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[Admiral Gilmore]

I have a server running Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition and several Xboxes with XBMC various versions. I have configured SMB on each of the machines so as to watch various movies that we have on the server.

We can get the movies to open fine, but they all seem to stop after a certain length of time. For example:

Star Trek Episode @ 350 MB - Stops every 30 minutes (carries over across files)
Medium Quality DVD Rip @ 650 - 700 MB - Stops every 10 minutes
High Quality DVD Rip @ 4 GB - Stops every 1.5 - 2 minutes

I haven't been able to find others having this problem. Any suggestions would be great. We have tried increasing the cache size on each of the Xboxes but it has no effect.

Thanks for the help...

Admiral Gilmore, out.

This post has been edited by Admiral Gilmore: May 9 2004, 09:40 PM <

[crackbaby]

Well your first problem is M$ Server... ;-)

Post the line of your .xml file for the share

Are you using a switch, hub, router, etc or just a direct link with a crossover cable

I have fixed a similiar problem but it was with Linux running samba, similar.
Send back more info  <

[Admiral Gilmore]

We have the Xboxes running through a router, but it is all LAN side going to the server. Right now the server is only LAN side but I am doing port forwarding to host a webpage and FTP site.

Here is an example of the tag I put into the XML file...

<bookmark>
     <name>Landon's Server: D Drive</name>
     
     
     
     
     
<path>smb://LANDONGILMORE;Landon L. Gilmore:****@192.168.1.2/D Drive/</path>
   </bookmark>
   <bookmark>
     <name>Landon's Server: Slack Space</name>
     
     
     
     
     
     <path>smb://LANDONGILMORE;Landon L. Gilmore:****@192.168.1.2/Slack Space/</path>
   </bookmark>

I used the asterisk so you can't see my password. You could do very many bad things with that...

I am running a Domain, the username and password are correct, I don't see where the problem is... Like I said, I can watch movies all day long, but they always stop after a certain amount of time and it gets REALLY annoying.

Here is a link to my network diagram, it may help explain things a little:  http://www.landongilmore.com/Network_Daig.htm

Thanks for the help...

Admiral Gilmore, out.

This post has been edited by Admiral Gilmore: May 9 2004, 09:40 PM <

[Admiral Gilmore]

Bump.  <

[crackbaby]

when I was running xbmp I had the exact same problem, I wasn't defining my domain in my share
then when I switched to xmbc I didn't need the domain
my smb line is

<path>smb://10.10.10.10/movies/</path>

since I'm running linux samba vs your M$ they could work different

I'd try first remove the domain name
so

<path>smb://Landon L. Gilmore:****@192.168.1.2/D Drive/</path>

if that doesn't work see what happens if you just run the share on your server as a guest share and just bind it to your LAN for security purposes.

then
<path>smb://192.168.1.2/D Drive/</path>

Windows could still be the problem.  You said you were running a FTP server also from this same box?  Ya you shouldn't have to worry about security on a guest share to much if your router is forwarding  FTP.

Are your xboxes running static IP's or doing DHCP from your router?

shit I just checked out your network diagram...
so are you having problems with all 3 xboxes doing the same thing?

This post has been edited by crackbaby: May 9 2004, 06:41 PM <

[Admiral Gilmore]

Yes, all 3 Xboxes are doing the same thing.

Defining the domain and the security information is essential. It is the only way I can maintain order and security on the server.

Also, I'm not running a "guest share." Everything on my server has very explicit securities defined. Without the username and password and domain, I wouldn't even be able to access the folder. I definitely do not like the alternative as I am in a multiuser environment.

Try again...  <

[Admiral Gilmore]

Here is another idea, something I have been thinking might be causing our problems...

I have the entire D Drive on my server shared and it is using windows compression. Does anybody think that might be what is causing it? Aside from that, it really isn't any different than anybody else and I have heard of no one else having this same problem.

Ideas...? Thanks.

Admiral Gilmore, out.

This post has been edited by Admiral Gilmore: May 9 2004, 09:45 PM <

[crackbaby]

using compression?  ya thats a very good possiblity.  Your xbox then would have to stream an already compressed movie, thats compressed again. Since all 3 of your boxes are having the same probably goes back to the server.
I was saying set up a guest share for debuging only.

If you get something working then you can always move forward on it.
just shut down forwarding on your router for forwarding FTP until you get it worked out if you're worried about security
I think this is where my knowlege stops and I am of no more help.
switch to Linux.  <

[Admiral Gilmore]

Good suggestions, I will give them a try.

As for Linux, I am afraid I know nothing of it... How does one get started?

Thanks.

Admiral Gilmore, out.  <

[Admiral Gilmore]

Okay, I have tried disabling windows disk compression and disabling norton anti-virus...

Also, I tried using a share that was set to "everyone" read permissions.

Still, stopping in the same places!

Anyone got some more ideas?

Thanks,

Admiral Gilmore, out.  <

[elupus]

create a new user account for your share without spaces and special charcters. also take a look at the xbmc.log and post here if you still have problems,  <

[Admiral Gilmore]

Okay, good idea. I never even thought to look in the log file... duh!

Here is what happens in the log file exactly each time the file stops playing...

10-05-2004 07:06:18 mplayer play:smb://LANDONGILMORE;*username*:*pswd*@192.168.1.2/D Drive/Star Trek/DS9/Season 5/Star Trek - DS9 - 5x22 - Children of Time.avi cachesize:2048

10-05-2004 07:06:19 Stating file smb://LANDONGILMORE;*username*:*pswd*@192.168.1.2/D Drive/Star Trek/DS9/Season 5/Star Trek - DS9 - 5x22 - Children of Time.avi.conf

10-05-2004 07:06:19 Stating file Q:\mplayer\smb://LANDONGILMORE;*username*:*pswd*@192.168.1.2/D Drive/Star Trek/DS9/Season 5/Star Trek - DS9 - 5x22 - Children of Time.avi.conf

10-05-2004 07:24:07 smb: SMB Signature verification failed on incoming packet!

Notice the time difference, around 18 minutes or so. Also, I bleeped out my username and password for my server's security sake. But rest assured that they are correct in the file, lest the file not play at all.

Anyone got an idea about the error I'm getting? Thanks...

Admiral Gilmore, out.

This post has been edited by Admiral Gilmore: May 10 2004, 05:22 PM <

[assmonkey]

have you tried bumping up the cach on the xmbc
its in the setings menu  <

[Admiral Gilmore]

QUOTE (Admiral Gilmore @ May 8 2004, 08:43 PM)

We have tried increasing the cache size on each of the Xboxes but it has no effect. Thanks for the help... Admiral Gilmore, out.

I have tried increasing the cache size to ungodly numbers and it still has no effect.

Admiral Gilmore, out.  <

[Futurian]

Try using an alternative streaming protocol... Everyone I know that has attempted to stream using SMB shares has had some kind of similar issues (I blame M$). Personally I use "ccxstream" and I have never had any problems since.

The shares are defined in XBMC config as "xbms" shares... eg:-

 <bookmark>
   <name>Music on Holly</name>
   <path>xbms://192.168.8.17/Music</path>
 </bookmark>

In order for your PC to serve this protocol you'll have to get your hands on the ccxstream.exe (Check your PM's). It's a nice app that does exactly what it says on the tin, only uses 1 port number (1400) and has never failed me. Use the executable as a system service with "FireDaemon Pro"... This way it runs nice and discretely in the background. The program is also nice on system resources (Typical mem usage 1,396k)

**This is the name of the share as defined in the ccxstream parameters**
**This is the IP of the host server**
**Name as it will appear on the Media Center Menu**  <