SLINGBOX (1 Viewer)

[Ronald Epstein]

I was just on a cruise for the past week. I brought my
laptop along and patched into the ship's available WiFi
connection.

I met a couple that also brought their laptop along on
their vacation, but for entirely different reasons....

....they wanted to watch their cat at home.

They told me about a device called Slingbox which
allowed them to plug in their videocamera at home and view
the feed from any Internet connection thousands of miles away.

When I got home I looked closer at this product and was
intrigued to find that it did soooo much more than what this
couple was letting on.

I could actually watch and control my Tivo programs or any
other media hookup to my home system while away with my
laptop as long as I had an Internet connection.

This thing looks absolutely cool and I am very close to
purchasing.

One question to anyone that owns this device...

It looks as if you need to have your slingbox device near
your router in order to hook it up via ethernet cable.

This is not the case with me. My wireless router is
in another room.

What do I need to hook up to the slingbox ethernet
plug to transmit the signal to my wireless Belkin router
in the adjoining room?

 

[Kimmo Jaskari]

If you want to connect any device with an ethernet port on it wirelessly, you need a wireless bridge.

One example of that would be a Linksys WET54G. There are other similar devices but with several ethernet ports on them so you can connect multiple devices.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

I also take it I can run a 50' ethernet cable to the next room?

Will this work just as well and inexpensively?

 

[Andrew Pratt]

Yes and you'll have less problems with regard to signal strengh and security settings.

 

[Jeffrey Johnson]

Ron - kinda off topic, but which cruise line was it and did they charge extra for the wifi?

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Jeffrey,

On Princess they charge $10.50 per 30 minutes for WiFi

On certain Royal Caribbean ships there is dial-up in the rooms
for about $100-$120 unlimited for entire week.

There may be WiFi in the rooms on some RC ships too, but not
on the two Voyaget class ships (Voyager & Explorers seas) that
I sailed.

 

[Ken Chan]

I have a Slingbox connected to a switch, which is connected to the router by 50' of Ethernet cable. Works fine. Great gizmo.

I was telling a friend recently that I had to upgrade the switch because I had "run out of Ethernet ports near my TV" which really sounds absurd.

 

[Parker Clack]

Ok. I have an HTPC downstairs in my living room that I would like to watch what it has recorded on my TV upstairs. If I get one of these would I put the Slingbox upstairs, plug the ethernet port of the Slingbox into my wireless bridge and then the video outputs into my TV? Would I load the software on my HTPC or is that even necessary? Would I then be able to control my HTPC from my TV upstairs?

Thanks,
Parker

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Parker,

I bought one of these though I rarely use it.

The software gets installed on a computer or HTPC.

Therefor, in order to watch what is on another TV, you need
to be able to install software on the device you want to watch
the programming on.

 

[KeithAP]

You might want to check out Orb Networks and their DVR Everywhere product.

http://www.orb.com/get_orb/add_ons/

It is not as slick as a Slingbox but it is free.

-Keith

 

[Parker Clack]

Keith:

I don't have Tivo and DVD Everywhere requires it.