Server wakeup when client wakes? (1 Viewer)

[jonm]

I have a multiseat setup but I don't think the client is waking the server when the client wakes from sleep. So I get "Connection to TV service lost". I'm not sure what I've got wrong though, I've set the server's MAC address etc.
So can anyone quickly outline what needs to be set for this to work in case I've missed something obvious?

Thanks...

 

[yhoogi]

Did you enabled the WOL capability in the network card settings of the HW manager as well as in the Bios?

For test purposes you can also enable on the server the PME. This should wake the server for any broadcast as well as direct access (effectively for any network activity)


Cheers,

 

[jonm]

I discovered that the hosts file on my client didn't have the server in it. This looks to have been the cause. Not sure how it ever worked, but it's waking the server OK now

 

[astrapowerrr]

i have the same problem here and i cant get it fixed...
can you guys help me?
what is the host file??

 

[mm1352000]

Hi astrapowerrr

The hosts file is a file that is used to lookup the IP address for computers. For example, if your TV Server computer was called "tvserver" you would register the IP address of the "tvserver" computer in the hosts file of the client computer so that the client computer can connect to the TV Server computer. You can find details about the hosts file -->here<-- and information about editing the Windows hosts file -->here<--.

mm

 

[astrapowerrr]

ok.. now my english is not as you think i quess..

how to edit i do understand.. but what to edit i dont understand.
this is now on my hosts file...

127.0.0.1 localhost
::1 localhost

do i have to change it to...


127.0.0.1 localhost
::1 localhost
192.168.1.100 homeserver

??????????????

please help me...

this mornig i swithed on my htpc in the livingroom and directly my server came out of sleep..
wow i thought.. its working...
put the livingroom to stand by and left the house..
at midday i came home looked at the server... quiet..so sleeping...
switched on the client in the livingroom.... nothing...
looked at server and is still sleeping...
grabbed my iphone ussing iconnect and used wake pc function and there it wakes up.. and everything works fine...

strange cause i cant get it fixed...

please help me guys....

 

[Jay_UK]

Hi there,

Devs please correct me if I am wrong....

In simplistic terms WOL relies on sending a special/magic packet (WOL packet) to a MAC address, fundamently it does not use IP address or hostnames (like any low level IP protocol)

Right...back to MePo... MePo supports two ways of defining the TVServer to wakee:

1) Manual entry of the TVServer MAC address (in the TV section on the MePo Config)
2) Automatic Configure (same section)

Option two is where your client tries to convert the hostname/IP address to MAC address behind the scenes - hence might be why you have to put an entry in the host files? (but sounds weird to me)

But this option might be flawed, because as mentioned above WOL relies on a MAC address, to get this from an IP address or hostname the computer must either be on to return its MAC address, or the MAC address of the computer/TVServer must be cached/stored either on your local client or on your router.

So, if your TVServer has been off for a while and your client/router has forgot about your TVServer MAC address (because they aren't normally persitently stored) then the MePo client will not be able to resolve the MAC address of your TVServer from the hostname/IP address - hence WOL will fail.

Dev's - Can anyone confirm if the MAC address of the TVServer is stored anywhere in XML/DB once its resolved? (if not then the above could happen).

The best solution (IMHO) is to manually enter the MAC address of the TV Server (and not use autoconfigure).

To get the MAC address of the TV server do the following (from the client PC):

Load a Command Prompt/DOS box
Type: ping <hostname/IP address of your TVserver> (eg: ping tvserver)
type: arp -a

This will then bring up a list of IP address and the MAC address next to them

eg:

10.105.105.13 00-26-18-86-51-f8 dynamic
10.105.105.203 00-21-6a-10-7a-fe dynamic
10.105.105.206 00-01-2e-bc-15-fe dynamic

Another way is to get the MAC address from the TVServer itself:

Load a Command Prompt/DOS box
Type: ipconfig /all

This will return all your network interfaces (there could be a few!). Find the correct one, and it should give you the "physical address" (this is the MAC address)

Hope this helps...if not back to the drawing board

J.

 

[astrapowerrr]

hi there...

as i read your solution i immediatly started to test...
my ip is a static one one the server.
dont know what that does to my mac adress...??
i quess that is static than as well.
looked for the mac adress with ipconfig/all and i noticed that te mac adres was the same as the auto function had numbered.

took my laptop..also mp on it.. tested with manual mac adress... tv server fails to wake up...
grabbed my remote and started my htpc livingroom... and yes there is my server awake..??

so tested for three times today and 2 hits and 1 missed..
testing tommorow again...

hope it works than!!

 

[JiRo]

So, if your TVServer has been off for a while and your client/router has forgot about your TVServer MAC address (because they aren't normally persitently stored) then the MePo client will not be able to resolve the MAC address of your TVServer from the hostname/IP address - hence WOL will fail.

IMHO you are mistaken. Server MAC address is at the MePo client always saved. Even if automatic configuration is selected or entered MAC address manually. Editing hosts not bother. Using the server hostname of no benefit (if not to change server IP address every day ). It is the best to enter server's IP address directly in the configuration.

@jonm: Problems with the awakening would rather identified at the LAN (for example router between the client and server) or network adapter server. Of course do not rule out a bug in MePo client. But I used WOL at MePo client for years always without problem. Now I am using better solution for me. MP HomeServer plugin at server PC and MPHSClient at all client PCs.

Pleas describe your network configuration, maybe problem will be there.

JiRo.

 

[mm1352000]

ok.. now my english is not as you think i quess..

:sorry:

this is now on my hosts file...

127.0.0.1 localhost
::1 localhost

do i have to change it to...


127.0.0.1 localhost
::1 localhost
192.168.1.100 homeserver

If the IP address of your TV Server is 192.168.1.100 and the TV Server computer name is "homeserver" then yes that is correct.

In simplistic terms WOL relies on sending a special/magic packet (WOL packet) to a MAC address, fundamently it does not use IP address or hostnames (like any low level IP protocol)

AIUI correct. I simply answered the question.

Option two is where your client tries to convert the hostname/IP address to MAC address behind the scenes - hence might be why you have to put an entry in the host files? (but sounds weird to me)

Yeah, that is not right. A MAC address is a unique address across all hardware (as in, each unit from each manufacturer gets a different MAC address - wikipedia). It has nothing to do with the IP address. I think tuners also have MAC addresses, but that is off topic.

Dev's - Can anyone confirm if the MAC address of the TVServer is stored anywhere in XML/DB once its resolved? (if not then the above could happen).

As above: MAC and IP addresses are unrelated. We don't get the MAC address from the IP address or hostname. We get it from the physical interface that is hosting the TV Server. We store the setting that is entered in MP configuration in the MediaPortal.xml configuration file.

my ip is a static one one the server.

That is good.

dont know what that does to my mac adress...??
i quess that is static than as well.

MAC address is "static" even with a dynamic IP address. It never changes.

IMHO you are mistaken. Server MAC address is at the MePo client always saved. Even if automatic configuration is selected or entered MAC address manually.

I agree.

Editing hosts not bother. Using the server hostname of no benefit (if not to change server IP address every day ). It is the best to enter server's IP address directly in the configuration.

I agree again. Editing the host file may have helped jonm for a different reason. His disconnections could have been related to a dynamic IP address or IPv6 stuff.

Pleas describe your network configuration, maybe problem will be there.

I'm wondering whether multiple NICs on the client could be causing this problem.

astrapowerrr: has your client or server PC got more than one ethernet connector?

mm