MMW 4.1 and streaming from outside my home

[ehart]

Hi,

Can I use Media Monkey at work to access files stored on my MM server at home?

I've searched these forums a bunch, and it seems that while MM can act as the server in such a scenario, it cannot act as the client, because on the client side MM doesn't have a way to specify a DLNA server by IP address. I did find a thread suggesting that MM 4.1 WOULD have this capability, so I installed 4.1 (latest version as of yesterday). But for the life of me I still don't see where to manually specify a DLNA server.

Is this possible?

If not, is there another DLNA client for Windows that I should look at?

Thanks,

Eric

[nohitter151]

In MM4.1:

Right click 'Media Servers' -> [Add media server]

[ehart]

Thanks for the reply. I had found that spot previously, but because it refused to accept an IP address I figured I was in the wrong place.

Finally figured out that the entry must be of the form:

http://10.10.10.10:44189/DeviceDescription.xml

where 10.10.10.10 is replaced by the public address you assigned at your router, and 44189 is replaced by the port you assigned at your router.

Thanks again, your reply pointed me back to the right place to look harder.

[ehart]

This still isn't working for me. I was able to create the Media Sever with this "Device Description URL" on my work machine:

http://65.183.134.183:44189/DeviceDescription.xml

However, it's not clear to me how to USE the media server I've created. I'm monitoring traffic from my machine using my work firewall, and I see NO connections from my work machine to my home machine (65.183.134.183) being initiated.

So it appears that MM isn't even trying to connect. How do I ask MM to attempt a connection.

[nohitter151]

This still isn't working for me. I was able to create the Media Sever with this "Device Description URL" on my work machine:

http://65.183.134.183:44189/DeviceDescription.xml

However, it's not clear to me how to USE the media server I've created. I'm monitoring traffic from my machine using my work firewall, and I see NO connections from my work machine to my home machine (65.183.134.183) being initiated.

So it appears that MM isn't even trying to connect. How do I ask MM to attempt a connection.

The new server will appear under "Media Servers". If no content is being served, your connection at home may not be set up correctly. For example, you probably need to enable port forwarding on your router to allow outside connections.

[ehart]

Still no joy with this. I can add the Media Server on the outside copy of Media Monkey, but when I click on it, it never expands to show categories and never shows a music list. I see an instant "TCP reset" when monitoring the TCP traffic on the remote side. MM never reports seeing the connection.

Would anyone be willing to tell me if they can connect to either my media "server" or media "library" (i'm not sure what the difference is) here:
http://65.183.134.183:44189/DeviceDescription.xml
or:
http://65.183.134.183:53071/DeviceDescription.xml
?

I have setup port forwarding on my router (Netgear WD7000) to allow this (forwarding ports 44189 and 53071 over TCP and UDP to 192.168.1.111) . To confirm that I have IP addresses correct and that port forwarding is working, I enabled a Telnet server on this machine, and setup port forwarding of Telnet (TCP port 23 to it) -- and can easily telnet to the machine from the outside. To confirm the syntax I am adding to Media Monkey on my work laptop, I brought the same laptop onto my internal network, and setup the media server on the client side to point to the internal address of the Media Monkey server (http://192.168.1.111:44189/DeviceDescription.xml), and that worked fine. I have "allow connections from external addresses" enabled, and "allow connections from any machine" enabled (not the exact wording of these options, but you get the idea).

I realize this may not be a MM issue (given that it never reports seeing the connection from the outside machine), but thought I'd check in one more time here before running off to try products (like Plex and JRiver) that purport to allow this sharing without any firewall modifications at all.

Any thoughts?

Cordially,

Eric Hart

[dtsig]

MMW says that the servers have been added but they do nothing ... as you have said. I would really like to see this working as I could use this when I am travelling

[ehart]

DTSIG, thank you for checking.

Have you had a similar problem in your own setup? Or are you just saying you'd like to get it working yourself at some point?

[dtsig]

Basically same problem and i would like to get it to work. Maybe what i will do is go back to streaming music. This should have been a natural thing but now not sure how easy it will be to get this to work

[ehart]

That is what I am doing now, streaming Pandora.

[nohitter151]

Your servers are indeed not working, but I have seen it work on my system in the past. I still think something in your setup must be awry.

[dtsig]

nohitter, could you give a list of steps required. For example on the server, other than making sure the port (any preferred port?) is forwarded what explicit steps are there. For the client, other than creating a server similar to that discussed here is there anything else needed
Thanks

[ehart]

So I had a bright idea which unfortunately did not help. Disabled the Windows 7 firewall on the "server" temporarily. Was sure that would do it, but no.

BTW, of the two other products I mentioned (Plex and JRiver) only Plex allows "no firewall changes" configuration. They do that through their "myplex" service, which I believe requires a monthly subscription fee. JRiver sounds to be configured in the same way MM is, with mapped ports and the like.

[nohitter151]

I've just set this up again and have it working on build 1686.

It seems straightforward enough, but here's exactly what I've done:

1. Options > Media sharing
2. Add new server (using [Add] button)
3. Under "UPnP/DLNA" tab check "Share automatically with all new devices". Also check all devices already listed in box below (or at least the device you plan on using if it already appears there)
4. Under "Server" tab, ensure IP address set to automatic and note the port number. MUST put a check by "Accept external IP addresses"
5. Under "Shared content" make sure that at least something is checked (whatever you want to share)
6. Auto-conversion tab - whatever you want, default should be fine

7. Critical step: Open the port on your router (same port as noted from step 4) (don't install any software to "automatically forward ports", there will be ads all over offering to do this. Don't install this junk and just follow the guide provided for your router model)
8. Check if the port is really opened with http://www.canyouseeme.org/
9. If you passed step 8 then the server will now be available. You can test with a free iOS app like 8 player lite:
a. Install the app
b. Settings > Browser > Servers > Add > Manual > Name: whatever you want | Server: http://YourExternalIPAddress:port/DeviceDescription.xml

[ehart]

First of all, nohitter, thank you for your help!

I have concluded that the current MMW beta works correctly as a SERVER over the Internet, but not as a CLIENT over the Internet.

I went through all your steps, and everything was already configured as you suggested. The test in Step 8 worked. I happen to have an iPad, so took it to a public hotspot, and I was able to stream my files using 8Player Lite from my MM server at home! That is welcome progress indeed!

I still could not stream to an MMW client, though. Here's what I tried:
1. Put my laptop on the same public wireless network as the iPad was using successfully
2. Disabled the firewall on my laptop
3. Installed MMW on a second laptop (this laptop runs Windows 7 rather than 8.1, which I thought might be a problem). Connected to the same wireless network that worked for the iPad. Disabled the firewall. Installed the newest beta (released yesterday) which is Build 1687 (this is one build newer than what I have been using up to now).

Results were the same as they have always been -- I can create the server in the client (which indicates the server is running -- when the server is not running it's not possible to create it in the client), but I never see any content.

So, the good news is that MMW serves up fine over the Internet -- using clients other than MMW.

The bad news is that MMW itself can't seem to be an Internet client (at least not the two recent betas I've tested).

nohitter (or anyone) if you think this is incorrect, please confirm for me that you have connected to your Media Monkey server over the Internet USING MMW as the client. If it works for you, please let us all know what versions of MMW and what operating system you are using at each end. Thanks!