HELP! I want to connect this DirecTV+ HD DVR to the Internet

...DirecTV says I need a CCK (Cinema Connection Kit). They say I have one, it's on my equipment list. Not impossible, but I've spent a long time working in electronics and I don't remember that. What I remember is that the purple Ethernet cable connected to the ATT modem/router directly.
--> Does this thing REALLY need an external box to connect to the internet?
Or was their support person just not expert enough?
My main point for connection is I wanted to watch Michael Cain in "Dear Dictator"

 

I have mine (HR24-500) set up like you are thinking it should be, and it works fine. Do it.
1Right. Me too.
2The CCK is for WiFi use.
3Looks that way.

 

Thanks so much. Question: if you go into the Settings menu, down into Internet Setup and so on, what options do you get? Because my frustration is I can't find any kind of option to view WiFi networks. I feel the DVR has the old U-Verse network embedded, but I need to get out from that to see the new network...

 

Reconnect Internet or
Advanced Setup > Wired Setup
Advanced IP Config
Network Services
Reset Network
Done
If you're looking to change which network it connects, and the autoconnect fails, you may need to plug numbers into the IP/Subnet and other fields under the IP config section. I never needed to go that far. I hope the DVR finds the new router.

 

No, it did not find it. Do you know where I can get those numbers? (Call Charter, I suppose...or can I jack them from my MacBook?)

 

Sorry, that's about all I've ever done and can't be more help. I know calling the ISP or DTV is something we all want to avoid.

 

Do you have a Whole Home set-up? I do, and networking runs through a series of Connected Home Adapters (these are all wired, as I did not want to have to use Wi-Fi). This allows all signals between connected HD-DVRs to run over coax, and there is an Ethernet cable from each adapter to each HD-DVR.

So, the support person may not be yanking your chain. The Wi-Fi solution is the default (which I refused when they upgraded my equipment for Whole Home).

One adapter plus power supply looks like this:

 

No, I don't have a Whole Home setup. At the moment, only 1 TV is connected to DirecTV since my kid watches only online. In the future, I want to move some stuff including the modem (which I had moved from by the TV to a little sun room where it used to be...which I shouldn't have done...among other reasons, because it's insanely difficult to get a cable between the 2 due to a slab under the sun room). But for now I really just want to connect wireless. When you say WiFi is the default, it sounds like I should be able to get that to work?
The DirecTV box is HR24-500.

 

Wi-Fi is the default way DirecTV wants to connect your broadband to a Genie HD-DVR when using Whole Home. I have no idea what the default is in a non-Whole Home case.

In any case, yes, I believe you should be able to connect via Wi-Fi provided you have a strong enough signal in the room where the HR24 is.