How to Bridge an HTPC Between a Wireless and Wired Network

[Busto963]

I have a networked media player that requires a wired ethernet connection to play high resolution 24bit/192khz music from my UPnP/DLNA music server, but I want to use an ipod/ipad/iphone as a DLNA control point - which of course requires wifi.

The dilema is that the network media player (a Stream Magic 6) apparently will not connect to separate wired and wireless networks simultaneously.

I wonder if I can take an old shuttle pc and set it up to stream to the media player using USB, connect to the network music server using ethernet, and use its wireless network adapter to serve as a DLNA control point.

How would I set this up the PC as a bridge between the WLAN and LAN?

 

[onnoossendrijver]

Why don't you just buy the cheapest accesspoint you can find?

 

[Busto963]

Why don't you just buy the cheapest accesspoint you can find?

Because the whole point of a networked media server is for multiple DLNA clients to be able to access music individually across the network.

In my case, I want the the media receivers in several locations to have individual access to high resolution audio files (24-bit/192 khz wav, or FLAC) on the server. Wireless will not sustain the data rates on these files without dropouts - in fact, it will not reliably sustain 16-bit/44khz CD data rates. Playing distorted audio through expensive audio speakers is bad news.

Wired LANs solve the bit rate issue, but makes control of the media receiver awkward. I have well over a thousand albums, trying to scroll through my digital library using the controls on the media screen is problematic. Ergo, most media servers and network receivers have iPad/iphone/ipod apps that let you browse your music collection and control the media player. But if you cannot connect to the LAN, you cannot play high resolution files.

This is one reason why computer audio remains a "not ready for prime time" endeavor!

 

[PrivateJoker]

The dilema is that the network media player (a Stream Magic 6) apparently will not connect to separate wired and wireless networks simultaneously.

If it's on your network, it's on your network. It's not connecting to "separate networks simultaneously." A device cannot identify which specific MACs or IP addresses are talking to it from the LAN vs WLAN.

It sounds like a UPnP server/player/controller incompatability situation. Are you using the Stream Magic iOS app on your iPad to control, or another UPnP controller/browser?

Also try toggling the IGMP snooping on your router wifi settings, that's been known to correlate to zero-config issues (of which UPnP is one variation) though on my own network it hasn't been an issue.

 

[thiggins]

Can't the player accept commands via Ethernet? I control all my Logitech Squeezeplayers/radios that are all connected via Ethernet using iPeng on an iPod touch.

 

[Busto963]

Can't the player accept commands via Ethernet? I control all my Logitech Squeezeplayers/radios that are all connected via Ethernet using iPeng on an iPod touch.

It can - the UPnP server (a PC running JRiver) is on the LAN; my WLAN is a separate network.

I know I could move the UPnP server over to my wireless network, or I could add an access point to the LAN. I really am trying to keep the WLAN and LAN separated - obviously both options effectively merge the two.

I thought I could run the DLNA controller via bluetooth, but, that does not appear to work, at least the existing code will not support this.

 

[PrivateJoker]

I thought I could run the DLNA controller via bluetooth, but, that does not appear to work, at least the existing code will not support this.

I looked at the specs of your DLNA controller (http://www.cambridgeaudio.com/products/stream-magic-6-upsampling-network-music-player) and it looks like it only supports BT streaming music profile (A2DP) w/ addition of a dongle and not the AVRCP (Audio/Video Remote Control Profile) that would be needed to control it via ios or android with appropriate compatible app. They do have apps to control via wifi though, if your LAN had an AP on it.

 

[Busto963]

My new network diagram is attached:

Previously, my network was split between a wired LAN, and a wireless router on the DMZ port of my Zywall 5.

The ability for the family to control music via iPads/Iphones etc. turned out to be a bigger deal than I thought when I set up the network.

To enable this, I moved the UPnP server, all of the wired network media players, TV, and game console onto a wired/wireless network and put my file server and other computers behind a second firewall. Basically there are two networks, or an inner and outer network.

The benefit of this design is (hopefully) improved accessibility to common services, while better protecting my sensitive data. While undesired, a compromise of the UPnP server could be repaired from a backup HD (all of my backup is from JBOD), or worse case: re-ripped. Compromise of the inner server would be much more serious.

I am still not entirely happy with this setup. I get that network security is really about managing, not eliminating risks. However, I still worry a great deal about putting a UPnP server on the wireless section of the network, which is the most vulnerable segment. I also have to deal with synchronizing multiple laptops and the risks associated with devices that have been exposed to public wifi then connecting with my LAN.

Future Ideas:

1. My upnp server has the OS on one HD and the actual music files on a second HD. I want to find a 1 TB plus sized HD that I can write protect (old SCSI and a few sata drives had this option. The music files are not going to change - I will only add to them, so a hardware write protect solution should at least limit the damage of an intrusion.

2. I am going to upgrade my server on the inner network to incorporate IDS and other features. SNB had an excellent article here:
http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/secu...1406-build-your-own-ids-firewall-with-pfsense

Any thoughts or comments would be appreciated.