Access MediaBrowser via Hostname

[Kincaid 1]

Hi am using MB via the Webinterface for a while now. It works great and everything is fine but I wonder if it's possible to access the Webinterface with a userfriendly hostname similar to my speedport router which is accessible via speedport.ip. I know I can access it via the local ip and save a bookmark but it would be great if a guest could just enter something like mediabrowser.ip in the browser and gets the dashboard. Maybe something like a local DNS that redirects the hostname to the local ip?

[Beardyname 198]

check out http://www.noip.com/ It may be able to provide what you are looking for.

 

Otherwise check out app.mediabrowser.tv (If you have setup mediabrowser-connect)

[ebr 16183]

You can use app.mediabrowser.tv to get to it from anywhere if you link it with Connect.

 

You can also just use the machine name instead of the IP when on your local network.

[Kincaid 1]

@@Beardyname That's not exactly what I am looking for. I am already using noip to access MB from outside of my local network, I am looking for something inside my local network.

 

@@ebr That's what I tried first and would be my favourite but it doesn't work. When I type *machine name*:8096/mediabrowser/dashboard/index.html safari on iOS tries to connect to www.*machine name*.com

 

Never heard of connect but it looks like you need an account. I want to make access to my MB easier for guests, I think creating an account isn't the right way. :-/

[techywarrior 689]

manually put in http:// and it should work.

so instead of *machine name*:8096.... do http://*machinename*:8096/....

[Beardyname 198]

@@Beardyname That's not exactly what I am looking for. I am already using noip to access MB from outside of my local network, I am looking for something inside my local network.

 

@@ebr That's what I tried first and would be my favourite but it doesn't work. When I type *machine name*:8096/mediabrowser/dashboard/index.html safari on iOS tries to connect to www.*machine name*.com

 

Never heard of connect but it looks like you need an account. I want to make access to my MB easier for guests, I think creating an account isn't the right way. :-/

 

Well they need an account to access your content anyway?

[Kincaid 1]

@@techywarrior Doesn't work. Safari doesn't adds the .com but I still get an error because the server is unreachable.

 

@@Beardyname Do they? Why can't I just create a guest account? If they need one they would have to create one account, what is bad enough, but with connect they would have to create two accounts. That still doesn't make it better.

[Beardyname 198]

@@techywarrior Doesn't work. Safari doesn't adds the .com but I still get an error because the server is unreachable.

 

@@Beardyname Do they? Why can't I just create a guest account? If they need one they would have to create one account, what is bad enough, but with connect they would have to create two accounts. That still doesn't make it better.

 

Nope just the one Sure you could create a bunch of accounts on your server, but if you decide to go for the connect route you fill in the users email-address and then they get to do the rest.

[Kincaid 1]

So when they create an connect account they automatically get there personal user on my MB Server? But why do they need this at all? I thought I just create one guest account that they choose when they connect to the server. Like I said, I want to make it as easy as possible for guests to browse my media and play it on their device or on the chromecast. I think telling a guest "If you want to watch a movie then just go to this website and create an account, then connect to my MB and browse the collection." is just too complicated. Why not just enter the address and tap on "Guest"?

[Kincaid 1]

I just had a look at connect. They would not only need to create an account, when they created one I would have to connect it to my Server, right? I really think this is too much to just let a guest browse my media for this evening.

[Luke 42078]

Then don't use Connect. No problem. Just create a local guest account and give them your server url.

[Kincaid 1]

And this brings us to my initial question.

[Luke 42078]

yes you could setup a ddns for easier external access

[Kincaid 1]

Like I already said, external access isn't the point. I just wonder if there is a more userfriendly adress to access MB from inside my local network.

[bertbert72 14]

techywarrior's answer should work.  Open a command prompt on the MediaBrowser server and type in "hostname" and hit return.  Try pinging whatever it comes back with from your PC, e.g. ping myserver.  If it responds then there is no reason why techywarrior's method shouldn't work.

 

If it doesn't, you'll need to set up a DNS entry.  Your router is likely your local DNS server (you can check by right clicking on your network connection and checking the status).  Routers are all slightly different, but what you need to do is to add a static DNS entry with your chosen friendly name against the IP address of the server.  I'm assuming that you've given it a static address rather than assigning through DHCP.

 

When you tried techywarrior's method, what exactly did you type in for the URL?

Edited December 6, 2014 by bertbert72

[Kincaid 1]

I typed http://server-netzwerk:8096/mediabrowser/dashboard/index.html

 

Server-netzwerk is the name the machine has in the device list of the router. When I try to ping this it fails. When I enter hostname in the command prompt on the server it returns server-pc and I can ping that from another machine. But when I enter http://server-of:8096/mediabrowser/dashboard/index.html in mobile safari I get the same error.

 

I use DHCP but all devices always get the same IP. My server is always 192.168.2.104. I access MB via 192.168.2.104:8096/mediabrowser/dashboard/index.html with no problem.

[Luke 42078]

make sure your mobile device is currently connected to your wifi network and isn't on it's mobile network.

 

also it's possible that iOS just doesn't support that.

[Kincaid 1]

It is connected to the wifi, otherwise I couldn't connect via IP.

[bertbert72 14]

Try

 

http://server-pc:8096/mediabrowser/dashboard/index.html

 

If that doesn't work, from your own PC command prompt, type

 

ping -a 192.168.2.104

 

and let us know what it says.

[Kincaid 1]

That's exactly the address I was trying the whole time, still no server reachable. The ping was successful. 4 packets sent, 4 received. Min. 1ms, max. 5ms, average 2ms.

[ebr 16183]

My guess is it is safari or iOS that is the problem.

 

Do you have a windows device you could try it on?

[Kincaid 1]

You are right, on chrome on windows it works. It takes much more time to load than with the ip, but it works. So is there another way to access the server with a userfriendly url?

[ebr 16183]

Is the device you want to use an actual Mac or an iOS device?  If it is a Mac you could create an entry in its hosts file (maybe).

[ebr 16183]

Oh, and it isn't any slower really with the machine name.  It is just that was a new address to the browser so everything had to be pulled down and re-cached.

[Kincaid 1]

It's an iPhone. But since it is mainly for guests it has to work with the most devices. Editing the hosts file would be no option.