Author Topic: Accessing home network  (Read 6923 times)

levster

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Accessing home network
« on: September 21, 2009, 09:40:05 pm »
I recently installed a LinuxMCE 810 on a Zotac A-U board. My home network has mostly PCs, but also a Mac and an unRAID for centralized storage. All of the computers are on the same "home" network and can see the unRAID, except LinuxMCE. When I go to KDE desktop I can find the share and browse it. However, I cannot seem to see that same share from the LinuxMCE MD desktop. Please be mindful that I a Linux novice.

Thanks for your help.

tschak909

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Re: Accessing home network
« Reply #1 on: September 22, 2009, 12:33:46 pm »
Did you properly set up the core with two NICs and make it be the center of the network?

I'm guessing not.

-Thom

levster

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Re: Accessing home network
« Reply #2 on: September 22, 2009, 10:11:52 pm »
I did not. I only needed the PC to act as a "media player" and not have any other functionality. I do not need it to serve files nor monitor anything. Also, that board only has one NIC.

tschak909

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Re: Accessing home network
« Reply #3 on: September 22, 2009, 10:13:56 pm »
hmm, why do people not read the #@$(@$( directions?

If you wish for the system to be able to appropriate network resources, it has to be the center of the network. You need two NICs, attach one to your internet modem, the other, to a network switch inside (or use an existing wireless router if wanted, and only use the LAN ports). No if's ands or buts.

You guys need to actually need to:

(1) read the directions
(2) actually understand what this system is meant to do. It is a smart home platform.

-Thom

colinjones

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Re: Accessing home network
« Reply #4 on: September 22, 2009, 10:40:19 pm »

levster

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Re: Accessing home network
« Reply #5 on: September 23, 2009, 04:26:59 am »
Thanks for the informative reply. As I have multiple PCs running various flavors of Windows, a single Mac and a PCH on my already existing network, I was trying to not reinvent the entire wheel all at once, and rather dip my toes into the water of the Linux OS. I was hoping that one PC having a bare essentials would be enough for me to try out how the system looks and feels. I love the ease of use of the Mac and the constant configurability of a PC. PCH is brainless, and has a great wife acceptance factor (WAF). I do not know anything about Linux nor do I have a spare board with 2 NICs on it to build a CORE.

So, I cannot just have a single MD connected to my existing infrastructure? I do not mind, with time, expanding my system to have a complete LinuxMCE setup, but would like to see if I will like the setup first. As I mentioned earlier, I was able to connect to my server via the KDS desktop, and stream a video file (mkv). However, I found that the video was extremely choppy, something that I have not experienced with my other PCs.

Please, let's not get carried away with insults and obscenities, and if you do not want to answer an novice's question - then don't. I do not pretend to know much about Linux, but that is no reason to insult.

tschak909

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Re: Accessing home network
« Reply #6 on: September 23, 2009, 04:43:06 am »
I do apologise for coming on strong, but I am trying to tell you, in order for everything to work out of the box, you should use the 2 NIC structure.

-Thom

levster

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Re: Accessing home network
« Reply #7 on: September 23, 2009, 05:34:32 am »
Thanks. I am sure that all pieces fit together nicely. But, still, is there a way for me to browse my network share without the CORE?  ??? At this point I want to see how well the network streaming is with Linux. As I said, I do not have a spare motherboard with 2 NICs to build a CORE...  :-[

I have spare parts, procs, memory, cases, but not the board. I do not want to rework my infrastructure and later find out that the one thing that is most important to me, streaming hi-def content, is not up to par.

Again, I understand the necessity, or the importance of the 2 NIC system (well, somewhat), but need to see the benefits before investing $$$ into the new system.

Thanks,

Lev

tschak909

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Re: Accessing home network
« Reply #8 on: September 23, 2009, 05:43:38 am »
I'm one of the developers. Yes, it is. But please understand that this system is I/O bound, your network interconnect and disk subsystems will make or break your entire setup.

-Thom

levster

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Re: Accessing home network
« Reply #9 on: September 23, 2009, 05:51:13 am »
Thom, thanks.

I have a straight forward cat 5 and cat 6 wired home network, with a series of both wired and wireless hubs/switches, and I easily stream from my unRAID box to PCs, PCH and a Mac. All I want to do is be able to "see" my unRAID box from the MD and play an MKV, to see what it would look like. Again, I am not versed in Linux, but do not give up easy. I am savvy with hardware and would not hesitate to "revamp" the infrastructure, but only if it will have what I need. Can you please direct me to a way to be able to connect to the unRAID?

Thanks,

Lev

tschak909

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Re: Accessing home network
« Reply #10 on: September 23, 2009, 05:57:41 am »
Because you have refused to listen, you will have to set things up manually:

http://wiki.linuxmce.org/index.php/SMB_/_Samba_NAS_Configurations

-Thom

levster

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Re: Accessing home network
« Reply #11 on: September 23, 2009, 06:04:04 am »
Thank you!!!

Are you referring to this part?

  Scanning For Shares

The good thing about LinuxMCE is, that LinuxMCE routinely scans the internal network for servers, and if found, scans those servers for shares to be mounted and spidered for media. To initiate the scan for shares manually (because of a manually added server) do the following

    * Open a terminal
    * Execute

/usr/pluto/bin/Configure_1837.sh -d <device-id> -i '<ip-address>' -m '<mac-address>'

levster

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Re: Accessing home network
« Reply #12 on: September 23, 2009, 06:05:42 am »
And, by the way, I am looking for a cheap 2nd NIC, at my local retailers, to plug into one of my old Dells to create a CORE...  ;D

colinjones

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Re: Accessing home network
« Reply #13 on: September 23, 2009, 02:39:14 pm »
But, still, is there a way for me to browse my network share without the CORE?  ???

At this point I want to see how well the network streaming is with Linux. As I said, I do not have a spare motherboard with 2 NICs to build a CORE...  :-[

...I do not want to rework my infrastructure and later find out that the one thing that is most important to me, streaming hi-def content, is not up to par.


lev - some interesting comments...

Asking if your can browse your network share without the CORE is rather like saying you just want to drive down the street using your petrol/gas, you don't want to have to bother with the actual car! The Core is the actual LMCE engine.... everything else is just periphery that LMCE utilises, the smarts are in the Core... however, I'm sure this was just a nomenclature thing :)

Next point - you do not need a spare motherboard with 2 NICs, just grab a 15 buck PCI NIC from a comp store and stick it in to the machine you are using as your core. When you are done, just pull it out.

Finally - "rework my infrastructure"... that is slighly unforgivable! Please read the link I gave you.... focus on the points I make about how this most specifically does not require you to fundamentally change your infrastructure.... especially if you are just testing. If you have the 2nd NIC, just unplug your cable modem/ADSL modem from your switch, insert your core, and patch your switch into the 2nd NIC (adapt terms as necessary).... ie put the core in line... nothing else changes on your network.. perhaps just reboot all your devices so they get LMCE IP addresses, but everything else stays the same. To revert, remove, and reboot your devices again... all done...

on the subject of hi-def streaming... well that depends on exactly what you mean by hi-def and streaming. However, if you are referring simply to HD avi/mp4/mkv/etc media files, then you are likely to be surprised. Obviously, gbit networks are going to be better for higher bit rates, and you need to be aware that currently some additional activities are required to use hardware acceleration for very high bit rate H264 sources. That aside.... I have never seen any system so seemlessly handly searching and moving through media files, live, over simple SMB/netbios/CIFS network connections. Particularly the UI2 ability to "scroll" using absolute positioning, through media files over a network (even worked perfectly well for SD content using 100M networks)... with the UI and a Fiire remote I can whiz from beginning to end and back again of a 2GB video file in 2 secs with a flick of the wrist, there is no sensation at all that it is even over a network... you literally wouldn't know if you didn't know! I can flick my wrist to the left .... beginining of the movie, flick my wrist to the right .... end of the movie... total time... less than 2 secs... :)

totallymaxed

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Re: Accessing home network
« Reply #14 on: September 23, 2009, 02:46:19 pm »
Thom, thanks.

I have a straight forward cat 5 and cat 6 wired home network, with a series of both wired and wireless hubs/switches, and I easily stream from my unRAID box to PCs, PCH and a Mac. All I want to do is be able to "see" my unRAID box from the MD and play an MKV, to see what it would look like. Again, I am not versed in Linux, but do not give up easy. I am savvy with hardware and would not hesitate to "revamp" the infrastructure, but only if it will have what I need. Can you please direct me to a way to be able to connect to the unRAID?

Thanks,

Lev


Take a look at this Wiki page...the section about single NIC configurations should help; http://wiki.linuxmce.com/index.php/DHCP_Plug_and_Play

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