MM as client shows length 0:00 for files on Fritz Media srv

[LexLen]

Hi All,

I am trying to use MediaMonkey as a Upnp-av client, to get my PC see files on the in-house Media Server. This Media Server is a Fritz!Box 7360 Router with a USB disk attached as NAS.
Reason to use MediaMonkey is that this is an XP PC, and Windows Media Player cannot access Media servers on Win XP.

The Fritz Media Server is running fine: I can play music and videos using Win Media Player on a Win7 PC.
MediaMonkey also can see the Media Server (located on http://192.168.178.1:49000) and it can see the files on the server.
However, MediaMonkey shows a length 0.00 for these files, and (of course) also cannot play them.
The same file plays OK in MediaMonkey when opened from a local hard disk.

So far I have not been able to solve this, so I hope anyone can come up with some useful tips: thanks in advance.

Lex.

[Lowlander]

Are you using MediaMonkey 4.1?

[LexLen]

Yes, V 4.1.0.1692

[Lowlander]

Then I suggest you create a debug log (step 4b) and send the log to support for analysis: http://www.mediamonkey.com/forum/viewto ... ?f=20&t=69

[Peke]

hmmm,
Fritz!Box 7360 is not NAS it is router with basic share settings, from my knowledge the best way to utilize Fritz!Box 7360 in Network is to use SMB instead of UPnP where MMW will see it as shared network folder.

Also as you are on XP, to do UPnP/DLNA compare tests I would suggest XBMC as reference although I think that Fritz!Box 7360 do not have transcoding capabilities.

Anyway if you can play same file in some other app (other than MMW) over UPnP that would give us baseline for debugging along with debug log

[LexLen]

A debug file has been uploaded (support ticket IJK-228810).
However, strange enough the debug version could play an MP3 from the FritzBox, while the release version could not. Lex.

[LexLen]

Before you start spending time on this issue: I found an entry in the FritzBox knowledge base about Upnp:
http://service.avm.de/support/en/skb/FR ... -not-shown

It mentions that a bug is present in the latest versions of the Fritz firmware:
Due to an error in FRITZ!OS 6.01/6.03, the FRITZ!Box does not index media files on the storage (NAS).

The best solution will be for me to wait for an update:
I will update this forum issue as soon as I know more.

Sorry to have wasted your time so far....

Lex.

[Peke]

I still do not see any reason why don't you use Samba Server to Access FritZ and files on it.

See https://www.avm.de/en/service/FAQs/FAQ_ ... 15409.php3

and http://service.avm.de/support/en/skb/FR ... ot-be-used so as thought they removed SMB due the figuring out that Fritz!Box is not NAS. If you bought Fritz to have it as nas and product brochure say that you have SMB access ability while new firmware (quite possibly already on newly bought devices) disable that you have two options either demand that they fix it, request refund or sue them for market product with feature that they disabled. Deliberately.

Their manual for 7360 say SMB is supported.

[khelsing]

I still do not see any reason why don't you use Samba Server to Access FritZ and files on it.

Lex uses the Fritz!Box as a media server so he/she perhaps also has streaming boxes, smartphones and/or tablets to play music and doesn't want to establish a second method to access the music files? Furthermore the Fritz!Box's Samba server is even sloooooower than the UPnP-AV server.

and http://service.avm.de/support/en/skb/FR ... ot-be-used so as thought they removed SMB due the figuring out that Fritz!Box is not NAS.

That only applies to the Fritz!Box 7390, Lex has a 7360 which is not affected by that change.

[LexLen]

The idea of Upnp is that it should also be possible to connect a radio or a TV to the Media server, which seems a great idea to me.
So for now I will just wait a bit, expecting this known bug in the Fritz firmware to be fixed soon.
Lex.

[Lowlander]

The idea of Upnp is that it should also be possible to connect a radio or a TV to the Media server

That is possible with the MediaMonkey Media Server as well with added benefit of tracking play history. However the big downside is that the PC with MediaMonkey needs to be on to access it.

[LexLen]

Hi All,

After some more emails with the Fritz Tech Support department is is clear that the problem is on the Fritz side.
In a recent firmware upgrade they have removed the SMB/Samba-protocol. And as (they tell me that) this protocol is needed for the Media Server, that will no longer work either.
So this was not a bug, SMB was deliberately removed to "give space to other upgrades in the VDSL-context".
The software tech guy does not think that SMB will come back, as "the other functions which were implemented in the FRITZ!Box firmware are, in a broader context more important than the media / filesharing functions (for individual customers this is debatable of course)".

Here it stops for me I am afraid, not much that I can do.
I can only warn to be very careful when buying Fritz hardware, as in all documentation they still say that a Media Server is present, and the user interface also still allows me to switch it on. So they are promoting their hardware mentioning functions that they do not support, which seems rather illegal.