Cannot add network folders to Sage Server

[Bigbird999]

I decided to retire my trusty Linkplayer2 and purchased a HD300. I am a long time user of both BTV and Sage (for TV I prefer BTV but that is a whole other story). On my LAN I have several PCs (2 BTV servers, a Sage v7 server a laptop, 2 general purpose pcs, the Linkplayer and now a Sage HD). All of the PCs, the standalone HD300 and Linkplayer can play media from any PC using the appropriate client or VLC/MPC and TVersity server. With the Sage HD 300 in Standalone mode it sees the shared folders plays media flawlessly. The only problem I am having problem is to add a remote media folder to the Sage server when I run it in extender mode. I searced extensively and many have had this issue because of passwords and permissions.

In my case, all of the PCs have the same username and password running XP pro. I have turned off simple file sharing and shared all of the various media folders on the rest of the machines giving full control to Everyone and to username . Sage is running as a service with the same username and password. All machines on the LAN are members of WORKGROUP. When I set up the recording drive and media files it only works for the local drives on the server. I can not add any of the remote folders on other machines to the Library.

In settings, when I specify a UNC path (\\HDPC\VIDEO) I immediately get a not found - would I like to create the folder. If I hit yes it says failed to create and if I hit no, it goes back to the select window. I can navigate to all of the shared folders by hitting up directory and browsing to the workgroup and if I tell it to select current folder it appears in the list as a library folder but it appears in the folder view of search with an x through the folder icon.

I have spent 2 days on this and I am just about ready to say screw it and run in standalone mode. I am really stumped with this one.. HELP PLEASE

BB

[Fuzzy]

While logged in to the same user as the sagetv service, do a Start -> Run -> \\HDPC\VIDEO and see if it is able to open up the folder.

[Bigbird999]

Thanks for the reply

While logged in to the same user as the sagetv service, do a Start -> Run -> \\HDPC\VIDEO and see if it is able to open up the folder.

Yes it does.

One thing I hadn't tried was using the IP address (I have fixed IPs for all of my boxes) So I specified \\192.168.0.xx\video and BINGO it worked Not sure why, but it worked for all of my remote folders. Maybe something to do with my DNS lookup or local hosts file. I will try and figure it out later, but right now I am playing with my new toy.

FWIW, I pointed it at my BTV recording folders and works fine on them. They show as videos rather than recordings but I'll save that issue for later.

BB

[Fuzzy]

Yeah, that would probably do it. I've never liked using static IP's in a home. And if you ARE using Static IP's, it's best to assign those IP's in the router, and keep the clients obtaining their static IP from there via DHCP. That way, the DNS is always kept up to date. Even our large corporate network (thousands of PC's on a single site) keep all the configuration at the DHCP end, and NOTHING is assigned a static IP in the device.

[Bigbird999]

In case anybody else encounters this problem, you can resolve it by editing the hosts file (c/windows/system32/drivers/etc/hosts) using wordpad

I just added a line for each pc

192.168.0.xx hdpc
192.168.0.xy htpc
192.168.0.xz newpc

and saved it

After this edit, I can add a new media location using the pc name rather than the IP address.

Apparently Sage uses the hosts file to resolve the names while windows does it some other way. Hope this helps somebody.

BB

[nyplayer]

You can enable netbios over TCPIP and you would not need a host file. A host file is good only if the IP's never change. Sage does not use the host file but windows does.... windows checks the host file first then it uses the router etc... to resolve the names.


Here is an explanation..


Enable NetBIOS Over TCP/IP (NetBT)
Windows peer-to-peer networks use the NetBIOS (Network Basic Input/Output System) applications programming interface for File and Printer Sharing. NetBIOS names identify computers on the network. NetBIOS broadcasts locate computers and shared disks and folders on the network and allow them to appear in My Network Places and Network Neighborhood.

NetBIOS is not the same thing as NetBEUI (NetBIOS Extended User Interface):

NetBIOS is an applications programming interface (API).
NetBEUI is a transport protocol.
File and Printer Sharing requires NetBIOS.
Nothing in Windows networking requires NetBEUI.
The NetBIOS API must be enabled over one of the transport protocols: NetBEUI, TCP/IP, or NWLink IPX/SPX. Networks that use TCP/IP for File and Printer Sharing require NetBIOS Over TCP/IP, also known as NetBT.




Open the Network Connections folder.
Right click the local area network connection and click Properties.
Double click Internet Protocol (TCP/IP).
Click Advanced.
Click WINS.
Click the Enable NetBIOS Over TCP/IP button.

[Bigbird999]

I'm confused. If Sage does not use the hosts file, why did editing the hosts file resolve my issue? For some reason, I didn't have it enabled on my server but it is now. Thanks

[nyplayer]

Originally Posted by Bigbird999

I'm confused. If Sage does not use the hosts file, why did editing the hosts file resolve my issue? For some reason, I didn't have it enabled on my server but it is now. Thanks

Maybe the way I worded it was wrong. The host file simply resolves an IP with a host name... windows looks there first. If sage makes a request windows looks at the host file first if it's not there.... then it will use Netbios if enabled and so on.

I used to use a Host file on my clients... then I forgot I was using it... The ip on my server changed and the one in the host name was wrong. I couldn't connect took me a while to remember that darn host file.... was driving me crazy.

[Fuzzy]

which again goes back to its always better to configure IP's at the router, and leave everything else in auto.

[nyplayer]

Originally Posted by Fuzzy

which again goes back to its always better to configure IP's at the router, and leave everything else in auto.

Yep that is the way I do It now I reserve IPs on the router.

[Bigbird999]

It all makes sense now. I will look at doing it on the router. Having said that, I enabled netbios, so if it looks at the hosts file first and then netbios it should work...right? When I was having the issue, there was no entry in the hosts file AND netbios was not enabled so it couldn't resolve the name so it failed to connect.....right? Thanks for the help.

BB

[Fuzzy]

Yeah, that's pretty much correct. Though if the netowrk was configured with DHCP, the router would have responded correctly for DNS requests, and would still work without NetBIOS or hosts files.