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[BigCat]

How do you get JRiver for Android to see other libraries? I have 26.0.111 and it can only see the library on my phone. JRemote can also see the library/zones on my computer that is on the local network. I don't see a place to add other libraries. I am probably missing something obvious.

[rec head]

I can't help but when I open it on my Shield and phone all the libraries show up.

[JimH]

Did you look under Tools in JRiver for Android?

We have an Android app called Bingo SSDP that can search your LAN for servers.  It's on the Play Store.

[RoderickGI]

If you are running JRiver for Android on a phone, JRiver BingoSSDP or the free PingTools can find the MC Servers and once that has happened on the phone, JRiver for Android should be able to see the MC Servers as well.

Both those Apps use SSDP to location the servers, and doing so seems to establish a network path in my router, which is stored for a while in the router ARP tables, so I can connect for a while after running those Apps, until my router flushes its ARP table, which usually takes from a few minutes up to 15 minutes or so, depending on the router.

Mind you, JRiver for Android uses SSDP to locate DLNA/MC Servers, while JRemote2 uses MCWS packets, so I usually find JRiver for Android can find MC Servers, but JRemote2 can't until I run one of those Apps, rather than the other way around. But today I had to run BingoSSDP to get JRiver for Android to see all MC Server. That is with JRiver for Android 26.0.111, which has other issues, so maybe something was broken.

Also, it can take a while for MC Servers to show up in JRiver for Android, and maybe a refresh (exit and re-enter) of the Load Library screen.

[JimH]

SSDP is a standard protocol for discovery of devices.  It should be open by default on your network, but it would be good to check your firewall.

[RoderickGI]

The firewall settings are very limited in my current router, but all packets should be allowed by the router on my LAN. The router's firewall shouldn't touch any packets on the LAN, and has no setting for that, as with most ISP routers.

Packets fro the WAN is a different issue, and the router's firewall handles those.

Bob has said in the past that Gizmo doesn't use SSDP to find MC Servers, and I have confirmed that using Wireshark. It uses MCWS calls. If I am misremembering that, or that is wrong, I would appreciate some clarification.

When I connect JRiver for Android to my Workstation MC Server I can see SSDP packets arriving in the MC "Service & Plug-ins > Media Network".
I don't see SSDP packets when I try to connect Gizmo, and it fails to connect.
I don't see SSDP packets when I try to connect JRemote2, and it fails to connect.
I do see SSDP packets when I run BingoSSDP or PingTools, and after running either, both Gizmo and JRemote2 will successfully connect. But after a while if I don't connect I need to run one of the Apps again.

I believe that my router is blocking the MCWS calls on my LAN, but I have no idea why. However, there are some known issues with this router in this area.

I would appreciate if both Gizmo and JRemote2 did send SSDP packets in addition to MCWS calls, as I wouldn't see as many connection issues, despite my crummy ISP router.

[BigCat]

Thanks for the responses. Your ideas are helping.

OK, so I am getting closer to my problem. I am using the popular NetGuard firewall (Github Pro version) on my new phone (Samsung Galaxy S20+ 5g). Besides other capabilities like using a custom HOSTS file for network traffic/ad blocking, it can block individual apps, even some/many/most(?) system apps, from going online. While I have allowed all the JRiver apps to be able to connect, both via WiFi and my cell company's data, JRiver for Android was not seeing the other JRiver servers on my network (JRemote still did). However; if I "flip the switch" in NetGuard disabling itself, then JRiver for Android can see the other servers.

So, perhaps my next question is: what Android files/services/apps does JRiver for Android also need to be able to detect the other servers? I am looking for other files I can "allow" network access. It appears that once my phone discovers the server on my main computer, I can re-activate NetGuard on my phone and JRiver for Android still sees the other servers, as least for a while.

Any ideas?

[RoderickGI]

Open port 1900 for SSDP packets.

That is one fancy firewall for a phone! Of course I was talking about my router firewall above. Most people don't run a firewall on their phone so I didn't think of that, even though I run a firewall on my phone.

[BigCat]

Do you happen to know how to open port 1900 for SSDP packets on this firewall? That sounds promising. I am new to this app (NetGuard), but I like it so far.

And which firewall for your phone are you using and do you like it?

[RoderickGI]

Sorry I haven't used NetGuard so I don't know.

I use Norton 360 on my PCs, and get the mobile App with that subscription. It seems to do the job, but doesn't have a lot of configurability.

[JimH]

The publisher of your firewall should have instructions.

If you can put it in a "verbose" mode, it should ask you if you want to allow processes to run.

[BradATIMA]

Do you happen to know how to open port 1900 for SSDP packets on this firewall? That sounds promising. I am new to this app (NetGuard), but I like it so far.

As a test, you could try disabling the the PC firewall temporarily to see if the library server shows up then.

[BigCat]

Another update:

I have more or less figured out the settings in the NetGuard phone firewall. Settings > Network options > Enable "Subnet routing"

This seems to work when using WiFi over my local network. I can use JRiver for Android with NetGuard enabled to communicate with JRiver on my PC.

However; I still can't connect to JRiver's library on my PC over my phone's data. I have tried disabling NetGuard on the phone, and disabling Comodo Firewall and Emsisoft Anti-Malware on my PC.

My router is an Asus RT-AC86U running the Merlin firmware. I can't find any reference to SSDP settings in it. I even tried port forwarding port 1900 to my PC. The problem could be some setting I don't understand in the router, but not sure.

I have a Pi-hole running on the network if that makes a difference. JRemote2 still works using phone data.

Thanks for everyone's continued time on this!

[RoderickGI]

Ah. I thought you were just trying to do this on your home network, as you said:

JRemote can also see the library/zones on my computer that is on the local network.

SSDP packets will not be routed outside your LAN, or from outside your LAN. That is a feature of the technology I believe, otherwise the internet would be flooded with SSDP packets constantly, and we would all be able to see each other's DLNA Servers.

It appears to me that JRiver for Android only uses SSDP to discover MC Servers. I have three MC Servers running on my LAN at the moment, and JRiver for Android can see all of them. But as soon as I switch off Wi-Fi on the phone and connect only via Mobile Data, it can't see any of them. Only the Main (local) Library is presented in the Load Library screen.

If you are trying to connect from outside your LAN then you need to use something that connects using the JRiver Access Key method, such as Gizmo or JRemote2.


Maybe at some stage JRiver for Android will be able to use the Access Key method and hence connect over Mobile Data. After all, you can connect from one MC instance acting as a Client to another MC instance acting as a Server over the internet, because MC supports the Access Key method.

[BigCat]

Yeah, at first I WAS only focused on LAN. I had been looking for the Access Key settings in JRiver for Android. No wonder I couldn't find them. So JRiver for Android can't play over the Internet? Thanks for explaining all this.

I suppose JRiver for Android is still in development. I have been hoping that eventually it will become a combination of Gizmo, JRemote and itself.

Unrelated question:

Above, Jim suggested looking under Tools in JRiver for Android. I can't find that. Where is it?

Again, thanks as always!

[RoderickGI]

I believe Jim meant the Gear wheel, which is the closest thing to "Tools" in JRiver for Android, and contains the Settings, Library function (Imports, Load, Clear), About and Exit. There is no specific "Tools" menu.

Yes, JRiver for Android is still in development. It works on an Android mobile, but still has issues on Android TV.

As far as I know, I am right about it not playing over the internet. But I'm not always right. I can't find or think of a way to do that. Well, I guess you could do it with a VPN Client on the phone and a home router with a VPN endpoint running on it, or similar configuration. With that setup the phone would think it was on the LAN, and JRiver for Android should work as if it is. But I suspect that level of setup isn't what you are looking for, and there is no guarantee that would work.

As always, I don't mind if someone corrects me.