Can't connect to server on main PC
Hi,
I'm new here, having just bought a DSM-330. I've got it set up and connected to my wireless network and have installed DivX Connected 1.4.0 build 59 on my main PC, connected to my router via Ethernet cable.
However, the DSM couldn't see the server. Having read a few threads on here, I downloaded and installed the PC Client but that didn't work either - it starts and immediately shuts down. I tried rolling back, uninstalling, reinstalling a few times but to no avail.
So, I then tried installing the DivX Connected software on a spare PC upstairs, connected via wireless, and that worked first time, both using the DSM and the PC client software.
So why doesn't it work on my main PC? Both are running Windows XP SP3 with all updates, AVG 8.0 anti-virus and the standard Windows Firewall (which is allowing the DivX connected software as an exception). Admittedly there is less software installed on the spare PC, so maybe something is conflicting, but I tried disabling various things and that didn't help.
I would be grateful for any suggestions as to how I might get this working. I don't think it's a networking issue because I can't even connect using a local PC client.
Thanks,
Kevin
Just to say that disabling my AV program and firewall also makes no difference, I still can't connect to the server, not even using the local PC client. So I am still stuck with a useless gizmo connected to my TV!
There must be something else different between my main PC (on which is doesn't work) and the spare (on which it does, but I don't want to use that one for this application) but I cannot see what it is. OK, so the one that works is running XP Home and the one that doesn't is running XP Pro but I'm sure that's irrelevant.
Do you any other network related applications running on the PC?
Are you able to run the PC client on the PC that works and connect to the PC that does not work? Or are you able to run the PC client on the PC with the problem and connect to the PC that works?
Do you any other network related applications running on the PC?
Not that I know of - what sort of thing had you in mind?
Are you able to run the PC client on the PC that works and connect to the PC that does not work?
No - if I shut down the server on the PC that works the PC client fails to find the server on the PC that doesn't, in the same way that the DSM-330 fails to find it.
Or are you able to run the PC client on the PC with the problem and connect to the PC that works?
The PC client on the PC that doesn't work doesn't even get as far as looking. It opens a blank window for a split second then shuts down immediately, regardless of whether that PC or the other is running the server. This may be a clue.
I just tried installing the server on my XP laptop, which would be hopelessly underpowered for running the server for real, but is also running XP Pro. The result was exactly the same as on the main PC - the server can't be found by the DSM-330 and a local PC client also behaves in the same way. The laptop has similar software installed on it to the main PC, but not identical.
I also have a Vista laptop I could try it on if it might help, but that one doesn't technically even belong to me.
Just installed the server on the Vista laptop, running Vista Home Basic, and it works perfectly. So I have 4 PCs on the same network, 2 (both running XP Pro) that don't work and two (one running XP Home and one running Vista Home Basic) that do. I'm still flummoxed.
The latest thing I tried was disabling all startup items on the main XP machine. No joy.
Is it possible to provide some debug versions of the software to try to find out what is going wrong? Is there any point in contacting D-Link support separately? There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with the unit itself so I'm reluctant to send it back (bought from amazon.co.uk) although if I can't solve this problem I might have to.
I have asked our developers to try and think of a what can be run on the system to see what is blocking the discovery.
Have you updated your XP Pro systems to the latest service pack?
One other thing to try is to change the discovery port used by the server. Press the "options" button, and then select the "advanced" tab. Click on the custom option and enter the number 80. If this works it means that port 1900 is being blocked on your PC's.
D-Link support may have also have some ideas since whatever is blocking the server might affect other products that require the same type of communication.
Further to my post above, I have now found that:
If I start the PC Client before the server then it does run and it will connect to the server on other other PC.
If I start the server then try to run the PC client it just flashes up a blank window and immediately closes down.
If I start the PC client and then run the server, the client continues to run but still will not connect to the local server.
I have done a complete reinstallation of the latest versions of all products just to be sure (although I haven't tried the beta version of the server).
I've tried the 1.4.1 beta as well and that doesn't work either.
Hello ... ?
Have you updated your XP Pro systems to the latest service pack?
All systems are running SP3 with all security updates.
One other thing to try is to change the discovery port used by the server. Press the "options" button, and then select the "advanced" tab. Click on the custom option and enter the number 80. If this works it means that port 1900 is being blocked on your PC's.
Well this is where I started getting excited. I had actually tried this before but when I did the server would not even start - it just opened its window, the border appeared and it just hung. Then I realised that both of the PCs on which it didn't work were running Internet Information Services (IIS) and this may be conflicting with the DivX server. So, I uninstalled IIS and tried again. Still no joy using the default port. I changed the port to 80 and now at least the server starts, so that must have been conflicting with IIS's use of port 80. BUT still nothing has changed. The server cannot be discovered by the DSM and the PC client still will not run either - it just shuts down immediately. There must be something else that is conflicting. What is it??? I think I'm going to cry.
Has no one got any ideas on this? I'm pretty much stuck unless I can get this sorted out. I really don't want to have to reinstall Windows from scratch. Are there any services it needs that I may have disabled? Any known conflicts?
What IP address is the server software reporting in the title bar?
There is certainly something getting in the way of the server and client apps communicating with the network adapter.
Do you have more than one network adapter or a VPN enabled on your main PC?
My PC motherboard is now fixed (a jumper had fallen off) so I'm now able to test this again.
The server software is reporting 192.168.0.106 as the IP address, which is the correct address of the PC on the network.
I don't have a VPN and the only other network adapter listed is a 1394 Net Adapter, which is showing as enabled and connected but I never use it. I've just disabled it and it made no difference.
Kevin
Is the device IP address similar to the PC one except for the last digits?
Yes - 192.168.0.101.
From the Start menu, choose "Run" and type CMD then press the enter key. A black DOS window will show up.
First the following command:
ping 192.168.0.101 (or whatever the device IP address is at that time)
Let us know if there is a timeout or a valid relpy.
Then type:
ipconfig /all
and send us the text of that screen by right clicking on the DOS window and choosing the "mark" option, then click and drag the mouse over the text and press enter after highlighting the text, then type Ctrl-C to paste it into a reply message.
C:\>ping 192.168.0.101
Pinging 192.168.0.101 with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 192.168.0.101: bytes=32 time=4ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.0.101: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.0.101: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.0.101: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Ping statistics for 192.168.0.101:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 1ms, Maximum = 4ms, Average = 1ms
C:\>ipconfig /all
Windows IP Configuration
Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : study
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) PRO/1000 CT Network Connection
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-50-8D-EF-A0-62
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.106
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.254
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.254
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 208.67.222.222
208.67.220.220
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : 20 November 2008 23:14:20
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : 23 November 2008 23:14:20
Thanks for the input - unfortunately it seems that the motherboard on the PC has now died so it's completely out of action and I'm having to use the spare, on which the software does work, but it's got none of my media files on it yet!
So, I'll be back when I've got a new mobo off eBay. Before you ask, no, I don't think the mobo failure has anything to do with the problem, it's just a coincidence, or Sod's law.
Can you try temporarily disabling all antivirus/firewall software or anything that could possibly interfere with network traffic? This isn't a permanent solution but could possibly shed light on the issue.
I have seen this a couple of times before and it was almost always caused by some software that restricts network traffic such as a firewall or an anti-virus software with similar functionality built in.
[dan]