apps can no longer see one of our server machines

[KenLinder 4]

We have 2 machines running EMBY in the house; a laptop and a desktop machine.

The android app no longer finds my desktop PC's EMBY server automatically (it used to) and will not connect using the IP address and port # either. Yes I verified my IP address.

The same is true for the app on our TV.

The apps find  the EMBY server on the laptop just fine.

So the server on the desktop machine was fine. Now it isn't. I can use a file explorer on an android and wander around the shared files on the desktop Win machine just fine. It's EMBY that's an issue.

I rebooted the droids and the Windows desktop machine (no change).
I reinstalled the droid app (no change).
I uninstalled EMBY on the PC entirely, rebooted, and reinstalled EMBY server from scratch (no change).

I have no idea what the hell is happening. The apps can see the other EMBY server on the laptop just fine. It's only the server on the Windows desktop machine.

Edited February 19, 2023 by KenLinder

[lorac 118]

It sounds like a Firewall blocking the connection. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[GrimReaper 4739]

As already asked OP here:

 

[KenLinder 4]

I changed no port information in the lead in to this problem.

I did look (on the knowledge base here - before posting) and found info that certain ports (8096, 8920) had to be set in Windows Firewall as Inbound Rule to let them through. Previously it just worked ok. And there's already a rule there for ALL PORTS but what the hell I added it.

Nothing changed. Not even after rebooting.

[KenLinder 4]

On the other hand there were a number of disabled inbound rules (I assume EMBY created them) which were set up to permit UDP and TCP on all ports for "C:\Users\[UserName]\AppData\Roaming\Emby-Server\system\EmbyServer.dll"

I enabled them. Now my android DNS explorer app can see the media server and (more importantly) the android app and the TV app work fine.

So it was a mysterious change to the the firewall. More windows bullshit. Gotta love those flaky operating systems. Somebody ought to take note of this problem. If it happened once it will happen again. An um, this is a setting that EMBY server could be checking for all by itself when the server reboots (and it could fit those entries too).
 

Edited February 19, 2023 by KenLinder
spelling

[GrimReaper 4739]

42 minutes ago, KenLinder said:

I did look (on the knowledge base here - before posting) and found info that certain ports (8096, 8920) had to be set in Windows Firewall as Inbound Rule to let them through. 

Nothing changed. Not even after rebooting.

 

12 minutes ago, KenLinder said:

there were a number of disabled inbound rules (I assume EMBY created them) which were set up to permit UDP and TCP on all ports for "C:\Users\[UserName]\AppData\Roaming\Emby-Server\system\EmbyServer.dll"

I enabled them. Now my android DNS explorer app can see the media server and (more importantly) the android app and the TV app work fine.

Emby uses UDP port 7359 for local server discovery. TCP 8096 and 8920 are default ports for http and https connections, so opening only them wouldn't make your server visible by client apps anyway. But as you've opened all UDP ports later, that encompassed 7359.

[KenLinder 4]

3 minutes ago, GrimReaper said:

 

Emby uses UDP port 7359 for local server discovery. TCP 8096 and 8920 are default ports for http and https connections, so opening only them wouldn't make your server visible by client apps anyway. But as you've opened all UDP ports later, that encompassed 7359.

I started off by following the advice in the knowledge base (add a rule for these ports).

After doing that (it had no effect) I looked at the other rules associated with "EmbyServer.dll". Enabling them solved the problem. I have no idea why they were disabled.

Edited February 19, 2023 by KenLinder

[Luke 42077]

Thanks for following up.