HP MediaSmart EX 470—-Firefly not working

[Anonymous]

HP included Firefly with their Windows Home Server product, the HP MediaSmart EX 470

I can’t get it to work…..(for my configuration—-see signature below)

I have enabled it on the WHS server and on each PC per HPs directions. Firefly started—-went out to the two PCs I have iTunes on—-and copied the music to folders inside the “Shared Music” folder on the WHS server.

Problem is that iTunes on the PCs doesn’t “see” the Shared Music folder on the server.

No “Shared” tab appears on the left hand side in iTunes.

I tried navigating through iTunes to the “Shared Music” folder on the WHS server

---

but when I click on “Network” to expand it—-it never expands and I cannot get to that Shared Music folder on WHS.

I imagine that is why iTunes cant “see” that folder and therefore the Shared tab in iTunes does not appear.

I have the check mark set in iTunes “Look for Shared Libraries”

Also—-when I check those folders that Firefly created within the WHS Shared Music folder

---

I don’t see any iTunes Library .itl files. Maybe this is another issue as well.

Any help or suggestions appreciated—-I called HP and they were clueless…

Thanks in advance.

John

[rpedde]

@johnrr6 wrote:

I have enabled it on the WHS server and on each PC per HPs directions. Firefly started—-went out to the two PCs I have iTunes on—-and copied the music to folders inside the “Shared Music” folder on the WHS server.

I wonder if it’s possible that the server crashed. Can you get to the server using terminal services?

You should be able to go to start->run and type “mstsc” and connect to the server using the username “administrator” and the password of your whs.

Check control panel->administrative tools->services and see if the server is running. If it isn’t, then it probably crashed. (!)

If that’s the case, then open the config file in notepad (c:program filesfirefly media servermt-daapd.conf) and add an entry for “debuglevel=5” somewhere under the [general] section.

Start the server and let it crash, then check the logfile (firefly.log) and see what the last file it tried to scan was. That’s probably your culprit. Move it out of the way, and try again.

— ROn

[Anonymous]

Ron—-thanks for the help.

Looked in services—-didn’t see any evidence of a crash—both Firefly and Bonjour were set to automatic and were running.

Then did this:
Added the degugging code to the Firefly config file per your suggestion(incidentally—there is another firefly config page named “mt-daapd.conf-example” in the directory as well.

Then disabled theiTunes server in the HP desktop application on both PCs
Then disabled the itunes Server through theWindows Home Server Console

Then shut everything down and rebooted—1st the server—-then the two PCs

Then reenabled the server exactly according to HPs directions in the WHS console.
Then reenabled on both PCs through HPs little desktop app—-again—exactly according to their instructions.

Still no “Shared” tab appearing in iTunes on either PC

Checked the services on the server and both Firefly and Bonjour are running—set to Automatic

HPs sole instructions for troubleshooting mentions a file that is supposed to be created C:Program FilesHewlett-PackardMedia Aggregator.txt. I have searched both PCs and the server—-and file is not there…..

Here is what the debug level 5 showed in the firefly log:

2008-01-12 10:27:26 (c5ce2065): Starting with debuglevel 5
2008-01-12 10:27:26 (c5ce2065): Loaded plugin C:Program FilesFirefly Media Serverpluginsrsp.dll (rsp/svn-1601)
2008-01-12 10:27:26 (c5ce2065): Loaded plugin C:Program FilesFirefly Media Serverpluginsw32-event.dll (w32-event/svn-1601)
2008-01-12 10:27:26 (c5ce2065): Loaded plugin C:Program FilesFirefly Media Serverpluginsssc-ffmpeg.dll (ssc-ffmpeg/svn-1601)
2008-01-12 10:27:26 (c5ce2065): Loaded plugin C:Program FilesFirefly Media Serverpluginsssc-wma.dll (ssc-wma/svn-1601)
2008-01-12 10:27:26 (c5ce2065): Starting rendezvous daemon
2008-01-12 10:27:26 (c5ce2065): Building drive mapping table from C:Program FilesFirefly Media Servermapping.ini
2008-01-12 10:27:26 (c5ce2065): Initializing database
2008-01-12 10:27:26 (c5ce2065): Starting web server from C:Program FilesFirefly Media Serveradmin-root on port 9999
2008-01-12 10:27:26 (c5ce2065): Listening on port 9999
2008-01-12 10:27:26 (c5ce2065): Starting server thread
2008-01-12 10:27:26 (c5ce2065): Registering rendezvous names
2008-01-12 10:27:26 (c5ce2065): Registering HP MediaSmart Server as type (_daap._tcp) on port 9999
2008-01-12 10:27:26 (c5ce2065): Registering HP MediaSmart Server as type (_http._tcp) on port 9999
2008-01-12 10:27:26 (c5ce2065): Registering HP MediaSmart Server as type (_rsp._tcp) on port 9999
2008-01-12 10:27:26 (c5ce2065): Serving 356 songs. Startup complete in 0 seconds
2008-01-12 10:27:26 (c5ce2065): Rescanning database
2008-01-12 10:27:27 (c5ce2065): Starting playlist scan
2008-01-12 10:27:27 (c5ce2065): Processing static playlist: D:sharesMusicMEDIACENTERPCGarageSousa.m3u
2008-01-12 10:27:27 (c5ce2065): Processing static playlist: D:sharesMusicMEDIACENTERPCGarageSinatra.m3u
2008-01-12 10:27:27 (c5ce2065): Processing static playlist: D:sharesMusicMEDIACENTERPCGarageRolling Stones.m3u
2008-01-12 10:27:27 (c5ce2065): Processing static playlist: D:sharesMusicMEDIACENTERPCGaragePurchased.m3u
2008-01-12 10:27:27 (c5ce2065): Processing static playlist: D:sharesMusicMEDIACENTERPCGarageOpera.m3u
2008-01-12 10:27:27 (c5ce2065): Processing static playlist: D:sharesMusicMEDIACENTERPCGarageMarches.m3u
2008-01-12 10:27:27 (c5ce2065): Processing static playlist: D:sharesMusicMEDIACENTERPCGarageJethro Tull.m3u
2008-01-12 10:27:27 (c5ce2065): Processing static playlist: D:sharesMusicMEDIACENTERPCGarageHMS Pinafore.m3u
2008-01-12 10:27:27 (c5ce2065): Processing static playlist: D:sharesMusicMEDIACENTERPCGarageBeach Boys.m3u
2008-01-12 10:27:27 (c5ce2065): Scanned 356 songs (was 356) in 1 seconds
2008-01-12 10:27:27 (5f7a0af4): Got a reply for HP MediaSmart Server._daap._tcp.local.
2008-01-12 10:27:27 (5f7a0af4): Name now registered and active
2008-01-12 10:27:27 (5f7a0af4): Got a reply for HP MediaSmart Server._http._tcp.local.
2008-01-12 10:27:27 (5f7a0af4): Name now registered and active
2008-01-12 10:27:27 (5f7a0af4): Got a reply for HP MediaSmart Server._rsp._tcp.local.
2008-01-12 10:27:27 (5f7a0af4): Name now registered and active

It doesn’t appear that the other PC (account name John) was even looked at…….and again—-no “Shared” tab appears on the left hand side in either two PC’s iTunes—-as well as when I check the music folders inside the “Shared Music” folder on the HP MediaSmart Server—-no iTunes Library .itl files exist

Any help most appreciated

---

I really would like to get this working and add my wife’s and boy’s itunes to theserver as they have a TON more music than I do.

This is really a wonderful product and concept—-thanks for all your work on this!!

John

[rpedde]

@johnrr6 wrote:

Still no “Shared” tab appearing in iTunes on either PC

The logs look good. You *are* looking for the section on the left in the media library called shared, right? Probably have to scroll down to see it?

I assume so.

If so, then it *has* to be a networking issue. Are your client machines separated from the server by a wireless link? If so, have you checked the admin interface on the wirless router to see that IGMP or multicast (or even upnp) is enabled?

Or are the clients and server on different subnets? That would make it not visible as well.

— Ron

[stretch]

@johnrr6 wrote:

Also—-when I check those folders that Firefly created within the WHS Shared Music folder

---

I don’t see any iTunes Library .itl files. Maybe this is another issue as well.

@johnrr6 wrote:

—-as well as when I check the music folders inside the “Shared Music” folder on the HP MediaSmart Server—-no iTunes Library .itl files exist

Firefly doesn’t create an iTunes Library file (.itl or .xml).
The library file (a.k.a database file) is named songs.db or songs3.db

[Anonymous]

@rpedde wrote:

The logs look good. You *are* looking for the section on the left in the media library called shared, right? Probably have to scroll down to see it?

I assume so.

Yep—see this as to what it looks like: http://members.cox.net/johnrr6/Web%20Pics/iTunes1.JPG

@rpedde wrote:

If so, then it *has* to be a networking issue. Are your client machines separated from the server by a wireless link? If so, have you checked the admin interface on the wirless router to see that IGMP or multicast (or even upnp) is enabled?

No separation by wireless

---

uPnP enabled in Router Linksys BESFR41

@rpedde wrote:

Or are the clients and server on different subnets? That would make it not visible as well.

All PCs and server on same subnet: 255.255.255.0

Is the Bonjour Sevice messing up somehow???

HP hard coded Firefly and Bonjour into the WHS (Window Home Server) as an Add-In—-and you can see Firelfly in Add-Remove Programs on the server—-but not Bonjour. Yet the Bonjour service shows that it is on “automatic” and running in Services.

Here’s another tidbit

---

I was able to finally get to the music on the server—-but I had to map a drive to the Shared Music folder on the server.

It is now my Z: Drive on the PC I’m sitting at now…..

Once I did that—-iTunes was able to “see” that folder on the server and I was able to “Add a folder to Library” of iTunes (under the File) menu.

I guess it’s not “Shared”—but I can at least get to that music now.

Thanks for sticking with me Ron—-HP has been totally useles (which ticks me off to no end as one of the reasons I bought this HP Server is that they heavily advertised the iTunes shared capability)

Now—-having said that—-the WHS concept and execution is really VERY good….Darn thing works like a CHARM! (except for the iTunes aspect). Basically, Servers for ‘the rest of us”……

Any help and suggestions most appreciated.

John

[rpedde]

@johnrr6 wrote:

No separation by wireless

---

uPnP enabled in Router Linksys BESFR41

So the server and your workstation are both wired? Or both wireless?

Is the Bonjour Sevice messing up somehow???

Yes, your workstation isn’t seeing the bonjour advertisements from the server. Firewall on the pc perhaps? Usually I’d suspect the wireless router, but if both the client and server are on the same side (both wireless or both wired), then it’s probably not that.

Thanks for sticking with me Ron—-HP has been totally useles (which ticks me off to no end as one of the reasons I bought this HP Server is that they heavily advertised the iTunes shared capability)

Well sure… it’s not something they developed in-house after all. Perhaps this is something of an experiment for them, not sure, and I couldn’t speak for them anyway.

Now—-having said that—-the WHS concept and execution is really VERY good….Darn thing works like a CHARM! (except for the iTunes aspect). Basically, Servers for ‘the rest of us”……

That’s been my experience, too. And I’m a unix guy, not a windows guy. Go figure.

Any help and suggestions most appreciated.

The issue is something networking related, for sure. Different subnet mask on the server versus the workstation?

Those are all I can think of… firewall on PC, router blocking multicast/igrp, or mismatched subnet masks. Other than that, if bonjour says it’s running, then it got a good registration and the server is advertising services.

Did you install a third-party firewall on the server? Or VPN software possibly? Anything that might have changed the networking from default?

I’m really reaching here.

— Ron

[Anonymous]

@rpedde wrote:

The issue is something networking related, for sure. Different subnet mask on the server versus the workstation?

Those are all I can think of… firewall on PC, router blocking multicast/igrp, or mismatched subnet masks. Other than that, if bonjour says it’s running, then it got a good registration and the server is advertising services.

Did you install a third-party firewall on the server? Or VPN software possibly? Anything that might have changed the networking from default?

Both Server and Workstation are wired—-both have subnet masks of 255.255.255.0. when I ipconfig/all

The only firewall I am using is the standard Windows Firewall on the Server—-and Windows Firewall on the Worstations. I shut the firewalls off on the server and the workstation to see if it made a difference

---

nope.

No VPN software—-and no 3rd Party software.

I don’t see anything called multicast on the Linksys wired router—-should I look for something else—-called something else in the Linksys.

I’m using a Static IP for the server assigned above the normal range for DHCP of the router.

Ports 80, 443, and 4125 are forwarded in the router to the static IP address of the Server.

Do any other Ports need to be forwarded specifically for Firefly or Bonjour??

Is there something in Firefly or Bonjour that I need to set for the servers Static IP address???

Would it be helpful to reinstall Bonjour???

HP did call me last night—-said that other folks have been calling in about the iTunes server as well. Said they were preparing a ‘Patch” to hopefully deal with some issues. I asked exactly what the issues were the patch would address—-the guy did not know. (Sounded like he was just trying to make me happy talking about a patch—but I am an eternal optomist….

Again—-thanks for your help and any suggestions.

John

[rpedde]

@johnrr6 wrote:

Both Server and Workstation are wired—-both have subnet masks of 255.255.255.0. when I ipconfig/all

And are on the same subnet? Both with the same address scheme?

I don’t see anything called multicast on the Linksys wired router—-should I look for something else—-called something else in the Linksys.

Might be called “IGRP”. Or even “media streaming” or something like that. If there’s a UPnP enabling checkbox, that wouldn’t hurt either.

Ports 80, 443, and 4125 are forwarded in the router to the static IP address of the Server.

Shouldn’t need to forward anything if the client and server are on the same network.

HP did call me last night—-said that other folks have been calling in about the iTunes server as well. Said they were preparing a ‘Patch” to hopefully deal with some issues. I asked exactly what the issues were the patch would address—-the guy did not know. (Sounded like he was just trying to make me happy talking about a patch—but I am an eternal optomist….

That’s cool… I know there are some iTunes aggregator issues, but I think your issues are something other than that.

Can you get to the firefly web interface from the workstation? Something like:

http://ip.of.server:9999 with any username and a password of “firefly” should work.

[Anonymous]

Ron—-Got It!!!

It was Multicast on the Linksys Router.

Several websites have the directions for Multicast on a Linksys router wrong.

It’s called “Multicast Filtering” under the Securities Tab.

The directions are not intuitive and say that you leave the setting to “Disabled” so you don’t enable any filtering on Multicast. (Makes sense)

This is wrong—-when you set the setting to Enabled—-you Enable Multicast.

Found this out when I googled Multicast on Linksys Routers—-sure enough—-several people have run into the same thing—-and there is even an Apple support thread on the subject…..

I now have a Shared Music Tab on the left hand side in both my iTunes—-and music plays just fine off the HP Server.

Thank you so much for sticking with me on this.

GREAT help!!

Happy New Year to you and yours.

John

[Author]

Posts