Use without connection to network

[tstorzuk]

A little help please,

I want to use my Boxee without connecting to an internet source or a computer. However on the initial set up, I keep getting asked for a network connection (wireless or wired).

How can I skip this step?

I only want to run files from an external hard disk drive connected directly to my Boxee.

Is this possible? If so, could someone step me through it as I am brand new to this device.

Thanks

[Prospero424]

You only have to connect it to the Internet once for initial activation. Also, it's very likely that the firmware your Box shipped with is already in need of updating, so you need to get that done before anything.

But yes, after that if you disconnect it from your network it will run in offline mode.

[hitolaus]

But seriously, it works like $h*! in offline mode. It keeps trying to get content/metadata and just doesn't work properly.
If you don't have an "always-on" internet connection just get another media streamer. The Boxee Box is meant to be online.

[Prospero424]

I'd take the opposite tack, personally, in that I'd encourage him to just let it connect to the internet. Even if you have a bandwidth cap on your connection, the Boxee Box isn't going to use any significant portion of that cap unless you're actively choosing to stream from Internet sources like Netflix.

tstorzuk

What, exactly, is your concern in allowing internet access to the device?

[tstorzuk]

Prospero,

My concern is that I don't have an internet connection to my Boxee. It's in a different floor from where my router is, and I don't get enough of a signal to get it connected to the internet wirelessly.

I was hoping to be able to just hook up my external drive with my media and play it.

However there seems to be a problem with the type of drive I have too. It's a 3tb drive, and it looks like the Boxee needs a firmware update just to be able to recognize the device.

Thanks for the help. I'll browse the forums more to see if I can find an answer.

Cheers

[Prospero424]

Yeah, there are a couple of workarounds for the 3TB problem floating around the forums. But like I said: once you get it activated, you can use it in offline mode (even if there are a couple of annoying issues with this), from which you should be able to access a USB drive just fine. You just won't get any thumbnails listed in the "Shows" or "Movies" libraries 'cause it can't fetch metadata. You can still browser\ content through the "files" menu just fine.

[WiidSmoker]

Is there anyway to store that metadata for movies/tv shows when offline?