HDX + Buffalo TeraStation III + N-Serve + I-Pod Touch

Posted by: endlessnessism on 27 September 2011

I have an HDX linked to a Buffalo TeraStation III (Model No TS-X4.0TL/R5).  Both are working very well, especially since the upgrade to 1.6 which I completed last night.

 

My question relates to the N-Serve App and my attempt to use this on a (latest model) I-Pod Touch.  Basically I can't get it to work and I can't yet see whether the problem is related to the TeraStation; the Ipod; or something else that I am doing incorrectly.  With a little luck there is someone out there with the same combo who has managed to get it to work.

 

First-up, when you go the the App Store you get two variants of the N-Serve App - one for I-Pad and one for I-Phone.  There isn't one specifically for I-Pod but I imagine I should be using the I-Phone variant?  (I have actually tried both and it doesn't seem to make a difference).

 

Having downloaded the App (either variant) and synchronised with the I-Pod Touch, I have then gone into the settings bit on the App to try to hook-up to my server but it says no server can be found.  Here's where I get lost.  I suppose the I-Pod should be looking for the HDX, just as Desktop Client looks for it when I open it on my laptop?  Or should the I-Pod be looking for the shared music folders on the TeraStation?

 

If the I-Pod just needs to find the HDX then I don't know why it can't find it.  Both are on the same home network and if my laptop can find the HDX then I don't know why the I-Pod can't find it.

 

If the I-Pod has to find the shared files on the TeraStation then I may be on more difficult ground but still I'm mystified.  If I can access files on the TeraStation from my (wireless) laptop then why can't I access them from the I-Pod which is effectively just another wireless computer on the home network?  There's a username / password control on the TeraStation which my laptop is set-up to remember; there doesn't seem to be a facility to do this on the I-Pod so that may be the problem.  I have also read something on the internet suggesting that I must allow "web access" on the TeraStation before it can work with an I-Pod but that surprises me if both are on my home network.

 

Hopefully someone can point me in the right direction.  I must say that I would have appreciated some clearer instructions on the Naim website.    

 

Posted on: 27 September 2011 by Phil Harris

First things first ...

 

... does your HDX work correctly and see the files on your Terastation? If it does then great - you're pretty much there.

 

Now, when you run up the app on your iPod Touch it should come up with a red title bar with a "Connect" button top right, yes?

 

If you touch that then it should scan the network for your HDX and show you it listed below the "Select Server" title, yes?

 

Touch the entry for your server and the app should connect to it, yes?

 

You should now be up and running...

 

Cheers

 

Phil

Posted on: 27 September 2011 by endlessnessism

Sorry - it's just not happenning.

 

The HDX works well and can see all the files on the Terastation.  I have not had a problem with this since day one.

 

When I run the App on the Ipod I get the red title bar and press "connect" as you describe but then it runs through its discovery thing and reports "no server found".

 

If I go into the web page for my router I can see both the HDX and the Ipod connected to the network - the former wired and the latter wireless.  I can see the HDX from all the other computers in the house, wired and wireless - just not from the Ipod.  A mystery.

Posted on: 27 September 2011 by endlessnessism

Stop Press

 

I'm now up-and-running.  For some reason auto-discovery does not find the server but I can get a connection if I enter the IP address manually.  Hopefully my DHCP won't change it too frequently and I can just stay connected. 

Posted on: 27 September 2011 by Klout10

Glad things worked out for you, you'll notice that the iPod is a very convenient way to control the HDX.

 

Regards,

Michel

Posted on: 27 September 2011 by Phil Harris
Originally Posted by endlessnessism:

Sorry - it's just not happenning.

 

...but at least we now know *WHERE* "it's not happening"...

 

Sorry - it's just not happenning.

 

The HDX works well and can see all the files on the Terastation.  I have not had a problem with this since day one.

 

When I run the App on the Ipod I get the red title bar and press "connect" as you describe but then it runs through its discovery thing and reports "no server found".

 

 

Right - it's an autodiscovery issue ...

 

...back in the early days of iOS 4.3.x Apple decided to drop support for something called IGMPv2 and only support the later IGMPv3 standard. Some domestic networking hardware doesn't support the Apple implementation of IGMP (of course Apples own networking hardware does) and so therefore effectively ignores it (hence autodiscovery doesn't work in that case).

 

If I go into the web page for my router I can see both the HDX and the Ipod connected to the network - the former wired and the latter wireless.  I can see the HDX from all the other computers in the house, wired and wireless - just not from the Ipod.  A mystery.

 

There are very few "mysteries" in the world ...

 

When you can "see" the HDX from all your other computers in the house you are going to either be going directly to the IP address of the HDX with your web browser *OR* using the HDXs WINS name (http:\\NSHDXxxxx) - these are very different mechanisms to how the iPod / iPhone / iPad autodiscover but there is from that a solution.

 

For the instances where autodiscovery doesn't work then you can set the app to "direct connect" and enter the IP address of the HDX (not the HDXs front panel) into the app and it will just talk directly with that address. Of course, should the HDXchange IP address then you'll have to enter the new address but if your router supports the reservation of IP addresses than you can use that to fix the address of the HDX (and the front panel) so that they never move.

 

Hope that helps...

 

Phil

 

Posted on: 27 September 2011 by Phil Harris
Originally Posted by endlessnessism:

Stop Press

 

I'm now up-and-running.  For some reason auto-discovery does not find the server but I can get a connection if I enter the IP address manually.  Hopefully my DHCP won't change it too frequently and I can just stay connected. 


Cool - you found the answer yourself ...

 

(...that'll teach me not to read the whole thread before typing a long reply.)

 

See my note on reserving IP addresses in your router for the HDX and HDX Front Panel though as if you can do that then you won't need to worry about teh HDXs IP address changing.

 

Cheers

 

Phil

Posted on: 27 September 2011 by Phil Harris
Originally Posted by Klout10:

Glad things worked out for you, you'll notice that the iPod is a very convenient way to control the HDX.

 

Regards,

Michel


The i*PAD* is much nicer though ... both for n-Serve and n-Stream. I find the iPod Touch and iPhone are a bit small for my (admittedly very large) digits and failling eyesight whereas the iPad is altogether a much more liberating experience.

 

Phil

Posted on: 28 September 2011 by endlessnessism

Thanks to all for your contributions.

Posted on: 28 September 2011 by Klout10
Originally Posted by Phil Harris:
The i*PAD* is much nicer though ... both for n-Serve and n-Stream. I find the iPod Touch and iPhone are a bit small for my (admittedly very large) digits and failling eyesight whereas the iPad is altogether a much more liberating experience.

 

Phil


Agreed, got my iPad2 for about 4 month now and I must say I love it!

Regards,

Michel

Posted on: 28 September 2011 by endlessnessism

As I say I am up-and-running now but I wonder whether I've got everything right as I don't seem to have full control over what's playing.

 

I'm referring to the controls at the bottom of the screen,  If I'm playing an album, I only seem to have the play / pause button and the arrows that take me back to the beginning or all the way to the end.  I don't have the arrows that allow you to go forward and back one track at a time.  More importantly, I don't have a stop button so, once the HDX is playing, I can happily use the Ipod to select any piece of music but I can't use it to turn the HDX off ie, to tell it to stop playing except by walking over to it or using desktop client.

 

It's the same with internet radio - I can switch between stations but can't just stop. 

 

Am I missing something?

Posted on: 28 September 2011 by GerryMcg

I am not at home at the moment, but for the facility to select tracks you just need to move from the Art work to the track listing screen (one touch on the icon top right) and then select as appropiate.

 

With regard to stopping the HDX (Unitiserve in my case) it's the same with me, although I have assumed that this correct being a memory feature similar to retained status on CD Players such as in the car. 

 

Gerry