Away from home w/ a local Channels-DVR server

Channels DVR Server
#1

This situation doesn’t come up often for us, but we’re presently away from home but the home we’re in has a Channels-DVR installed as well. (Yes, that’s because I’ve got my family using it now too).

When I select Away from Home in the client it asks me to authorize remote access and then presents the local DVR not the remote.

Is there a way to work around this?

#2

Are your remote sources not available at all? Or are both available?

IIRC, local HDHR sources will be available when connected to a remote server.

#3

I never reach my remote DVR. It always and only locates the local one.

It’s worth noting that if I’m in a remote location that does not have Channels-DVR then I can connect to my remote machine without issue.

#4
  • From which clients—Apple TV, Fire TV, Android TV—are you trying to access your remote server?
  • Has this ever worked in the past? (If so, has anything changed in between then and now?)
  • Have you submitted diagnostics or otherwise raised this issue before?
  • Which particular router are you using? Are its routing tables perhaps restricting your access?
#5

In this case iPad, and no it’s never worked when a local DVR is present. I’ve never stayed at a site with a local DVR long enough to care so this is my first time reporting it.

Routers aren’t an issue as if I shut down the local DVR then it works as expected.

#6

Then I think this is a Channels issue, with their apps preferring a broadcasting DVR server over an app's own settings. Perhaps diagnostics would be helpful?

#7

I believe so as well. Don’t know if it will help but I have submitted a diag.

#8

I have the same issue with 2 dvr servers one at my home and the other at our vacation home. This is the work around I do. DVR 1 (home) set to "Remote DVR"= enable on in your settings. At the vacation home (DVR 2) set Remote DVR= Not enabled. Also on the vacation home you have to set Enable Bonjour Discovery to unchecked. The issue you are running into is your remote location sees the local DVR (DVR 2) and will not go to the remote location (DVR 1). Channels uses Bonjour and finds your local DVR and overrides your remote location.

I bought 2 TS4K one is set to the local DVR and the other TS4K is set to the remote location. Then I just switch HDMI ports on the TV to watch either DVR. I turn Enable Bonjour Discovery to uncheck on both DVRs and just use the local ip address for the local DVR since Channels will not discover it. The only thing that changes when I switch between the two homes is enabling "Remote DVR" on just one DVR at a time since Channels only has 1 DNS entry per account. It is a bummer but I hope one day they make this functionality easier to implement.

At one point I had two versions of channels running at the same time on the TS4K (beta and regular version) but this got glitchy and the TS4K are cheap enough and most TVs have more than 1 HDMI port I went with that route.

#9

@Doormat (cc @tmm1), Thanks for your reply. I understand what you’re saying, but that’s a somewhat different situation as you control both DVRs in that scenario. In theory, I do too, but practically speaking one of these DVRs belongs to my in-laws and they shouldn’t be expected to shut down their DVR because I want to watch mine.

Aman, is there something that can be done to enhance the selection process of the remote DVR when there is an existing local DVR?

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#10

Would it help if you were to connect to a guest network rather than your host's main WiFi network?