IPTV MAG box setup and Formuler IPTV setup with a portal URL

Before step 1: have these ready

• The MAC address of your box, written down exactly: six pairs of numbers and letters A to F
• Our reply with your portal URL, which arrives after we register the MAC
• A network cable to the router if you can manage it; both brands have an Ethernet port
• The remote that came with the box, with fresh batteries

MAG box and Formuler setup with a portal URL, step by step

1. Read the MAC address off the box

   Turn the box over and find the line marked MAC, followed by six pairs such as 00:1A:79:xx:xx:xx. On a Formuler, MyTVOnline also prints it at the top of its portal screen. Take a photo of the label and zoom in, because a 0 and a D, or a B and an 8, are easy to confuse. Wikipedia explains the MAC address format if you are curious.

2. Send the MAC to us and wait for the portal URL

   Paste the MAC into Live Chat, or into the free trial request if you want to test first, and tell us whether the box is a MAG or a Formuler. We register the address on your line and reply with the portal URL. Nothing loads on the box until then.

3. MAG: open the Portals screen

   Power on the MAG box. From its home screen, choose Settings; on some remotes the SET button jumps straight there. Go to System settings, then Servers, then Portals. The screen lists Portal 1 name, Portal 1 URL and matching lines for a second portal.

4. MAG: type the portal URL and save

   Select Portal 1 name and enter a short label, for example Jacom. Select Portal 1 URL and type the address from our message character for character: the http:// at the front, any port number, and the ending, which is often /c/. Press OK to save, then EXIT to back out to the main settings screen.

5. MAG: restart and let the portal load

   Choose Restart portal if your firmware offers it, or unplug the power for ten seconds. The box shows a loading message, then our portal menu with tiles for TV, video and settings. Open TV, pick a genre and press OK on a channel. The genres mirror the groups on our channels page.

6. Formuler: add the portal in MyTVOnline

   From the Formuler home screen, open MyTVOnline 2, or MyTVOnline 3 on newer firmware. Choose Add Portal. Type a Portal Nickname, then the address from our message in Portal URL. Before you continue, compare the MAC shown on screen with the one you sent us. Select Connect.

7. Formuler: let the groups load, then pick favourites

   The first connection downloads the channel groups and the programme guide, which takes a minute or two. Open a group and press OK on a channel to play it. To keep a channel handy, hold OK on it and choose the favourite option; on most firmware your favourites then get their own group at the top of the list.

Portal URL or an app: which login suits your box?

A MAG box uses the portal URL, because the Linux-based MAG models listed here cannot run Android apps. A Formuler gives you a choice: MyTVOnline with the portal is the simplest, while an Android app signed in with Xtream Codes adds features such as a cable-style grid.

If a Formuler is your box and you like the idea of a guide grid with recording, the TiviMate setup guide applies to it too. Planning a streamer for another room? Those use Xtream Codes instead, covered in our Google TV and Android TV walkthrough.

Portal URL and MAC address errors, explained

Nearly every portal error means one of two things: the MAC on the box does not match the one we registered, or the portal URL has a typo.

Replacing a box or adding a second one

Every box has its own MAC address, so a new box needs a new registration. Send the new MAC in Live Chat, say which box it replaces, and we move your line across; the time left on your plan does not change.

A second box in the basement counts as a second screen. Each MAC is registered separately, and a 2-screen plan covers both. Prices for 1 to 5 screens are on the IPTV subscription page. Still choosing hardware? Our IPTV box versus Fire Stick comparison weighs a dedicated box against a cheap stick.