Any way to set up your music server so it doesn't need to be directly on a LAN? That way you could have one server and share it with friends across the internet.

Obviously I don't know the networking is accomplished between the server and the receiver. I read in a review that the receiver puts out a DHCP request to the server software on start up. Is it possible to give the receiver a static IP? Can someone give me a outline of the networking details?

-willryu

If you can arrange for the receiver to acquire an address from another DHCP server (i.e. DSL router/Linux box), and you can arrange routing from it to the server box, all you should need to do is spoof out the service discovery protocol, to point it at a particular IP address.

See http://www.mock.com/receiver/server/ for more information.

Getting the routing working might prove problematic. In this case, port-forwarding is your friend.

However, I can't comment on the legality (or lack of) of sharing your music collection in this way.



Roger - not necessarily speaking for empeg

However, I can't comment on the legality (or lack of) of sharing your music collection in this way.

Not to mention the bandwidth problems. And that fact that the server software will ONLY serve other Rio Receivers, which would have to be similarly-frankensteined on the other end to be able to communicate with the internet.

If you want to serve music to the internet, there are much more straightforward PC software solutions for doing it. The Receivers are really meant for just your house.

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Tony Fabris

I guess I didn't explain my intentions clearly. I'm not interested in distributing my music ala shoutcast style via the internet. Or make my mp3 collection universally accessible to anyone with a Rio Receiver (as difficult as that might be).

I believe there are cases when it would be convenient to have access to your mp3 collection via the Rio Receiver away from you home LAN. For example, I work in two different laboratories and it would be great to be able to have a Rio Receiver at both places and access my mp3s without resorting to mirroring GBs of data. One computer in the lab has a sound card with poor audio quality and the other has no sound card. In any case I would prefer to listen to my music through the Rio Receiver. One UI for all my music anywhere at any place would be the way to go in my opinion.

Another example would be to be able to bring my Rio Receiver to a party (with requisite network connectivity) and plug it into the house stereo. Bang. You have an inexhaustible program of music that you are familiar with. Yes, there is strong possibilities of abuse, but I was just wondering if this was possible (being naive of the networking details).

Hey, I love my Rio Receiver. I want one available anywhere and everywhere. :)

The service discovery protocol and the routing are the main hurdles you need to overcome. We've had people playing Receivers at home with the music somewhere else, but, as I said, it requires a spot of hackery.

Personally, I just use rsync, and I do replicate 20G of music from one machine to another.


Roger - not necessarily speaking for empeg

Another example would be to be able to bring my Rio Receiver to a party (with requisite network connectivity) and plug it into the house stereo. Bang. You have an inexhaustible program of music that you are familiar with.

Yeah, that'd be nice, except you'd need to frankenstein your party friend's internet connection to route the traffic. Depending on the party, this could be a problem.

I work in two different laboratories and it would be great to be able to have a Rio Receiver at both places and access my mp3s without resorting to mirroring GBs of data.

Okay, that would be useful. And since you can permanently configure the network settings at both ends, that would work.

But I have a different idea...

Imagine, if you will, a small package that you can take anywhere... to work, to your home, to a party, even in your car... and this small package contains your entire music collection.

It's got a couple of RCA outputs and can be plugged into any audio system. You don't need a network connection to play music. You can bring it to parties where no network connection is available.

This way, you'd have the same UI and the same music collection whereever you go. In fact, when you unplug it at home and take it with you to work, it just starts playing where you left off.

It's called a Rio Car...



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Tony Fabris