Client Licenses

[txstar58]

Hi all

I am wondering if someone could help.

I am looking to move over from BTV, for one reason, I am tired of being treated like an idiot, by members in the forum.

I have a quick question before buying version 2.

I will have a client on my office machine, to connect to the media pc, but sometimes i want to go out to my deck, and use my notebook. Would I need 2 Client licenses even though i will not be using both client at the same time.

Thanks

[kny3twalker]

yes you would need two clients but you may be able to remote desktop the first client since you are not accessing them both at the same time and just to let you know
my wireless experiences have not been good
just bought two 50 ft eternet cables and moved my router

[txstar58]

Ahhh, ok, no problem. Replied from Dallas too, cool.

Remote like a VNC connection would be dog slow though right. Or am I missing your point lol.

[ptaylor]

So, it doesn't work well via Wireless network? What speed and range have you tried?

My wife has been talking about moving her PC to the kitchen.. I thought that might be a good way to get a nice TV (17 inch vs. 13 inch with rabbit ears) in the kitchen if I bought the Sage Client... I'd rather do it wireless since it's getting relatively cheap and it's much less of a hassle to get the connectivity there... but if it won't work as well, then that's a reason to wait...

Paul

[thatdude90210]

Yeah, I think you need another client license.

As for wireless, it probably depends on the wireless equipment also. My experience with the wireless on my laptop has been great. I'm using a Netgear WGR614 802.11g wireless router with a Netgear WG511 card, and there's hardly any difference between that client and the one on my desktop pc thru wire... maybe slower changing channels and definitely slower initial video startup. With my laptop I could watch tv anywhere around the house (farthest point about 40 feet away from router) and no dropouts on any of Sage's recording rates.

[Opus4]

Originally posted by thatdude90210
Yeah, I think you need another client license.

Yes, as kny3twalker said, it requires 2 licenses. The subject has come up in the forums before & the server seems to keep track of the address/computer a client connects from, so it rejects the same license on another system. There is a way to transfer the license from one machine to another, but I don't have it in front of me at the moment. Edit: I had guessed at a way to transfer a client license to a new computer, but in case I got it wrong, I removed that comment.

- Andy

[txstar58]

Thanks so much guys. I showed my wife the screen shots for 2.0. I installed the trial before going on vacation, came home and realised i pulled a bonehead move so i cant show her it working, trial expired ... Doh.

Dont suppose Frey are offering coupons for wife happyness lol.

[kny3twalker]

install the server on one of your soon be clients so you can trial it again
or worse than that reformat

also wireless is weak for viewing video

I do not like having to sit perfectly still or I can disrupt the video feed
WTF
wireless Dell router will intell 2200 wireless b/g card
I moved the router out of one room into the living room and will see if it any better but doubt it
playback is not stable enough

maybe on a TV that does not move but on a laptop no way

[mdmint]

After reading this thread I decided to find out for myself. I beg to differ. I just installed, key accepted and tested fully funtional Client on my Laptop using the Client key for my wife's PC. Worked no problem on my laptop with her PC not using Client. Now I'd not expect them to work concurrently, but the same client license on two different PCs used at different times DOES work. At least for me, YMMV.

[Opus4]

Really? That's interesting... I wonder if I've misunderstood past forum posts. Did you restart the server in between client tests?

- Andy

[mdmint]

Did not restart Server. However, what I haven't tested, since I just installed Client on my laptop a few minutes ago, is whether after the laptop uses Client and connects to the Server, then if I close Client on the laptop will Debi's PC then be able to access the Server or will I need to turn off the laptop or ? I just booted Debi's PC and currently have Client up on the laptop. (typing from it:-) I just shutdown client and am going to fire it up on Debi's and see what happens...

Nope, came up with connection to Server has been lost. I strongly suspect that after I turn off the laptop and try again it'll work on her PC. She hadn't used it on her PC today or maybe even yesterday so when my laptop connected using the key may have been the first time for that key since I completed the Server storage upgrade and brought the Server back online yesterday morning. It may require a Server reboot before Debi can use Client again. More will be revealed but not tonight, Debi says time for bed!

[Opus4]

I think that you'll find a need to restart the server before the other client can be used again.

Also, I believe that if you read the end user license agreement (found in the sage directory), you will find that you aren't allowed to run the same key on 2 machines.

- Andy

[mdmint]

Just verified you don't have to "reboot" the SageTV Server machine, you do have to exit and relaunch SageTV Server software.

So you "can" use the same Client license on multiple PCs. The first PC to connect to the Server using a shared license has exclusive use of that license for the duration of that Server session. If the said Client PC exits Sage but the Server session continues no other PC can connect using that license. Once the Server session is stopped and restarted another PC using the shared Client license could connect to the SageTV Server.

Not something I plan on using/doing. I just wanted to know!

[ptaylor]

Have you tried setting the same IP Address on the client machine?

For example, if you have 3 machines:

Sage Server: 192.168.1.1
Client1 : 192.168.1.2
Client2: 192.168.1.3

and you just set whichever client you want to use to 192.168.1.4... When you are done, set it back to the original IP, then set the other client to 192.168.1.4 and try it.. You might be able to run that way without having to do anything to the Sage Server process. (I'm just guessing that it's based on IP - It might be based on MAC or something completely different..)

Paul

[Opus4]

Originally posted by ptaylor
Have you tried setting the same IP Address on the client machine?

The license doesn't allow running/installing the same software (read: one license == software + license key) on more than one machine, so circumventing it would break the license agreement. We all want to run legal software, right?

- Andy

[ptaylor]

Hey - I'm a programmer (and thus troubleshooter).. I like to figure out how things work..

If it could be assured that only a single machine could connect in at a time, it is not as if the customer is getting more out of it than if it were only on a single machine. I'm not suggesting to break the license agreement... I was suggesting this as something to try to someone who had already broken the licensing agreement..

Technically, couldn't the customer uninstall it from one machine, then install it on another? If the customer only uses the default interface, it wouldn't take long to do..

With that in mind, what would be the difference if the license were tied to a particular IP Address (between boots of the server)?

Paul

[Opus4]

Originally posted by ptaylor
If it could be assured that only a single machine could connect in at a time, it is not as if the customer is getting more out of it than if it were only on a single machine.

This is not intended for getting into an argument about licenses, but I couldn't resist responding to that one.

I see that as a bit equal to buying a car & then calling the manufacturer & saying: "Look: I bought a car from one of your dealers & it is sitting in my garage right now. But, I'm going to be taking the train into the city tomorrow, so could you manage to park another car in the city at the station for me? I promise the one in my garage won't be used while I use the other one -- if you can make the other car use the same ignition key, I'll be sure to take all of mine with me so no one will even be able to start the other car. Thanks so much!"

Or: "I won't have room for this novel in my suitcase... but since I bought one copy, would you ship another one to the hotel where I will be staying? I'll make sure to lock the other one away while I'm gone so no one else will be able to read it at the same time."

Like I said... I'm just having fun with absurd comparisons, something I seem to like to do. There are all kinds of fair-use arguments & so on, but I just think that it comes down to the terms that were agreed upon (or foisted upon you, depending on your point of view) when the software was purchased/installed.

And, in fact, some licenses do allow you to install software on more than one machine, with the understanding that they are _your_ machines & so you will only be using 1 copy at a time. You could always ask for this license to be modified in the future...

- Andy

[kny3twalker]

Well you are comparing physical objects and software is different is my only thought
I understand there rules but it may have just easier from them to say this than to explain how you can only use the one client at a time and I think people would be more confused by this until they are experienced with the software
I understand that is what is saiu in the EULA but frey has made it where both machines cannot use the client at once so basically it would be like leaving your car at train station during the week and driving it home on the weekends

Sorry I feel that everything in life is not that cut and dry
Right still waiting for MVP client to get real use out of mine since wireless is worthless in my present case(sitting here client rarely used)

[ptaylor]

The biggest difference between those comparisons and this one is that those comparisons involve physical goods. It costs money to produce each and every car, book, etc... It costs nothing to install a piece of software on multiple machines.

If it is possible to use the software only from one client at a time, no matter how many machines it is installed on, you aren't getting anything extra by installing it on other machines, except a tiny bit of convenience.

Really, what they *SHOULD* do is sell licensing that is installed on the server... Install a key that allows one, two, three simultaneous client access... Put the key on the server, install the client whereever you want, and be limited only by the server...

Paul

[kny3twalker]

Yeah knew there was an issue with his comparsions being physical
I was getting there though
LOL

and agree with the statement about the server being allowed so many clients at one time to connect