Crash with SVN 13942 (1 Viewer)

[elliottmc]

TV-Server Version:
MediaPortal Version:
MediaPortal Skin: BlueTwo
Windows Version: Windows XP Pro SP2
CPU Type: AMD Athlon X2 4200
HDD: Seagate 160GB
Memory: 1 GB DDR2
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-M51GM-S2G
Motherboard Chipset: GeForce6100
Motherboard Bios:
Video Card: GeForce 7600
Video Card Driver:
Sound Card: Onboard
Sound Card AC3:
Sound Card Driver:
1. TV Card: Hauppauge Nova-T PCI
1. TV Card Type: DVB-T
1. TV Card Driver:
2. TV Card:
2. TV Card Type:
2. TV Card Driver:
3. TV Card:
3. TV Card Type:
3. TV Card Driver:
4. TV Card:
4. TV Card Type:
4. TV Card Driver:
MPEG2 Video Codec:
MPEG2 Audio Codec:
Satelite/CableTV Provider:
HTPC Case: CoolerMaster Centurion
Cooling:
Power Supply:
Remote: Hauppauge
TV: Belinea 20" LCD (1680x1050)
TV - HTPC Connection: VGA


Hi,

MediaPortal seems to be working perfectly on my server, but on my client system it crashes consistently.

Steps to reproduce:

Uninstall MediaPortal and the TV plugin. Delete the MediaPortal directory to remove any additional files.

Install MediaPortal 0.2.2, then the SVN, then the TV engine.

Start MediaPortal and enter the TV module. This goes into the window to select the server. Type in the name of the server, hit escape and then click the button to turn on TV. This results in a more or less immediate crash (log files attached).

This has been a problem with SVN versions for the last few weeks, and I have reported it before. The error.log shows that an exception is thrown.

I would like to be able to help resolve this issue. I can't imagine that it's just me, or a specific problem with my system, but of course it may be. However, since my setup it fairly clean (no codec packs or system modifications) then it is bound to crop up again, so probably as well if it is documented, even if it isn't a bug.

Log files for the client are attached.

Best wishes,

Mark

PS. Could this be a problem with my firewall? I am pretty sure I have my netgear router configured correctly, but would welcome any help and suggestions. It would be nice to think that this problem had an easy fix, and I'd be more than willing to write a section for the wiki for this type of modem-router.

 

[elliottmc]

Hi,

It looks like this was actually a problem with my firewall.

The difficulty I had was the definition of inbound/outbound traffic in the router firewall settings. I had initially assumed that inbound meant coming from the outside world rather than coming in to the actual client computer.

Anyway, to configure a NetGear modem router firewall, you need to go into the "services" panel of the router configuration and add the following services:

TVServerTCP (TCP) 554
TVServerUPD (UDP) 6970 - 9999
TVTCP1433 (TCP) 1433
TVUDP1434 (UDP) 1434

It doesn't matter what you call them (TVServerTCP, etc.) but it probably helps to remember why you configured them!

Then you need to go into the "firewall rules" pane and add each of these rules to the "inbound traffic" to allow always for each client computer (get the IP address from the "attached devices" pane).

With all of these settings enabled, I've had the client working for several days now, leaving TV running overnight without a problem.

I hope this information is useful to others, since many (including myself) have been complaining that running TV on the server is stable, but not so on the client. Maybe this is the problem?

For some reason, some SVNs would crash immediately on starting TV. Others would run for 5 or 10 minutes, which is why I didn't look for firewall problems sooner.

Thanks to all the devs, Frodo in particular, for this superb software.

Mark

 

[The_Stig]

Good. Thanks for resolving the problem and mentioning how you fixed it!

 

[elliottmc]

Hi,

Just a quick update, since I am quick to moan when things aren't working.

With my firewall "correctly" configured, the server has been running and recording for almost a week now without a hitch.

Superb!

How many different firewalls are people using, and how many problems could be due to firewall configuration? I suspect that many are due to modem/routers, since certainly in my case there is no facility to turn off the firewall. I will be buying a gigabit switch as soon as I move house, so that there is no firewall between my MP machines.

Would anyone like me to coordinate a WIKI for firewall config? PM me in the first instance and please provide an email address, and be prepared to provide screenshots which explain how you configured your firewall (assuming your clients are stable!).

Best wishes,

Mark