TV won't Show Sage TV Media Center

[greenthumb]

Fellow SageTV Folks.


Houston we have a problem. Here is the scoop. Please read. I definetely need advice and help.

I have Sage TV Media Center installed on my computer. I have the new Sage TV box attached to a Cat5 cable to my computer.

The cable has been tested. I can use the Hardware to get on the internet with Youtube etc on my TV and it works.

However, the TV will not show the Sage TV Media Center software when I connect.

I took to hardware to another Sage TV owner and it works. They have also been working on the problem, but not solution as of yet.

Here is my hardware.

AMD Athon 2200
ASUS Motherboard, A7NBX
Navidia Gforce FX5200
1535 megbits of memory


I have downloaded the latest software from Sage on both my PC and into the Sage Hardware box.

Let's solve this problem!

Regards,

JIm S (Greenthumb)

[paulbeers]

Okay, I think we need some clarification.....

1. By Sage "box" I assume you mean the Sage HD300
2. You say you have it connected directly to your computer, but are you running some kind of DHCP server on your computer to pass an IP address to the HD300?
3. You say you can get Youtube, but is that on the HD300 or is that on the server?
4. If getting Youtube on the HD300, do you mean you can get it thru Stand alone mode (Media player), but you can't get to connect to the actual server to show the "normal" Sage front end?

[greenthumb]

Originally Posted by paulbeers

Okay, I think we need some clarification.....

1. By Sage "box" I assume you mean the Sage HD300
2. You say you have it connected directly to your computer, but are you running some kind of DHCP server on your computer to pass an IP address to the HD300?
3. You say you can get Youtube, but is that on the HD300 or is that on the server?
4. If getting Youtube on the HD300, do you mean you can get it thru Stand alone mode (Media player), but you can't get to connect to the actual server to show the "normal" Sage front end?

Paul,

Tks for the post.

1. Box is the new Sage HD 300

2. I have a router from the phone company from which I get internet. On the router is a out port from which I have a CAT5 attached and run to the back of the Sage HD300.

3. I get the internet on the Sage 300. When I can see the menu from Sage that allows me to get online stuff life Google Video, Youtube etc. I have gone into theese sub menus and can get video.

4 You are correct. When I connect up to Sage it goes to the autoconnect but it will not connect to the Sage software that is resident on my computer.. We broght over a buddy's laptop who has Sage and we could connect from Sage HD 300 to his computer which the Sage software is resides, and see the Sage software menu.

I assume from all of this effort that the problem lies with my computer. But this is where I am stuck.

Jim

[graywolf]

Just checking, your computer that is running the SageTV Server, it is also attached to the same phone router via CAT5?

What is the IP address on your computer?
What is the IP address on the HD300?
Are the first 3 numbers the same? (ie. 192.168.1.x, or 192.168.0.x)
Are you running SageTV V6 or V7?
From your computer, can you ping the HD300?
SageTV, are you running it in Service mode, or Program mode?

[GKusnick]

Did you configure the software to operate as a server and accept client connections?

Have you checked your firewall settings to make sure it's allowing connections on those ports?

[paulbeers]

My guess is definitely the firewall on the server. Turn it off and see if that fixes your problem.

[greenthumb]

Originally Posted by paulbeers

My guess is definitely the firewall on the server. Turn it off and see if that fixes your problem.

I turned off the firewall in the Control Panel. No difference. I will keep thinking about it.

[greenthumb]

Could this be the answer.

I read in the installation manual that the user name should be the exact same name that came with the license key.


I initially downloaded the trial version and set it up but did not use my middle initial "J".

When I bot the software the license key came with my first, middle initial "J" and my last name.

If the initial setup does not have the middle initial can this screw up my ability to access the software from my STV HD 300 and my TV?

Jim

[ccsmoke]

Hello,

You want to make sure you have the correct ports open on your router:

http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?p=105335

[GKusnick]

Originally Posted by ccsmoke

You want to make sure you have the correct ports open on your router

Router ports shouldn't have any effect on connecting from within his own LAN. And he already said he was able to connect to his friend's laptop. So the problem has to be on his server computer.

If it's not the firewall, then there must be some issue with the way SageTV is configured. Double-check Detailed Setup to make sure server mode is actually enabled.

[greenthumb]

Guys,

Could this be the problem I am having?

Jim

Originally Posted by greenthumb

Could this be the answer.

I read in the installation manual that the user name should be the exact same name that came with the license key.


I initially downloaded the trial version and set it up but did not use my middle initial "J".

When I bot the software the license key came with my first, middle initial "J" and my last name.

If the initial setup does not have the middle initial can this screw up my ability to access the software from my STV HD 300 and my TV?

Jim

[GKusnick]

It seems very unlikely that it would accept incorrect license info and then appear to work correctly in all respects except for refusing extender connections. If the license info is incorrect, it should not work at all past the trial period.

That said, did you run Sage as a service during the trial, and then allow the trial to expire while the service was still running? Best way to eliminate this as a potential problem is to stop the service, disable it, and then try to start the SageTV UI on the server. If it's properly licensed, it should come up and work normally. If not, it should prompt you for a license key. Once you've verified that it's properly licensed, then you can restart the service.

And you still haven't answered the question about whether you've enabled the server under Detailed Settings. Extenders will not connect until you've done this.

[greenthumb]

Originally Posted by GKusnick

Router ports shouldn't have any effect on connecting from within his own LAN. And he already said he was able to connect to his friend's laptop. So the problem has to be on his server computer.

If it's not the firewall, then there must be some issue with the way SageTV is configured. Double-check Detailed Setup to make sure server mode is actually enabled.

I went into Sage TV, detailed setup, Server, and SageTV is "Enabled". Is this what you mean "make sure server mode is actually enabled"?

Jim

[greenthumb]

Originally Posted by GKusnick

It seems very unlikely that it would accept incorrect license info and then appear to work correctly in all respects except for refusing extender connections. If the license info is incorrect, it should not work at all past the trial period.

That said, did you run Sage as a service during the trial, and then allow the trial to expire while the service was still running? Best way to eliminate this as a potential problem is to stop the service, disable it, and then try to start the SageTV UI on the server. If it's properly licensed, it should come up and work normally. If not, it should prompt you for a license key. Once you've verified that it's properly licensed, then you can restart the service.

And you still haven't answered the question about whether you've enabled the server under Detailed Settings. Extenders will not connect until you've done this.

Please see answer below about enabling the server under Detailed Settings.



Asa to starting and stopping Service. Where can I read about an oversight of the terms. You have Sage TV HD300, Sage TV Server, Sage TV Client and now Sage TV Service. I am confused as what these things are and how they relate.

I did not get my license ket for a week after I purchased the stuff. (HD Media Center and Software). So when my friend set it up we used the trial version. He went through the setup screen. That is when we got stuck with this problem.

I did as you said. I stopped the Sage TV Service. Disabled it and then started Sage TV Software. It came up and did not ask me for a license key.

Later I received my key and went into Sage Tv media extender and place shifter and inserted the license key. It swallowed it up and I thought I was good to go. This software does not seem to be like other stuff. In most software I go to the help screen and I can find my user name and License number. I can't even find this info on this software.

This installation is a real experience. Thank-you for your help. There has to be a simple solution to this thing.

Jim

[GKusnick]

Originally Posted by greenthumb

I went into Sage TV, detailed setup, Server, and SageTV is "Enabled". Is this what you mean "make sure server mode is actually enabled"?

Yes, that's what I mean.

Originally Posted by greenthumb

Later I received my key and went into Sage Tv media extender and place shifter and inserted the license key.

That's the wrong place to enter a Media Center software license key. That Start menu icon is for client licenses. Your HD300 comes with a license built in so you don't need to enter anything here.

If your trial has expired, the SageTV software should prompt you for a key when you start it. If your trial has not yet expired, you can force it to prompt you for a key by starting it from a command prompt as follows (assuming you installed it to the default location):

"C:\Program Files\SageTV\SageTV\SageTV.exe" REGISTER

[greenthumb]

Originally Posted by graywolf

Just checking, your computer that is running the SageTV Server, it is also attached to the same phone router via CAT5?

What is the IP address on your computer?
What is the IP address on the HD300?
Are the first 3 numbers the same? (ie. 192.168.1.x, or 192.168.0.x)
Are you running SageTV V6 or V7?
From your computer, can you ping the HD300?
SageTV, are you running it in Service mode, or Program mode?

1. IP address of computer is 192.168-1.102
2. IP addresss of the HD300 is 192-168-1-109
3. First 3 numbers are the same
4. I am running Version 7 on the Sage TV Softwae on my computer
5, I am running Verson 20101007-0
6. Pinging. I went into run, cmd and ping and put 192.168-1.109 and it sent
4 packets and it said 4 packets lost. Must not be working.
Next ia pinged 192.168.1.102 and got the packets back.

What next?
7. I ran Sage Tv Service Contol and it said Service is running.

What next. I think I am getting closer. LOL

Jim

[greenthumb]

Originally Posted by GKusnick

Yes, that's what I mean.



That's the wrong place to enter a Media Center software license key. That Start menu icon is for client licenses. Your HD300 comes with a license built in so you don't need to enter anything here.

If your trial has expired, the SageTV software should prompt you for a key when you start it. If your trial has not yet expired, you can force it to prompt you for a key by starting it from a command prompt as follows (assuming you installed it to the default location):

"C:\Program Files\SageTV\SageTV\SageTV.exe" REGISTER

Greg,

I did as you said and got the license key into the software.

I also check ip addresses. I don't know much about pinging. But I looked it up on the web. I pinged my computer IP address and it worked. Then from my computer I tried to ping the HD 300 Server but the packets were lost. It that how you ping the Server.

Also, in the server setup it asked for a windows file server workgroup. It already had MSHome Workgroup and other. I went into the other and put the name of my home computer??

[GKusnick]

If you can't ping the HD300 from your server, then you have some problem with your basic network setup. How did you determine that the HD300's IP address is 192.168.1.109? Did it get that address from the router via DHCP? Or did you type it in manually?

A diagram of your network setup might also be helpful.

Originally Posted by greenthumb

Also, in the server setup it asked for a windows file server workgroup. It already had MSHome Workgroup and other. I went into the other and put the name of my home computer??

What version of Windows are you running?

[greenthumb]

Originally Posted by GKusnick

If you can't ping the HD300 from your server, then you have some problem with your basic network setup. How did you determine that the HD300's IP address is 192.168.1.109? Did it get that address from the router via DHCP? Or did you type it in manually?

A diagram of your network setup might also be helpful.



What version of Windows are you running?

1. The IP address of the Sage Server was found this way - When I turned ont the server it was on Stop Auto Connect, becasue it would not connect to my computer. I entered this and it configured. Then I went to settings. Then I went to system information. It showed the IP address as 192.168.1.103.

The IP address from the computer was found on the computer.

2. I am using XP Home Sp3

See attached for diagram of my system.

[GKusnick]

Originally Posted by greenthumb

It showed the IP address as 192.168.1.103.

Earlier you said you were unable to ping 192.168.1.109. Was that just a typo? 192.168.1.103 makes more sense if you really have just two devices (the PC and the HD300) connected to the router. So my advice would be to try the ping test again, making sure you're using the correct IP for the HD300.

If the ping works, double-check your PC's firewall settings.