Syncbox Network Configuration

A Syncbox works out of the box on a wired network with DHCP. Use this page when you have to connect it over WiFi, through a proxy server, or with manual network settings. For the basic network and firewall requirements, see the Syncbox User Manual.

We recommend a wired Ethernet connection whenever one is available.

WiFi

You can connect a Syncbox to a 2.4 GHz WiFi network with a USB WiFi dongle. Only specific dongles work, so use the one supplied by Guide-ID — contact helpdesk@guide-id.com if you need one. The setup is stored per dongle, so repeat it if you change dongles.

With several Syncboxes, Guide-ID may supply a WiFi access point instead (see below).

Set up WiFi with the USB dongle

1. Insert the dongle into the front USB port below the Ethernet port, then start the Syncbox. Do not use any of the 10 rear USB ports — the dongle is not found there.
2. Wait about 2 minutes, until the Connection LED flashes red. The Syncbox has now started its own WiFi hotspot.
3. On your phone or laptop, look for WiFi networks and connect to the network with the name shown on the Syncbox label. The password is podcatcher.
4. A “Sign in to network” message appears. Tap it to open the WiFi configuration page.
5. Select your WiFi network from the list, enter its password and click Connect.

The hotspot switches off and the Syncbox connects to your network. The Connection LED flashes orange and turns green after about a minute.

If the connection fails, the LED returns to flashing red and the hotspot starts again. Go back to step 3.

WiFi access point

Instead of a dongle per Syncbox, you can use one access point in client mode. The Syncboxes connect to the access point with Ethernet cables, and only the access point connects to your wireless network — so you only configure the access point. Contact helpdesk@guide-id.com to plan this setup.

Proxy server

The Syncbox supports proxy servers with automatic or manual configuration.

Requirements

• The proxy must support HTTPS connections through the HTTP CONNECT method, where the proxy sets up a direct connection between the Syncbox and the website. Most proxies do.
• Proxies that require clients to install their own certificate instead are not supported.
• Proxy login (username and password) is supported only with HTTP Basic authentication. Digest, NTLM and Negotiate are not supported.

Automatic configuration (WPAD)

If your network supports the Web Proxy Auto-Discovery Protocol (WPAD), the Syncbox picks up the proxy settings automatically.

WPAD normally does not pass on a proxy username and password. Either configure the proxy manually (see below), or include the credentials in the proxy URL in your PAC file:

function FindProxyForURL(url, host) {
  return "PROXY username:password@192.168.1.1:8080; DIRECT";
}

Caution

Credentials in a PAC file are visible to everyone on the network, unless you restrict access to the file — for example by IP address. The Syncbox’s MAC address is printed on its label, so you can give it a fixed IP address.

Manual configuration with a USB stick

You can apply network settings to a Syncbox with a USB stick.

Step 1 — Prepare the USB stick

1. Format a USB stick as FAT.
2. Create a text file named config (no extension) in the root of the stick, not in a folder.
3. Add the settings you need, one per line, from the tables below.

Step 2 — Add the settings

General

Setting	What it does
config_net_reset=1	Clears all network profiles. Can be combined with other settings and is applied first.

WiFi — if you leave out config_net_wifi_ssid, the settings apply to Ethernet.

Setting	What it does
config_net_wifi_ssid=My WiFi Network	The WiFi network (SSID) to configure
config_net_wifi_pass=password	The WiFi password
config_net_wifi_auth=open	Authentication: open (Open System) or shared (Shared Key)
config_net_wifi_mgmt=wpa-psk	Key management: none (WEP), ieee8021x (Dynamic WEP), wpa-psk (WPA-PSK), sae (SAE) or wpa-eap (WPA-Enterprise)

Proxy server — applies to Ethernet, unless combined with WiFi settings.

Setting	What it does
config_net_proxy_host=192.168.1.1	Proxy server host
config_net_proxy_port=8080	Proxy server port
config_net_proxy_user=username	Proxy username
config_net_proxy_pass=password	Proxy password

Note

To set a proxy for WiFi, configure the WiFi settings in the same file. If you already set up WiFi with the hotspot method, add config_net_reset=1 to clear that profile first.

Example config file for WiFi with a proxy:

config_net_reset=1
config_net_wifi_ssid=My WiFi Network
config_net_wifi_pass=password
config_net_wifi_auth=open
config_net_wifi_mgmt=wpa-psk
config_net_proxy_host=192.168.1.1
config_net_proxy_port=8080

Step 3 — Apply the settings

You can use the same USB stick on several Syncboxes.

1. Switch the Syncbox off: hold the shutdown button for 10 seconds, until the System LED flashes orange and then goes off.
2. Insert the USB stick into the front USB port below the Ethernet connector. The rear ports do not work for this.
3. Press and hold the shutdown button for about 10 seconds to start the Syncbox in recovery mode. Release the button as soon as the System LED turns orange — if you hold it until the LED turns red, the Syncbox starts in a different mode.
4. The Syncbox applies the settings and restarts normally by itself.

If the settings could not be applied, the Syncbox stays in recovery mode with a red System LED. Check the USB stick and the config file, and start again at step 1.

Related articles

• Syncbox User Manual — network and firewall requirements, LEDs and installation
• Sync Devices for Podcatcher Classic — the Sync page in the Platform
• Synchronizing Podcatcher Classic — when content reaches the devices
• Troubleshooting Podcatcher Classic — fix an offline Sync Device or a failed sync