[jffrydrago]

Okay, here is the deal:

I have an old laptop (running Vista) that I have installed XBMC onto, and I have two external hard drives attached to it that contain all of my movies. Attached through long cable is a switch/router (older Linksys model).

Now, what I want to do, is be able to have people connect to this small private network through the switch/router (not sure how I need to configure everything) and stream movies wirelessly to their XBMC programs (there would probably only be three other laptops that would do this).

I have tried to take down the firewall on the old laptop, and I have tried to share everything and I have tried drive mapping... But so far, nothing I do seems to work. If someone could please give me a step by step on how to configure this stuff, it would be GREATLY appreciated because I spent hours making sure everything (hardware) was attached correctly and stuff like that.

I can provide more information upon request (switch/router model, "server" laptop model, etc.).

Thank you very much for your help in advance.

- Jffrydrago

[rocketpants]

Can you access the files on the laptop directly from another computer (i.e. is sharing working correctly)?

If you can access the shared folders directly (i.e. not through XBMC) then you shouldn't need to change anything in the router/firewall.

If you are sure the sharing is working then it should be a simple method of just adding the shared folders as sources in XBMC on the other computers and either accessing via file mode or scanning the movie infomration in to library mode.

If you can't access the shares from the other computers does it give an error message?

Note: you'll most likely have issues streaming HD movies wirelessly but it should work fine with SD content

[jffrydrago]

No, I cannot access the shares... I get an error message that says I do not have access to the computer and I should contact the administrator. It could be that I'm trying to access the computer through the router? But I see no issue in doing that... I could try port forwarding or something.

I've just been messing with it so much, I'm in that mode where you just want to make it work you know?

But yeah, ANY help would be appreciated.

- Jffrydrago

[rocketpants]

That would be your problem then - no access to the shared folders so XBMC can't see anything to play.

On the client PC (I'm assuming windows here) can you browse the network and see the name of the server PC?

If yes, go to the server PC and look at the permissions of the share folder. You want to set it so that the user on the client PC has access to that share. You only need read access and you woudl want to set that access without a password. You can probably use guest access to the share as well so you dont need to add many users on the server PC.

If you can't see the server PC from the client PC can you ping the server from the client using a command window

Code:

ping <server IP>

If you can't do that then check the IP of the server and the client

Code:

ipconfig /all

and make sure they are on the same subnet. They both should be something like 192.168.0.xxx.

If they are not on the same subnet check to see how the IP addresses are assigned. One of them may be manually assigned. Try setting both PCs to auto-assigned (might be written as DHCP) so that the router sets the IP.

The router shouldn't be giving you problems trying to see windows shares on a home network. Check your PC settings first before playing with the router.

Sorry if I am telling you how to suck eggs here.

[onoort]

can you access the shared drives in windows? Try to open the network drives in windows and then start xbmc. Works for me. Is not the way it should work but good enough till I know the real solutions

[jffrydrago]

Okay,

I got file sharing to work, but it does not work with MY computer... That's why I've been having all of the problems... It works with other people's computers... Weird.

Anyway, all I need to know now is how to add the server as a source in XBMC on the "client" PC's... Keep in mind, all the movies are on two seperate external hard drives.

Thank You,

- Jffrydrago