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Author Topic: Connecting Remotes without Internet Access  (Read 9695 times)

Nikhil

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Connecting Remotes without Internet Access
« on: May 26, 2015, 02:10:39 am »


My ISP server went down last night and as a result so did my internet access.

Both JRemote on my iPad and Gizmo on my phone could not connect to my PC running JRiver 20. 
My LAN was working just fine.  How do I configure these Remotes to connect without an internet connection?

Regards.
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csimon

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Re: Connecting Remotes without Internet Access
« Reply #1 on: May 26, 2015, 05:54:53 am »

Delete the servers on the clients and then set them up again using IP address instead of Access Key.  Also, wake on LAN has only been implemented in MC clients that use Access Key.
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Nikhil

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Re: Connecting Remotes without Internet Access
« Reply #2 on: May 26, 2015, 10:58:31 am »

Delete the servers on the clients and then set them up again using IP address instead of Access Key.  Also, wake on LAN has only been implemented in MC clients that use Access Key.

Thanks csimon.  I'm not sure if my devices have fixed IP addresses but that's no big deal.
Wonder why Wake on LAN works only with Access Key though.
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mwillems

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Re: Connecting Remotes without Internet Access
« Reply #3 on: May 26, 2015, 10:59:54 am »

Thanks csimon.  I'm not sure if my devices have fixed IP addresses but that's no big deal.
Wonder why Wake on LAN is only for access with Access Key though.

Because WOL requires a MAC address to send the magic packet not just an IP.
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csimon

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Re: Connecting Remotes without Internet Access
« Reply #4 on: May 26, 2015, 11:04:56 am »

No, because it is thought too difficult for ordinary people to enter MAC addresses, there is no technical reason why it can't be done. However JRemote provides this.
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Nikhil

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Re: Connecting Remotes without Internet Access
« Reply #5 on: May 26, 2015, 11:05:17 am »

Because WOL requires a MAC address to send the magic packet not just an IP.

Ah ok. Thanks!  Looks like I'm going to leave things as is and hope that my ISP doesn't have another issue like last night.
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Nikhil

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Re: Connecting Remotes without Internet Access
« Reply #6 on: May 26, 2015, 11:09:57 am »

No, because it is thought too difficult for ordinary people to enter MAC addresses, there is no technical reason why it can't be done. However JRemote provides this.

Glad you mentioned this because I remember JRemote connecting in the past.
It's Gizmo that always needed the Internet access to connect.
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TCube

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Re: Connecting Remotes without Internet Access
« Reply #7 on: May 26, 2015, 11:25:08 am »

Hello
What about Bluetooth ?
(I'm not joking)
Rgds
Tc
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JimH

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Re: Connecting Remotes without Internet Access
« Reply #8 on: May 26, 2015, 11:37:19 am »

Because WOL requires a MAC address to send the magic packet not just an IP.
I don't think that's always the case.  The router knows the Mac address and stores it with the IP address it assigns.
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JimH

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Re: Connecting Remotes without Internet Access
« Reply #9 on: May 26, 2015, 11:38:42 am »

No, because it is thought too difficult for ordinary people to enter MAC addresses ...
Whose mind do you claim to be reading?
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mwillems

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Re: Connecting Remotes without Internet Access
« Reply #10 on: May 26, 2015, 12:07:19 pm »

I don't think that's always the case.  The router knows the Mac address and stores it with the IP address it assigns.


I was just keying off of a half-remembered explanation that I think Hendrik offered about why Gizmo WOL works with the access key, but not with the IP.  I can't seem to find the thread though, so I may just have mis-recalled.
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Hendrik

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Re: Connecting Remotes without Internet Access
« Reply #11 on: May 26, 2015, 12:19:29 pm »

It's Gizmo that always needed the Internet access to connect.

Gizmo does not need permanent internet access. You can enter an IP directly to connect, or you can use an Access Key while you have Internet, and Gizmo (as well as JRemote) will remember the data it got from the Access Key lookup and use those addresses when no internet connection is available.
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csimon

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csimon

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Re: Connecting Remotes without Internet Access
« Reply #13 on: May 26, 2015, 01:39:31 pm »

Gizmo does not need permanent internet access. You can enter an IP directly to connect, or you can use an Access Key while you have Internet, and Gizmo (as well as JRemote) will remember the data it got from the Access Key lookup and use those addresses when no internet connection is available.

I'm sorry but this doesn't work quickly or reliably enough, MC clients too. It would be better to allow entry of a MAC address along with an IP when people use an IP to connect. Some people do use IP to conncect instead of Access Key because of these issues, I don't understand the reluctance to allow wake on LAN when not using access key.
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Nikhil

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Re: Connecting Remotes without Internet Access
« Reply #14 on: May 28, 2015, 10:22:14 pm »

Gizmo does not need permanent internet access. You can enter an IP directly to connect, or you can use an Access Key while you have Internet, and Gizmo (as well as JRemote) will remember the data it got from the Access Key lookup and use those addresses when no internet connection is available.

Doesn't work for me.  I use Access Keys and Gizmo does not connect without internet access.  

I am using a DHCP server which I assume dynamically assigns IP addresses to devices.  When I use Gizmo and there is no internet access - it first looks up a few IP numbers and then gives up.  With internet access it connects seamlessly.   Will try and assign fixed IP addresses - which I think would work.
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AndrewFG

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Re: Connecting Remotes without Internet Access
« Reply #15 on: May 29, 2015, 12:16:46 pm »

Hello
What about Bluetooth ?
(I'm not joking)
Rgds
Tc

Why don't you just try it? (I am not joking either). Many phones have the capability to set up a personal hot spot or PAN via either wifi or Bluetooth. For example I can browse the web on my laptop or iPad by connecting to by phone via Bluetooth. If such a setup can route HTTP packets, it should be capable also of routing packets between MC and a control point app.

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Zhillsguy

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Re: Connecting Remotes without Internet Access
« Reply #16 on: May 29, 2015, 12:43:43 pm »

I use Gizmo often without internet access and it is rock solid. Make sure you know the current server IP, the device is connected to the wireless router, and enter the server address as (server ip):52199 (52199 is the default port in JRiver, can be changed). Example: 192.168.1.101:52199

If you are running windows on the server there are simple batch files you can run to display the current ip, or just run cmd under programs, then ipconfig. There are many other ways to get there as well.
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BartMan01

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Re: Connecting Remotes without Internet Access
« Reply #17 on: May 29, 2015, 10:30:04 pm »

I use Gizmo often without internet access and it is rock solid. Make sure you know the current server IP, the device is connected to the wireless router, and enter the server address as (server ip):52199 (52199 is the default port in JRiver, can be changed). Example: 192.168.1.101:52199

If you are running windows on the server there are simple batch files you can run to display the current ip, or just run cmd under programs, then ipconfig. There are many other ways to get there as well.


The issue isn't that it doesn't work that way (it does if set up correctly), the issue is that you lose WOL functionality.  Every other content streaming/networking program that I use has a place for you to enter a MAC address, for some reason JRiver is reluctant to add that functionality on the grounds that it is too 'technical'.  I would argue that if you know how to set it up for direct IP access (instead of the access code method) that you are capable of entering a MAC address in a field.
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TCube

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Re: Connecting Remotes without Internet Access
« Reply #18 on: May 30, 2015, 04:38:09 am »

Why don't you just try it? (I am not joking either). Many phones have the capability to set up a personal hot spot or PAN via either wifi or Bluetooth. For example I can browse the web on my laptop or iPad by connecting to by phone via Bluetooth. If such a setup can route HTTP packets, it should be capable also of routing packets between MC and a control point app.

Far too complicated for what i would guess would be a temporary solution.
But I thought setting a Bluetooth transmitter anywhere either the PC or on the ISP box (the ones with internal HD) connection would be cool.
Tc
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JimH

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Re: Connecting Remotes without Internet Access
« Reply #19 on: May 30, 2015, 07:05:55 am »

... for some reason JRiver is reluctant to add that functionality on the grounds that it is too 'technical'.  .
Please don't speak for JRiver.  We haven't ruled it out.  We just have a long list.
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BartMan01

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Re: Connecting Remotes without Internet Access
« Reply #20 on: June 04, 2015, 09:53:54 pm »

Please don't speak for JRiver.  We haven't ruled it out.  We just have a long list.

Not trying to speak for JRiver, I've just never heard anything from JRiver to refute:

You will always need to use an Access Key when you want to use WOL - thats just how it is, sorry.
Entering a MAC address is quite nerd-y, and 99.9% of people wouldn't know what to do with that - and the 0.1% can use the Access key instead. ;)

Happy to hear that it is on the list for consideration.
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AndrewFG

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Re: Connecting Remotes without Internet Access
« Reply #21 on: June 05, 2015, 12:52:14 am »

Even if MC uses the access key for the user interface, could it not do an ARP lookup behind the scenes to get the MAC address and store that for future use in the WOL command?? Or did I miss something?

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Hendrik

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Re: Connecting Remotes without Internet Access
« Reply #22 on: June 05, 2015, 05:32:55 am »

Android Apps do not have low-level access to the OS which would be required to do this. Not to mention that we also support this over the internet or other routed networks, where ARP is not possible.
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csimon

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Re: Connecting Remotes without Internet Access
« Reply #23 on: June 05, 2015, 05:43:42 am »

How does Access Key perform WOL without manual entry of MAC address?
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Hendrik

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Re: Connecting Remotes without Internet Access
« Reply #24 on: June 05, 2015, 05:45:09 am »

How does Access Key perform WOL without manual entry of MAC address?

The MAC Address is stored with the IP in our Access Key lookup database, ie. MC stores it there.
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csimon

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Re: Connecting Remotes without Internet Access
« Reply #25 on: June 05, 2015, 05:53:17 am »

The MAC Address is stored with the IP in our Access Key lookup database, ie. MC stores it there.

But how does MC find out the MAC address in order to store it in the Access Key database?
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Hendrik

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Re: Connecting Remotes without Internet Access
« Reply #26 on: June 05, 2015, 06:43:42 am »

But how does MC find out the MAC address in order to store it in the Access Key database?

I don't understand the question?
Getting the MAC address for the PC you are running on is easy, plus its not a limited Android App, but a full blown PC app, its getting the MAC over the network from another PC which is a problem.
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csimon

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Re: Connecting Remotes without Internet Access
« Reply #27 on: June 05, 2015, 06:51:28 am »

When a user wants to connect to another machine via IP address, the IP address is entered and the MC server at that IP address is contacted.  Could the MC server then respond with its own MAC address for the newly-connected client to store?  Alternatively, just allow the user to enter the MAC address along with the IP address.
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AndrewFG

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Re: Connecting Remotes without Internet Access
« Reply #28 on: June 05, 2015, 02:40:17 pm »

Android Apps do not have low-level access to the OS which would be required to do this. Not to mention that we also support this over the internet or other routed networks, where ARP is not possible.

I guess that it would be pretty trivial to build an extra command/response set where the App can query the MC server "please give me your MAC address", and then use that MAC address for its next WOL command..

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limsze

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Re: Connecting Remotes without Internet Access
« Reply #29 on: December 14, 2015, 05:47:56 am »

I am not sure seeking an answer at a right place in the forum. I hope to be able to use Gizmo with Android smartphone without a Internet connection. My internet connection is not stable at home. My smartphone is able to have WIFI tethering. Please assist me step by step to have using Android phone just for selecting/playback audio files in Window 7 PC. Thank you.
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JimH

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Re: Connecting Remotes without Internet Access
« Reply #30 on: December 14, 2015, 06:55:33 am »

The wiki has a topic on Gizmo.  You could read it and the related topics.

You can use it with Wireless on your local network.
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