XM in an Office Building

[Fabucci]

I just took a new job and now I work on the 14th story of a 24 story building. I have no way to open a window or to get an antenna mounted on the outside of the building. Does anyone have a solution to a similar situation? Since it is for a bank, I cannot jump online and I cannot access wifi to get it via the app. I am currently using an Inno and am willing to pay just about anything not to lose XM.

After almost 10 years of listening to Ron and Fez every day, I must say that I am addicted.

I know Fez is going to announce the secret soon and I don't want to miss it.

Thanks in advance for your help.

[PapaBear]

Do you have absolutely no window access? If you do, but the issue is that the window isn't close enough to you, you can try a signal repeater LIKE THIS (http://shopdelphi.com/consumers/support/faqs/signalrep/). It works from 75 away from the antenna.

Other than that, I guess the only option is not listen life. Use an XM togo unit to record the shows.

[sailor]

you don't need wifi for the app. that's the easiest solution if you can't get window access.

[Melk]

Smartphone + SiriusXM Premium App
OR
Audible Ron and Fez Show Sub + Audible-Ready Device

[Chigworthy]

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_T6-yynP3gQo/SejU7SG_LZI/AAAAAAAAAD4/FHVQyZ9vrX4/s400/MegaHearingAid.jpg

[Earlshog]

you don't need wifi for the app. that's the easiest solution if you can't get window access.

I am confused if he can't use his computer or Wifi how would he use the app?

[ozzie]

Audible Ron and Fez Show Sub + Audible-Ready Device

This. The Inno that you have should be an "Audible-Ready Device".

Sucks not listening "live", but whattayagunnadew?

Even when I was in an area that I could get a signal, I could only catch bits and pieces during the day with annoying work related stuff going on.

At least this way you can hear the whole show.

Check the "Curse you Audible" thread though. You may, at times, be a few days behind, or not get a Friday show until Tuesday once in a while.

I generally stay about a week or two behind anyway, so I almost always have a show to listen to at work.

Or, if I do get caught up, I'll hit the file library and listen to funny fez from the old days.

[sailor]

I am confused if he can't use his computer or Wifi how would he use the app?

The phone app does not require wifi.

[Earlshog]

The phone app does not require wifi.

Oh okay the phone app....

[sailor]

Oh okay the phone app....

I assumed that was what he meant when he mentioned wifi. It does kill minutes if you don't have unlimited.

[wormcast]

If you are being blocked by a corporate firewall, the following method will usually work since you will be using an "unknown" IP to connect to. You may have to do some finagling if your job blocks the dynamic DNS providers. Some ISPs give you a pretty static dynamic IP, so you can use that to connect to directly, but it's less elegant.

Here is what I do (kind of low level app engineering if you don't want to read it):

1. Get a good router for home. I use a Linksys WRT54GL(http://www.amazon.com/Cisco-Linksys-WRT54GL-Wireless-G-Broadband-Router/dp/B000BTL0OA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1328724352&sr=8-1) with DDWRT (http://www.dd-wrt.com). I mention this because some people's routers that come stock with their Internet service don't allow messing about with the settings.

2. Hook up your Sirius XM unit for reception at home. Things like a signal repeater or running antennas externally are another topic!

3. Run the unit's audio output to the line in (or mic input) of the sound card of a spare PC running Windows XP/Vista/7. I have an old Shuttle shoebox PC running Windows XP that I use for this. It has a small footprint and uses hardly any power.

4. Get the Shoutcast broadcasting tools (http://www.shoutcast.com/broadcast-tools). I use both sc_serv (the actual shoutcast server) and sc_trans (for the transcoder for the line in). You can use Winamp as the transcoder instead, but it's a bit of trouble for later. Anyway, set up sc_trans to connect to sc_serv, with sc_trans encoding the line-in from the Sirius XM unit. Set up sc_serv to require a password for client connections (both sc_trans and streamers) and not connect to the public servers (the Shoutcast "yellow pages") so that your Shoutcast stream is private.

5. If you want to record stuff, get Replay A/V (http://applian.com/replay-av/record-internet-radio.html). This is a program that can record from the line in as an MP3, etc. so you can have a dump of the stream every day. I have both the Shoutcast services running and Replay A/V so that I have a recording of the previous month or so (a 1 TB disk can hold at least a year of shows depending on the transcoding bit rate, I use 192 kbits, which is overkill but the music sounds better at that rate...you can get a 1TB external for less than $100).

6. Set up your router to allow port forwarding for the port used for streamers connecting to sc_serv.

7. Get an account with a dynamic DNS service like no-ip (http://www.no-ip.com/). Set up your router to update your WAN IP address for the DNS name you choose on your DNS service (like myronfezdotnet.no-ip.org).

8. Get Winamp (http://www.winamp.com/) for your work PC and connect to your server (e.g. myronfezdotnet.no-ip.org:8000) and voila, you are listening to your Sirius XM unit remotely.

9. If you can't modify your work PC, there are apps on Android I use to stream shoutcast over cell or Wifi in my house like XiiaLive (https://market.android.com/details?id=com.android.DroidLivePlayer&hl=en). Of course, you could just use the official Sirius XM app, but my personal Shoutcast stream is more reliable!


Good luck...