Setting up LMS Server access (Media Server)
First and foremost, I am an end user that has the Firebox T70 unit. It is a great unit and usually I have no problems whatsoever, until now. The unit is in mixed routing mode, with three networks running; a wired net (192.168.111.xxx), and two wireless (192.168.0.x, and 192.168.100.x). I did this to split up the load between all nets and devices. So far so good. Recently, I built an LMS Server Media Server (on a raspberry Pi) that runs on the wired net (192.168.111.x) where my NAS also resides. I have a Squeezelight client (a WiiM Media Player) that is on my WIRELESS net at 192.168.100.x , as the unit is on another floor and needs wireless. Of course, it connects to the wireless network fine, but the units cannot se each other over the networks. Again, I am in mixed routing mode, so I should be able to get them to communicate (at least in my mind). If I put the Squeezelight Client player on my wired network, it works flawlessly and immediately with he Media Server (LMS) as they are both on the same network. . It (the player, which has a reserved address) simply CANNOT find the Client player on the wireless net. Ever. I have reached out to the LMS and WiiM Communities and they are convinced it has to do with how my networks are set up. What step am I missing, and how can I solve this? Another word: I am NOT a networking professional in any way. When I originally set up the router and nets I had the assistance of Support as it was in my initial period. I, of course, do not have that now. All devices ping perfectly between wired and wireless devices. There should be a way to do this, can you help? Thank you all for your thoughts and advice.
Comments
"see" implies that the client needs to get or send broadcast packets to/from the server, but broadcast packets won't pass from 1 routed interface to another.
This post suggests specifying the IP addr of the server on the Squeezelite Client.
"Squeezelite has a command line interface with many options which affect squeezelite output device and playback but I think the option "-s" enables you to enter server IP address."
https://forums.slimdevices.com/forum/user-forums/logitech-media-server/96623-lmc-not-seeing-squeeze-players-when-wired-vs-wireless#post1128500
Another option is to move the wifi network to your wired subnet if the wireless is connected to an AP and not to a wifi router.
I will give the "-s" switch a try, hopefully that works. My other "try" will be to mirror my media server on another drive directly plugged into the Pi via USB, although others have recommended not doing that. I will let you know my findings. Thank you. Q: Why can packets not be broadcast from one wireless interface to another? In my head that makes no sense to me......but I m NOT a networking pro.
One has to look at the actual broadcast packet to understand the general issue.
case 1) if the local subnet is 10.0.0.0/24 and the broadcast packet is 10.0.0.255, then that packet is only for that subnet and will never be routed anywhere - by design.
case 2) a general broadcast packet such as 255.255.255.255
If this was allowed by the router to go across all of the router interfaces, then the Internet would be brought to its knees just by broadcast packets - trillions (or more) of broadcast packets per second. Thus these are not allowed by design.
For limited cases, such as DHCP, there is "helper" software on routers which can be set up to forward these packets to another local subnet.
Fireware has such a capability for DHCP/BOOTP packets.
There is also a special case where specific software provided by some software vendors to do broadcast packet forwarding, some of which requires client software on a subnet device, to do the forwarding to a different subnet - directed forwarding.