In Hotel requiring web passcode

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The following is the solution if you have a Windows 7 or Windows 8 device in your hotel room/hot spot area along with your WD Play.

  • It works with the apps I tried. (TuneIn and Sling. The Sling app successfully connected to my Slingbox in another location.)
  • It works with DLNA server on my Windows laptop. (I am running XBMC.)
  1. On your Windows 7 or Windows 8 device:
    Log in to the hot spot as usual.
  2. Download and install Virtual Router.
  3. Start up Virtual Router.
  4. Launch the Virtual Router Manager.
    (In most cases there will be a launch icon in your system tray.)
  5. Create an SSID (network name) for your Play device to connect to.
    For our example let’s call it _ MySecretWifiLan _.
  6. Create a wifi password consisting of >= 8 characters.
    For our example, let’s call it _ MySecretPassword _
  7. For shared connection: pull down the list of network connections and pick the one that describes the wifi network connection that Windows is using to connect to the hotel/hotspot.
  8. On the WD Play device:
    Do the network setup as documented.
  • For the network name, use the SSID <_ MySecretWifiLan _>
  • For the network password use the password <_ MySecretPassword _>
  1. Optional DNS enhancement: (on your Windows device)
    Doing this ensures that your internet connections will be resolved not by your hotspot’s DNS system but by OpenDNS and Google. These tend to be faster DNS searches (not faster bandwidth). And the DNS references will independent of anything your hotspot might do.

Go to Control Panel.
Search for View Network Connections.
Find the Wireless Network Connection with the same name as your virtual wifi network. <_ MySecretWifiLan _>
Right click on that connection.
Select Properties.
Scroll if necessary under “This connection uses the following items” to find Internet Protocol Version 4.
Double-Click on Internet Protocol Version 4.
Under “Use the following DNS server addresses” enter the following IP addresses:

208.67.222.222
8.8.8.8

Click on OK.
Click on OK.
(You should no longer need the Control Panel or the Network Connections window.)

Note:
If you have a software firewall on your Windows device: be sure to open up the network addresses so that the Virtual network range and the IP address of your Windows device can communicate with each other. Every firewall has its own way of doing things so I cannot give you details here.

Moral of the story:

People find it far easier to let their narrow vision obscure the possibility that solutions are possible-- even with a simple entry level device like the loveable little Play. Many find it easier to spout off when they have not a clue.

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