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Media Server question
Mr Swordfish:
I'm trying to configure MC to play my main library from a remote location via the internet. So far, I've obtained a Windows 11 laptop, installed MC, set the license, configured the main MC instance with the library to use Media Server to share the library, and used the laptop to connect and play the main library. So far, so good, but this configuration uses the local network and I need to get it to work over the internet, not just here at home.
The documentation (https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Media_Server#Access_from_another_PC_over_Internet) is rather brief, and I'm not a networking engineer so I'm not quite sure what to do next.
The docs talk about using the "outside address" which can be found by visiting whatsmyip.org, but that website reports the hostname, not the "outside address". Are they the same thing? And since the hostname is basically the ip address followed by a network path it's likely to change since I don't have a static ip address.
Further, when configuring MC to act as a Media Server, it talks about using port 52199, while the documentation says it defaults to using "...the first available port number between 80 and 90.the first available port number between 80 and 90.
Anybody got some more detailed instructions for making this work? I always had a team of network admins that dealt with ports and firewalls and connectivity so I'm rather ignorant of these details. I'm hesitant to just open up port 80, and frankly don't really know how to do it. I don't have a firewall, other than a standard AT&T modem and whatever Windows Defender does.
JimH:
The Access Key takes care of the problem with dynamic addresses.
https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Access_Key
The Network Access topic also has useful information.
At https://www.whatsmyip.org/ your address is at the very top. Hostname and IP Address aren't the same.
Mr Swordfish:
--- Quote from: JimH on July 29, 2024, 12:18:47 pm ---The Access Key takes care of the problem with dynamic addresses.
https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Access_Key
The [url=http://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Network_Access]Network Access[/url] topic also has useful information.
At https://www.whatsmyip.org/ your address is at the very top. Hostname and IP Address aren't the same.
--- End quote ---
Yeah, the access key seems to point the client MC instance at the library, and when not on the LAN the client attempts to connect to the library. But it is blocked and configuring the router to direct traffic to the MC library server is more complicated than the docs imply. I suppose I'll have to find someone who knows what they are doing with this.
JimH:
From the Internet, the router needs to be configured to forward port 52199 to the server. Look it up in the manual for the router. Most manufacturers have good instructions on their websites.
It's also possible that a firewall can block access.
It's not that hard to do. You're just telling the router that anything inbound from the Internet on port 52199 needs to go to the server.
Mr Swordfish:
I've got the manual for the router and there's nothing in about port forwarding that I can find. https://usermanual.wiki/Humax/BGW320-4522445.pdf
However, fumbling around with the web-based UI for the router, I found a link to "Adjust firewall settings for gaming and applications" and then "Manage Custom Service" that seems to have done it. The UI uses different terminology, and is somewhat of a mystery as to which device gets the traffic - i.e. there's no option to specify which device to send the port 52199 traffic to, and when I look at the list of custom service configurations it shows another device in the drop-down-list. If I change this, it snaps right back to the other device. Yet, it seems to work.
Thanks for the help. Hopefully, it will work when I get it to our vacation condo this week.
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