TV Client - "Unable to detect host" over VPN (2 Viewers)

Sebastiii

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  • November 12, 2007
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    I'm pretty sure I ran the standard MP batch file to open the correct ports on all of my machines. However, maybe I need to forward port 31456 on my router to my server? Is it TCP or UDP?

    TCP :)

    But if you are on not the same subnet maybe it's why it didn't find the server, so if you ping your server from work, it will not work right ?
     

    DragonQ

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    August 30, 2011
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    But if you are on not the same subnet maybe it's why it didn't find the server, so if you ping your server from work, it will not work right ?
    I said in the first post that I can ping my server from my work laptop and access files on it, etc. It's only MP Config that can't seem to find it.
     
    Last edited:

    megahorst

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    missing portforward on the router should not be the problem.
    With your VPN you are already on the LAN side of your router and have passed it's firewall.

    To nail it down you can give a local client a fixed IP out of the VPNs dhcp-range.
    Than you can check the windows firewall of your server from @home.
    You can also give sebastiis suggestion a try then.
     
    Last edited:

    Subigo

    Portal Member
    November 6, 2008
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    I seem to have the exact same problem.

    1 dedicated TV Server 1.3.0 (hostname tv-server running windows 7 and configured for incoming connections)
    2 local clients that work.
    1 client (1.3.0) connects through pptp vpn (is assigned IP 192.168.254.43) and is able to browse shares and ping but when i click the Test connection button I get unable to detect host "tv-server" or 192.168.254.35
    When I telnet to the TV-Server on port 31456 I do get a connection but its only a blinking cursor and when I give 2 enters I get a .NET☺☻☻♥☺♥☺☺ê error and get kicked out.
    I have disabled the firewall on both ends.

    Dont really know what to try next ?

    Thanks in advance.
     
    Last edited:

    Subigo

    Portal Member
    November 6, 2008
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    Ok.. Here is what i found out after some more digging.

    I have a VPN to 2 mediaportal servers. one (MP1) is 1.2.3.0 and the other(MP2) is 1.3.0
    Both servers are windows 7 machines with the "Accept incoming connections" configured.
    MP1 has 2 network cards.
    LAN = 192.168.2.50
    IPTV = 10.X.X.X
    When I connect to MP1 the Incoming connection creates a virtual NIC on MP1 with ip 192.168.2.116 and a virtual nic with IP 192.168.2.117 on the computer i am connecting to. In the MP config I set the TV server IP to 192.168.2.50 and this works like a charm.

    On MP2 (with 1.3.0)
    also 2 NIC's
    LAN = 192.168.254.35
    IPTV = 10.X.X.X
    When i connect to MP2 over VPN it creates a virtual nic with 192.168.254.36 and on my client i get 192.168.254.37 so far its the same.
    However when i connect to the TV server with IP 192.168.254.35 it does not work. I get "unable to detect host "tv-server" or 192.168.254.35"
    The only way i can connect to the TV services is to login to the TV server config and change the IP adress for streaming to 192.168.254.36, restart tvservice and then it works.

    This is not really a solution though since the .36 address disappears as soon as i logoff the vpn. And i would have to shift around the local clients settings constantly.

    Does the above make any sense ? :)

    Regards,

    Subi.
     

    Subigo

    Portal Member
    November 6, 2008
    22
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    One more thing to add,
    Tried to connect over the internet. Forwarded :
    3306 TCP/UDP to 192.168.254.35
    554 TCP/UDP to 192.168.254.35
    31456 TCP/UDP to 192.168.254.35

    I am able to telnet to these 3 ports. But Mediaportal still cant test the connection in in the config util. When i haxxor the mediaportal.xml and start it i get an error telling me that ports 3306 and 31456 are closed.

    Now ill go and grab some sleep and hope that someone smarter than me can figure this out.
     

    michael_t

    Portal Pro
    November 30, 2008
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    Now ill go and grab some sleep and hope that someone smarter than me can figure this out.
    My two cents to this topic:
    • The TV server version should not matter, since the tests only check if the TV server can deleiver the database connection string, which is a function beeing there since ever (or at least a very long time...)
    • What does matter is the client version:
      • Before 1.3 there is no "Test client connection" function in the config tool - the ip address is simply written into the config file
      • Since 1.3 the "Test client connection" button performs some tests if the TV server machine is existing (ping - error: "cannot detect host ..."), the port is accessible (TCP connection to port 3145 - error: "cannot connect to host ...") and the TV server can deliver the database connection string (error: "cannot get database connection string").
      • With 1.4 (pre-release) the "Test client connection" logic is simplified - the ping is omitted now.
    • If the 1.3 "Test client connection" button does not work for you, but the 1.2.x config tool does, you could try to enter the "hostname" manually into the MediePortal.xml file without testing and it should work...
    Michael
     

    Subigo

    Portal Member
    November 6, 2008
    22
    4
    My two cents to this topic

    • Since 1.3 the "Test client connection" button performs some tests if the TV server machine is existing (ping - error: "cannot detect host ..."), the port is accessible (TCP connection to port 3145 - error: "cannot connect to host ...") and the TV server can deliver the database connection string (error: "cannot get database connection string").

    That is the weird thing though, I made sure that i can Ping and connect to 31456 and 3306 and 554 through telnet. I used procmon and tcpview and I dont think it actually does anything. it just instantly returns the cant connect error.

    • If the 1.3 "Test client connection" button does not work for you, but the 1.2.x config tool does, you could try to enter the "hostname" manually into the MediePortal.xml file without testing and it should work...
    Michael

    I did that. I tried with hostname (tv-server), IP (192.168.2.35) and external IP. None of these work, as soon as i start MP client I get the dialog to re enter the server address and when I enter it I get an error telling me ports 3306 or 31456 is closed.

    Thanks for the reply though, hope this gets figured out.
    Regard,
    Subi.
     

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