Sync has stopped working...yet again.

[Smelsela]

In the last few months I have continually had problems with MediaMonkey's finnicky syncing and I'm approaching the end of my tether. I did pay for the Gold Lifetime key (because I DO love this program...when it works), so it's a little irksome that such a core functionality just continually craps out. I have never, ever had ANY sync issues with Calibre and Calibre Companion, so I'm not sure why MediaMonkey is so terrible at this...You should contact the Calibre people and ask them how they do it, because they apparently rock at it!

This is the 3rd time in 3 months that wifi sync has gone from perfectly functional to completely non-functional. The first time I did a factory reset of my phone, which fixed it. The second time I completely wiped out the databases and settings files of both MMA and MMW and that fixed it. Both of those options are less than ideal, incredibly time consuming, and lead to me losing data about my library (kissed all my play counts goodbye ). I am REALLY hoping someone can help me fix this without having to raze the ground...again.

Anyway, here's where I am at:

- I cannot access the MMW server from my MMA (Samsung Galaxy S5 Neo running Android 6.0.1) from neither the device sync nor the UPnP. Just keeps searching ad infinitum.
- I have already tried all of the things here, with the exception of the Fing thing because though I can see my computer, I can't see where in that Fing app you actually see ports? Besides that everything else checks out (app is allowed through firewall, ports are open, private network, etc.) I can also view that DeviceDescription.xml on both my computer and my phone. I also changed the port to 4000 and the server showed up in MediaMonkey's list of Media Servers.
- I have also tried Restarting all devices, including the router, deactivating and activating the VPN, etc.

One thing I did notice was that the MMW server has the MAC address of my phone listed in the devices list, but the ip address doesn't match what it shows in my phone (.19 on my computer, vs .22 on my phone)... I tried removing the device from the MMW list and then synching again, but when the device was added back, it again added back the MAC address with .19 and not .22...could this be the problem? I seem to remember my phone used to be .19, but must have been reassigned by the router or something, and the last time sync worked (about 2 days ago) was the last "status" listed and it still had .19.


Anyone have any suggestions for something I can try that I haven't already?

[Lowlander]

http://www.mediamonkey.com/support/inde ... ork-at-all

The wrong IP address listed has been noted as a bug, but shouldn't affect the UPnP operation from MMA. Do any other DLNA Apps/devices see the MMW server? Which version of MMA, MMW and Windows are you using?

[Smelsela]

Okay, well the MMW server was not showing up in Bubble UPnP (and still isn't), but I tried downloading a different UPnP app (UPnPlay) and it did show up there and I confirmed I was able to play the files successfully. Then I tried synching again in MMA and the sync worked! Then I tried synching one more time immediately after that initial successful sync, and the connection failed again. I am still able to access MMW and play through UPnPlay app, even though MMA is freaking out.

Tried restarting the UPnPlay app and playing a file through there and, again, successful, then closed that program and opened MMA immediately after and sync worked. So seems maybe I now need a completely unrelated app just to get my two MediaMonkey programs to play together. It shouldn't be this hard.

[Smelsela]

Okay, so I was using BubbleUPnP and MMW server does not show up on there (also not showing up in MMA UPnP). However, I downloaded a different UPnP app from the Play store (UPnPlay) and the MMW server does show up in that app and I am able to play files without any problems.

After installing UPnPlay, I was able to get MMA to sync twice (though not consecutively; I had to keep starting up UPnPlay first, closing it down, and then MMA would sync), however now that is not working again. MMA still cannot connect when trying to sync, does not list the server in the Select a Server section and does not see MMW in UPnP, but UPnPlay can see it and play files without any issues every time I have tried it.

I am running Windows 10 w/ MMW 4.1.17.1840 running and I have MMA version 1.3.0.0694 running on a Samsung Galaxy S5 neo running Android 6.0.1.

[Peke]

Hi,
You need to update to at least MMA 1.3.1, also you can apply for a Beta.

[Smelsela]

Hi,
You need to update to at least MMA 1.3.1, also you can apply for a Beta.

I checked the Play Store and there are no updates listed for MediaMonkey there, so how would I go about upgrading to 1.3.1?

EDIT: Oh, nvm. I applied to be a Beta tester and now it's letting me update to 1.3.1. Unfortunately connection to MMW still failed. UPnPlay is still able to see the server and play the files, but MMA can't connect for device sync and doesn't list the MMW server in either the UPnP section nor the "Select a server" section in the settings. Any other ideas?

[Peke]

Hi,
If it is not listing MMW in both cases than most likely it is Firewall settings that makes problem.

Sent you a PM.

[Smelsela]

Interesting...so my router is from my ISP and it actually gives off 2 networks. There's the default network and then a 5G network, which has the same name, but just has a -5G suffix added to it. My computer has always been connected to the default one, and my phones usually decide to automatically connect to the 5G one. I have synched in the past with this configuration without any problems. When sync stopped working, one of the things I tried was to force my phone to connect to the default one instead of 5G. The syncs I managed to do yesterday were on this configuration, so both phone and computer were on default, but as I already stated, the results were mixed (I managed 2 sync yesterday, but approx 50 failures).

Just now syncs were failing about 10 times, then I noticed that my phone had connected to -5G again. This time, instead of changing the phone, I just decided to switch the computer to the -5G network and then sync worked again (I definitely don't have a lot of confidence that it will last though...) I might just try switching to the other network whenever sync stops working and see if that makes it work.

I doubt it is a firewall issue as, as I've stated, I've made sure all the ports allow connections ("Any" port is selected), the app is allowed through, etc. PLUS, I keep managing to get one-off syncs to work. So if the firewall was the issue, I wouldn't be able to get those handful of syncs, would I? My phone is currently synching right now and I didn't make any firewall changes. Plus, as I said, a third party app on my phone can connect to the UPnP and play files successfully, so it's not that the computer is blocking the access entirely.

[Peke]

If that is the case to Make both working set Both networks DHCP (if possible) to same Subnet mask and also check if WLAN users have restrictions to see otehr PCS/Devices on Network. In some cases UPnP kicks in and ports gets open so you see MMW server in others they are closed.

If you send me PM with Router Model I maybe able to check what can block/filter your connections.

[Lowlander]

It's not the first time I've seen people have issues with the 5G network. For DLNA to work both server and client need to be on the same network. Many modern routers can create a wifi network connected to the main cabled network and a separate guest network which is shielded from the main network as well as that i can be shielded from any other devices on the guest network.

The 5G issue could be a user setting error (creating a separate network) or could be a poor implementation of the router manufacturer causing problems.

[Peke]

I'm suspecting default Router Configuration, I've seen bad ones on both TP-Link and Asus Routers even expensive models.

[Smelsela]

Day 2 of both MMA and MMW devices on the 5G network and sync worked like a charm! I really hope this holds true! Thank you all for your help so far. I will add this to my own personal checklist of things to try if sync goes catawampus again.

FYI, the router is a Hitron CGNM-2250. It was provided from my ISP and I'm just using the default settings.

[Peke]

Hi,
You should check if non 5G/LAN devices can sync and/or DLNA play from MMW server?

[starsky]

I've been having on and off sync issues for about a year now, and before that it worked all the time. As recent as 3 weeks ago I managed to do a sync from Android to Windows 10, and it worked. Nothing changed on my PC or on the phone, then about 4-5 days later I tried to sync, and again, unable to connect. This has been happening on and off like this and it's very unpredictable.

The other day I spent a couple hours running a marathon of checking and investigation, also referring to this thread:
http://www.mediamonkey.com/support/inde ... lna-server

Eventually I uncovered a strange issue, in the Media Sharing (UPnP/DLNA) list of devices. There I see an entry which has a MAC address that matches my phone, but it has the wrong IP. I guess the entry was added at a time when my phone was assigned this IP via DHCP, and in the last few days my router assigned a new DHCP address. No big deal, that may happen. As there is no way to delete the entry (see viewtopic.php?f=4&t=77934&p=452192#p452192), I forced my phone to use the static IP which this entry is stuck on. However, that didn't fix the syncing issue but I suspect something here is causing a problem that is preventing my phone from being able to connect. I wish there were a way I can remove all the entries for the various devices so it can start fresh.

Does anyone know a way to manually remove these devices, like a registry edit or config file somewhere? I don't know what else to try, and I am using the same router which used to work (no firmware updates in between).

[starsky]

UPDATE: I think there is a bug here, either in the MMA and/or MMW.

From the Media Sharing and WiFi Sync (UPnP/DLNA) screen, I clicked the button to install the sharing service. When I first run this service, if I immediately go to my MMA devices and click the UPnP or Sync button, they are able to find the media server. I can backout and go back in immediate;y, and the media server is still found. However, if I wait about 15-30 sec and try again, endless search continues until the end of time. If I stop and restart the service, I can get in again for a brief window and it finds the media server, and then after, endless search. On an interesting side note, during this time the UPnP button found my Plex media server only once. I even shut down everything else on my computer including the Windows 10 firewall service, and still same results.

I imagine from the GUI if you disable the checkmark from the media server, and click OK, and do the same thing to re-enable, you will get the same result as stopping and restarting the Windows service.

What is going on here and has this been properly tested to see if any bugs were introduced in later builds? I've been a Gold user for over a couple years and never EVER had this problem when I first started using the product in 2016.

I even installed a standalone portable version of MMW, and I have the exact same results. I have tested from an Android smartphone and tablet, same results on each.