Reintroduced older HD200 to network, HD300 no longer connects

[rtrski]

Hi all.

Pure "lazy" post here. Its been at least a year (feels like it - before the purchase anyway) since I fiddled with my Sage server. If it aint broke....

Anyway, had server running on upstairs computer, HD300 downstairs, connected to a wireless N adaptor (not USB - a wireless 'bridge' type unit from Buffalo, that plugs into the HD300 via ethernet port). Upgraded TV and AVR recently with no problems - HD300 still works, better in fact since with the new TV I'm now all HDMI all the time.

Anyway, finally this weekend decided to set up the old TV (720p DLP) upstairs with treadmill and dusted off an old HD200, also plugged into a Buffalo wireless-N adaptor. Had to connect via S-video first time to get the resolution settings on the HDMI right, but after that, it was all perfect. HD200 could see the server and all just fine. I just assumed I was golden.

Only to find out that now the HD300 downstairs (as reported by the wife, today, while I was at work and she wanted to watch one of her recordings - D'OH on the "WAF" downgrade!!) no longer autoconnects. It says it's sending a WOL packet, and if you try the manual search the server name no longer shows up.

I did get my wife to very quickly check the server and my Sage install directory under SageTV/Clients does have two unique client ID .properties files (that's the extent of the assistance she can give while I'm not there to hold hands). Any quick hints as to what to look at when I get home, e.g. a particular setting in either client .properties files, or in the sage.properties up in the main directory?

The HD300 'replaced' the HD200 when I first bought it, so I suspect I might have an IP address overlap or something...I wouldn't think they'd have the same MAC, unless I forced the MAC of the HD300 to match the HD200 and have since forgotten doing so.... Both HD200 and 300 came with 'hardware' client licenses, so I don't think I need any new license for the server to talk to both units at the same time...do I????

[mistergq]

I have a feeling its the same ip address. I would check to see if you manually set the ip. Since i have never used that wireless adapter, I don't know if that sets the ip or if it you have it to set up to dhcp. I would also check to see how HD 200 and HD 300 is getting its ip address.

[rtrski]

Well, I did correct an IP crash (when I originally replaced the HD200 with the 300, I 'cloned' the network settings). But fixing that still doesn't entirely resolve the problem.

Both HD300 and HD200 are now set to static IPs, and my router has those IP addresses reserved for their MACs. But turning on one while the other is on, connected, and playing media is causing the second to never connect (says it can't see the server) and intermittently the SageTV service to crash.

There's no requirement to set a port range for EACH client, separately somehow, is there?

I'll try port forwarding as well (the Buffalo wireless bridges have their own IP address, then the HDxxx unit plugged into them have one as well, so I guess the connect requests could seem like it's coming from the 'Buffalo' not the HDxxx, and the server doesn't care when there's only one client but things get dicier when there's 2).

Not a huge priority, but would really like to get the media library in the room with the treadmill, since I had the hardware laying around.

[KeithAbbott]

Originally Posted by rtrski

Both HD300 and HD200 are now set to static IPs, and my router has those IP addresses reserved for their MACs.

Setting your extenders up with static IP addresses AND reserving the IP addresses in the DHCP server in your router seems redundantly redundant. I would recommend switching the extenders back to DHCP, and leaving the IP address reservations (tied to each extender's MAC address) as-is in the router. Generally speaking, I only set individual devices to static IP addresses if I have no other alternative, to avoid just the type of problems that you have been having. Let the DHCP server built-in to your router do it's job...

[rtrski]

I don't see why that would have anything to do with the issue of the HD300 or 200 not connecting simultaneously, but I'll try it I guess.

When I realized I had the earlier IP crash, I check my router for available numbers, assign an IP (static) to one of the clients, wait to see it check in, then checkbox the 'reserve this number for this client' option on the DHCP table. Repeat for other client box. This is actually necessary for some of the other electronics (like the TV, which doesn't seem to like the IP address float or else it hoses the Netflix connection all the time).

This may be an extra consequence of using the wireless bridges, since the 'reciever' to which the HD200 (or 300) is plugged in also has its own address...

To the meat of my question though, does anyone who has multiple clients (Keith, I see you have many from your signature) have multiple port ranges set up in your Sage.properties? Different ports listed in your various client (mac address) .properties files? Did you have to open any ports in your network or force any forwarding of any kind, or has it all "just worked"?

[KeithAbbott]

Originally Posted by rtrski

I don't see why that would have anything to do with the issue of the HD300 or 200 not connecting simultaneously, but I'll try it I guess.

Because both myself and mistergq suspect an IP address conflict is causing your problem. Usually, DHCP servers do a pretty good job assigning non-duplicate IP addresses within your network.

Originally Posted by rtrski

When I realized I had the earlier IP crash

Not sure what you mean by an IP crash...

Originally Posted by rtrski

I check my router for available numbers

Not sure how you check your router for available numbers, but if one of your statically-assigned network devices is turned off, it may not show up in the list of currently-used IP addresses in your router. So it would look like an available IP address, but the next time you turn that device on, whammo!!! Duplicate IP address...

Another way to get duplicate IP addresses is if you assign a static IP address to a device that is in the range of IP addresses that the DHCP server considers dynamically assigned.

Originally Posted by rtrski

This is actually necessary for some of the other electronics (like the TV, which doesn't seem to like the IP address float or else it hoses the Netflix connection all the time).

It sounds like what your TV really needs is an IP address that does not change over time. That can be accomplished two different ways: (1) assigning a static IP address within the TV, or (2) reserving an IP address within the DHCP server in your router. Again, generally speaking, reserving the IP address in the DHCP server is the better option.

Originally Posted by rtrski

This may be an extra consequence of using the wireless bridges, since the 'reciever' to which the HD200 (or 300) is plugged in also has its own address...

That may be, although if it is set up properly, it should not create the problem you are having. You haven't set up static IP addresses in the wireless bridges, have you?

Originally Posted by rtrski

To the meat of my question though, does anyone who has multiple clients (Keith, I see you have many from your signature) have multiple port ranges set up in your Sage.properties? Different ports listed in your various client (mac address) .properties files? Did you have to open any ports in your network or force any forwarding of any kind, or has it all "just worked"?

Didn't have to mess with ports or port forwarding at all. That part "just worked". I have been using extenders and clients, no Placeshifter license.

One other thing to mention, typically "fixed" IP addresses are needed for devices that are used in a server capacity. Out of the box, this is not the case for the HD200/HD300 extenders. I used my extenders for quite some time with dynamic IP addresses. What caused me to switch to a fixed IP address was wanting to reboot the extenders from the dos command prompt, at that point I needed it to have a predictable IP address. Just sayin', many people might be able to get by just fine with a dynamic IP address...

BTW, I probably have at least two dozen network devices in my home network, only one device is set up with a true static IP address. Which is a wireless router that I have configured as a wireless access point, which is not it's normal configuration from the factory.