Media Server Routing of Files

[amansker]

Greetings, first time poster. Lifelong audiophile, newbie to digital streaming.

I have traditionally streamed files from my computer using Squeezebox Touch (wifi connect) and Logitech Media Server. I bought a new DAC and have changed the setup a bit and asking about options.

There is a wireless access point that attaches directly to an Asustor NAS and a Directstream Junior using ethernet cable. My goal is to deliver files directly from the NAS to the DSJr without routing through my computer. If I install LMS on the NAS, and connect my SBT to to the LMS will that accomplish this goal? 

 

Will this actually effect the sound quality?

I'm using my free demo time on ROON at the same time. I have run ROON from the NAS and the computer. The best sound resulted from an ethernet cable direct to DSJr. However, that sound was virtually identical to the sound of the SBT (wifi) using LMS on the PC (by my ears, of course). Both sound incredible to me . The DSJr has replaced a Wyred4Sound Dac 2 and the difference is major. I'm just trying to tweak in the best way possible.

 

Thanks for any feedback.

[Cebolla]

Hi amansker

 

Welcome to the forum. A traditional user of Squeezebox/Logitech Media Server, one of the celebrated pioneers of streaming technologies, is most certainly no digital streaming newbie!

 

Moving LMS onto the Asustor NAS to free up the PC shouldn't affect the sound quality. The main concern would be whether you could install the latest version 7.9.2 of LMS on your particular Asustor NAS model - the official Asustor LMS app version is very old (v7.7.2 - released over 5 years ago) and is only available for certain models:

https://www.asustor.com/en/app_central/app_detail?id=357&type=&model=

 

What model is your Asustor NAS?

 

 

BTW, you should be able to use the PSAudio Directstream Junior itself as a Squeezebox streamer device with LMS - so no need to use the Squeezebox Touch as the streamer (with Directstream Junior as its external DAC).

 

The Directstream Junior's built-in Bridge II network card allows it to be used as a standard UPnP/DLNA network streamer, not just as a Roon Endpoint. All you need to do is install the UPnP/DLNA bridge 3rd party plugin (by Philippe) in LMS and configure it for the Directstream Junior.

 

Certainly worth installing the UPnP/DLNA bridge plugin in the LMS on your PC to see if it works.

 

[amansker]

I've been a computer geek for 30 years, but this whole digital thing seems awkward since standards have not really been finalized. I've also realized a lot of it has to do with networking at which I am a mere hack!

 

AS-602t, previous gen.
(was not purchased for audio, in use for backups).

Looks like it is not compatible. 

 

I've been running LMS 7.7 on my PC and didn't realize there is an update. Hopefully I can leave the NAS and SBT out of the chain and run LMS directly to the DSjr. I'm familiar with LMS and like it better than my brief experiences with JRiver an ROON.

 

You just opened many new doors for me. Thanks!

 

 

[amansker]

I updated LMS to 7.9.2 on the PC and installed Phillipe's plugin as you suggested. Everything went well and it recognized Bridge II directly without SBT.

Then I tried to control it using IPeng (ipad app for controlling Squeezebox devices). It would not recognize Bridge II. At least one other person confirmed that it cannot see Bridge II. Bummer, because Ipeng is a GREAT  program that I've used for years.

I did a quick search and tried using mconnect app (on iPad mini) and it does not seem to connect and is has very few options to setup.

Any suggestions for a controller app for LMS and Bridge II?

[Cebolla]

That's odd: iPeng, in common with all Squeezebox controller apps, controls Squeezebox devices via the media server that the devices are connected to, be that the online mysqueezebox.com server or a Logitech Media Server on the local network. So if a Squeezebox device has properly connected to LMS, iPeng should see the Squeezebox since it receives the connected player list from LMS - assuming iPeng is connected to the same LMS.

 

Exactly how did you verify that LMS actually recognised the Directstream Junior's Bridge II as a Squeezebox player after installing Phillipe's UPnP/DLNA bridge LMS plugin? For example, did the Bridge II appear on LMS's built-in Web Control web browser controller app and did you manage to get the Bridge II to play some tracks with the Web Control?

[jcbenten]

Contact iPeng directly and see if they have anything say about connecting to the Bridge II.

 

Should be a bunch of apps that will work in the UPnP/DLNA environment.  All you can do is try them and see if you like any of them.  For Android: Hi-Fi Cast works well , MediaMonkey is ok, and Bubble UPnP works well.  See if any of these have iOS apps.  I use iPeng on my iPad and it is great.  The UPnP plug-in works well for me (in Android) so I am not knowledgeable about why it does not work for Bridge II.

[Cebolla]

47 minutes ago, jcbenten said:

Contact iPeng directly and see if they have anything say about connecting to the Bridge II.

 

The OP needs to confirm that LMS is itself able control the Bridge II, eg, via the Web Control - otherwise a third party Squeezebox controller app like iPeng can't really be expected to work.

 

 

47 minutes ago, jcbenten said:

Should be a bunch of apps that will work in the UPnP/DLNA environment.  All you can do is try them and see if you like any of them.  For Android: Hi-Fi Cast works well , MediaMonkey is ok, and Bubble UPnP works well.  See if any of these have iOS apps.  I use iPeng on my iPad and it is great.  The UPnP plug-in works well for me (in Android) so I am not knowledgeable about why it does not work for Bridge II.

 

I believe you are confusing the LMS plugin being referred to. We are talking about the UPnP/DLNA bridge plugin by Philippe (which allows UPnP/DLNA streamers to be used as Squeezebox devices),

not the UPnP/DLNA Media Interface plugin by Andy Grundman (which allows the LMS to be used as a UPnP/DLNA media server and Squeezebox controllers connected to that LMS to be used as standard UPnP/DLNA controllers).

 

They serve totally different purposes and in fact the OP is advised to switch off the Andy Grundman plugin for now, to avoid any further confusion!

 

 

[Cebolla]

44 minutes ago, Cebolla said:

not the UPnP/DLNA Media Interface plugin by Andy Grundman (which allows the LMS to be used as a UPnP/DLNA media server and Squeezebox controllers connected to that LMS to be used as standard UPnP/DLNA controllers).

 

Oops, meant "allows LMS to be used as a UPnP/DLNA media server and standard UPnP/DLNA controllers to be used as Squeezebox controllers" - and there was me trying not to add to the confusion!

[amansker]

After installing Philippe's UPnP/DLNA bridge, I went to the LMS Plugins screen and selected the settings.  I selected UPnP/DLNA from the top left drop-down menu. That changed the menu and showed another drop down menu in the bottom half of the screen. That menu showed two items:

1) {common parameters}
2) BridgeII
 

That's when I decided it recognized the BridgeII on the DSjr. I selected BridgeII, but it seems to keep changing back to common parameters. Maybe I misinterpreted this?

 

In the LMS Control Panel I went to Advanced and started Web Remote Control. The top-right drop-down menu shows only the Squeezebox Receiver and not the BridgeII.
 

[To avoid confusion, I have an SBT and also a Duet on this system. The SBT is probably disconnected just this instant.]
 

So, evidently the LMS is not connected to BridgeII?

Thanks for all the help. I'm learning mucho here.

[Cebolla]

Ok, it looks like the UPnP/DLNA bridge plugin has recognised the BridgeII UPnP/DLNA renderer and created an entry for the BridgeII UPnP/DLNA renderer in its configuration file, but that does not necessarily mean that LMS itself has recognised the BridgeII.

 

For that to happen you have to start the UPnP/DLNA bridge plugin's associated helper application (squeeze2upnp-win.exe in the Windows version), by ticking the box next to the Start the Bridge option at the top of the plugin's configuration page and then clicking the Apply button (bottom right). What this does is creates a Squeezelite software Squeezebox player for the BridgeII UPnP/DLNA renderer, giving it the same name as the BridgeII UPnP/DLNA renderer by default.

 

It's the BridgeII Squeezelite player that the UPnP/DLNA bridge helper application actually gets to connect to LMS, resulting in LMS itself recognising the BridgeII as a Squeezebox player, with the UPnP/DLNA bridge managing the translated commands and their communication between the normally incompatible UPnP/DLNA and Squeezebox streaming technologies.

 

BTW, you need to make sure that the Windows firewall doesn't block the UPnP/DLNA bridge's squeeze2upnp-win.exe helper application. The easiest way to do this is to accept the authorisation message box that the Windows firewall pops up when you first Start the Bridge.

 

 

Further information can be found in the UPnP/DLNA bridge plugin's user guide, which you can access by clicking the View User Guide link, to the right of the Start the Bridge tick box. The regularly updated OP on the plugin's support thread is also worth reading:

https://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?103728-Announce-UPnPBridge-integrate-UPnP-DLNA-players-with-LMS-(squeeze2upnp)

[amansker]

And 5 minutes later...BINGO! Better yet, the IPeng hooked up. You saved me countless hours of reading and trying to figure this thing out - greatly appreciated!

 

Off to a meeting now, but will review SQ and play around with it later tonight.