TV Server only works when im online (single seat) (1 Viewer)

[Skar]

Hi all,

I´m using the latest release candidate of MP (RC3) and i switched from the build in TVE to TVServer. My System is a single Seat build and i only watch TV on this one PC in my living room. Problem is when i disconnect from my router (WLan) or come back from hibernate (classic problem WLan doesnt work) i cant watch TV.

Is that normal or did i do something wrong?? I mean server and client are on the same machine, why does he need the Internet or better the router??

In the TVServer configuration under Server it shows my PC name "htpc" so it shoud search that one and not any IP address, shouldnt it?

thx for any clues

Skar

 

[The Mixer]

Don't know why you can't use Mediaportal when it's not online, but you can try to change "htpc" to 127.0.0.1.
When using 127.0.0.1 Mediaportal shouldn't try to ask you router (or server if you have one) to resolve the machines hostname.

 

[gavo]

Hi,

I have a very similar issue. From what I can tell when the TV Service starts it binds to an address on your HTPC. On my HTPC this is the IP Address of the local Ethernet interface. You can verify what address the TV Service has bound to by opening up the Media Portal TV Server Config tool and taking a look at the "Chose IP Address for streaming" under the TV Server section. This is all fine, until if for some reason I lose my network connection (i.e. its physically dropped) - the address that the TV Service was bound to is no longer available, thus media portal cant connect and get its TV source (even know media portal and the TV service are both on the same box).

I havent tested, but this may also cause you a problem if your IP address changes (via DHCP) after the TV service has started (unless the TV Service watches for this condition and compensates). I guess this could be a problem if you continually standby your box (like I do), and then your address lease expires.

If you add your PC's local host name to the "localhost" entry in the windows hosts file (typically c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts on XP), then if on bootup you have no other valid interfaces with IP addresses assigned, the TV Service will bind to localhost (127.0.0.1) - at least on my PC. This is probably ok for a single seat installation where the network service takes a while to start (WLAN) - TV service will bind to local host in this case - on my PC, because I'm using ethernet the interface is up by the time the TV service starts and so presumably this is why it always binds to the address that my NIC has.

I dont know if its possible, but I think a useful feature would be to be able to have the TV Service bind to all available addresses, or at least have an option that includes forcing binding to localhost (maybe this is already possible - anyone know?).

I guess having the host name of your PC associated to localhost doesnt hurt (unless you are in a multiseat environment), as if there is no other valid IP interface available on startup, TV service will bind to localhost and at least the local media portal instance will be able to use it.

Cheers,

 

[pigboy306]

I think this is along the same lines... when i am watching TV and the router is switched off or connection is lost, MP stops playing TV and the screen goes black can I resolve this by adding to my hosts file if so what do I put my HTPC is called 'media' in windows and is allocated a static IP on the Lan of 192.168.1.25??

 

[Gertje]

Skar & pigboy306,

The Mixer is right. You have to make MP understand that you want to be using 127.0.0.1 instead of an ip address.
I've had this issue too and after some digging i found a solution (there may be another, easier way...)

Stop the TVService service.
Open your MP SQL database by using "SQL Server Management Studio Express".
Click Databases, MpTVDBRC2, tables and locate dbo.server. Right click it and choose "Open Table". There will be a record where you will see your (original) ip address. Click on it and change it to 127.0.0.1
Close "SQL Server Management Studio Express".
Start the TVService service.

That should do the trick...

 

[pigboy306]

Did that however this stops me streaming to other clients, when I change the RTSP fails when I Change back all is well...

 

[Gertje]

Did that however this stops me streaming to other clients, when I change the RTSP fails when I Change back all is well...

Obviously, as the above procedure is only for a single seat installation. One asks a solution when the router/hub isn't connected and therefor there is no network. Streaming won't work because no a network is present

 

[JoePlumber]

Microsoft RPC (remote) allows servers to be accessed by different clients and can use LPC (local) when the server and client are on the same machine. When you shut off the router or disconnect the network connection, the client has no way of knowing if RPC was called or not. It has to go out on the lan to find the server(s) again. I believe MP only uses RPC in this case.

 

[flintstone99]

Microsoft loopback device

Hi Skar,

I think I had the same issue as you.
Installing the loopback device (kind of virtual lan port) did the trick for me.
See this post:
https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/installation-configuration-support-53/mediaportal-without-lan-connection-45398/#post306330

regards
Dietmar

 

[IkeV70]

I hade the same issue. My HTPC has a crappy usb wlan device which looses connection at least once a day. MP therefore also looses connection to the tvserver, even though it's a single seat configuration.
I've solved it the same way Gertje did:

Stop the TVService service.
Open your MP SQL database by using "SQL Server Management Studio Express".
Click Databases, MpTVDBRC2, tables and locate dbo.server. Right click it and choose "Open Table". There will be a record where you will see your (original) ip address. Click on it and change it to 127.0.0.1
Close "SQL Server Management Studio Express".
Start the TVService service.

It would be very convenient if you could set this in the normal tvserver setup tool.