesn’t have its own computing ability. Another word for this same device would be a terminal. The Genie Client is capable of getting commands from a remote, of outputting to the TV, and honestly… not a whole lot else. All the hard work is done by the Genie DVR, from receiving and decoding the satellite signal to storing programs on the hard drive. It’s all done in that one box while the clients simply let you get at that information and put it on the TV.

If the Genie client is on a separate dish, it’s not going to display anything. Here’s the interesting part about all of this. The client itself isn’t actually ever connected to the satellite dish. It receives 100% of its audio and video from the Genie DVR. If you hook a client up to a dish you get… nothing. So if the client and the DVR aren’t on the same set of cables, there’s nothing useful for the client to do, and it’s not going to work.

One option that might help

Of course you do have the option of a Wireless Genie Mini client. If you have an HR54, you’ll also need a Wireless Video Bridge, which would allow you to go 50 feet wirelessly. The Genie 2 has that technology built into the main unit, but you can also use an external bridge as well. That will let you put that wireless signal as far out as you can. That may be enough to bridge the gap between a house and a garage, or between the top floor and the basement. A setup like that would save you having to run wires. Keep in mind that once you get past 50 feet wires are the only answer. Once you get over 150 feet you’re usually better off with a second dish if you can make that happen.

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About the Author

Stuart Sweet
Stuart Sweet is the editor-in-chief of The Solid Signal Blog and a "master plumber" at Signal Group, LLC. He is the author of over 10,000 articles and longform tutorials including many posted here. Reach him by clicking on "Contact the Editor" at the bottom of this page.