help with Squeezebox receiver and SB forum

Posted by: Claus-Thoegersen on 08 November 2008

Sorry for this off topic post! But I have been serious looking into the possibility of getting a way to stream internet radio.
I need a sollution that can be controlled through my computer so I can have my screen reader read out the communication with the device, both for setting up network, choosing a radio station and the other things a normal user would use a remote or an screen on the device to perform.
The Squeezebox sollutions seems to be the best since the SquezeCenter has a html userinterface.

he SBs are more expensive than other internet radios, but since I can live without a screen the SB receiver could be a sollution, if I can configure it and control it from the SqueezeCenter, but this is not very clear from the documentation? maybe obvious since almost all users would want to use a form of remote to control the SB receiver.
I suppose the the SqueezeCenter can be used like a remote, but I am not really sure about it, of course many things must be done using the SqueezeCenter, but there is as I read the documentation no specific manual or FAQ on the SB receiver.

I had hoped to be able to ask the question on the SB forum, but both registration, and even a mail to the forum administrators require that I enter a visual verification code. Since there are no sighted persons around I am currently locked out from their forum!

So any ansers from SB users would be nice, and if somebody here is on the SB forum it would also be nice if you could alert the admins to the visual verification problem!

Claus
Posted on: 08 November 2008 by gary1 (US)
Claus, it seems as if , like with Sonos, that you can either control the SB receiver with either a remote or via the free computer downloaded software. I agree that the documentation is somewhat vague as to whether you need to buy the SB duet "remote + receiver" or whether you can purchase the receiver as a "stand alone" and just use the computer software. I know for sure that with sonos that there is no requirement to purchase a hand controller to use the product.

I would contact logitech and ask the question directly as I agree for the cost it is a good solution if you can just use the computer software.
Posted on: 08 November 2008 by ChrisBathory
Hi Claus,

I have a squeezebox classic - and it is perfectly able to be run from the Squeezecentre software (this is the server application) from the server pc.

As far as I can tell the Receiver has the same type of innards as the Classsic without the built-in display, so I am pretty sure you can manage the Receiver from Squeezecentre - from the server machine.

My concern would be if your server is a separate machine in another room, I don't think Squeezecentre can easily be accessed via a second machine like your laptop - unless you were able to use a remote control type application - something like PC Anywhere.

Hope this helps!
Chris
Posted on: 09 November 2008 by Mark R
quote:
Originally posted by ChrisBathory:
...

My concern would be if your server is a separate machine in another room, I don't think Squeezecentre can easily be accessed via a second machine like your laptop - unless you were able to use a remote control type application - something like PC Anywhere.
...


Squeezecenter can be accessed remotely from other machines by pointing a web browser to the machine name and port 9000 by defaut e.g. http://mymachinename:9000 (the port value can be configured). A client/server model is employed and the clients do not necessarily have to be on your home network - by providing access to your server machine through your router you can listen to your music collection from remote systems e.g. at work/friend's house, etc. Your own music, everywhere.
Posted on: 09 November 2008 by Claus-Thoegersen
[QUOTE]Originally posted by ChrisBathory:
Hi Claus,

I have a squeezebox classic - and it is perfectly able to be run from the Squeezecentre software (this is the server application) from the server pc.

HI,

I have no problem with having to use my computer to access the SB, but I would hate to rely on other people to control or troubleshoot my hifi, even if it is just a internet radio!! and if I purchase the receiver it would give me a good reason to buy a phone with wireless lan to use it as a remote for the receiver. Since the Squeezecenter uses html it should work fine from a symbian phone browser that I am using with a screen reader on my mobile phone.

I will contact the local SB dealer tommorrow and get my hands on a receiver if they have one.

Claus
Posted on: 13 November 2008 by DaveBk
All done, hope it works.
Posted on: 15 November 2008 by Mr Perceptive
You can tell a receiver what to play via Squeezecenter but you need a Duet Handset to set the Receiver up in the first place.
Posted on: 16 November 2008 by Jack
I'm having a similar problem. Thought I would be able to set up Receiver with iTouch/IPenq but it doesn't look viable.

Having bought the iTouch to use as controller I am reluctant to now have to buy the Logitech controller just to setup!

Waiting on formal response from Logiech.

Anyone living in the North West (UK) with a controller!!

Jack
Posted on: 16 November 2008 by Claus-Thoegersen
Well this sjust again shows that with computer programs you have to check things out and not use thinking or logic! Well if this cannot be done no receiver for me. Even if I can just wire it up it is not enough flexibility. Jack I hope you will post any answer you may get from Logitech.
Posted on: 16 November 2008 by Jack
Claus,

Good news, I am up and running and no controller required whatsoever!!!

Basically you need to use the Net-UDAP tools from Robin Bowes. More detail provided here:

Net-UDAP

I've been playing with this tool for the last couple of days without success then suddenly it all started working (not sure why). It may need perseverance to get working buy hey it will save you the cost of a controller. Have a look and let me know what you think.

Jack
Posted on: 17 November 2008 by Claus-Thoegersen
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Jack:
Claus,

Good news, I am up and running and no controller required whatsoever!!!

Basically you need to use the Net-UDAP tools from Robin Bowes. More detail provided here:

Net-UDAP

Looks very promising! Wich operating system are you running. I have to find the pearl version he is referring to and the Net-udap for XP. But it is not at all clear to me how to get the files. But when this is done it looks as a fine solution!

Claus
Posted on: 19 November 2008 by Jack
Claus,

I wouldn't consider this particularly straight forward but it was worth progressing from my perspective. I have provided the basic steps below that I used to get this working but there are many ways to achieve the same result. It does require a basic working knowledge of Linux.

To answer your question I use XP and Linux at home and had to use both to get this working although you can achieve the same with just XP but it would be more complicated IMO. Anyway here's the outline:

Windows XP:

You will need a svn client (subversion code control system) to pull the Net-UDAP code from the Internet. I used RapidSVN as my client and it can be downloaded from here:

RapidSVN Client

Load RapidSVN on your system.

Start RapidSVN and go to Repository menu and click on “checkout”. In the URL field enter the location of the Net-UDAP code. At the time of writing it can be found here:

http://projects.robinbowes.com/svn/Net-UDAP/trunk

Also enter a destination folder on your local system to store the code. Click OK and the code should be downloaded to your local system.

Copy code on USB stick and remove.

Load up your Linux distribution, I am using OpenSuSE currently.

Log in and create a folder for code:

mkdir /yourusername/tools/Net-UDAP/

You need to ensure you have a perl interpreter installed on your system, if not, download and install.

Connect USB stick to Linux system and mount if necessary

Move the code from USB stick to new directory

Ensure your linux laptop is connected to the same network as your Receiver then issue the following command:

./tools/Net-UDP/scripts/udp_shell.pl

You will then be taken to the shell of the Net-UDAP tool where you can configure the Receiver. I would advise that SqueezeCentre is stopped when you try to configure the Receiver.

Is this turning into an IT forum??

Regards

Jack
Posted on: 20 November 2008 by Claus-Thoegersen
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Jack:
Claus,

I wouldn't consider this particularly straight forward but it was worth progressing from my perspective. I have provided the basic steps below that I used to get this working but there are many ways to achieve the same result. It does require a basic working knowledge of Linux.

Thank you Jack! I did not at first really read the very condensed instructions about wich programs to get on his webside, and I find the idea of using this Linux way of destribution a little more complicated than it should have been! I understand the need for having control over open source projects that evolves daily, but I do not hope this code needs much more tweaking.
Anyway I have been able to run the script from a xp command prompt and I get the choices described on his page, so now it is time to buy the Receiver. Many thanks for pointing me to this program!

Claus
Posted on: 30 November 2008 by Claus-Thoegersen
Well my Receiver arrived friday, and as I expected the program can see the receiver and change settings on the receiver. The problem now seems to be that I cannot force the receiver to get a ip address from the router! I have set the lan_ip_mode to the correct vallue but still no address is given to the receiver. This means that Squeezecenter cannot see the receiver meaning no sound from it. This is probably a simple sollution, that I just cannot figure out. One visual question for how long do you have to press the button on the receiver to put it in the mode where it can receive commands? And more question how do you reset the unit to the factory defaults?
Posted on: 02 December 2008 by Jack
Not sure why no address is given out, why don't you set a static address on the receiver and do away with the DHCP requirement.

You need to press the button on the front for about six seconds until it starts to flash quickly with red light. When you release then it blinks more slowly, you should then be able to configure. I believe this also resets to factory default.

Jack
Posted on: 02 December 2008 by Claus-Thoegersen
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Jack:
Not sure why no address is given out, why don't you set a static address on the receiver and do away with the DHCP requirement.

Thank you a combination of static IP address and giving the correct IP address for squeezeserver solved the problem. Now I have bbc radio4, well in lowFi actually mono is best since the right channel in stereo at least tonight does not work, but who cares I did not buy this as a hifi device but to get internet radio.

Many thanks again for pointing me to the software and to give advice to get it up and running!

Claus
Posted on: 03 December 2008 by Claus-Thoegersen
Well after the first excitement things have gotten a little worse again! The SBR will for some reason lose the connection to SqueezeCenter for no good reason. I can get it back back again by running udap then discover, start configure, perform a list command and I can see that all settings on the SBR are unchanged, so I save the settings and reset the SBR. Now things will work for a short time, a few minutes and then the connection between SBR and SqueezeCenter is lost.
Very frustrating, and actually not at all Naim related!

Claus
Posted on: 03 December 2008 by Jack
So I guess you are saying that the Receiver is retaining its configuration. I'm assuming this isn't a Receiver config issue based on what you have said but I would still ensure you use both the save_ip command and standard save command when configuring the Receiver.

Could this be an issue with conflicting IP addresses?

Are you using wired or wireless?

Jack
Posted on: 03 December 2008 by Claus-Thoegersen
Hi,

I am using wired to cut down things that can go wrong. When this works stable I will take the next sstep to my secured network.

Normally I only used save_data, I have used save_data and save_ip first save_ip, and I will try it again before the reset command.

There are only 2 things connected to my router the computer onfirst ip address assigned by the router 192.168.1.33 and the manually assigned SBr on 192.168.1.60
It seems that the problem is SqueezeCenter loses contact to the SBR for no good reason since net-udap shows the sBR parameters to be the same.

Claus
Posted on: 04 December 2008 by Jack
Very strange, you don't have multiple music servers running on the same system by any chance?
Posted on: 07 December 2008 by Claus-Thoegersen
quote:
Originally posted by Jack:
Very strange, you don't have multiple music servers running on the same system by any chance?


Well it finally seems that the receiver works. I do not really no what changed, but I think that the important thing was to have the player in the correct mode, tthe talk about the led on the receiver having to blink blue or whatever it is. Maybe Netudap can see and change settings but they can only be saved when the receiver is in the correct mode. Anyway BBC radio4 has been on for the last 24 hours also after my laptop has been hybernated finally!

Claus