Local network streaming from computer to TV stopped working. I'm Baffle


Recommended Posts

So I have a desktop PC (connected wirelessly) that I use to stream videos to my TV (Samsung UN46D6000, ethernet) via Windows Media Player. My PS3 (ethernet) would also see the computer and could stream from it. Everything worked perfectly up until 3ish days ago. I went to stream to the TV, but the TV wouldn't recognize the computer. I've spent the last 2 hours trying to troubleshoot this issue and I've identified the following issues:

Essentially, the internet works - but no devices can see each other. I note the following (note I am mentioning all this because everything worked flawlessly the other day):

  1. TV and PS3 do not see the computer.
  2. Computer does not see the TV.
  3. Android phones/tablets do not see the TV (I have the "Samsung Remote" app installed).
  4. PS3 Media Server doesn't work to either the TV or PS3.
  5. I've tried using AirTwist to stream video from my phone to the TV & PS3, but it doesn't work.
  6. I've factory reset the router (Actiontec provided by FiOS).
  7. Everything (phones, tablets, TV, PS3, Computer) access the internet individually and fine - with no issues.
  8. I made NO changes to any settings on anything before this happened.

I just can't figure it out. The only thing that I can think of is that there is something wrong with the router, but it just doesn't make sense -- I didn't change anything - and a factory reset didn't fix the issue.

Does ANYONE have any ideas?

My guess: TV (or other devices) connected to someone elses WiFi. When I setup my new TV it automatically connected to a random open wireless network without prompting me...could be a similar issue

So all these devices are wireless? And when you say they can not see each other - do you mean that they can not ping each others IPs? This would be the only real valid test of connectivity.

Or you do you mean the other devices don't show up in some browse listing?

If wireless can not talk to wireless - check that your router has not enabled AP isolation or also called Client Isolation. This is somewhat common security feature that prevents wireless from talking to wireless. Great for if you have bunch of wireless devices that are strangers machines - like a hotspot sort of thing.

http://tomatousb.org/settings:wireless#toc1

AP Isolation

This isolates all wireless clients and wireless devices on your network from each other. Wireless devices will be able to communicate with the Gateway but not with each other in the network.

The TV and PS3 are wired directly to the router. The computer and phones/tablets are wireless. I can ping the tv from my computer. I can ping the PS3 from my computer.

I mean they do not show up as far as sharing is concerned. The TV doesn't see my computer's media shares. The computer doesn't see that the TV is a media shared device, etc.

I'll take a look at the isolation thing and see if it affects anything. Thanks for the tip.

don't show up where? On your computer as browser, on the tv as browser, the ps3 as browsing?

Then just access directly - smb://ipaddress or \\ipaddress

Who is the master browser of your network? Or are you talking DLNA or SMB/CIFS?

If what your talking about is network browser neighborhood - there is good info and tool for finding your networks master browser

http://scottiestech.info/2009/02/14/how-to-determine-the-master-browser-in-a-windows-workgroup/

LANscanner v1.3 - ScottiesTech.Info

Scanning LAN...

2K8R2			 192.168.1.4
I5-W7			 192.168.1.100  18-03-73-B1-0D-D3  LOCAL
KIM-PC		    192.168.1.201
STORAGE		   192.168.1.8  00-0C-29-57-41-D5  LOCAL	  MASTER

Press any key to exit...

So you can see my box called storage is master of the local workgroup.

I'm talking strictly DLNA streaming. I used to use my computer to stream videos (via DLNA) to my TV (I followed something similar to these steps). My PS3 would also see the DLNA server. Now, neither the TV nor the PS3 can see the DLNA server.

The same goes for PS3MediaServer. I could use that for DLNA streaming to the TV and PS3 but now this doesn't work either. I was also able to stream to my TV from my phone. Now, nothing.

Additionally, as I mentioned in the OP - I used to use Samsung's TV Remote Control App - and now the phone can't connect to the TV anymore.

Essentially I've tried to figure out the common cause and it seems to be narrowed to the router. However, I don't know what the problem is, and a factor reset hasn't fixed it.

What does "Baffled" mean?

What does "incompetent" mean?

- Highlander

I would reset everything and force your devices to refresh their network settings.

Go into each device's network setup and change the settings manually, then go

back to Auto mode.

Have you tried going into the control panel-network and sharing center- change advanced sharing settings to make sure that media streaming is on?

Also you might need to delete your media player cache, C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Media Player, in order to delete this you'll need to go to the folder options and show hidden files AND THEN go into task manager to end the wmpnetwk.exe, this will make it possible to delete the folder, once that is done, go back to control panel-network and sharing center- change advanced sharing settings, you might need to manually turn on media streaming, check for your devices there under all networks, then you can rebuild the media player cache, by opening WMP, after 5 or 10 minutes depending on how many files you have, it should be working again.

  • Like 1

What does your "Media Streaming Options" in WMP (Stream->Media Streaming Options) look like under "All Networks"?

It shows the TV, but says it's offline:

Image%202012-11-18%20at%2010.28.31%20PM.png

What does "Baffled" mean?

What does "incompetent" mean?

- Highlander

I would reset everything and force your devices to refresh their network settings.

Go into each device's network setup and change the settings manually, then go

back to Auto mode.

I've done it. Nothing.

That was about all I knew on the streaming subject, sorry I couldn't help bud, but if you do replace the router, you could do far worse than my set up, Cisco E4200, and 2 Netgear WNHDE111 Bridges (or you could just get the Cisco ones) , most of my devices run wired through the bridges, which are in turn, connected to the 5Ghz freq on the router

  • Like 1

Update: Made progress.

I noticed that WMP on my computer was detecting my phone. It could read the media off the phone and play it flawlessly.

What's the difference? Computer and Phone are connected wirelessly. TV and PS3 are connected via ethernet directly to the router.

So I unplugged the PS3 and turned on wireless, and VOILA, it detects the DLNA servers (both WMP and PMS).

So there's some issue with the router letting DLNA streams through ethernet connections. Very strange because internet works perfectly elsewise on the two. If I can't figure it out, hopefully Verizon will just replace the router.

Got any ideas why streaming will only work via wireless completely out of the blue?

also, I've swapped around the ethernet ports and on all of them it doesn't work.

Unless it's impossible to run your pc wired, then I think it's your router prioritising the wired conns over the wireless ones and thinks the pc is not the master device maybe.

If you can, buy yourself a CAT6 Ethernet cable and run your pc wired, then everything else wireless, I bought a 10 Metre (30 feet) CAT6 from ebay. Might help.

  • Like 1

So wireless can talk to wired? Ping? You sure you didn't turn on guest mode on your wireless?

You sure your router is not blocking multicast? DLNA and UPnP would use multicast to announce itself If you have enabled say igmp snooping that could block that.

So for example here is my popcorn hour announcing itself - which to to be honest I wish I could turn off - just a bunch of noise on the network I don't use ;)

post-14624-0-42320000-1353330556.png

Here is one of my DVRs searching for other UPnP/DLNA

post-14624-0-72761400-1353330804.png

Fireup your sniff on your PC do you see this traffic - if not then prob your router is blocking it.

I will check this all when I get home from work tonight. Thanks BudMan.

Just for clarification - the current state is:

  1. All devices can access the internet.
  2. My computer (wireless) can ping all other devices (both wireless and wired) and successfully get a response.
  3. DLNA works between wireless devices (eg: computer and phone). It does not work between a wireless and wired device (eg: computer and TV).

Did you recently do a firmware upgrade on your router?

I know I got a Netgear WNDR3700 V1 with stock firmware, and had major problems with DLNA always disappearing, then I finally upgraded it to DD-WRT, and viola! All of the DLNA problems stopped..

What about wired devices? So your computer (wired) and TV wired?

I would fire up say wireshark while in this setup. Do you see the SSDP stuff from TV? then check while wireless and do you see this traffic from wireless devices, but not wired?

I don't use dlna, just don't see the point to be honest ;) My media player just pulls my media via smb on my nas, plays on my TV.

And my mediaplayer (popcorn hour) and both dvrs are on dumb switch in the living room.. So it just dawned on me that now that router is vm on esxi host I can run this connection into my smart switch... And then moved my envi current bridge that has a freaking multicast mac -- stupid company!! And can not locally fix it. And since my router is now VM I don't need the span ports of my smart switch any longer so could put the envi and the n40l lan connected to dumb switch and enable igmp snooping (blocking multicast) on my smart switch. Now way less multicast noise when sniffing on my workstation ;)

post-14624-0-73446900-1353341699.png

  • 2 weeks later...

back from the dead! (vacation)..... BudMan, I don't see an "IGMP Snooping" -- but this is what I see that is similar... didn't change any settings:

Image%202012-11-30%20at%206.06.30%20PM.png

Image%202012-11-30%20at%206.06.46%20PM.png

Image%202012-11-30%20at%206.06.57%20PM.png

For the last image -- I changed everything to enable "IGMP Allowed" and it didn't fix it.

I just don't understand how it can be working fine one day and then all of a sudden it stops. And why does it work fine over wireless, but not through ethernet?

UGHHHHHHHHH

What switch is that? So I can lookup the manual, that is part of your routers interface?

Why would you be filtering multicast, see image 2? If you want to use it? Looks to me next to all your host IPs you have igmp disabled, not allowed.

I would suggest you just disable all the igmp filtering stuff all together. As to why it could of changed, like said a firmware upgrade or reset - or maybe you ran through some wizard that turned it on that you were not aware of?

Did you add that switch to your network? And before you just connected to your router?

It's this router: http://www.actiontec...uct.php?pid=189

There are no additional switches. Just the router, which was provided by Verizon.

I changed everything in pic 3 to "IGMP Allowed" and didn't affect anything.

The reason I'm confused is because I literally changed nothing - hardware, software, or firmware wise when this all started. I think I will just call Verizon and see if I can get a new router.

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Posts

    • And the fact that the majority of people from Poland are white European Christians while the people you are complaining about in post after post are not is just a coincidence... Every sentence in your post I am replying to is racist nonsense. None of it is actually based on any facts whatsoever. They are seeking a better life too. They are working and contributing to the economy too, as you even admit. They get the same benefits your partner did AND that YOU are eligible for as well. That is the definition of a society where everyone is given a chance, treated equally and fairly, and is judged by the content of their character, not their different skin color or which version of ignorant superstitious nonsense their parents lied about as children. Racists said the same things about the Irish and Jews and Poles (like your partner) and...every other immigrant movement over the centuries. What's your family's heritage, by the way? Were your ancestors lied about with racist fearmongering crapola by self-entitled locals the same way as you are now? If someone like that said the same things about all people from Poland, like your partner, would they be right? Or would you want them to judge your partner based on who they actually were, not where they just happened to come from?
    • Again, this is an irrelevant attempt to attack the messenger. The truth does not require any justification.
    • Removed the blue and underline as you did not post a link. This would also  be considered spamming.
    • Why it's almost impossible to produce a smartphone in the United States by Hamid Ganji If you look at the back of some Apple products, you can see the famous phrase “Designed by Apple in California, Assembled in China.” This phrase appears on products from one of the largest smartphone brands in the United States. These products are designed in the U.S., but their manufacturing takes place in China, India, Vietnam, or even Brazil. But why can’t Apple, as one of the largest American tech companies, produce its iPhones on U.S. soil? The idea for this topic came to me after the Trump Foundation launched a smartphone called the T1 and claimed that it was designed and built with American values in mind. However, this claim did not last long, as it was revealed that Trump’s phone was actually a rebranded HTC U24 Pro, with only a gold case and minor internal component changes. You see? Even a phone that is supposed to represent American values is manufactured in China. With a gross domestic product (GDP) exceeding $32 trillion, the United States is currently the world’s largest economy, while China ranks second with around $20 trillion. On the other hand, the United States is by a wide margin the global leader in various technological fields, and American companies spend hundreds of billions of dollars annually on research and development. From Apple and Google to Microsoft, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and others, American tech and industrial giants lead their foreign competitors in many sectors. The United States also has no shortage of smartphone brands. Apple, Google, and Motorola are among the major brands in the smartphone market, collectively holding a significant share. However, the vast majority of their products are manufactured outside the United States. So why is it that the world’s largest economy, home to the most advanced technology companies and industrial powers, cannot produce a smartphone on its own soil? Let’s explore this question together. Even threats to impose tariffs won’t work After Trump entered the White House as the 47th President of the United States, his administration adopted strict tariff policies. One of these policies was the imposition of a 25% tariff on smartphones manufactured outside the United States. Trump said he “had a little problem” with Apple CEO Tim Cook over producing smartphones outside the U.S. So he thought that threatening a 25% tax on imported phones might force Apple to bring manufacturing back to the United States. “I have long ago informed Tim Cook of Apple that I expect their iPhones that will be sold in the United States of America will be manufactured and built in the United States, not India, or anyplace else,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. Image via The White House Although Apple currently manufactures some of the iPhone’s chips in the United States with TSMC's help, it still shows no willingness to shift full iPhone production to the country. At the time, renowned Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo wrote on X, “In terms of profitability, it’s way better for Apple to take the hit of a 25% tariff on iPhones sold in the US market than to move iPhone assembly lines back to the US.” However, manufacturing a smartphone in the United States is not as easy as it might seem, and many technical and economic barriers are involved. The lack of necessary manufacturing hubs There is a clear reason why many companies prefer to manufacture their products in China. China has established itself as the main global manufacturing hub for international companies, and over the past few decades, large contract manufacturers have emerged there, allowing companies like Apple to outsource production. One such example is Foxconn, which also manufactures some Apple products in India. Building the infrastructure required to produce smartphones in the United States would require tens of billions of dollars in new investment. Factories would need to be built, essential manufacturing equipment would have to be installed, and, most importantly, a skilled workforce capable of operating these systems would need to be recruited and trained. The United States currently lacks the core infrastructure needed to manufacture smartphones, and for this reason, many companies prefer to outsource production to Chinese contractors rather than spend tens of billions of dollars to build that infrastructure, which is significantly more economically efficient. Additionally, building such infrastructure in the United States could take up to a decade, ultimately leading to a significant increase in the product's final price for consumers. Shortage of trained labor in the U.S. compared to China Decades of serving as a global manufacturing hub have allowed China to build a massive talent pool in the production sector that is almost unmatched worldwide. Today, if a company chooses to manufacture its products in China, it can be confident that the workers involved in production have years of experience in their respective roles and are capable of producing high-quality goods with minimal errors. Even if we assume that tens of billions of dollars were invested in building smartphone manufacturing infrastructure in the United States, finding skilled workers would remain highly challenging. Apple CEO Tim Cook visiting the iPhone 6 assembly line in China in 2014. Image: Tim Cook on X In a 2015 interview on CBS’s 60 Minutes, Tim Cook said the main reason Apple isn’t producing in the US is a lack of skills. "China put an enormous focus on manufacturing, in what you and I would call vocational kind of skills. The US over time began to stop having as many vocational kinds of skills. I mean you could take every tool and die maker in the United States and probably put them in the room that we're currently sitting in. In China you would have to have multiple football fields,” Cook said. Also, in 2017, at the Fortune Global Forum in Guangzhou, Cook once again emphasized the importance of highly skilled Chinese workers. “China has moved into very advanced manufacturing, so you find in China the intersection of craftsman kind of skill, and sophisticated robotics and the computer science world. That intersection, which is very rare to find anywhere, that kind of skill, is very important to our business because of the precision and quality level that we like. The thing that most people focus on if they’re a foreigner coming to China is the size of the market, and obviously, it’s the biggest market in the world in so many areas. But for us, the number one attraction is the quality of the people,” Apple CEO said. Higher labor costs in the United States Producing almost any product in the United States is more expensive than in many other countries, and one of the main reasons is the higher cost of labor in the U.S. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, median weekly earnings of full-time workers in the United States were $1,235 in the first quarter of 2026. Meanwhile, the average annual salary in China's private sector in 2025 was RMB 71,590 (US$9,961). In many parts of the world, the weekly wage of an American worker is equivalent to several months of income. Another important factor to consider is that in the United States, the workforce capable of working on a smartphone assembly line is highly specialized and therefore commands higher-than-average wages. According to an estimate by Bank of America, producing an iPhone in the U.S. is technically possible, but “iPhone cost can increase 25% purely on higher labor cost in the U.S.” However, this 25% increase applies only if final assembly is performed in the United States while components are still sourced from China or elsewhere. In this case, the price of a base iPhone would rise from $799 to around $1,000. But in another scenario, if Apple were to produce the required components for the iPhone within the United States, production costs could increase by more than 90%. Trump’s dream for a “Made in the USA” iPhone might never come true In a free-market capitalist economy, one of the primary responsibilities of any CEO is to maximize profit. Using Apple as an example, Tim Cook’s role is to maximize the company’s profits so that it can fund research and development for new products and invest in areas such as artificial intelligence, while also keeping shareholders satisfied. Therefore, it is entirely understandable that Apple would choose not to bring its manufacturing back to the United States and instead keep production in countries where labor is cheaper, and products can be manufactured at a lower cost, thereby maximizing its profit margins. What is your opinion about manufacturing smartphones in the United States? If you are an American citizen, would you be willing to pay hundreds of dollars more for a smartphone made domestically in the USA? Let us know in the comments.
  • Recent Achievements

    • Conversation Starter
      jessse3334 earned a badge
      Conversation Starter
    • Reacting Well
      JuvenileDelinquent earned a badge
      Reacting Well
    • One Month Later
      Excellence2025 earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • Week One Done
      Excellence2025 earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • Week One Done
      flexorcist earned a badge
      Week One Done
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      506
    2. 2
      +Edouard
      196
    3. 3
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      153
    4. 4
      Steven P.
      72
    5. 5
      FloatingFatMan
      65
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!