PlaceShifter unable to connect to Server

[RonBoyd]

I need someone to lead me through this:

I installed PlaceShifter on a Laptop (Windows 7); the SageTV application is on a Vista machine. I configured the PlaceShifter Connection (Automatically) to:

Server TCP Port: 31099; IP Address: 192.168.1.130
Router: UPnP forwards Port 31099 to IP 192.168.1.130

The Router (Linksys WRT54GX4) has UPnP Enabled. The STV is C:\SageTV\SageTV\STVs\SageTV3. The Locator ID was placed in the Laptop's Placeshifter application.

NOTE: There is also a DSL Router in the mix, if that is important.

Test PlaceShifter Connection gives this:

Testing the PlaceShifter Connection for Locator ID .... at Port 31099.

The Locator Server is connected to the IP Address registered for this Location ID, but could not access the PlaceShifter server's port.

Make sure the port is not blocked on your router/firewall and it is forwarded to your SageTV server computer.

(I am unsure how to "make sure port is not blocked." The only "firewall" on the Vista machine is Windows Defender and I have turned it off with no joy. (I do have AVG AntiVirus installed.)

On the Laptop:

I can access SageTV with the Placeshifter application only when I am connected (wirelessly) to the same network as the Vista machine. When on the same Network, I get a choice of two connections

1. My SageTV, Locator Found Server, Last Connected: Never
2. Main-Vista, Local Network, Last Connected: Fri Sep 10 05:35:15 MD 2010.

Clicking on "My SageTV" gives me the message found below. Clicking on "Main-Vista" opens up the SageTV application as expected.

When I use a different router to connect ot the Internet, I get only the Connection Choice that I manually set up (My SageTV) as instructed. When I click on "Connect," I get this message:

The Sage PlaceShifter is unable to connec to the specified SageTV MEdia Center Server. Please make sure that the PlaceShifter is configured on your SageTV Media Center and that port forwarding is properly configured for your network. This can be done by going through the Configuration Wizard on the SageTV Media Center and testing the Placeshifter Connection.

What am I missing or what have I done improperly?

[Spectrum]

My first thought would be UPnP is not working like it should. You could try avoiding UPnP all together and manually configuring your router to forward port 31099 to the IP of your server, 192.168.1.130 from what it looks like. You could also try taking the locator ID out of the mix and try a direct connection to the external IP address assigned to your router.

As far as the server itself, Windows Defender is MS anti-spyware app, not a firewall. Vista has a seperate config process for the firewall which can be accessed via Control Panel -> Security Center -> Windows Firewall IIRC. I don't have Vista installed anymore so I can't verify that. I do know it is named windows firewall though. Vista's firewall also has the ability to allow connections based on network, so it could be allowing an internal IP (local network/192.168.x.x) but not an external IP.

G'luck. Network troubleshooting is trial and error 90% of the time, so keep at it and I'm sure you can get it resolved

[RonBoyd]

Originally Posted by Spectrum

My first thought would be UPnP is not working like it should. You could try avoiding UPnP all together and manually configuring your router to forward port 31099 to the IP of your server, 192.168.1.130 from what it looks like.

Yes, I guess I knew that because I had made (what I thought were) the appropriate entries in Windows Firewall:

Firewall.JPG
(The "Sage PlaceShifter" selection is identical except that it has UDP selected.)

I had also directed the Router to forward Port 31066:

Router.JPG

Originally Posted by Spectrum

You could also try taking the locator ID out of the mix and try a direct connection to the external IP address assigned to your router.

How do I do that?

[Spectrum]

Take port 31066 out of the mix; there is no need to do port redirection unless you have something else that is using 31099. The config page you showed on your router looks right, any connections coming to port 31099 it is passing to port 31099 in the Sage box. But the firewall looks like it is set to allow incoming connections to port 31066. Double check and make sure the firewall is allowing connections to port 31099 with scope set to Any Computer.

With that said, however, the easiest test to see if that is the problem before changing the firewall settings would be to disable Windows Firewall and try a connection. If it works you know it's the firewall, if not you have something going on at the router.

To do a direct connection without the locator service, just look at the status page of your router and I think Linksys shows the external IP as Internet Address or Internet IP Address. Once you have that number create a placeshifter connection and put a checkbox in the "Connect ot this server directly by its hostname or IP address" and put the address in the box.

Once you get it all sorted make sure you bring the firewall back up and get it working for sure and go back to using the locator service if you don't have a static IP address. Otherwise you will be open to nasties and when your IP changes you won't be able to connect.