UPnP + router = headache: Motoring Computer Related forum

Computer Related > UPnP + router = headache
Thread Author: spamcan61	Replies: 11

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Sat 6 Mar 10 20:10

UPnP + router = headache - spamcan61

Evenin' all.

This week I decided to upgrade the Spamcan towers IT infrastructure and use a proper NAS with UPnP support as my centralised media ( just audio for now) storage rather than leaving a PC on 24/7. Trouble is I can't get any wireless connected device to see the relevant server.

I posted this over on AVforums to no repsonse:-

>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I've been streaming audio files to my WiFi radios ( Logik IR100) from a Windows XP PC using Tversity UPnP media server for a couple of years without issues.

Recently I purchased one of these iomega NAS drives to avoid leaving the PC powered up 24/7 as it supposedly supports UPnP:-

go.iomega.com/en/products/network-storage-desktop/home-network-hard-drives/home-media/?partner=4735

I've connected this drive to my Netgear DG834G via ethernet, and stuck 90GB of music files in the 'music' folder.

Using a Windows shared folder I can play back these files on any PC connected to the Netgear, wireless or not, the Logik can see the shared folder, but falls over when trying to digest the file info - this is not a surprise or problem. It can access the files on the TVersity machine via UPnP and play them back fine.

However the iomega drive does not show up as a UPnP server on the Logik or any PC.

>>>>>>>>>>>>

What I have subsequently found is that a PC connected via ethernet to the Netgear can see the NAS's Twonky media server, so the problem seems to be wireless access to a UPnP server which is connected via LAN rather than WLAN.

Any ideas anyone, this is stretching my limited knowledge of networking :-/

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Sat 6 Mar 10 20:19

UPnP + router = headache - teabelly

Interesting. Have you tried iomega's site to see if there is a bug in the way the twonky media server works or whether there is some option you have to switch on?

I'd also briefly try connecting with any firewall software on your pc switched off in case it is something like that.

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Sat 6 Mar 10 20:33

UPnP + router = headache - spamcan61

thanks for the reply teabelly;

Unfortunately Iomega have decided to block all user access to the Twonky server GUI in recent firmware builds for the NAS, so the only option you have on the GUI for the NAS is a UPnP ( more correctly DLNA) virtual on/off button. That is blooming annoying.

At least the Twonky sever is showing up via LAN connection now, so I assume it is really on. I will indeed disable the firewall on a WLAN connected PC and see what happens.

The other odd thing is that if I open the UPnP config. page on the router then there is nothing in the UPnP portmap table, even though the TVersity server on a wireless PC works fine on the Logik via UPnP.

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Sat 6 Mar 10 23:07

UPnP + router = headache - smokie

This must surely be a router problem. Unless the Iomega isn't working right. If you are sure UPnP is configured correctly in the router, I'd go for a "reset to factory" before losing too much time on other stuff.

Last edited by: smokie on Sat 6 Mar 10 at 23:09

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Sat 6 Mar 10 23:23

UPnP + router = headache - smokie

What firmware do you have in the router? Seen this page, which has release 3.01.25? kb.netgear.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/261

Amongst problems fixed: "Fixed a problem with UPnP which prevented certain applications from adding port mapping via UPnP."

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Sun 7 Mar 10 12:01

UPnP + router = headache - spamcan61

Thanks for that smokie, having just come back to this problem I was thinking a router FW upgrade might be an easy thing to try at least ( famous last words...) I've used a variety of media servers over the years but I don't think I've used Twonky before, I'm reasonably happy that the UPnP server is running, at leats via LAN, so it does look like the router is the source of the issue.

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Sun 7 Mar 10 13:16

UPnP + router = headache - spamcan61

Come to think of it I've got an unused BT homehub Plusnet sent me in a cupboard somewhere so plan B might be to fire that up and try swapping it for the Netgear for a while.

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Sun 7 Mar 10 19:45

UPnP + router = headache - spamcan61

You're spot on smokie, definately a router problem. Swapped to the BT homehub thing and now the WiFi radios can see the Twonky server on the NAS and play back music. Trouble is I can't remember the password for my broadband account. So currently I have got two wireless networks on the go, one with just the NAS connected to it and the netgear for internet connection. I just need to sort out my password before I reflash the netgear or I'll be in big trouble.

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Sun 7 Mar 10 20:06

UPnP + router = headache - Zero

Now isnt that wierd.

I have just thrown my DG834G (v4) into the spares cupboard, because yesterday it started having trouble, mostly failing to find the ISP DNS server, timing out on downloads, grinding to a halt on streaming media, and general 404 not found errors.

I had a spare Belkin N wireless router that I plugged up and configured, and its sprung into life working perfectly.

Last edited by: Zero on Sun 7 Mar 10 at 20:07

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Sun 7 Mar 10 20:20

UPnP + router = headache - spamcan61

The BT thing ( a BT1801) is about 3 times the size of the netgear and constructed of shiny black plastic - looks like a cow turd to be honest. Poking about in the menu structure I can't find a MAC address filtering option either. On the other hand if it lets me listen to music and the Netgear won't then it'll be the Spamcan Towers access point from now on.

The Netgear is about 3 years old and has been in continuous use, apart from our random power cuts / brown outs and a brief burst of >300V on the mains a while ago, always comes back up and connects no problems. Never had any problems until now, when I'm trying to do something a bit more complicated than normal.

edit: looks just like this one:-

195.224.149.148/SB/BT_2wire_1800.jpg

Last edited by: spamcan61 on Sun 7 Mar 10 at 20:22

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Sun 7 Mar 10 22:56

UPnP + router = headache - smokie

"failing to find the ISP DNS server" - don't most people use other DNS servers these days? I don't, but thought I was in the minority.

Glad you sorted your prob Spam. I must look into that uPnP a bit more, it really looks like something useful. I have a lot of media to stream, all sitting on a Western Digital World Edition NAS (2Tb) which I currently share only to "regular" devices like laptops and desktop computers. I found a page www.jpkessler.de/mybookupnp/index.html which details a hack I can apply to the MBWE to make it run as a uPnP server. I was hacking around in it some weeks ago so this ought not be too difficult.

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Mon 8 Mar 10 09:18

UPnP + router = headache - spamcan61

Flippin 'eck that certainly doesn't look trivial! If I was just playing back on PCs then I'd probably stick with a mapped network drive . However 'thin client' devices like WiFi radios don't like trying to navigate huge libraries ( and I recall yours is waaay bigger than my 90 GB...) without UPnP or similar to assist.

One annoyance I've already found with Twonky is that you can navigate by artist or album, but not by artist then album; unlike Tversity. Some of these fancy new TVs do have some degree of DLNA/UPnP client functionality so you can stream media directly to the TV, and it's common on games consoles these days, must see if my daughter's Wii is capable.

Oh, and I still use the ISP's default DNS servers as well.

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