MVP & GBPVR boot process

[Kristan]

Hi,

Still having a few troubles and was wondering if someone could expand a bit on the boot process of the MVP. From what I understand, the DHCP server should hand out the IP and the address of a tftp server, along with the filename to get. My smoothwall isn't setup to do anything beyond a normal IP address, so I'm at a bit of loss as to how it's working at all - unless GBPVR is doing the DHCP thing? What services does GBPVR provide? Just tftp of the image?

If I wanted to run a separate tftp server (solarwinds?) how would I disable the one in gbpvr?

Also thinking of giving mvpmc a go as it now supports H series MVP's (mine is an H3). Any ideas?

Thanks!

[replaytv]

You can read this http://mvpmc.sourceforge.net/windows/mvp...howto.html for manually load any dongle to MVP for windows.

As for mvpmc, it works with GBPVR in emulation mode but it lacks functions as skip or fforward when view video.

Dan L.

[sub]

Hi,

Still having a few troubles and was wondering if someone could expand a bit on the boot process of the MVP. From what I understand, the DHCP server should hand out the IP and the address of a tftp server, along with the filename to get. My smoothwall isn't setup to do anything beyond a normal IP address, so I'm at a bit of loss as to how it's working at all - unless GBPVR is doing the DHCP thing? What services does GBPVR provide? Just tftp of the image?

A rough description of the boot process is as follows:

1) MVP broadcasts a DHCP request on standard port, looking for an IP address that the MVP can use. Any old DHCP server can respond to this.
1a) if it didnt get an IP address, the MVP broadcasts a DHCP request on a custom Hauppauge port, looking for an IP address. Only Hauppauge MVP Server software would respond to this. GB-PVR does not
2) MVP does a bootp broadcast on standard port (67) looking for a server that can boot the MVP
2a) if no bootp response, the MVP does a bootp broadcast on custom hauppauge port (16868) looking for a server that can boot the MVP. Either Hauppauge MVP software or GBPVR MVP software can respond to this. Both respond to say that the name of the boot file is "dongle.bin" and the TFTP machine IP address is the local machine.
3) MVP tries to download the dongle file using TFTP on the standard port.
3a) if no TFTP response, it tries again on the custom port 16869. Either Hauppauge MVP software or GBPVR MVP software can respond to this. It'll say something like 'loading application' during this lengthy phase of the boot.

...so, your smooth wall doesnt need to be setup to do anything other than supply an IP address.

If I wanted to run a separate tftp server (solarwinds?) how would I disable the one in gbpvr?

If you install a tftp server, it'll be used before the GB-PVR server. You dont need to disable the GB-PVR one.

[Cyb]

Apologies for slightly hijacking this thread but :-

If you install a tftp server, it'll be used before the GB-PVR server. You dont need to disable the GB-PVR one.

So, in theory, I could use a different tftp server on port 67 to supply the dongles to the MVP's and possibly send them different ones depending on their mac address. i.e different dongles for Rev D3A and Rev H3 MVPs ?

[sub]

yes, assuming it can be configured to ignore the requested filename 'dongle.bin' and substitute with whatever you want.

[mvallevand]

With the model H MediaMVP's simple standard TFTP of the dongle is no longer possible, because the bootloader needs some custom settings. Therefore the how-to on the mvpmc site is not valid and this link is more appropriate
http://mvpmc.wikispaces.com/hxhowto

In summary these are the changes as I understand them

1. There has to be a Hauppauge-protocal listener/responder on port 16881 to locate the server.

2. This information is stored in flash as the "preferred server"

3. First dongle.bin.ver and then dongle.bin are transferred via tftp on port 16869. These will not tftp on port 69 like the original mvp's

4. For mvpmc only, mvpmc reverts to using a default tftp port 60 on the address configured by dhcp for any files it requests.

In effect to use your own tftp server, you'd need a beacon program, I've seen several variations on this that run on windows or linux, and a tftp server running on both ports 69 and 16869. However given this complexity I would simply use GB-PVR v97.7 or newer, that supports "Sent fake MVP version info", or newer versions of Hauppauge MVPMediaSvc.

Martin.

[Kristan]

Thanks for all that, taking it all in in it looks like my H3 can only use either the hauppauge MVPMediaSvc or GBPVR to serve the dongle.bin.

Once it's booted the dongle, what happens next? I assume it tries to contact the prefered server on a particular port on which GBPVR (or hauppauge MVPMedia GUI service) is listening?

Thanks for all the help, I'm slowly getting there!

[replaytv]

You should have at least 1 MVP server auto start in the MVP tab in the config screen.

Once the dongle loaded into the MPV, it should try to contact GBPVR server. Then you will see the GBPVR menu. If you see the hauppauge menu, then you should stop the two Hauppage services. See Wiki for more details.

Dan L.