Installing Orb

Orb is easy to install. Follow these simple directions and you'll have remote access to your home computer and be MyCasting in no time!

Note: The lawyers make us say "The software and documentation are provided to you in accordance with your license agreement."

Before Installing Orb

Please review Orb's System Requirements to ensure your PC is properly configured to successfully install and run Orb.

Also:

  • Please make sure your computer is connected to the Internet so a connection to Orb's servers can be established.
  • Make sure you are logged with a Windows account that has full administrative privileges. Orb will not be properly installed or will not correctly run on your PC without these account privileges.
  • During Orb installation, you may receive a warning from your anti-virus software or firewall: make sure you give full permission for all Orb applications to run on your system, and that you also allow them through your firewall.
  • As part of the Orb installation process, you will be prompted to create an Orb login and password: make sure you write down this information for your records. Note that both login and password are case-sensitive.
  • If you have a TV tuner and intend to stream TV in Orb, verify that your tuner:
    • is Orb-compatible for analog TV, it is a tuner with a built-in MPEG-2 hardware encoder; for digital TV, it is an ATSC tuner tuner (in the US), or a DVB-T tuner (outside of the US);
    • properly works in its native PVR application (WinTV2000, Media Center, etc.), and you have the latest tuner drivers installed on your PC;
    • is not in use by another TV application when going through the Orb installation. It is important that you have exited all PVR applications for Orb to properly detect your tuner: restart your PC if necessary to ensure that no such program is running in your Windows Task Manager.
  • Close all other applications so Orb can update your system files during the setup process.

Network Configuration

It's a good idea to write down your original network and proxy settings before making any changes. Incorrect settings can cause Orb to either malfunction or not function at all, and can even prevent your computer from accessing the Internet.

Firewall

If you are attempting to connect to Orb from behind a firewall, the first time Orb is launched you may receive one or more Security Alerts notifying you that an Orb application is attempting to access the Internet. For Orb to run properly on your system, you must select to "Unblock".

 

Proxy Server on a LAN
If you install Orb on a computer that is part of a Local Area Network (LAN), and your LAN accesses the Internet via a Proxy Server, you may experience connection issues in which Orb applications are prevented from connecting to the Internet and, therefore, to our servers. Proxy information is unique to your network and can only be obtained from your network administrator.

 

Orb Streaming Ports

When you stream media in Orb, depending on your system configuration, Orb will either use UpnP and stream directly from your Orb PC to your Orb client device, bypassing Orb stream servers, or your streams will be sent via Orb stream servers. The following lists the ports you will need open in most cases:

 

  • For Windows media streams (.ASX), you need to be able to connect to TCP port 80. This is the standard HTTP port, no special configuration should be needed.
  • For Real media streams (.RAM) and 3GP streams (.SDP), you need to have incoming TCP port 554 and UDP ports 13398 to 13401 open.
  • If you install Orb behind a restrictive corporate firewall, you need to ensure that outgoing TCP ports 82, 85 and 86 are open on your PC to connect to Orb servers.

 

 

 

Note: if you are already hosting a Web server in the LAN where your Orb PC is located, TCP port 80 will most likely be in use by this Web server. In this case, you will need to either change the DirectStream Windows media port or disable UpnP in Orb.

For all other cases, it is recommended to activate and use UpnP.

Step-by-Step Installation & Configuration


First Part: Orb Installation

  1. Double-click OrbSetup.exe to launch the NSIS installer, which will guide you through the Orb setup process, then click Run.
  2. Click Next on the "Welcome..." screen.
  3. Read the License Agreement then click I Agree if you accept the Terms of Use: the installation process will begin.
  4. Select your destination folder for Orb install, or leave the default location, then click Install.
  5. Click Finish to close the Setup Wizard when Orb installation completes.

The next step is the Orb system configuration.

Second Part: Orb Configuration

  1. If you are ...
    • a new user, click create an account, then:
      • create your Orb login and password and enter this information where required
      • enter your email address. Note that it is important that you enter a valid email address for 2 reasons:
        • valid email is required to recover a lost login or recreate a forgotten password; the first time you share media in Orb, you will be required to verify this email address.
      • Click Next
    • an existing user, enter your current Orb login and password, then click Next
  2. Click Next if you will be using all Orb features or, deselect the media types you do not wish to remotely access via Orb then click Next. You will then be walked through the TV configuration.
    Note: If you do not select TV, your configuration is done: you will skip steps 8. and 9. below.

Third Part: Orb TV Setup

  1. If you...
    1. do not have a set-top box and your TV cable connects directly to your tuner, click Next to go straight to the configuration of your TV program guide in step 9.
    2. do have a set-top box, indicate how that set-top box connects to your tuner: via coaxial (channel 2, 3 , or 4), composite video, or S-video, then click Next.
      Important: Note that the wrong TV input selection will result in failure to display the video when streaming TV or, if outside of the US, will prevent Orb from detecting local TV channels.

      Orb will then configure your set-top box remote control so you can change TV channels through Orb. Note: you need an Orb-compatible Infrared Receiver/Transmitter (link to "Additional Requirements"), a.k.a. "IR Blaster", for Orb to be able to communicate with your set-top box.

Configuring the Set-Top Box Remote Control. Note that for Orb to detect your IR code, it is important that you position your set-top box remote control not more than 1 inch away from the IR blaster.

  • click Detect and then press and hold button "0" as instructed. If Orb cannot detect your remote, give it another try by selecting Try again.
  • If Orb cannot detect your remote at all, click Back twice, to return to the screen in the previous step above, then select Learn. The IR setup will walk you through repeated steps to learn your remote control keys, one by one.
  • After Orb successfully detects or learns your remote IR codes, indicate whether on your remote control you must press the "Enter" or "OK" key after selecting a channel number.

Configuring your TV Program Guide.

  • Enter your ZIP code, then click Get List.
  • Select your TV Service Provider from the list generated, then click Next. Orb will start downloading your TV program. Depending on the number of channels you have subscribed to, it may take up to 2 hours to complete the initial retrieval of your TV guide.
    Note: the first time you install Orb, Orb will only retrieve 2 days of TV programming. After the initial setup, Orb will perform daily TV listings updates and will download your TV programs for the 5 following days.

Click Finish!. You are done! You are now ready to go to mycast.orb.com and start MyCasting

Important: If you cancel the TV setup at any step in the configuration process , you will not get your TV listings and will not be able to view, stream or record your local TV channels.

Note: If Orb is already installed on your system, running a later version of the Orb setup program will upgrade your Orb version. After the installation has completed, Orb is automatically launched. The green Orb tray icon indicates that Orb is running. If you have an anti-virus program or firewall enabled on your PC, you may get one or more security alerts the first time Orb is launched. For Orb to run properly on your system, you must select to "Unblock" each Orb application for which a security alert is issued.

Install Directory
By default, Orb Networks is installed in the C:\Program Files\Orb Networks\ directory. Orb Networks also installs several database and activity log files into the %AllUsersProfiles%\Application Data\OrbNetworks directory on your hard drive. If you cannot find your database and logs folder, please see the FAQ Where are my Orb logs and database files stored? in Orb Support Knowledge Base .

Uninstalling Orb
To uninstall Orb, use the Add/Remove Program feature of your Windows Control Panel. You can also uninstall Orb by double-clicking the Uninstall shortcut located in Start / All Programs / Orb Networks / Orb in the "Start" menu of your Windows desktop.

If you have a failed installation of Orb (because of an incompatible PC configuration, corrupted system files, etc.) and you need to remove all Orb files, folders and registry entries to start a fresh installation again, please download and run the OrbCleanupTool.exe utility we have developed for this purpose.