Troubleshooting — DigiBind

Stations can't connect

1

Use the full address — including http://

DigiBind runs over plain HTTP on your local network, not HTTPS. Browsers won't open it without the full prefix. Type it exactly as shown in the "i" panel of the DigiBind host app.

http://192.168.1.42:5000 ← example — yours will differ

Tip: Bookmark the address so your crew doesn't have to type it each time. Make sure the bookmark includes http://.

2

Confirm every computer is on the same network

Stations must be on the same local network as the host Mac — the same Wi-Fi or Ethernet. A phone's cellular data won't work, nor will a VPN that routes traffic off the local network.

Try turning off VPN on the station computer
Make sure Wi-Fi isn't set to a guest network on the station
If the host is on Ethernet and stations are on Wi-Fi, they can still talk as long as they're on the same router

3

Try a different browser

If one browser won't load DigiBind, try another. Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge all work. This also helps isolate whether the issue is a browser-specific setting (like a proxy or extension) rather than a network problem.

Mac station: Local Network permission

macOS asks each browser for permission to reach devices on your local network. If this permission is off, the browser can't find the DigiBind host even when everything else is correct.

1

Open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Local Network

Click the Apple menu () → System Settings. In the sidebar, choose Privacy & Security. Scroll down and click Local Network.

Screenshot — System Settings › Privacy & Security › Local Network

2

Turn on the toggle for your browser

Find the browser you're using (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge) in the list and make sure its toggle is on.

Screenshot — Local Network toggle enabled for Chrome

3

Quit the browser completely and reopen it

macOS only applies the new permission after you quit and relaunch the browser. Cmd + Q fully quits — closing the window isn't enough. Then reopen and try the address again.

Not seeing the browser in the list? It may not have asked for permission yet. Try loading the DigiBind address first — macOS will prompt the browser to request access, then you can approve it here.

Windows station: proxy settings

Some Windows machines — especially in post facilities and studios — have a proxy configured. A proxy routes web requests through a central server, which blocks DigiBind from reaching the host directly on your local network.

1

Check your proxy setting

Go to Settings → Network & internet → Proxy. Under "Manual proxy setup," make sure Use a proxy server is off.

Screenshot — Windows Settings › Network & internet › Proxy

2

If the proxy is managed by IT, ask them to allow it

On facility or studio machines, the proxy setting may be locked by IT policy. Ask IT to either disable the proxy for your machine or add an exception so that addresses on your local network (like 192.168.x.x or 10.x.x.x) bypass the proxy.

Managed device? Some facilities configure proxy settings through group policy, which can't be changed at the machine level. IT will need to make this change from the domain controller or MDM.

3

Check whether the network blocks peer-to-peer connections

Some networks — particularly in large facilities — block computers from reaching each other directly. DigiBind requires that stations can reach the host Mac by its IP address. If you're on a facility network and can't connect even after clearing the proxy, ask IT whether "client isolation" or similar is enabled on the network.

Host Mac checklist

If stations can't connect and the station-side steps didn't fix it, check these on the host Mac.

1

DigiBind is running

Open DigiBind on the host Mac and make sure the server is started. The "i" panel shows the address and port stations should use. If the server is stopped, click Start.

2

The host Mac is awake

If the host Mac goes to sleep, stations lose their connection. DigiBind keeps the Mac awake on its own while stations are actively using it, but if the Mac slept before the first station connected, it may need a nudge.

Screen sleep is fine. Only the computer going fully to sleep breaks connections. You can let the display sleep normally — just set the Mac not to sleep in System Settings → Battery (or Energy Saver on older macOS).

3

Firewall is allowing DigiBind

If the Mac's firewall is on, it needs to allow incoming connections to DigiBind. Go to System Settings → Network → Firewall. If DigiBind isn't in the list or is set to "Block incoming connections," add it and set it to allow.

Screenshot — System Settings › Network › Firewall › DigiBind allowed

4

Verify the address from a browser on the host Mac itself

Open a browser on the host Mac and load the address shown in DigiBind's "i" panel. If it works from the host but not from a station, the problem is the network between them. If it doesn't work from the host either, DigiBind may need to be restarted.

Best practices

Reserve a fixed IP for the host

Ask your IT department (or log into your router) to assign a DHCP reservation to the host Mac. This keeps the address the same after power cycles or network changes, so everyone's bookmarks keep working.

Let the screen sleep, not the Mac

Display sleep saves energy and is fine. Computer sleep disconnects stations. Set your host Mac to never sleep in System Settings → Battery (or Energy Saver), but keep the display sleep on a short timer.

Back up the projects folder

DigiBind stores your binders and Attic backups in a single folder on the host Mac. Include that folder in your regular show backup alongside your project media. The "i" panel shows exactly where it lives.

Bookmark the address on day one

Have everyone on the team bookmark the full http:// address before the first day of production. Saves time and avoids the "I can't remember the address" call mid-session.