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[MoiAussi]

Hi all,

I'm having this weird problem with the main Library.

Setup:

Music files are on a shared folder on a computer connected to the network by LAN.
Media Center is installed on a laptop connected to the network by WIFI.
DAC is connected to the network by LAN.

I know this is far from being the best setup. I had my reasons...

Everything works fine except for DSD x4 files which play with continuous interruptions.
I figured out it was most likely due to insufficient bandwidth with WIFI.
I thought the easy solution would be to connect the laptop with LAN.
No blanks anymore. Only sweet music.

Problem is while playing with the control app, I came to realize I add lost the link to the library.
I checked a few things in Windows 10: file sharing, permissions, network discovery, etc.
Everything looks fine.

Thinking the way a library is created might have something to do with the way you connect to it, I tried making a new library. But this time I had the laptop connected through LAN.
It had no effect. I still can't connect to that new library with the control app if the laptop is connected through LAN.
The only way I can regain access to the library is by reverting to the WIFI connection.
How weird is that?

Is there a setting hidden somewhere in MC that specifies by what connection type a library is to be connected to?

Thank you for any help.
Regards,

[AndrewFG]

If your computer is connecting to your LAN via Wifi and also via Ethernet at the same time, then it will have two different IP addresses at the same time. This will really mess with the functioning of UPNP / DLNA discovery and routing.

So if you want to use the Ethernet connection, then make sure to turn Off the PCs WiFi connection.

PS it also helps if you set your routers DHCP settings so that your PC is always issued with the same “reserved” IP address.

[MoiAussi]

I checked my router and can confirm that DHCP is activated.
I also checked the LAN connection status on the laptop.

When I connect the Ethernet cable the WIFI switches off on its own.
Disconnecting the Ethernet cable switches the WIFI back on automatically.
So in fact, both are never connected simultaneously.

Seeing that only one connection at a time can be established, I tried setting up fixed addresses for the laptop within the router parameters. That's easy to do but does not solve the problem.

Let's suppose that the library was created with the address set to xxx.xxx.xxx.121 then I fix the WIFI as xxx.xxx.xxx.121 and Ethernet as xxx.xxx.xxx.122.
The Mind2 then sees the library only when connected by WIFI.
If I switch the Ethernet to 121 and the WIFI to 122 then, the app will see the library only when connected by Ethernet.

So in fact, that means that the library is somehow synchronized to the IP address.
Shouldn't it be accessible which ever connection is used?

The way it works is like saying there are two doors in my house, when I come in the front door I am greeted by my wife and children but when I come in from the back door nobody's home!

P.S.: I tried giving both WIFI and Ethernet the same IP but the router having no way of 'knowing' that they both reside on the same machine, it refused to let me do this.

[RoderickGI]

Problem is while playing with the control app, I came to realize I add lost the link to the library.

Which Control App?

[MoiAussi]

Hi Roderick,

My DAC is a Simaudio Moon 390.
The app is the Mind2.
I keep all the firmwares and app up to date as soon as Simaudio rolls an update out.
I am also trying BubbleUPnP as the control app but that has the same issue i.e. the library is only visible when connected to the specific IP address.
Changing which connection type (WIFI or Ethernet) gets fixed to the IP address only moves the problem around.

[DJLegba]

Why not just define two libraries in your control app? "MC Wired" and "MC Wireless"

[MoiAussi]

Yes, it's the obvious choice.
But the libraries are auto detected in the MIND app and it doesn't seem to detect it when I switch to Ethernet.
I'll ask the support team at Simaudio what they make of that.

[RoderickGI]

I'll ask the support team at Simaudio what they make of that.

That sounds like a good idea, as it is the Simaudio Mind2 App that isn't finding the MC DLNA Server. Although you say that BubbleUPnP has the same issue. Very strange. Maybe the problem is actually the laptop.

MC doesn't care that the network connection method changed. That isn't part of the MC configuration in the Library. It just needs a network connection, LAN or WiFi.

The Mind2 App should scan for DLNA Servers and find the MC Server. Maybe there is a "rescan" function in the App? I assume you have tried just closing the App and restarting it to get it to find the MC Server? I'm assuming that the Mind2 App is a DLNA Controller, and uses SSDP to find DLNA Servers. It may be proprietary... Ah, they even say it is on their site. It may need you to tell it the IP Address of the DLNA Server it connects to. But Simaudio does say it is UPnP/DLNA compatible.

Simaudio support should be able to answer your questions.

Also, I would try manually turning off the laptop Wi-Fi, then connecting the ethernet cable, checking the laptop has internet access, and then starting the Mind2 App and see if it finds the MC Server. Maybe try rebooting the laptop after turning off Wi-Fi, and of course, starting MC before trying to connect the Mind2 App.

[AndrewFG]

^
I did not check this, so it’s just a guess.. It is possible that MC is not responding to the OS’s change in network connection. On a network change, what it SHOULD do is 1) (try to) send a ByeBye notification on the old network, and then 2) send an Alive notification on the new network. If that did not happen then other devices would have no way to know that the server had switched to another network.

PS probably the most critical / difficult step is 1) (sending the ByeBye on the old network), because by the time that MC might be able to send it, the network would already not be there to send it on. And if the other devices don’t see a ByeBye then they are correct to assume that the server is still present (at least until it’s Alive timeout period has expired)..
 

[AndrewFG]

PPS this may not be possible on your router, but please check if it’s DHCP reservations can be set so that your laptop will be issued with the same IP address whether is connects to the router via Ethernet or Wifi. Note: this may not be possible since typically a PC will have different MAC addresses on their Wifi and Ethernet ports, so the router would need special programming to tell it that both MAC addresses actually belong to the same PC..

[MoiAussi]

Hi Roderick,

Here is something else I forgot to mention about Gizmo.
When I switch over to the Ethernet, Gizmo will make 10 attempts to reconnect to the library. What is interesting is that this gives me time to see what it's doing (pop up saying: “Trying to reconnect to xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx “).  It's actually looking for the WIFI IP address. It does not detect the Ethernet. I guess the same thing is going on with Mind2 and BubbleUPnP only those two don't give any hint at what is going on.

That seems to go along the line of what Andrew is saying: “...1) (try to) send a ByeBye notification on the old network, and then 2) send an Alive notification on the new network. If that did not happen then other devices would have no way to know that the server had switched to another network.”

That MC should say “ByeBye” on the disconnected network is impossible, but shouldn't it say “Hi guys I'm here now” on the Ethernet?

There is one last thing to which I had not given much thought before.
Looking at the control panel on the laptop, I can see two Ethernet connections and the WIFI.

First there's 'Ethernet' which runs on a Realtek PCIe GBE Family Controler.
Second there's 'Ethernet 2' running on TAP-Windows Adapter V9.
Finally, there's the WIFI on Qualcomm Atheros.

The first Ethernet I think is OK. I am pretty sure it's a physical device.
As for Ethernet 2, I'm not so sure.
Ah! yes, googled it, turns out it's a virtual interface for VPN. Could this a problem?


Hi Andrew,
In response to your PPS:
I did try that already. Unfortunately, it is as you say. Since there are two different MAC addresses, from the router's perspective, the laptop appears as two different devices. There's no way of telling the router that those two MAC addresses belong to the same devices hence it won't let me set the same IP.

[JimH]

First there's 'Ethernet' which runs on a Realtek PCIe GBE Family Controler.
Second there's 'Ethernet 2' running on TAP-Windows Adapter V9.
Finally, there's the WIFI on Qualcomm Atheros.

The first Ethernet I think is OK. I am pretty sure it's a physical device.
As for Ethernet 2, I'm not so sure.
Ah! yes, googled it, turns out it's a virtual interface for VPN. Could this a problem?

Yes.

[RoderickGI]

Yes.

Sorry, I'll disagree there. I'm pretty sure MoiAussi isn't running a VPN. I'm also pretty sure that the "TAP-Windows Adapter V9" will say that it is not connected in the Control Panel Network Connections dialogue, just like mine. See attached image. That is completely normal and nothing to do with your issue.

When I switch over to the Ethernet, Gizmo will make 10 attempts to reconnect to the library. What is interesting is that this gives me time to see what it's doing (pop up saying: “Trying to reconnect to xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx “).  It's actually looking for the WIFI IP address. It does not detect the Ethernet.

That is completely normal. Gizmo is using the JRiver Access Key to try to connect to your MC Server. You have switched network connection, so the Internal IP Address of your MC Server has changed. Your MC Server needs a little time to detect its new IP Address and then update the JRiver Access Key server with your new internal IP Address.

If you waited a little while, the Access Key data would have been updated and Gizmo would have connected to the new internal IP Address. I don't know how long "a little while" is, but usually it is pretty quick. If MC wasn't running on the server, and you started it, or if was running and you restarted it, then it would be almost instant as MC updates the Access Key information when it starts.

To see what JRiver knows about the IP Addresses associated with your MC Server Access Key, go to the web address:  http://webplay.jriver.com/libraryserver/lookup?id={Your Access Key here without brackets}

I guess the same thing is going on with Mind2 and BubbleUPnP only those two don't give any hint at what is going on.

Nope. Completely different.

Since there are two different MAC addresses, from the router's perspective, the laptop appears as two different devices.

That will always be the case unless you really start hacking your network with MAC Address spoofing or similar. Your issue is simple and doesn't need anything like that.


Did you try this?

Also, I would try manually turning off the laptop Wi-Fi, then connecting the ethernet cable, checking the laptop has internet access, and then starting the Mind2 App and see if it finds the MC Server. Maybe try rebooting the laptop after turning off Wi-Fi, and of course, starting MC before trying to connect the Mind2 App.

Perhaps more simply:
Change your network connection, Wi-Fi to Ethernet.
Start or restart MC on the Server laptop.
Wait a minute, then Check Gizmo connects.
Start or restart the Mind2 App.

If that still doesn't work.
Reboot the Simaudio Moon 390, as it only seems to collect network data at startup.
The start or restart the Mind2 App again.


Report if that still does not work.

Once you have it all working on the Ethernet connection, it should keep working properly in the future, without special effort.