[3G Part 1] Make SqueezePlayer find your router

One of the first things to do is to make SqueezePlayer connect back to your network.

Whenever your router connects to the internet, unfortunately every time it get’s assigned a new IP address by your Internet Service Provider (ISP).
So effectively your home network is a moving target from the perspective of SqueezePlayer – let’s find a way to pin it down!

The standard solution to our problem is to use a service (like DynDNS.com – must be supported by your router, there are others) that gives you a static name on the internet. When your register there (DynDNS is not free anymore, try no-ip.com instead) you can choose a name, which will be your own unique address on the internet, like ‘wow-my-server.dyndns.com’

Now your router works together with this service: everytime it get’s a new IP address signed, it tells this service ‘hello – did you know – you find me HERE’ …
And when you then call the address ‘wow-my-server.dyndns.com’ you get routed back to your home.

It’s like in real live when the kid says to mummy ‘if daddy asks, please tell him I’m at [put in some place]’.
Always on the run, but when well trained (almost) always easily findable.

Clever ey?

So let’s set this up on your router – it needs to tell DynDNS.com where it can be found on the internet. Unfortunately this is highly dependent on your router, click through all it’s menus until you see the words ‘Dynamic DNS’ or ‘Dyndns.org’.

To give you a clue – here is how it looks on my DLINK router:

As you can see you have to choose what service do you want to use (there are others than DynDNS.org), your address you reserved with them and the username and password of your account over at DynDNS.org.

Phew … the final step of course is to tell SqueezePlayer this new address as well.

On the settings screen under the option ‘Squeezebox Server’ choose ‘manually enter address’ and in the new option ‘Manual Server Address’ enter the new name of your home: ‘wow-my-server.dyndns.com’.

We are finished now with your first step: SqueezePlayer will now find your router through the internet, yeah!

If you don’t want to give up yet … follow me in Part 2.

32 Responses to “[3G Part 1] Make SqueezePlayer find your router”

  1. Daan Says:

    Hello, thanks for the FAQ, but I can’t make part 1 work.

    You write:
    Phew … the final step of course is to tell SqueezePlayer this new address as well.

    On the settings screen under the option ‘Squeezebox Server’ choose ‘manually enter address’ and in the new option ‘Manual Server Address’ enter the new name of your home: ‘wow-my-server.dyndns.com’.

    I don’t have a settings screen under the option ‘Squeezebox Server’,on mij Squeezebox touch.
    Am I doing something wrong?

  2. stefan Says:

    Hi Daan,

    the settings menu of SqueezePlayer is where you find the option.
    Just start SqueezePlayer and hit the ‘menu’ key of your phone/tablet. Then you will see the settings screen of SqueezePlayer where you can enter your DynDNS URL.

    Cheers
    Stefan

  3. Greg Newell Says:

    I must be a complete idiot because I don’t see anything FREE service on DynDNS.com. I have an account. What am I missing.

  4. stefan Says:

    Looks like they removed the free option, cannot find it myself anymore 🙁
    Guess we need to start looking for other free implementations (that our respective routers support).

  5. Rory Says:

    Hi
    My set up is – touch wireless to vortexbox pc with squeezebox server on it (library on a Stora not quiteNAS)
    Got this app tonight – registered to dlinks own dns site – dlinkddns.
    Did the port forwarding thing using the vortexbox ip address ( I have it fixed using the DHCP thing)
    I am using the squeezebox commander for control
    All I get is wifi connecting on the squeeze player
    The test button on my router came back with updated successfully when I checked the ddns account testing
    Any ideas
    I think I am close
    Cheers
    Rory

  6. stefan Says:

    Hi Rory,

    SqueezePlayer should be showing “3G connecting” or “CDMA connecting” if it is outside your own network.
    Can you access your Squeezebox-Server when you open the browser on your phone and surf to http://yourname.dlinkdns.com:9000 (or whatever your external address is).

    Cheers
    Stefan

  7. Rory Says:

    Hi
    Tried various combinations on browser
    https://www.dlinkddns.com/host/myname.dlinkddns.com takes me to
    https://www.dlinkddns.com/login on my phone browser but when I try to enter
    dlinkddns.com/host/myname.dlinkddns.com I get wifi invalid server on squeezeplayer
    When I try dlinkddns.com it just sits as wifi connecting (although it is appending :9000 to the address even though I have blanked it on squeezeplayer)
    Sorry about this – I so want this to work
    Cheers
    Rory

  8. stefan Says:

    http://yourname.dlinkddns.com:9000
    should work in your browser.
    If not you need to contact DLinks support I’m afraid.

    Before you cannot see the webinterface remotely in your browser, you don’t need to try with SqueezePlayer.

    In SqueezePlayer configure without the “http” and “9000” parts.

  9. Mark Says:

    Hello quick question does this work for 4G phones because I’m having trouble setting this up.

  10. stefan Says:

    I wouldn’t know why it shouldn’t work via 4G.
    Guess you’d need to share more details about what you tried and what didn’t work so far.

  11. Mark Says:

    Ok I have port 9000 and 3843 on protocol tcp enable on my router. My dyndns.org hostname is set up and working but when I try to put my hostname in squeezeplayer I get UMTS connecting.di

  12. stefan Says:

    The port must be 3483 and not 3843.
    When you surf to http://MYNAME.dyndns.org:9000 via your browser on the phone – can you see the web-interface of Squeezebox-Server?

    Also make sure, that within SqueezePlayer you enter the server address without “http://”

  13. Mark Says:

    Silly me I had the port number wrong. It works fine. Thanks for the help.

  14. Steve Says:

    Hi, just to say DynDNS do still offer a free option. You have to sign up as if accepting their normal paid service but then you cancel immediately and they let you keep one free host name. It’s a pain to find the cancel option but it is there somewhere.

  15. stefan Says:

    Steve, thanks a lot for this very valuable suggestion!

  16. CJ Says:

    I have done everything but still cannot connect via 3g. I can view from phone via my web browser but in squeezeplayer the connection still says “CDMA connecting….” I checked settings and the server address is correct without the “http” and port 9000. any suggestions?Never seems to connect

  17. stefan Says:

    CJ,

    when you open your browser on your phone and surf to
    http://myserver.dyndns.org:9000
    (replace with the correct dyndns address of course) – can you see the web interface of your Squeezebox Server?

  18. CJ Says:

    Stefan, thanks for your response. Yes, I could view the webpage on my phone with my dyndns address. And the Squeeze Commander app shows it was connected as well with the same configs, But Squeezeplayer never connects! no errors just says CDMA Connecting…..

  19. CJ Says:

    Now this is really strange. I can connect to the dyndns address from my pc browser (ofcourse) but cannot connect anymore from my phone browser. even on my own wifi network! and no more 3g via browser either.I havent changed anything. My squeezebox server is running on my pc via HDD so i should be using my PC IP for the forwarding address correct? my dyndns address is my routers IP from comcast.

  20. CJ Says:

    Scratch the last problem with the browser, just cleared the cache and now the stock browser works again( viewing the media server). However still cannot connect via 3g in squeezeplayer. So im back to my original problem. No 3g connection in squeezeplayer. All others ok via browser and squeezecommander.

  21. stefan Says:

    Hi CJ,

    if you can verify that dyndns and basic port forwarding on port 9000 works with SqueezeCommander and the mobiles browser then I think you should recheck, that port 3483 is forwarded correctly (exactly like the 9000 port).
    The “connecting” status is about port 3483, the main port for a Squeezebox player.

  22. CJ Says:

    Stefan,
    I verified the port 3483 for TCP and UDP. However, still no luck. Even if Im on the wifi network within my home on my phone set to my dyndns address, it will still not connect under wifi or 3g with the dyndns name! But if on wifi i set it to the IP address and not the dyndns it connects under wifi! But as soon as i change it to the dyndns name under wifi or 3g no luck.

  23. stefan Says:

    Hi CJ,

    what exactly did you configure as the manual server address?
    Did you prefix the address with “http://” – could you please try to remove it, if you have done so?

    You can also install the free App “aLogCat”. It will provide access to your Android logs, maybe we can get a more detailed error message from there! Please send the logs to support(at)squeezeplayer.com, I think we should also move the conversation there, to make it more convenient?

    Sorry for the inconvenience, but I’m pretty sure we will get this resolved, whatever blocks the network traffic on port 3483.

    Kind Regards
    Stefan

  24. Henrik Skytte Says:

    Hi Stefan
    I thing that I an almost ready to connect true 3G – but one question:
    In the SqueezePad Settings, I only find one field to tap in the server IP/ web address and this is already field out with the WIFI settings – Do I need to change this setting every time that I shift be twin WIFI and 3G.
    Therefor I wont to ask how I will be able to store the external and the internal IP- information

    Best regards

    Henrik

  25. stefan Says:

    Hi Henrik,
    are you referring to SqueezePad or SqueezePlayer?

    In SqueezePlayer you have the option to switch between an automatically discovered server or a manually configured one (your dyndns-server). So switching is very convenient here.
    In SqueezePad there is only the URL field – and if it’s replaced with a local server, you’ll have to retype the DynDNS address.

    I keep the DynDNS address in there all the time. This one also works when you are on WiFi in your local network so actually there is really no need to switch all the time?

  26. mikey Says:

    hello
    I know its along time ago…but is the problem form CJ solved?
    I have the same problem… when im in the w-lan it works all fine but if i try to connect via 3g squeezeplayer want not connect!
    squeezecontroller works fine via 3g.
    connect via browser wörks too. i have forwarded all needed ports…
    is the port the same for both apps? my sbs listens on 9001 and 9090 not on 9000 and 3843 but thats not the problem because i forwarded them and those works in wlan. i dont know what i should do now…
    i hope anyone can help me

  27. stefan Says:

    Forwarding port 3483 is the most important one. It is responsible for the “connected” state of SqueezePlayer.
    Please check that it really is forwarded correctly.

  28. mikey Says:

    wow, quick answer. That was not what I had expected 🙂
    I was not shure if I have to forward the port 3483, so I did it anyway for tcp/udp. (i forwarded a lot of ports without any luck).
    Its very strange…all the peoples that had the same problem solved it and they dosnt know why but that dont work for me 😛
    And sorry for my englisch, its not my main language 😉

  29. mikey Says:

    Hey Stefan! May I found the problem…
    Everytime I try to connect to SBS it will makes a Log entry like this:
    “0332: [14-04-18 14:34:12.8754] Slim::Web::JSONRPC::requestMethod (443) request not dispatchable!”
    Do I have to forward port 443 too? I think Its 9001 because in the Settings of SqueezePlayer is no option or info for this secure port…??

  30. stefan Says:

    Hi Mikey,

    don’t care about other ports yet. Only when port 3483 (tcp) is working properly, SqueezePlayer will show the “connected” message.

    Typical mistakes users did so far:
    – mixing up the numbers (IP address or port numbers), when setting up the router/firewall. Please definitely check again if you didn’t mix up any numbers
    – configuring the wrong external IP in SqueezePlayer: you need to setup a “manual server IP” in SqueezePlayers settings. It needs to talk to your internet address (only your router will forward this to your actual Squeezebox server).

  31. mikey Says:

    YEAH STEFAN, IT WORKS!! 😀
    The Problem was really port 3483 😛

    for all those who have the same problem, my mistake was:
    I made a Service for my Router with both ports (9001, 3483) but only the first (9001) was working.. now I forward this two ports seperate and take a look: it works!

    Great app! It works now very fine! thank you stefan!

  32. Jan Huijsmans Says:

    Hello,

    Thanks to this HowTo I managed to get the connection up, secured with openvpn and was able to test it with MPD. After I was sure it would work good enough to test with SqueezePlayer I went ahead and bought the app. It’s working great. Without the re-coding I couldn’t listen to high quality mp3s over the network at work, but with I can get up to max quality (320 kbps) On 3G I need tyo step down to 192-224, but with this setup it’s at least possible.

    Thanks for the HowTo and the app. (although a time limited trial version would have helped)