Client/Server Experiences?

[smajor]

Mmm, not much options. So you'r using blasters to control the STB's?

BTW: No need to wait for next version to start testing, my A/V sync problem is most likely due to an old/slow graphic card in the client, but if your clients are gaming computers they'r likely to have lightning-fast graphics

Nope, Firewire channel changing and is lightning fast compared to blasting. Tim Moore's package has worked flawlessly for my STBs since XP and now on Win 7. Even still works through two Time Warner firmware upgrades of my STBs. The only problem was I had to write a simple .bat file that NPVR triggers that does a "double channel change" really quick. The STBs last firmware puts them in a hibernation mode after 4 hours unless a key on the remote is pressed, probably to save their switched digital bandwidth for those that never powered down their STBs. So that recordings don't get screwed up, the first channel change via firewire will often lose the first digit because it is assumed to be the "wake up" for the box if it was hibernating. The second channel change ensure the proper channel is selected. It's not elegant, but gets the job done and has never failed me.

[fuzzweed]

To be foolproof so the family can use it at any time you may need the server and network connection left on. Most of my problems are when the server had gone into sleep mode or I have forgotten to switch on the network.

I use a little batch file that sends a wake command to the server on client wakeup, or when I launch npvr. Other than that the npvr side of things is pretty solid - but you do have to cope with external factors like server crashes / network issues that can lower the WAF a bit.

[jcjefferies]

Some months ago I looked at using "Wake on Lan" but the BIOS does not seem to support that. However I now see there is a "wake-by pme# of PCI" which may help. Looking under the Power Management tab of the network device in XP there is a "Allow this device to bring the device out of standy" tick box so will take a look at it with one of the WOL utilities.

[jcjefferies]

I use a little batch file that sends a wake command to the server on client wakeup, or when I launch npvr.

What do you use in your batch file to wake up the server? I have tried several Magic Packet programs and all three Windows ones wake up the server but the DOS ones which I could put in the batch file dont for some reason.

[martint123]

What do you use in your batch file to wake up the server? I have tried several Magic Packet programs and all three Windows ones wake up the server but the DOS ones which I could put in the batch file dont for some reason.

This is the one I use in a dosbox batch file.

Code:

C:\>wolcmd
Wake On Lan Command Line...
Usage: wolcmd [mac address] [ipaddress] [subnet mask] [port number]
i.e.  wolcmd 009027a322fc 195.188.159.20 255.255.255.0 7
or    wolcmd 009027a322fc depicus.com 255.255.255.0 7
Copyright www.depicus.com (Brian Slack) 1966-2005

[jcjefferies]

Thanks that magic packet program works and have added batch file to run at client startup. I cannot see why the other two command line programs dont work.

[fuzzweed]

Sounds like you got it working but here's mine anyway. You need wol.exe from here http://www.gammadyne.com/cmdline.htm
and I also use hibernate trigger from here http://www.desimonesystems.com/suspendtrigger/index.php which launches the batch on wake from standby / hibernate (as well as putting it in the startup forlder).
Mine pings the server first to see if it's awake anyway, then trys a few times to wake the server as the server and network can take a few seconds to come on line from a sleep (and the old GBPVR threw a ctrl-alt-del net error if the client started up without the server being awake - I think npvr has better error checking for this but I haven't bothered changing the batch) and then starts NPVR (so you can use it as a single shortcut to launch NPVR e.g. with the remote via HIP etc.)
PS I'm not a coder - this is all cut and pasted from various sources and glued together with trial and error so I don't claim it to be tidy or error proof, but it does work for me!
PPS obviously your MAC address will need to be changed to suit!

Code:

echo off
set start=9
set end=1

:ping
echo Checking if server is awake....
ping -n 1 copper > %TEMP%\pinglog
find "Reply from" < %TEMP%\pinglog > nul
if not errorlevel 1 echo Server found.  && goto :start
find "could not find" < %TEMP%\pinglog > nul
if not errorlevel 1 echo No reply from server. Going to send wake up... && goto :wol
find "timed out" < %TEMP%\pinglog > nul
if not errorlevel 1 echo No reply from server. Going to send wake up... && goto :wol
goto :stop3

:wol
Echo Sending Wake Up
wol 0011111B2348 > %TEMP%\wollog
find "Failed" < %TEMP%\wollog > nul
if not errorlevel 1 echo Wake On LAN failed && goto :loop
find "successfully" < %TEMP%\wollog > nul
if not errorlevel 1 echo Wake Up Sent && goto :loop
goto :stop3

:start
echo Starting GBPVR
cd C:\Progra~1\NPVR
start NextPVR.exe
exit

:loop
if %start%==%end% goto :stop
set /a start=%start%-1
echo Trying %start% More Time(s)
goto :ping

:stop
echo Server not replying.
pause
exit

:stop2
echo WOL failed, check network connections.
pause
exit

:stop3
echo stop code 3
pause
exit

[jcjefferies]

The problem I have is that the client connects via Wi-Fi and networking takes some time to start up even using a fixed IP address. This means that both WOL and NPVR try to access the server before the client networking works. A very simple 3 line batch file that puts in a fixed delay before starting WOL then NPVR works but I will try and do it properly. There are several things that need checking:-
1) Wait until the client network card is working
2) Check the router is switched on, if not print warning on screen
3) Check server is on, if not send WOL
4) Check server is on, if yes then start NPVR.
The batch file above looks a good place to start so thank for that FUZZWEED

[smajor]

Thanks for the good info so far folks! The WOL is helpful for me too.

I've done some testing with just a PC client and one existing unit as a test and I'm pretty happy with the results so far.

[JP23]

Most of my reliability problems have been caused by windows name resolution sometimes failing to work. I'd recommend using fixed IP's and only using the IP address in the settings, rather than the server name. You can even do this for the 'Media Folders' section if you edit the config.xml.