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Using the Internet while an iPad, Mac, or smartphone is connected to a SlingStudio hub: Not recommended

While your iPad, Mac, or smartphone is connected to the SlingStudio hotspot, it might not be able to access the Internet -- and it shouldn't. Here's why.

Using the SlingStudio Console app, you connect your iPad or Mac to your SlingStudio via its hotspot this way:

  • The SlingStudio hub broadcasts a 5.0 GHz 802.11ac Wi-Fi hotspot/access point;
  • You then set the networking on your iPad or Mac to connect directly to this SlingStudio hotspot.

While your iPad or Mac is connected to the SlingStudio hotspot via its Wi-Fi connection, it is not connected to a regular Wi-Fi network—so therefore it's not connected to the Internet (unless the SlingStudio hub itself is connected to a network that provides Internet access).

So unless the SlingStudio hub itself has Internet access, while it's connected to the SlingStudio hotspot, your iPad or Mac can't do some usual Internet tasks like:

  • Checking email
  • Using a web browser
  • Receiving updates

If you want to do those things with the iPad or Mac that's running the SlingStudio Console app, then you'll need to pause working on your SlingStudio project, disconnect your device's Wi-Fi from the SlingStudio hotspot, reconnect your iPad or Mac back to your local Wi-Fi network, and then do the Internet functions that you want.

Once you're done using the Internet, you can then reconnect your iPad or Mac back to the SlingStudio hub's hotspot and resume working on your SlingStudio project.

Note that the same situation applies when you're using the SlingStudio Capture app with a device like an Apple iPhone or an Android smartphone. To use the Capture app, the device running it needs to be connected directly to the SlingStudio hotspot.

But I notice that I can use the Internet on my iPad or Mac anyway! Why can't I just do that?

If you are using your SlingStudio for live broadcasting, and your SlingStudio is connected to the Internet via Wi-Fi (or via an Ethernet cable connected to the SlingStudio USB-C Expander product) then Internet service might be available to your iPad or Mac running the SlingStudio Console or your smartphone that's running the Capture app—even when their Wi-Fi is set to connect to the SlingStudio hotspot. However, you are strongly discouraged from doing this. It can affect both the speed and the quality of video that you are broadcasting to such destinations as Facebook or YouTube.