It sure would be nice to have the current mapping
of Slingbox ID to current transmitting IP number
available for display to the Administration
login of the Slingbox.
How To Find Your Slingbox Remotely
Categories: SlingPlayer Computers / Laptops Mobile Phones / Portable Devices
The Slingbox allows the user to watch TV from anywhere in the world. That's no small feat, especially when you consider the sheer number of factors involved with locating 1 particular device in the vast ocean of the Internet. It's like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Read on to learn how to find your Slingbox from wherever you want to watch your TV.
The IP Problem
To understand how your Slingbox is found, you have to know what an IP address is. An IP address is a unique number assigned to your computer or router that allows websites to send data to you. Without it, it would be like giving the post office a blank envelope... they would have no idea who it's supposed to go to.One of the complications to finding your Slingbox is that the average user does not have a static IP address. Your home address is a great example of a static address. You can leave your home to go to work, or on vacation, but your address doesn't change. Most users have a dynamic IP address, so each time you restart your router or have a power outage, you'll be assigned a different IP address. Most people don't know what their IP address is, but even if you do know it, it will eventually change.
Slingbox ID
To solve the problem of constantly changing IP address (and make using a Slingbox much easier), Sling Media developed the Sling Finder Service. Every Slingbox has a unique ID number that never changes. When the Slingbox hardware is connected to the Internet, it routinely communicates to a central server at Sling Media that logs your Slingbox ID, port number, and IP address. If your IP address or port number changes, the Sling Finder Service will update to reflect the changes.In the properties screen, you'll need to enter your Slingbox alias and Slingbox ID into the boxes. When you're trying to connect to your Slingbox remotely, the Sling Player software connects to the Sling Finder server and acquires your current IP address by using your Slingbox ID. It then knows where online to look for your Slingbox and connect to it.
Direct Connection
Advanced users can configure the Sling Player software to find their Slingbox by entering a specific IP address or domain name. Manual configuration allows users to bypass the Sling Finder Service and connect without the intermediary.There are few benefits to manual configuration. It really only helps those that have a static IP address, because they always know their IP or domain name (dynamic users would have to lookup and change the IP in the configuration menu anytime it changes). If you configure manually you do not have to rely on the Sling Finder Service. This means that you can connect to your Slingbox if the Sling Finder Service is not working properly.
Read more in: SlingPlayer Computers / Laptops Mobile Phones / Portable Devices
About the Author
December 8, 2005 6:15 PM
December 27, 2005 10:31 PM
I really could use the IP address and the time/date of the last update. It would help diagnosing problems while remote. e.g. I was on vacation for several weeks and had a power glitch at home, most everything recovered but the cable modem. If I had the time/date of last update and the last IP address , it would help to diagnose this problem. i.e. when a connect fails, it could show both of the values in admin or someplace in the slingplayer info - if it's been a long time since the last "heartbeat" or slingbox update for the Finder ID/IP addr -> comm probs. I finally got a neighbor to repower the cable modem but there have been other cases.
January 17, 2006 12:28 PM
You can get a free account at DYNDNS.ORG and all current routers support this - when your IP changes it logs in and changes the IP on file with DynDNS for you. Heck, some of the newer router firmware loads have code to login and refresh the IP every 28 days or so if it is not changed in that time - making sure your free account never expires.
Then you just point your sling player to yourname.dyndns.org and the port you choose and away you go.
Keeping your cable/DSL modem on a UPS also help keep the same IP for longer periods since a lot of them will change IPs if they are rebooted for any reason - like a power loss.
March 31, 2006 2:40 PM
Here is my problem. My ISP (Comcast Cable) has switched so that they require a dynamic DNS address. No problem, I unlocked the UPnP on my router and used the Sling Finder service. Works great, and downloaded the Finder ID to my pdaphone (Samsung i730, on VZW's EVDO service).
However, after a period, it (the pdaphone) cannot connect. I get a "SlingPlayer could not be found" error. If I go back to the original PC, open the router and close it (I don't change anything), then open the SlingPlayer on the original PC and reconfigure it again (same settings---SlingFinder, same finder ID), then it works again.
My hypothesis is that Comcast is changing the ISP/DNS, but the Sling Finder isn't updating.
What should I do?
Jeremiah 29:11
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March 31, 2006 11:34 PM
mwfielder,
You don't need to leverage UPnP to do this, in fact, if you are comfortable with doing port forwarding yourself, I'd recommend you simply do the manual network setup.
My hunch is that, since your router didn't default to UPnP being ON, it is occasionally 'forgetting' that UPnP is on (yes, this really happens). This is preventing the Slingbox from communicating properly with the Slingbox Finder, ...
If this doesn't help, you should contact our support department, or send me an email.
Best,
Jeremy
July 13, 2006 1:58 PM
get dyndns.com and you can manage your dynamic IP without depending on the finder id.
"The significant problems we face cannot be solved with the same level of thinking that created them." -- Albert Einstein
August 15, 2006 10:44 AM
I found that with the new software I was able to connect the first time from my office to my cable service at home. The software wizard and the ID number made it simple to connect.
Thanks to all,
Allan Zieser
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
November 4, 2006 9:09 PM
Cant find the FINDER ID. Been trying all day on my IBook but the instructions are not very helpful ... Please help. Thanks
November 8, 2006 8:24 PM
I'm with you on this one. How do you find you ID? Is it printed on the device or did it come with it in the manual. I dont see it.decade said: Cant find the FINDER ID. Been trying all day on my IBook but the instructions are not very helpful ... Please help. Thank
December 5, 2006 7:15 PM
Can I ask you ,Im getting a new computer...Can I just flash drive the settings and install it on my new computer??? THANKS
December 5, 2006 7:19 PM
joelbolt said:decade said: Cant find the FINDER ID. Been trying all day on my IBook but the instructions are not very helpful ... Please help. ThankI'm with you on this one. How do you find you ID? Is it printed on the Okaydevice or did it come with it in the manual. I dont see it. It should install on your PC after you install it bring Slingbox up and go to properties and it will show you
December 19, 2006 11:10 AM
I give up trying to get my slingbox to ativate remote viewing.I have a static IP on my hughes sattilite D7000 modem as ask by a sligbox tech,did not help.I have a linksys WRT54GS wireless router and so far nothing worked I tried.I took it down and put it in the garage with the other junk everybody saves for some reason or another.I give up as I can't take it back after having it too long.
March 25, 2007 9:39 PM
Where this gets complicated is when you have multiple routers. I have a cable modem to connect me to my ISP and behind that I have a Vonage VTech Boradband phone router that runs on the 192.xxx.x.x range. Behind that, I have an Apple Airport Extreme that runs on the 10.x.x.x range. I cannot for the life of me figure out how to get this set up for remote viewing. I have it all working for viewing locally on my network. I'd be grateful for any and all help.
July 16, 2007 11:21 AM
It would be nice for the connection error to explain that there is a problem with the ID Finder Service instead of just saying that the connection cannot be made. It's very frustrating when I'm not at home to try to figure out what the problem is when I cannot connect remotely. All I know now when that error comes up is it can be anyhwhere from my home internet service being down to the box being locked up. The ID Finder service is a nice idea but unreliable and not very informative.
July 22, 2007 11:44 AM
I am New to this whole thing. I am having trouble remote viewing my TV on a Treo 700 WX on the verison EVDO Network. If someone can help me I would greatly appriciate it. I set up the slingbox and I am able to use my Laptop to view the TV. Its great! Then I downloaded the software fow the Treo and installed it. I found the finder ID on the sling player and I entered it in the sling player on the treo. I keep getting a message saying
"Cannot connect to slingbox finder service or the finder ID provided is invalid please check your finder ID and make sure remote viewing is enabled on your slingbox."
I checked the finder ID again and made sure the remote viewing is enabled but I am still not connecting.
Please contact me If you can help me.
August 26, 2007 3:42 AM
Hi, please help.
I live in the UK. I am now in Canada for a month. Before I left I tried Slingbox on my laptop remotely, and it worked fine. When I got to Canada it wouldn't connect. Last time I was here it worked perfectly and all the settings are the same.
What is the best thing to try? I can get my brother to help at the other end in the uk?
Thanks
bob
October 20, 2007 9:26 AM
I guess you can't be trusted with knowing the public IP of your box. That's too bad. If you're expecting this important feature to be added soon don't count on it. Its been almost 2 years and you still can't see the IP of your slinbox. You can't even log onto any type of website and see the history of your slinbox finder ID. I guess its Slings way or the highway. That's too bad for those of us that need to troubleshoot and don't have perfect conditions in the real world. Unless your running a slinbox in near-data center conditions I guess you're SOL. Buyer beware.
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January 28, 2008 9:23 PM
This might be the information you need. I find it very useful when I and away from my home network.
http://srs.slingmedia.com/getDeviceInfo.asp?id=xxxxxDBA-Cxxx-DFxxxxxx-Axxx-FA...
Important note. Everything after ?id=( is my device id, input your id here )
My IP is 192.168.2.1 and the SOLO is 192.168.2.237 and port 5001 is open on the router.
I cannot connect to my SOLO unless I find it with the above address {http://srs.slingmedia.com/} and input that address into the manual connection area. which for me the address comes back as 71.74.210.xxx. This is on a DHCP connection to Roadrunner.
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