Started having issue with media server / media player

I've recently run into a situation where, if I am watching a video on my media player, it works fine. When the video ends, I can choose another, go to a different folder, etc.

However, I have experienced the case, multiple times, where if I leave my media player active, but not playing anything, for a few hours, I will need to stop the mezzmo service on my media server, then refresh my media player (often several times) before I am once again able to see and play titles.

Just wondering if this is a common occurrence.

Thanks

Joe

platform:
media server, windows 7, running as a service.
media player: kodi on a 'linux' box, using mezzmo plugin

Hi,
it may be an issue with a setting on your router or PC, please see http://www.mezzmo.com/wiki/doku.php?...sted_on_device for a list of settings to check

I reviewed that link, and I'm not sure that's where the issue lies. I say this, because, as I said, when I restart the mezzmo service on my windows machine, and then do a "refresh" from the media player, the mezzmo media server will pop up as a choice.

I'm not sure why, after playing a title, and leaving the player alone for a few hours, it loses contact with the media server. Do you really think that would be a setting in the router ?

Mezzmo sends Notify messages over the network when the server starts to tell devices about the server so that they can connect, devices can also send m-search messages over the network to which Mezzmo server will reply with a Notify telling them how to connect. If the Notify messages are being blocked or the m-search is being blocked then devices cannot see the server and after the 'alive' timeout expires (3 hours by default) the device may remove the server from the list or just stop communicating with it. This is why a router or firewall blocking the communication can cause the device not to see the server after a period of time.

Any idea where I would look for those types of settings?

It depends upon which firewall software you are running on your PC and your brand of router, have you recently changed routers or firewall on the PC?

I'm using Windows Firewall (Windows 7). I'm using the Netgear Nighthawk X6 for my wifi. I haven't upgraded the router f/w, current Firmware Version V1.0.2.44_1.0.96.
V1.0.2.44_1.0.96

Can you please try temporarily disabling the firewall in the router to see if this is causing the problem. If the problem still occurs you can try disabling the Windows Firewall instead to see if this is where the problem lies.

Access control has never been enabled. I've disabled Windows Firewall and will test it over the next few days to see how it behaves. What do you think about Symantec Network Threat or Proactive Threat? You think one of those services could be causing problems?

Yes either of these can cause a problem if they start blocking packets to/from Mezzmo server.

Does the mezzmo server communicate with the media player over specific ports so I can try to make sure they're always open?

Yes, they are listed in http://www.mezzmo.com/wiki/doku.php?...sted_on_device:
The Media server port listed in the Media Server Settings dialog in Mezzmo must be allowed access through your firewall.
The two standard UPnP ports 1900 and 2869 must be allowed access through your firewall.

Well, it's been quite a while since I made the change, and unfortunately, I am still having the issue. To restate, I'll provide the scenario I experience.

I'll be in a folder that has multiple titles - lets say a season of a TV Show. So I'll be watching one episode after another... take a break... and continue watching them.... Lets say after a day or so I want to watch something else... so I'll go back up through the hierarchy until I get to the top view. Then, I'll go try to go back down the hierarchy... and this is where I usually run into a problem.... Let's say my hierarchy looks like this:

VIDEO / TV SHOWS / TVSHOW1, TVSHOW2, etc... As soon as I traverse the tree and go into a different TVSHOW folder, I will stop seeing titles, and instead just see the ".."

The only way I've been to get around this is to restart the MezzmoMediaServer.exe service.

Is this normal behavior?

Is there any type of logging I can run to capture anything useful ?

Thanks
Joe

Yes, please enable diagnostic logging http://www.mezzmo.com/wiki/doku.php?id=using_logging&s[]=diagnostic then after restarting your Mezzmo media server reproduce the problem on the device and then send us the logs so we can investigate. Send the logs to support [at] conceiva [dot] com.