ATTN: Windows Media Center users!
Posted: 30 Mar 2012 22:01I am a devout Raza user for the past several years and see no reason to change now, I am overall far too pleased and impressed with it. Especially now. As of this date, I have been investigating something in connectivity issues on v2.5.5.0, x86.
Two different *dedicated* server platforms:
-Windows SBS 2K3 on a 1x CPU P4 HT.
-Windown Home Server 2011 on a 2x Xeon DC 5148.
Two different routers:
-Linksys 100 Mb BEFSR series.
-DLINK Gigabit DIR series.
Behind the same network firewall were two different workstations:
-Windows XP Pro x86 on a 1x CPU P4 HT.
-Windows 7 Pro x64 on a 1x CPU i7-870.
Both of these workstations had a TV tuner card:
-Hauppauge PCI in the P4.
-ATI PCI in the i7.
My ISP has always been Time Warner Cable running on a Motorola Surfboard 5100 modem, which together have otherwise proved wonderful and nearly flawless.
The crux of the Shareaza connection problems were consistent, being revealed as a flat-lining of Internet connection monitoring graphs for several minutes, a complete disconnect / rotation of all G2 hubs and the loss of any active incomplete file download connections.
The Windows system monitor graphs on my WHS dual-Xeon box had no similar events, never froze and (to my delight) the CPU utilization for the involved core never reached above 10%-!
Oddly, the symptom did not affect the G2 leaves, the EDonkey servers or DC++ servers connected to me at the same time.
So, the only two common elements seemed to be reduced to either my ISP or Shareaza 2.5.5.0.
Long story short, I spent a day intensely troubleshooting my Shareaza server box, never turning on any other local workstation, and amazingly I did not experience the typical disconnection issues.
Completely baffled, I decided to take a break and light up my i7 workstation to watch some local TV, using Windows Media Center to access my TV tuner card and BAM, the Shareaza connection troubles (on the totally separate Xeon server machine) mysteriously returned!
To my surprise, the interference is apparently being induced anytime a PC behind my local router firewall is running Windows Media Center, regardless of being configured to not access the Internet for streaming media, not being allowed to automatically update my media info and also being configured not to update itself.
As a verification, I downloaded and installed Media Player Classic-Home Cinema v1.4.2689.0, configured it to access my TV tuner device, and am able to watch TV with no disturbances to Shareaza whatsoever.
As double-blind verifications, I successfully re-configured my WHS/Shareaza server to also concurrently host a website, and on my i7 workstation I can successfully operate three different IM programs, browse websites and operate VoIP using Squawkbox 4 on M$ Flight Simulator X, all without disturbing Shareaza whatsoever.
My apologies, for I had been blaming this issue on Shareaza (specifically when in G2 hub mode and particularly when having a DC++ server connection).
I have no other clues as to why this condition exists, but it is solidly repeatable anytime I launch WMC on any of my workstation PC's for any reason and thus felt this worth posting-!
Submitted towards the betterment of Shareaza, indeed IMHO the ultimate file sharing software package. Thanks guys, you ROCK!
Two different *dedicated* server platforms:
-Windows SBS 2K3 on a 1x CPU P4 HT.
-Windown Home Server 2011 on a 2x Xeon DC 5148.
Two different routers:
-Linksys 100 Mb BEFSR series.
-DLINK Gigabit DIR series.
Behind the same network firewall were two different workstations:
-Windows XP Pro x86 on a 1x CPU P4 HT.
-Windows 7 Pro x64 on a 1x CPU i7-870.
Both of these workstations had a TV tuner card:
-Hauppauge PCI in the P4.
-ATI PCI in the i7.
My ISP has always been Time Warner Cable running on a Motorola Surfboard 5100 modem, which together have otherwise proved wonderful and nearly flawless.
The crux of the Shareaza connection problems were consistent, being revealed as a flat-lining of Internet connection monitoring graphs for several minutes, a complete disconnect / rotation of all G2 hubs and the loss of any active incomplete file download connections.
The Windows system monitor graphs on my WHS dual-Xeon box had no similar events, never froze and (to my delight) the CPU utilization for the involved core never reached above 10%-!
Oddly, the symptom did not affect the G2 leaves, the EDonkey servers or DC++ servers connected to me at the same time.
So, the only two common elements seemed to be reduced to either my ISP or Shareaza 2.5.5.0.
Long story short, I spent a day intensely troubleshooting my Shareaza server box, never turning on any other local workstation, and amazingly I did not experience the typical disconnection issues.
Completely baffled, I decided to take a break and light up my i7 workstation to watch some local TV, using Windows Media Center to access my TV tuner card and BAM, the Shareaza connection troubles (on the totally separate Xeon server machine) mysteriously returned!
To my surprise, the interference is apparently being induced anytime a PC behind my local router firewall is running Windows Media Center, regardless of being configured to not access the Internet for streaming media, not being allowed to automatically update my media info and also being configured not to update itself.
As a verification, I downloaded and installed Media Player Classic-Home Cinema v1.4.2689.0, configured it to access my TV tuner device, and am able to watch TV with no disturbances to Shareaza whatsoever.
As double-blind verifications, I successfully re-configured my WHS/Shareaza server to also concurrently host a website, and on my i7 workstation I can successfully operate three different IM programs, browse websites and operate VoIP using Squawkbox 4 on M$ Flight Simulator X, all without disturbing Shareaza whatsoever.
My apologies, for I had been blaming this issue on Shareaza (specifically when in G2 hub mode and particularly when having a DC++ server connection).
I have no other clues as to why this condition exists, but it is solidly repeatable anytime I launch WMC on any of my workstation PC's for any reason and thus felt this worth posting-!
Submitted towards the betterment of Shareaza, indeed IMHO the ultimate file sharing software package. Thanks guys, you ROCK!