Slingbox app doesn't work on my WD TV Play

I have a WD TV Play that I’m trying to use with a Slingbox 500 remotely without success.

The Slingbox does work perfectly in the Internet Explorer web player on my PC and laptop and I can get “Best HD” quality (the best possible) consistently. So I know it’s not a Slingbox nor network bandwidth issue.

However, all my attempts to connect to the Slingbox through the WD TV Play Slingplayer app failed with one of the following errors (somewhat randomly):

  • Connection Timed Out: Unable to connect to Slingbox. Please check that your slingbox is on and connected to the network. Then try again. (code:10003)

  • HTTP Error: Error retrieving stream from Slingbox. (code:2)

  • HTTP Error: Unable to connect to Slingbox. Please check that your slingbox is on and connected to the network. Then try again. (code:7)

  • HTTP Error: Error retrieving Slingbox IR information (code:14)

What I get from the app is:

Connecting to…

(then)

Starting streaming…

(then… after about 30 seconds, fails with one of the above errors)

Testing the speed in the app works fine. Even detects if I’m already connected to the Slingbox in the web player, I’m getting:

Takeover Connection: This Slingbox is being used by someone else. Do you want to disconnect them and take over the connection? (code:10001)

The WD TV Play works fine otherwise.

Firmware version: 1.05.47

Part number: WDBHZM0000NBK

This is quite annoying as I originally bought the WD TV Play especially for the Slingbox connectivity…

Help, please?

Check if you have the latest firmware update installed for your Slingbox and WDTV.

http://support.slingbox.com/get/KB-1000278.html

http://www.wd.com/wdproducts/updates/?family=wdfwdtv_play

Thanks for the response Ichigo, that was one of the first things I did check before posting.

My Slingbox 500 has the latest firmware 1.7.162 (and hardware revision 1.2.0)

My WD TV Play also has the latest firmware 1.05.47

Both WD TV Play and Slingbox are up-to date.

I also tried connecting for at least 30 times and at least 10 consecutive times. Basically the Slingbox app never worked on my WD TV Play.

Hi again, try setting a static IP for the WDTV and the Slingbox and then try again. 

Ichigo, I’m not sure I understand how to do that.

Both devices are behind (different) routers in 2 locations. So they do have fixed LAN IPs (192.168.1.102 and 192.168.1.105). Also, in the Slingbox location a router is needed (ADSL Virtual Dialup via PPPoE) so I’m not sure I can have a static IP there.

Should any ports be forwarded?

I think I found the reason, however it wasn’t obvious and it’s burried in different places in the Slingbox documentation.

I still have to test and confirm but from what I am reading, this might be the solution.

So, if you are behind routers in each location, using a WD TV [Play or Live] and a Slingbox 500 or 350 , below there are some useful pieces of information you may want to know. I will only paste the important bits:

  1. http://support.slingbox.com/get/KB-2000513.html

By default, your Slingbox 350 or 500 asks your router to use port 5201. If the router reports that this port is unused, it is assigned to the Slingbox, and all is well. If the router reports that the port is already in use, it increases the port number by one and repeats the process until it finds an unused port. If you’re comfortable with changing your router settings, you can set up a DHCP reservation on your router so that it always uses the same IP address for your Slingbox. See the articles linked below for more information.

  1. http://support.slingbox.com/get/KB-1000154.html

The Slingbox uses port 5001 when it communicates with your router, so this port needs to be open for your Slingbox to send video outside of your network.

  1. http://support.slingbox.com/get/KB-2000505.html

[this is here so you know how to get the network details - In my case, the port is 5201]

So, if I’m understanding this correctly, when you are behind routers in both location, one have configure the routers to:

  • open both ports 5001 and 5201 (5201 may vary from setup to setup, see point 3 above) on both routers

  • have static LAN IPs (through DHCP, bind fixed LAN IP - mac) for both devices

  • forward ports 5001 and 5201 (*5201 may differ - see above) to the devices (fixed LAN IPs - see your router documentation)

Will post the results.

Hi,

I had a similar issue where connection to the slingbox from the embedded slingplayer on the WDTV Live would freeze/time-out every 3 or 4 minutes (would show up as error 27). It was working flawlessly from the web, it was just from the WDTV Live this issue occurred).

After adding a port forward on the router (it already had upnp enabled), forwarding port 5201 to the slingbox ip, everything started working flawlessly from the WDTV as well… I believe port 5001 was used by the old sling devices, for the 350/500 port 5201 should be ok.

Hi,

I am having the exact same problem and I am not sure what I need to do to correct.  Can you provide a little more information regarding the changes that you made to correct the problem?

Thank you!

Troy

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More specifically, I am not sure where to make the port forwarding change.  That is to say, do make the change to the router that the WD TV Live is connected to, which is almost 3,000 miles from my Slingbox?  Also, I suspect that I need to have a static IP for my Slingbox on the router that it is connected to way up North in order to enable the port frowarding.  Correct? 

Troy

Hi,

I am having the same exact issue.  Did you set up a static IP for your Slignbox 500 with port 5201 at your primary location and then at the remote location, where the WDTV Live is at, add a port forwarding for port 5201 back to the Slingbox IP?

I appreciate any insights you can provide.

Troy

Well that is real helpful - the link to your own system is to a pge that isn’t there!

So I now see this is a legacy system.  I guess you never did get it to work!   I am really mad that I bought one just because of Slingplayer that just does not work reliably over the internet.