If I buy my own Joey (this would be Joey #2 on a 1 leased Hopper and 1 leased Joey system), is there any fee to turn Joey #2 off and on? When I call to have it turned on, does it happen immediately? Like, "hey, there's a game on that I want to watch on Joey #2, I'll call Dish and have it turned on to watch the game". Then, call them after the game is over (or the next day) and tell them to turn it off. Basically, 23 cents per day!
If you have a spare PC, Joeys are not necessary. Read up on Dish Anywhere.
It sounds like a connection problem somewhere. I don't have any problems connecting to my Sling Adapter, Hopper w/Sling or my stand alone slingboxes from any device regardless of where I am.