Lose ability to connect on iPhone

Have Serviio up and running on Mac just fine. I have it set up to access with the MediaBrowser on iPhone. Every so often I do not get connected on the phone. Get a blank, white screeen. When I go to Mac and click "Connectivity status", it seems to fix the iPhone problem. Sure would like to be able to depend on being able to access my files on the phone. Any ideas would be appreciated. I'M NOT VERY SAVY, TECHNICALLY. If the "fix" is about going into router and redoing settings, etc., I'm cooked.

About to give up on Serviio. Unless a person is able to discuss these things on a high level, technically, there is seldom any help forthcoming. Can someone please give me some advice?

[DenyAll]

When you lose connection on your iPhone, are you connected to your internal WiFi network or your 3G/4G connection?
If the latter, I suspect you need to set up port forwards and a reserved IP address.
Unfortunately this involves ' going into router and redoing settings, etc.'. If you send through your router model I'll see if I can provide some step-by-step instruction.

Perhaps this will help. Later yesterday, I was out of town...60 miles away from my WiFi, and the iPhone wouldn't not connect. Same white screen. Obviously on 3G at that point in time. Do you think this makes it likely that I need to change router settings? If so, I would appreciate the help you suggested you could give me. The odd thing is that I'm pretty sure I've been in the same situation before (out of range of my WiFi) and it has worked. What do you think?

I use what I think is referred to as a Modem/Router combo, provided by Cox Communications. It is a Ubee. 3.13.1 is the Hardware Version. I do not see a "Model"

[DenyAll]

You need to change your router settings unfortunately - if only to rule that out as an issue.
Your PC running Serviio was on at the time (and not in sleep mode) when you checked when you were 60 mi away?

Is this your router model: http://www.ubeeinteractive.com/sites/de ... %20Cox.pdf

As I understand all the ubee models are roughly the same - so I have put together the attached to help you set up port forwarding in your router.

Before I do that, I have a couple of questions:

1. If my Mac is in sleep mode and I am at home with iPhone using WiFi, should MediaBrowser work with the iPhone?

2. If my Mac is in sleep mode and I am NOT at home, using either WiFi elsewhere or using 3G, should MediaBrower work with the iPhone?

I guess I want to rule out the sleep mode issue and I don't quite understand how it works relative to where I am and if I am using WiFi or 3G.

[DenyAll]

1. If my Mac is in sleep mode and I am at home with iPhone using WiFi, should MediaBrowser work with the iPhone?
2. If my Mac is in sleep mode and I am NOT at home, using either WiFi elsewhere or using 3G, should MediaBrower work with the iPhone?

No. Whether at home or away from home, MediaBrowser talks back to your MAC, which must be on and awake.

If you want to use MediaBrowser away from home, you need to leave your MAC on and awake. There are ways to wake a MAC/PC remotely but that's pretty advanced - the simplest way is to disable sleep mode (you can allow the screen to turn off) and leave your MAC running.

ps. I'm not a MAC user. The first part of the instructions I gave you were for a PC - you need to do the ipconfig /all command on the MAC - see http://egeek.io/ipconfig-mac-os-x/. Having said that, if sleeping is your issue, then all of that is moot.

Update: My Ubee router/modem is model DDW365, which is one number different than the one you mentioned. I have no idea if that difference makes the recommendecd changes invalid. What do you think?

The Mac being asleep is not the issue. I changed the Mac settings so that it sleeps only between midnight and 6am. When I awoke this monrning, after 6am, the iPhone would not connect with MediaBrowser. I refreshed MediaBrowser on the Mac after 6am and the iPhone still will not connect.

Do you think I ought to try the router/modem changes as you suggested? Is there a downside to doing so? How confident do you feel making the changes will fix the problem?

Again, I am most appreciative of your assistance & expertise.

k.p.

I tried to follow your instructions about port forwarding. I get pretty deep into the Ubee instructions (ultimately failed to understand what to do), fiddled with a few things there and on the app itself, and ended up creating more problems than port forwarding.

Connnectivity shows good on the app. However, now my Samsung TV doesn't find Serviio as a source. And there is no connection at all with the iPhone. What should I do now?

Sigh..

Update:

1. The smart TV now finds Serviio as a source.

2. Connected on iPhone by typing a new URL....(http://my ip number:23424/mediabrowser.) So now I have a 2 shortcuts to it on the iPhone. The one I started with this morning..which opens to a white screen...and the 2nd one which I just put on...which opens the mediabrowser.

I am totally confused. Not only about inability to connect on iPhone at times...but on the entire setup. Would this port forwarding idea solve my problems? But alas, how to accomplish that. Called my ISP (Cox) for help to foward ports...they referred me to manufacturer (Ubee) ...who referred me back to ISP>

[DenyAll]

Ok, you may need to get some help (a tech-savvy friend or relative).
If you have managed to do the first part of my instructions (setting a static IP address) that may go a long way to fixing your problem.

For your shortcuts, simply delete the one that is not working. For the one that is working make sure the "my ip number" is your external IP address, not your internal one (your internal one will be in the form 192.168.xxx.xxx. Your external (or public) IP address can be found by typing "whats my IP" into google. Unfortunately this address may change from time to time so you either need to:

• Organise with your provider for a fixed (static) address if they haven't already given you one (some do, most don't, some charge a small fee for it);
• Monitor the address and change your shortcut when it changes
• Use a dynamic DNS provider (unfortunately this gets technical as well, so you will likely need the help of that tech-savvy friend).