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[labambo]

Hi everyone.

I use 2 Windows 7 computers in my WLAN-Network. Both running MC 17.0.180, one functioning as Renderer (desktop near stereo but without music), the other as a Server/Controller (laptop with music on it).

The server always discovers the renderer, but sometimes it takes up to 10 Minutes!!! Is there not a way to actively add a renderer? Or establish a fixed connection? It's quite annoying if you want to play some tracks right quick and you have to wait 10 minutes until you can.

Thanks for your help in advance!

[ESP]

Hi, I would like to add my voice to this cry for help.
I recently purchased a Naim Uniti and was recommended to give JRiver a go as a good quality interface. I have downloaded the trial version and have been fumbling my way through learning its interface.
Despite having a hardwired LAN, I have been very disappointed with MC17 with regard to finding devices over the network. I run a Synology Diskstation, a Logitech Squeezebox Touch, and also the Uniti over the network.  It takes minutes to locate and list all three of these.  This is simply not good enough.  There is no way that I will shell out $50 if this is the response I get every time I load MC17 to play music.  I might as well physically shuffle through my CD collection, grab a disc and put it into the CD tray on the Uniti!
Please tell me there is a setting or configuration that will remedy this situation. Otherwise I will be looking elsewhere for my music streaming s/w.

[JimH]

That's not normal. 

Windows runs some media networking software that can get in the way.  Try a Google search or read some of Bob's posts.

[ESP]

That's not normal. 

Windows runs some media networking software that can get in the way.  Try a Google search or read some of Bob's posts.

Interesting.  I am running on Windows 7.  Anyone care to suggest a culprit?  I can access the Services panel quite easily nowadays. 

[ESP]

Aha! I now believe I have found the culprit: it may well be my ever faithful friend, Zonealarm.  It posed a problem when I was first setting up the Synology Diskstation, interrupting the set-up process until I deactivated it - temporarily. When I returned home I deactivated Zonealarm once more and the finding of devices on the network was much faster.
So, does anyone else have experience of this...and maybe advice on settings to change?
Thanks.

[bob]

The discovery port is 1900 udp. Perhaps you need to setup an exception for it.

[labambo]

For me it hasn't done the trick so far. I have the service "Windows Media Player Network Sharing Service" disabled on both machines.

The firewall also cannot be the problem since at some point the renderer is recognized.

Any ohter ideas how to speed up recognition?

Connections look like this on Server/Controller
TCP OUT 192.168.178.24:64163 >> 84.53.175.153:80
TCP Listening on: 52100
TCP Listening on: 52199
UDP OUT 192.168.178.24:52100 >> 239.255.255.250:1900

Connections look like this on Renderer
TCP Listening on: 52199
UDP OUT 192.168.178.28:62686 >> 239.255.255.250:1900 (using svchost.exe)

Thanks for your help!!

[bob]

labambo, how are your server PC  and controller PC connected? It there a router in the picture? Some routers disable multicast by default. You might want to check your router configuration.

[labambo]

Hi Bob...

There is a fritz.box involved. Multicast is enabled for sure.

It's really crazy. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Could it be that both PCs are interfering? I had all tick-boxes (Renderer, Server, Controller) ticked at both devices. Could it be that only one can be the renderer? Meaning... if my actual renderer recognized the server as a renderer, the actual server cannot recognize the actual renderer as a renderer anymore? So that would explain why it works sometimes and sometimes not - depending on who is first...

I will test that during the next days.

Another question> what benefit does enabling UPnP have for MediaCenter? I see that it is adding following configuration:

Description         Protokoll    Port            an Port
über UPnP           UDP           54205   54205
über UPnP           TCP           54205   54205

Is it necessary?

Thanks for your answer...

[bob]

Hi Bob...

There is a fritz.box involved. Multicast is enabled for sure.

It's really crazy. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Could it be that both PCs are interfering? I had all tick-boxes (Renderer, Server, Controller) ticked at both devices. Could it be that only one can be the renderer? Meaning... if my actual renderer recognized the server as a renderer, the actual server cannot recognize the actual renderer as a renderer anymore? So that would explain why it works sometimes and sometimes not - depending on who is first...

I will test that during the next days.

It shouldn't matter that you have all 3 boxes checked on both PC's since each has it's own uuid and ip address. I assume the PC's have different names?
You can always turn off the services you aren't using. If the server PC isn't rendering and/or controlling you could turn those functions off.

Another question> what benefit does enabling UPnP have for MediaCenter? I see that it is adding following configuration:

Description         Protokoll    Port            an Port
über UPnP           UDP           54205   54205
über UPnP           TCP           54205   54205

Is it necessary?

Thanks for your answer...

Windows uPnP services? They don't need to be on at all for MC.

[labambo]

Alright... I found out something....

Server is not recognizing the Renderer but as soon as I open MC on the Renderer and Remove the DNLA Server, add a new one and click ok, the Renderer shows up on the Server. It has to be connected to this.

Now we just need to find out what removing and adding the DNLA server triggers...

Here a small desk recording for a better understanding>

http://dani.nedan.drivehq.com/Aufnahme-2.mp4

Thanks again for your help....

[labambo]

Hey Bob...

any news? Did that screen recording help on fixing the issue?

[bob]

Now we just need to find out what removing and adding the DNLA server triggers...

When you make a configuration change, the uPnP/DLNA services in MC need to stop and restart to make the changes known to external devices.
Whenever it starts, the whole SSDP discovery process runs.

When that process is missed for whatever reason, there will generally be a 2-3 minute wait before devices auto discover each other (this is normal).

If you startup MC from the normal start screen, there is a delay of about 30 seconds before the media services on MC run (which also trigger SSDP discovery). You can skip that delay by going to "services and plugins" and clicking on "media network" which force starts it.

[labambo]

Hi Bob, thanks for your answer.

I would be totally fine with 2-3 Minutes. However it takes way longer and sometimes (like right now) it does not work at all.

Let me describe what I am doing again. Maybe that helps:

-Using my laptop on my desk as Server/Controller (with music on its hard disc)
-Using a desktop near the stereo as Renderer (no music on it).

Most of the times the desktop (renderer) is in standby-mode because I don't need to listen to music over the stereo. So I start my laptop with MC on it and its not discovering the renderer because it is in standby (of course). At some point I want to listen to music over the stereo so I wake up the renderer from standby. According to you it should take 2-3 minutes until the server recognizes that the renderer is now running? Unfortunately this is not the case. I am now already waiting 30 minutes and nothing happened. As soon as I restart the DLNA services by doing a configuration change on the renderer, the server recognizes it.

Could it have anything to do with putting the renderer into standby-mode? That it corrupts the service?

[bob]

...
Could it have anything to do with putting the renderer into standby-mode? That it corrupts the service?

I wonder if the renderer is getting a different IP address when it comes out of hibernation? That would definitely explain it.
Can you check that or perhaps create a fixed lease for the renderer on your router?

In the meantime, I'll try to duplicate it here..

[labambo]

Hi Bob.

IP address should not be the problem. It is fixed by the router (fritzbox).

The problem also comes up if I just shut down MC on the renderer (including the MediaServer) and reopen it. If I do that, the server just sits there and does not recognize the renderer again (at least for 20min). So even without standby, but leaving the Server MC running and restarting the Renderer MC the problem appears until I do a DNLA configuration change on the renderer.

I also noticed that doing the configuration change triggers a SUBSCRIBE event in the Activity Log on Services & Plugins > Media Network. This event also triggers the server to recognize the renderer but is not seen if no configuration change is done.

[bob]

That's very interesting...

Could you try setting MC to "run on windows startup" -> Nothing.
Reboot the renderer.
Then try the same stop and start MC without changing the server settings to see if it behaves differently?
I'm trying to see if the problem has something to do with media server.

Thanks..

[labambo]

Ok. Did that and rebooted the renderer. Now on startup the task-bar Icon is missing but the same problem persists. After starting and stopping the renderer, the server does not recognize it anymore.

I also noticed: When starting the Render it says in Services & Plugins > Media Network:
Number of servers: 3 (all running properly) -- Renderer is missing
Ports: 52100,1900,52199

Then right after doing the configuration change it says:
Number of servers: 4 (all running properly) -- Renderer shows up
Ports: 52101,1900,52199,52100
...and the renderer pops up on the server

It seems like the DNLA Media renderer is not starting up automatically? Why would that be?

[bob]

I assume all 3 checkboxes are checked under Media Network->Advanced?

It looks like upon start MC can't get the renderer going at the DLNA server port + 1.
You only have 1 DLNA server, right?

On the machine doing the rendering, do you need the server? If not, what happens if you un-check that.

[labambo]

I had Server and Renderer checked on the Renderer. Disabled the Server but the Renderer is still not starting up automatically.

I only have 1 DNLA server. Could it have anything to do with any disabled services in service.msc??

[bob]

I had Server and Renderer checked on the Renderer. Disabled the Server but the Renderer is still not starting up automatically.

Ok, try enabling the controller as well.

I only have 1 DNLA server. Could it have anything to do with any disabled services in service.msc??

I wouldn't think so, we don't use the microsoft uPnP or SSDP services.
 

[labambo]

Wow... I think that did the trick. Weird. I thought I already tried enabling all 3 off them at one point after reading it somewhere here in the forum. Then I thought it doesn't make sense enabling the controller if you don't need it.

Well... learned my lesson. Thanks a lot Bob!

[bob]

Wow... I think that did the trick. Weird. I thought I already tried enabling all 3 off them at one point after reading it somewhere here in the forum. Then I thought it doesn't make sense enabling the controller if you don't need it.

Well... learned my lesson. Thanks a lot Bob!

I'm glad it worked but it shouldn't have been necessary. Likely a bug.