Does slingboxes work in China?
#2
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Southeast USA
Programs: various
Posts: 6,710
Very mixed results, depends on a number of variables including where you will be located/type of connection you have. I considered setting this up last year, but the techie-types of expats I talked to told me that usually you just can't get enough speed to run the thing adequately...so I didn't pursue it. You might look at this thread for some tips.
#3
Original Poster

Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: KIX, ITM, UKB, YVR
Programs: Star Alliance - AC
Posts: 2,356
Thanks for the reply. I am afraid of buying something, putting my hopes and relying on something that just does not work in China. Not the technologies fault, somethings just don't jive in China.
I had a VOIP phone that works great in North America but when we moved to Taiwan it did not work nor did it work in China but did work perfectly in Hong Kong. Spent hours with tech support and reconfiguring settings and we all just gave up. I realized that cause it works in one place is not necessary work in another place.
Don't want to make the same mistake again.
I had a VOIP phone that works great in North America but when we moved to Taiwan it did not work nor did it work in China but did work perfectly in Hong Kong. Spent hours with tech support and reconfiguring settings and we all just gave up. I realized that cause it works in one place is not necessary work in another place.
Don't want to make the same mistake again.
#5
Moderator, Marriott Bonvoy & FlyerTalk Evangelist




Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: McKinney, TX, USA
Programs: United Silver; AA Plat/2MM; Marriott LT Titanium; Hilton Gold
Posts: 11,775
I've used a friend's setup to watch some football games a couple of years ago when I was staying in Wuhan. So it can be done. But as mentioned, it is possible things may have changed over the last year or so, but I would think that it is still possible.
#6

Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: YYZ, PVG
Programs: Marriott Titanium, Ex-UA-1K
Posts: 430
Take a look at some of the expat forums.
I've linked to a couple here....
Shanghai Expat - Slingbox Experience
Slingbox Best Configuration
I've linked to a couple here....
Shanghai Expat - Slingbox Experience
Slingbox Best Configuration
#7
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: PVG SIN
Posts: 79
From experience it depends on your internet connection or the property you choose to reside in. Safer bet to go with a 4MB internet connection for the common ADSL setup and there are some new optically enabled VDSL estates which will provide good constant bit rates of up to 700k with just a 2MB connection.
Always variable in china, largely dependend on your expected relocation city and its investments into IT.
Good Luck!!!
Always variable in china, largely dependend on your expected relocation city and its investments into IT.
Good Luck!!!
#8




Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: SIN / CNX / SFO
Programs: UA GS, SQ PPS, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Titanium, Hilton Diamond, Accor Gold
Posts: 1,253
In the case of a Slingbox, the so-called "Great Firewall of China" is unlikely to pose any issue: you will be connecting to a typical residential IP back in the US, so you shouldn't have any problems with access being specifically blocked by the PRC government. In this sense, Slingboxes will "work" in China.
Your main issue is likely going to be getting enough consistent bandwidth to stream content. My server in a data center in Beijing can get about 2200kbps of bandwidth across the Pacific on a good day, and in my experience, most typical residential connections in China get around half of that. And that's connecting to another server, not a residential connection from an ISP that may or may not have ideal peering with the necessary providers.
Assuming you can get a connection that can manage around 1mbps to the US, you should be okay for streaming SD content from your Slingbox. Most residential connections don't have more than 1mbps of upload anyway, so your bottleneck may actually be there, not with your connection in China.
My personal past successes with watching content from my Slingbox in Shanghai indicate that you should be able to do this. Just don't expect it to necessarily work well on a shared connection (such as at a hotel) where limited bandwidth is spread even more thinly.
Your main issue is likely going to be getting enough consistent bandwidth to stream content. My server in a data center in Beijing can get about 2200kbps of bandwidth across the Pacific on a good day, and in my experience, most typical residential connections in China get around half of that. And that's connecting to another server, not a residential connection from an ISP that may or may not have ideal peering with the necessary providers.
Assuming you can get a connection that can manage around 1mbps to the US, you should be okay for streaming SD content from your Slingbox. Most residential connections don't have more than 1mbps of upload anyway, so your bottleneck may actually be there, not with your connection in China.
My personal past successes with watching content from my Slingbox in Shanghai indicate that you should be able to do this. Just don't expect it to necessarily work well on a shared connection (such as at a hotel) where limited bandwidth is spread even more thinly.


