# Sling wi-fi adapter?



## chouseman (Feb 9, 2010)

With all the advertising for TV Everwhere, I googled to see if the VIP722/K Sling adapter might be purchased anywhere but directly from Dish. The search turned up this Sling wi-fi adapter, a small USB stick that apparently plugs into the DVR and costs only $32.99.

The description: "The Perfect Companion to Your HD DVR.The Sling Adapter is the easiest way to get TV Everywhere if you have a ViP® 722 or ViP 722k HD DuoDVR."

If that's true, and for $32.99 you can have your DVR programs on any PC within the local wi-fi zone, that's exactly what I want. I don't care about mobile devices or getting my TV on the road.

But with very little description or specifications (e.g. resolution, wireless band support), no user feedback, and no one else selling this thing, I'm obviously hesitant. Anyone know what this really is and if it works?


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## Bnottt (Jan 5, 2011)

No. The wi-fi adapter is only used to get your receiver connected to your LAN wirelessly if you have a wireless router. Other than that, you'll have to have an ethernet cable connected to your receiver before your sling hardware will work.


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## chouseman (Feb 9, 2010)

OK, let me make it clear, I have no separate Sling hardware, just the VIP722K. Under System info, my "Sling adaptor status" is NONE, but my "Sling Adapter Version" is AAAYZZZZ. So without the $99 add-on Sling adapter, and also a LAN or wi-fi connection, I can't view DVR programs on a PC in the local LAN/Wi-Fi zone. Is all that correct?

I'm only asking for clarification because the advertising for the "Sling Wi-Fi" adapter makes it sound like it is ALL that I need for a VIP722K to get "TV Everywhere".

And, I wasn't aware that the VIP722K supported a USB Wi-Fi adapter on its USB port as an alternative to a wired connection.

Thanks.


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## [email protected] Network (Jan 6, 2011)

chouseman said:


> OK, let me make it clear, I have no separate Sling hardware, just the VIP722K. Under System info, my "Sling adaptor status" is NONE, but my "Sling Adapter Version" is AAAYZZZZ. So without the $99 add-on Sling adapter, and also a LAN or wi-fi connection, I can't view DVR programs on a PC in the local LAN/Wi-Fi zone. Is all that correct?
> 
> I'm only asking for clarification because the advertising for the "Sling Wi-Fi" adapter makes it sound like it is ALL that I need for a VIP722K to get "TV Everywhere".
> 
> ...


FYI: Yes the box will support a wi-fi connection using a USB adapter, but it does not allow to view DVR/Live TV content without the Sling adapter. You are right about the advertisement being very unclear, and I am glad you posted that information. Anytime I see an item going for 1/3 the price of the equipment from the source, I would question what it is and what it actually does myself. Thank you for posting this as it serves as a warning to anyone trying to complete this. I will certainly check our website as well to make sure we are 100% clear on our products.

BTW, I believe you have shed light another issue that some of my customers have brought forward to DISH Network (as well as the forums). You mentioned AAAYZZZZ as the Sling Version, which some of my customers with the adapter have also reported. This means that the version is likely default PRIOR to attaching the device, which means there is a lack of connection or a problem with the connection when others with the adapter report that Sling Version. That seriously helps me and I really wanted to thank you for the thoroughness of your post!


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## BattleZone (Nov 13, 2007)

chouseman said:


> And, I wasn't aware that the VIP722K supported a USB Wi-Fi adapter on its USB port as an alternative to a wired connection.


Support was only recently added (as in, a couple of months ago), and only one very specific USB stick (Netgear WNDA3100 version 2) will work, and they have been out of stock for a while. Dish basically bought up the entire inventory of that model, and are waiting for the next production run to get more.


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## chouseman (Feb 9, 2010)

BattleZone said:


> Support was only recently added (as in, a couple of months ago), and only one very specific USB stick (Netgear WNDA3100 version 2) will work, and they have been out of stock for a while. Dish basically bought up the entire inventory of that model, and are waiting for the next production run to get more.


Hmm, so maybe Solid Signal got a shipment of the things before Dish decided to monopolize the market for them...

Oops, strike that. There seem to be plenty available for purchase. Check it out. Way more expensive than what Solid Signal is asking, but the picture of the device looks identical.


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

chouseman said:


> Hmm, so maybe Solid Signal got a shipment of the things before Dish decided to monopolize the market for them...
> 
> Oops, strike that. There seem to be plenty available for purchase. Check it out. Way more expensive than what Solid Signal is asking, but the picture of the device looks identical.


Look is irrelevant - check *VID_xxxx and PID_xxxx* on your PC first and compare to that approved one. It's *critical data* what allow or disallow to use such USB devices. The MS program will help you discover IDs as idVendor and idProduct : *UVCView.x86.exe*.


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## chouseman (Feb 9, 2010)

P Smith said:


> Look is irrelevant - check *VID_xxxx and PID_xxxx* on your PC first and compare to that approved one. It's *critical data* what allow or disallow to use such USB devices. The MS program will help you discover IDs as idVendor and idProduct : *UVCView.x86.exe*.


UVCView.x86.exe is hard to find except from a ftp site in .ru, but USBVIEW.EXE is direct from ftp.microsoft.com and is just as good for this purpose (who'da thought a program from the Windows 98 reskit still works on Windows 7 x64).

And of course I know looks don't mean everything, my comment there was just to indicate that the similar appearance suggested the Solid Signal product was also from Netgear, and if so, might be usable. That doesn't mean I'm going to try it... I'll leave that to someone else!


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

It's same program. I recall I did DL it from MS site a couple years ago, perhaps it could be buried somewhere there; it is dated year 2005, btw.
From MSDN at http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff554257.aspx:


> UVCView
> 
> UVCView.exe (USB Video Class descriptor viewer) is a development tool that allows the user to examine the descriptors on any attached USB device. UVCView is a variation on USBView, which ships in this Windows Driver Kit (WDK) as a sample in the USB section. UVCView adds descriptive descriptor information for multimedia USB Audio and Video Class devices.
> 
> ...


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