Develop Bugs

How to get VPN fire tv. No messing & Cheap. (UK)

Hi Guys,
Basically, you don't even need root for this.
You need to get a DIR-615 router. (I got mine for £10 delivered). I've gone for the D4 revision but I believe most work. Unless of course your router supports DDWRT.
I'd suggest getting this as an additional router. I've got a BT Homehub 5, and the lan cable from that connects into the DIR-615 internet port. So effectively two networks, one for DNS the other for anything else.
Next, install DD-WRT. Change the default IP to 192.168.5.(whatever). Just make sure where 5 is, it's not 1 as it will conflict and not give you internet access.
Next, get a smart dns provider. (DDWRT also supports VPN) - smartdns is an easier way. Put the IP addresses in the DNS fields.
All set up, running NBC Live sports from home on the TV.
Not to mention, with the video add ons - none will be blocked from UK. etc.

Hi,
This is EXACTLY what I've been looking to do, just didn't think anyone else would be doing the same thing!
So if I understand you correctly your set up is this:
Your Master Socket is connected to your BT HomeHub 5.
You then connect your BT HomeHub 5 to the DIR-615 via Ethernet?
You install DD-WRT, set up the VPN settings etc, and then connect your Fire TV to the DIR 615 rather than the HomeHub?
I currently have a Openreach Modem which connects to the master socket. I then have a ASUS RT-N66U connected to the Openreach modem via Ethernet. Am I right in assuming if I buy and connect a DIR - 615 to the Asus via an ethernet port and then do the above I can achieve the same thing? I
I'm looking to buy a fire TV so I can watch NBC Sports Live Extra on my TV. I only want a VPN connection on my FireTV only when I'm watching NBC not my other devices etc hence why I second router would actually work perfectly for me.

If all you want to do is bypass geographic restrictions so you can watch NBC sports then all you need is a smart dns provider, a popular one is Unotelly but there are loads out there...
I have set up using the below instructions (which are wireless) so when wanting to watch the Premiership on NBC I just unplug my Ethernet cable and connect to my router wirelessly which then has all the correct settings
http://help.unotelly.com/support/solutions/articles/193478-setting-up-unodns-on-your-amazon-fire-tv-

adatdeys said:
Hi,
This is EXACTLY what I've been looking to do, just didn't think anyone else would be doing the same thing!
So if I understand you correctly your set up is this:
Your Master Socket is connected to your BT HomeHub 5.
You then connect your BT HomeHub 5 to the DIR-615 via Ethernet?
You install DD-WRT, set up the VPN settings etc, and then connect your Fire TV to the DIR 615 rather than the HomeHub?
I currently have a Openreach Modem which connects to the master socket. I then have a ASUS RT-N66U connected to the Openreach modem via Ethernet. Am I right in assuming if I buy and connect a DIR - 615 to the Asus via an ethernet port and then do the above I can achieve the same thing? I
I'm looking to buy a fire TV so I can watch NBC Sports Live Extra on my TV. I only want a VPN connection on my FireTV only when I'm watching NBC not my other devices etc hence why I second router would actually work perfectly for me.
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Click to collapse
Exactly . Very easy to set up! SmartDNS is set up for me, not a VPN. NBC works brilliantly.
Although, NBC has been hacked on XBMC - login not even needed (SmartDNS is still needed). But for the App, it will work great too.
My next port of call is getting a wireless harddrive, or something that takes USB/SD Cards, and wireless devices can pick this up - Essentially so I can download episodes etc from XBMC/PC to it and watch on Fire TV.

Can't be done with BT home hub 5 though can it? DNS is blocked I believe.

Fire Tv Gen 2 VPN Setup Question

So I have recently decided to cut the cord on cable and go with an online streaming service for my family. I went ahead and bought a number for FTV Gen 2 to act as our new streaming devices/Cable box. I would like to install Kodi on the boxes as well, but my issues start when I am looking to run a VPN. I have made it as far as learning what OpenVPN is and installing inside of kodi, and I am willing to purchase a monthly VPN like IPVanish, But I cannot, for the life of me, figure out how I would make it so the VPN launches and connects as soon as kodi launches. I would rather not have the VPN on all the time when using playstation vue, and I hear a vpn can really mess with netflix. You might ask why I can't just take the extra steps to turn on and off the vpn within the fire tv, but I have a three year old who might utalize kodi and a wife who just would not fully understand ( wouldnt want to understand) how to make it work correctly everytime she wants to use kodi. Sorry if this is long winded.
tldr; Need a way to launch ipvanish when kodi launches for ease of access.

Why not use PIA? Install the app set it to start on boot and select per app settings select Kodi and your done. Don't expect lightning fast speeds running a VPN on firetv tho.
Spettro1337 said:
So I have recently decided to cut the cord on cable and go with an online streaming service for my family. I went ahead and bought a number for FTV Gen 2 to act as our new streaming devices/Cable box. I would like to install Kodi on the boxes as well, but my issues start when I am looking to run a VPN. I have made it as far as learning what OpenVPN is and installing inside of kodi, and I am willing to purchase a monthly VPN like IPVanish, But I cannot, for the life of me, figure out how I would make it so the VPN launches and connects as soon as kodi launches. I would rather not have the VPN on all the time when using playstation vue, and I hear a vpn can really mess with netflix. You might ask why I can't just take the extra steps to turn on and off the vpn within the fire tv, but I have a three year old who might utalize kodi and a wife who just would not fully understand ( wouldnt want to understand) how to make it work correctly everytime she wants to use kodi. Sorry if this is long winded.
tldr; Need a way to launch ipvanish when kodi launches for ease of access.
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Click to collapse

scoobysnack said:
Why not use PIA? Install the app set it to start on boot and select per app settings select Kodi and your done. Don't expect lightning fast speeds running a VPN on firetv tho.
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Click to collapse
Thanks for bringing up the speed. I have a question about that. I pay for 60 down, but it slows when it has to bounce from server to server using a vpn. Is it viable to run at least 1080p on 2-3 devices on PIA at the same time. Does each connection count as some of the bandwidth I am allotted from PIA or does each device get its own portion of bandwidth per connection? And when you say use PIA and select start on boot, it wont use the VPN for everything on the FTV if I select the per app settings and select Kodi itself? Meaning it starts up when the FTV starts, but doesnt connect to a server unless you launch Kodi?

Correct it will not connect unless your using kodi or whatever apps you have selected. You can use ares wizard to conform the VPN is working. I use a dedicated router and get between 10-20mbps almost the same with the app running. You will need mouse toggle in order to access the settings in PIA. I have played 1080p with no issues.. Live streams stutter. I don't really use Kodi its just something I play around with just because. If you run the VPN on a router then u can connect whatever you want to it with no limits.
Spettro1337 said:
Thanks for bringing up the speed. I have a question about that. I pay for 60 down, but it slows when it has to bounce from server to server using a vpn. Is it viable to run at least 1080p on 2-3 devices on PIA at the same time. Does each connection count as some of the bandwidth I am allotted from PIA or does each device get its own portion of bandwidth per connection? And when you say use PIA and select start on boot, it wont use the VPN for everything on the FTV if I select the per app settings and select Kodi itself? Meaning it starts up when the FTV starts, but doesnt connect to a server unless you launch Kodi?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

scoobysnack said:
If you run the VPN on a router then u can connect whatever you want to it with no limits.
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Click to collapse
Are you saying that if the vpn is on the router it does not slow streaming speed despite bouncing on several servers - or just that multiple connections are no slower than one connection?

Multiple connections show as only 1 device.
maybeme2 said:
Are you saying that if the vpn is on the router it does not slow streaming speed despite bouncing on several servers - or just that multiple connections are no slower than one connection?
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Click to collapse

Unable to connect to internet!

My firestick says it is connected to the WiFi, but not the internet. "Home is not available". Sometimes it connects and sometimes it doesn't. I have moved it around but nothing seems to matter. It won't stay connected. I'm confused how it can be connected to WiFi, but not the internet. Can anyone help me please?

I have the 3rd generation Amazon Fire TV. I notice this happens a lot with the FoxNow app as well as when streaming from Amazon Video. I don't see this with Netflix or when I stream from my Plex Media server. Mainly only with Amazon Video and FoxNow. It keeps telling me that Amazon Home is unavailable and it shows in the network status that it's connected to WiFi but not the internet. I'm running on the 5ghz band on channel 153 and all my other devices connected to the router work when the Fire TV states there's no internet. I've unregistered and re-registered my device as well as rebooted it several times, but the issue keeps coming back.
It doesn't happen all the time. There will be some days where there's not an issue with it. But when it happens, I have to reboot the Fire TV or unregister and re-register it on Amazon. I've ran a WiFi scanner and it tells me channel 153 is the best one for me based on my area. The Fire TV is just a few feet away from my WiFi router. I'm using the power adapter that came with the Fire TV in a wall outlet as it won't work with my TV's USB port (not powerful enough).
Our router is brand new (NetGear Firehawk R7000) and our cable modem is fine as well. Like I said, everything else works fine after the Fire TV loses connection.
We only have a 30mbps connection. Could that be it? Didn't seem to bother us when we had a Roku, but I wanted to get something that used the 5ghz channel so I went with the Fire TV since it was on sale.

friendlyphil said:
My firestick says it is connected to the WiFi, but not the internet. "Home is not available". Sometimes it connects and sometimes it doesn't. I have moved it around but nothing seems to matter. It won't stay connected. I'm confused how it can be connected to WiFi, but not the internet. Can anyone help me please?
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Click to collapse
iBolski said:
I have the 3rd generation Amazon Fire TV. I notice this happens a lot with the FoxNow app as well as when streaming from Amazon Video. I don't see this with Netflix or when I stream from my Plex Media server. Mainly only with Amazon Video and FoxNow. It keeps telling me that Amazon Home is unavailable and it shows in the network status that it's connected to WiFi but not the internet. I'm running on the 5ghz band on channel 153 and all my other devices connected to the router work when the Fire TV states there's no internet. I've unregistered and re-registered my device as well as rebooted it several times, but the issue keeps coming back.
It doesn't happen all the time. There will be some days where there's not an issue with it. But when it happens, I have to reboot the Fire TV or unregister and re-register it on Amazon. I've ran a WiFi scanner and it tells me channel 153 is the best one for me based on my area. The Fire TV is just a few feet away from my WiFi router. I'm using the power adapter that came with the Fire TV in a wall outlet as it won't work with my TV's USB port (not powerful enough).
Our router is brand new (NetGear Firehawk R7000) and our cable modem is fine as well. Like I said, everything else works fine after the Fire TV loses connection.
We only have a 30mbps connection. Could that be it? Didn't seem to bother us when we had a Roku, but I wanted to get something that used the 5ghz channel so I went with the Fire TV since it was on sale.
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Click to collapse
Try channel 36 on 5ghz band..
I've had this same issue for a year with no solution. I'm stuck on channel 36 which is the most crowded in my neighborhood

Well, I bit the bullet and purchased the LAN adapter for the Fire TV device and since this past Monday (4/23/2018) after hooking it up directly to my router and not using WiFi, I have not had a single issue. Before that, over the weekend and the past week, I had numerous hang ups and loss of internet (at least, the Fire TV said I had no internet but I did) after watching a movie, or a couple of TV shows.
I'm really thinking the issue is tied to heat (it heats up after using it for one movie or a couple of TV shows) and that causes an issue with the WiFi chip in the device. Since moving to using a LAN cable instead, there doesn't appear to be an issue with this now.
Also, I've noticed where lag/delay between audio and video that slowly creeps in as time moves on while watching a movie has appeared to have disappeared as well. Definitely, something is up with my WiFi. Not sure if it's my router or how it's configured (Netgear Nighthawk), but I have checked various settings (no dual band being used and only used 5ghz band, but the same issue was also on 2.4ghz band when I tried that) and nothing fixed the issue until moving off of WiFi.
I do have a repeater in the house for my wife because her laptop has a crappy wifi controller in it so she can't get a good signal upstairs whereas the rest of us have no issues. But, that's not always plugged in. Only when she needs to use her laptop upstairs so when she's not using it, it's turned off/unplugged from the wall. It also only uses the 2.4ghz band.
But in any case, using the LAN adapter appears to have solved my issue. Only time will tell, but the loss of internet via the Fire TV would happen daily. Now, after 3 days, it hasn't happened once. Knocking on wood that this fixes my issue.
UPDATE 4/26/2018:
Day 3 of using the Fire TV with the LAN adaptor. Watched over 5 hours of Dexter and not one issue. I watch it via Netflix and usually, after a few viewings, Netflix goes into buffering mode. Hasn't happened once this week since getting the LAN adapter. It definitely seems to have fixed my issue.

vic_singh said:
Try channel 36 on 5ghz band..
I've had this same issue for a year with no solution. I'm stuck on channel 36 which is the most crowded in my neighborhood
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Click to collapse
Ya you're right about going with lower / middle of the bands. I noticed this with 2.4ghz band too, I had it set to auto in my router settings and it picked 11, but AFTV didn't like anything 10 or over, so just changed band in router settings manual @1 or 6 and no issues.

Well, over a week now and not ONE single hang up and need to reboot. Definitely something with the WiFi in the device if you ask me. Interference, possibly brought on when the device gets too hot maybe? I dunno. Problem solved if you ask me! So happy now. Love my FireTV even more!

Slow Wifi?

Cant figure this out. I have a Fire TV Stick with Alexa. I have an 80mb connection. Over wifi, my laptop gets 70mb download on 5GHZ. The Firetv stick on 5ghz floats around 10-15mb, and that's 3 meters from the router. Its the closest device to the router.
HD Buffers constantly. Anyone any ideas?

I experienced similar on 5G WiFi where phone showed excellent speed but Fire TV showed terrible speed. However the problem was a useless speed test app on the Fire TV. I tested it with a few internet based speed tests and test results were fine.
--
Hammy

fire tv looses wifi connection with Plex

Help
Most times when I try to start Plex to steam a movie or tv show from my computer wifi (Win7) I have to shut the Toshiba firetv down and cold start it. Is there a way to fix this problem?

What's your network setup?
Are computer and television connecting to the same WiFi access point?
Do you have the Plex client on the TV set to allow insecure network connections on the same network?

Hello
The computer and TV are on the same 1G WiFi network router / modem. Computer is directly connected and the TV is wireless.. Plex app starts on the Toshiba Fire Tv but while loading a movie or tv program will go black and nothing. Both movie and TV show are in MKV format. It's just so frustrating to have to shut down the TV and restart to get the shows to play, computer is always on.
Thanks for your response.
chas638

Are you able to stream video from other FireTV apps?
This sounds like a Plex & networking issue. Have you tried giving your FireTV and Computer static IPs?
You may want to try the Plex support forum:
Topics tagged fire-tv
Topics tagged fire-tv
forums.plex.tv

Hello
I'm not sure how to create static IPs. I assumed because they were on the same network the router would handle it. I left a message as you suggested on the Plex forum.
Thank you