Connection/reconnection issues at startup and after standby (and possible solution)

[Starlionblue 82]

On startup I was having an issue where I'd put MBC in the Startup group in Windows to get it to autostart, but I would get an error message in WMC saying that MBC was not working, and I'd be left in the WMC top menu.

 

As I figured out after much fiddling, my HTPC boots so fast (SSD and a minimum of installed software) that when it tries to open MBC the network isn't quite up yet, and so it can't reach the server. This was solved by setting WMC to autostart (in settings in WMC) instead of MBC. By the time I click on MBC to open it the network is up. The network delay is only a second or two.

 

On wake from standby I was having a similar issue (SSD again, as well as Intel Rapid Start). The network delay was again the culprit, but MBC was already up, so delaying that wasn't an option. The solution that seems to be working (early days yet) was setting a fixed IP on my HTPC. This seems to cut down on LAN reconnection delay after wake since there's no DHCP connection to negotiate. Of course this also cuts down on connection delay on normal start.

 

These tentative fixes are probably equally valid for MBT and MBC. 

 

Suggestion: Perhaps a "delay" function for autostart of MBC and MBT could be implemented?

Edited May 28, 2014 by Starlionblue

[ebr 16169]

That delay needs to be implemented at the OS level instead of the program level because I don't want an artificial delay in every start of the program (there would be no way to know if you were starting from scratch or if the machine had been up all day).

 

There are ways to accomplish this with tasks and/or batch files.

[Starlionblue 82]

That delay needs to be implemented at the OS level instead of the program level because I don't want an artificial delay in every start of the program (there would be no way to know if you were starting from scratch or if the machine had been up all day).

 

There are ways to accomplish this with tasks and/or batch files.

 

Fair point on the delay. Anyway probably not needed as you can just set a fixed IP and solve it that way like I did.

 

Batch files are doable for some of us but as time goes by, they are beyond the skillset of the average user. Not all of us are old enough to have used DOS 3.0.

[ebr 16169]

Batch files are doable for some of us but as time goes by, they are beyond the skillset of the average user. Not all of us are old enough to have used DOS 3.0.

 

Some of us are old enough to have used DOS 1.0...

 

The tasks are a newer and more elegant solution if it is needed.  There is a thread in the MBT forum that explains how to do it.

[Starlionblue 82]

Some of us are old enough to have used DOS 1.0...

 

The tasks are a newer and more elegant solution if it is needed.  There is a thread in the MBT forum that explains how to do it.

 

Would you mind pointing me at that thread? A search for "tasks" gets me a lot of hits.  

 

DOS 1.0. Wow. I never used DOS 1.0. Started off with BBC Micro and Sinclair ZX81 in the early 80s and didn't really get into DOS until 1988 when I started uni. Good times...

[ebr 16169]

http://mediabrowser.tv/community/index.php?/topic/6205-booting-pc-with-mbserver-and-mbt-installed

[Logos302 86]

Can't MBC be set-up to check if network is up and if not wait (10 seconds/ configurable amount) try again

[Starlionblue 82]

Thx ebr. Good info there. However this does not solve the problem when resuming from standby/sleep. I think the above proposal for a retry after a certain interval is good. Perhaps configurable for delay and number of attempts.

 

 

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[ebr 16169]

There already is a retry.  If you aren't seeing it and are getting a crash, I need the error from the Windows Event log and the MBC log.

[Starlionblue 82]

Not a crash so much as weird errors like starting a movie and getting a windows 7 looping loop to an eventual timeout until I exit mbc and restart it. Will get you logs in a few days.

 

 

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[ebr 16169]

Oh - wait a second - you are sleeping with MBC/WMC running?

 

That is never going to work reliably.  WMC simply cannot be put to sleep and woken back up and then work properly.

 

Install the MCE Standby tool.

[Starlionblue 82]

It's not me. It's my kids! I shall look into mce standby (again).

 

 

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[Starlionblue 82]

One idea would be a keyboard shortcut that exits mbc (and same for mbt). I could then program that into the "off" macro for my harmony remote. That way the user would not have to remember to exit the client.

 

 

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[ebr 16169]

If u install the tool I suggested it will do that for you.

[Starlionblue 82]

Awesome.

 

 

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