SlingGuide Beta interfering with SlingBox operation on a different receiver !!!

[JohnnyJupiter]

I have three Dish receivers, an old 508, hooked up to a Slingbox classic, and two relatively new 622's, one of which is hooked up to my home network and with which I just started the SlingGuide beta.

Prior to doing this, my Slingbox worked perfectly with my 508 and I was very happy with it.

I'm not sure what happened, but ever since I authorized my network-enabled 622 to work with the SlingGuide, I can still see my 508 remotely on both my Slingplayer on my laptop and Slingplayer Mobile for BlackBerry (also beta), but I can no longer control it with remote control of the remote software.

On top of that, while at home and connecting with my 508 through my Slingbox through my wi-fi connection, I discovered to my amazement that my both my Slingplayer and Slingplayer Mobile remote controls now control the third Dish 622 receiver (the only one not connected to the home network) remotely rather than the 508 which I can still see remotely and which is still securely connected to my Slingbox.

I called Slingbox support, but they unfortunately have no clue. In the "olden days", I would get some knowledgeable gearhead here in the Bay Area who was really on top of things, but I seem to have gotten someone from Central America who, although nice, seemed to be reading off a script and had no clue what to do, even after I forked over $30 for the support call.

He ended up telling me that I should contact Dish Network and I asked him if he knew that Sling had been acquired by Dish some time ago and if he could refer me to someone. He said that he was totally unaware of that and didn't know what to do. He said that there was no higher level of support.

I then called Dish and they didn't seem know about it either and suggested that I call Sling so that is where I find myself now -- in limbo with a Slingbox that no longer works.

Can anyone out there please help me? I would like to get my Slingbox classic up and running again and I was going to eventually buy a Slingbox Pro to hook up to one of my 622's, but I am worried now that that won't work until this perplexing problem is resolved.

I am willing to ditch the SlingGuide beta program if that would resolve things, but I have no idea how to do that or whom to contact. I don't even know if that would help, but that is when I started having the problems.

Thanks, JJ.

 

[BuddyBoy]

I don't see how your non-networked 622 could be controlled by your Slingplayer client, or anything other than its remote, unless the IR blasters on the Slingbox are somehow hitting your 622 and not the 508. Are the two receivers stacked on top of each other or something? If so, how are the IR blasters positioned?

 

[JohnnyJupiter]

The non-networked 622 is in the same cabinet as the Slingboxed 508, but is is three slots above it and has been sitting there for a couple of years without affecting the 508's Slingbox operation, which had been flawless up until the day when I authorized the other 622, in a cabinet in a completely different room, to work with the SlingGuide. I have not touched that cabinet at all in months and, in fact, my installer set it up so that access is very difficult. I would have to access the back of it and work my way through a maze of wires.

I'm just wondering now if my Sling account doesn't now show me as being a 622 user for all purposes and that trumps the operation of the IR blaster for some reason. This whole thing is very frustrating to me because I am no gearhead by any means and the Slingbox support seems to have come down a few notches to the point where they don't seem to be of much help either.

How would I test the operation of the blaster or should I just opt for a new Slingbox and set it up on one of the 622's?

 

[BuddyBoy]

How else but through the remote could your non-networked 622 be controlled? You're absolutely sure it's not networked? Sorry for asking such basic questions, but the behavior you're describing is totally bizarre.

I'd try putting a piece of tape over the IR sensors on the 622 (confirm it isn't working by using the IR remote), then see if you can still change channels on it with the Slingplayer client.

My Slingbox (classic) is on my 622 now, but I can move it to the 211 in the den and see if it works as expected. I expect the Slingplayer to control the 211, but with SlingGuide - I wonder if I'll end up controlling the 622 but viewing the 211?

 

[SBD]

Are you using SlingLink or HomePlug devices on your network??

If you are, that could explain why the 622 is on the network. HomePlug is built into the receiver, so by just plugging it into the wall socket, it will connect to your network as long as there is a HomePlug already connected to your router. It is a convenient feature because it eliminates the need network cable or wireless, but not sure how secure it would be in say an apartment complex since the password is set to the default.

I do have a question though. You mentioned that you were signed up with the beta testing for SlingGuide and that you were using it with your 622. You also mentioned that your slingbox is connected to your 508.

The Slingbox uses what they call a Finder ID which you then entered into your Slingplayer so that it can find your slingbox and connect to it over the internet. The new Slingplayer allows you to login to the guide feature by using a username and password. There could be a few conflicts involved here.

1) When you start Slingplayer, you connect to your 508 based on the Finder ID in your settings and then login to the slingGuide which then switches control of the Slingplayer to the 622 so you can select what you want to record, etc. If you did not login to the SlingGuide, I would assume that you could then control your 508.

2) Since the SlingGuide is integrated with the Slingplayer, the engineers maybe assumed that those using only the guide feature would not have a slingbox on the network and if they did, it would be connected to the same receiver using the SlingGuide so that you could watch what you had recorded.

Based on their marketing, it looks like the SlingGuide is a way to get Dish customers to try it out and that eventually those who are using it will want to at some point be able to watch the content remotely as well.

 

[JohnnyJupiter]

How else but through the remote could your non-networked 622 be controlled? You're absolutely sure it's not networked? Sorry for asking such basic questions, but the behavior you're describing is totally bizarre.

I'd try putting a piece of tape over the IR sensors on the 622 (confirm it isn't working by using the IR remote), then see if you can still change channels on it with the Slingplayer client.

My Slingbox (classic) is on my 622 now, but I can move it to the 211 in the den and see if it works as expected. I expect the Slingplayer to control the 211, but with SlingGuide - I wonder if I'll end up controlling the 622 but viewing the 211?

BB:

Sorry for not getting back to You sooner, but like others, I have been preoccupied with financial things recently,

Yes, I'm absolutely positive that the 622 that is now controlled remotely by the SlingPlayer is not connected to the network. In fact, it is the only one of my three Dish receivers that isn't, with my 508 originally connected and formerly working fine and the other 622 in the other room, which is connected and which I can control programming with the SlingGuide beta.

Since the affected 622 is in the same cabinet as the 508 and the affected tuner is on Remote Address 1, I think that somehow the SlingPlayer is now sending the IR signal to it, having been changed somehow by the linking of my Sling Account to a 622 by signing up for the SlingGuide beta program, as noted by SBD above..

Now, of course, I need to find a solution to this problem. Should I try to log out of my account when using the SlingPlayer or is this even possible? I just bought a SlingBox Pro HD and want to connect it to the 622 in the other room with the SlingGuide beta. Maybe, when I do that, Sling will recognize that I have one 622 and one 508 on my account and have a solution, but I am wary of what may happen.

Thanks to you and SBD for your kind help and any further ideas you may have. Like I said, I'm no techie and this is very frustrating, to say the least.

Thanks.

JJ

 

[JohnnyJupiter]

Are you using SlingLink or HomePlug devices on your network??

If you are, that could explain why the 622 is on the network. HomePlug is built into the receiver, so by just plugging it into the wall socket, it will connect to your network as long as there is a HomePlug already connected to your router. It is a convenient feature because it eliminates the need network cable or wireless, but not sure how secure it would be in say an apartment complex since the password is set to the default.

I do have a question though. You mentioned that you were signed up with the beta testing for SlingGuide and that you were using it with your 622. You also mentioned that your slingbox is connected to your 508.

The Slingbox uses what they call a Finder ID which you then entered into your Slingplayer so that it can find your slingbox and connect to it over the internet. The new Slingplayer allows you to login to the guide feature by using a username and password. There could be a few conflicts involved here.

1) When you start Slingplayer, you connect to your 508 based on the Finder ID in your settings and then login to the slingGuide which then switches control of the Slingplayer to the 622 so you can select what you want to record, etc. If you did not login to the SlingGuide, I would assume that you could then control your 508.

2) Since the SlingGuide is integrated with the Slingplayer, the engineers maybe assumed that those using only the guide feature would not have a slingbox on the network and if they did, it would be connected to the same receiver using the SlingGuide so that you could watch what you had recorded.

Based on their marketing, it looks like the SlingGuide is a way to get Dish customers to try it out and that eventually those who are using it will want to at some point be able to watch the content remotely as well.

SBD:

I think you are definitely onto something here. See my response to BuddyBoy, above. I am definitely not using SlingLink or HomePlug on any receiver, only the SlingGuide beta on the unaffected 622.

I wonder if I can use the SlingPlayer 2.0 software without logging into my account and if that would help? Don't even know if that is possible.

As I mentioned to BuddyBoy, I just bought a new SlingBox Pro HD which I intend to connect to the SlingGuide enabled receiver. Maybe I can get help with this situation from Sling now without having to pay another $30, but I sure appreciate any help you can provide me.

Thanks.

JJ