raspberry pi 2 as media player

[sam9s]

Maybe Off topic
@Sam,turns out I am not alone in being screwd like this
https://www.reddit.com/r/canada/comments/1uoobz
Since you have me inclined to buy a WIFI router and convert the airtel box to just a modem now. But before I jump in do I need to do any special settings here(bridge mode etc etc).What I would have done as a noob is
a) Disable wifi AP on the airtel box
b)Take the internet via RJ 45 and plug it into the new wifi router
c) Connect the pi to the router via cable and other devices via WiFi

Now if then I use Samba or UPnP/Airplay would airtel never know since the local flow of data would not pass via their box and just my router? just want it to be foolproof as TRAI isnt as enforcing on Airtel in India and it can still dupe us.

That link, is not possible and atleast is not happening with my Airtel, else my plan would ended in 2 days. There is a truck load of huge data flow from my internal network, all the movies and TV series I see I stream from my NAS via my internal network, if Airtel was charging for that, the plan would have had ended in the initial week. My broadband cycle starts from 11th of every month and I still have 60% data left with me.
ok coming to ur queries, I would suggest drop the Airtel modem/combo all together. Get a new modem, THIS IS what I use.
Wifi router can be same, which ever you bought, mine is Linksys E2000 but that is not available anymore I guess you can go for Linksys E1200 or TP-LINK TL-WR841N, I use tplink for my HT wifi zone and E2000 for my bedroom and other rooms.

Now setup the modem fresh, you DO NOT need bridge mode IF you are not port fw ur internal network, to have access from out side. In this case, the airtel broadband credentials will go into the modem with PPPoP selected. IF YOU DO plan to port fw and access your internal network from internet, then set the modem on bridge mode and configure the airtel broad band credentials on the router instead (E1200 or tplink). with PPPoP

Once that is done ur router servers as wifi and lan and ur modem just supplies the DSL connection to your internal network. Hope this helps

 

[sam9s]

I might have missed something but what has Airtel got to do with whatever you share in your private network, even if you use their supplied router too?

Are you worried about copyright and piracy issues ?

Nothing, you have no worries ... u are correct in thinking this way.

 

[Appys]

Thanks Sam, also tweeted to airtel to tell them this clusterf if happening is wrong. Waiting for their call now.For now if ok I will use the binatone modem plus router(airtels) in standalone modem mode, and connect a dlink wifi router to the output rj45 of the modem and then connect all devices to dlinks wifi/ethernet. Guess thats fine?

 

[Appys]

I might have missed something but what has Airtel got to do with whatever you share in your private network, even if you use their supplied router too?

Are you worried about copyright and piracy issues ?

Nothing but sometimes when i streamed movies from my samba share and used spotify over airplay appeared that every bit of data that flows through the modem plus router combo(even internal) is recorded as usage of data towards data cap

 

[rikhav]

Nothing but sometimes when i streamed movies from my samba share and used spotify over airplay appeared that every bit of data that flows through the modem plus router combo(even internal) is recorded as usage of data towards data cap

That's absurd
I have never bothered to check my data useage as i use an unlimited connection and that too cable internet working over ppoe

But it's best to do as Sam suggested I.e. to buy separate adsl modem and router
Connect all devices (wired and wireless via the router only )

 

[sam9s]

BTW to be on the very safe side, although I did feel like a fool to even ask this query, I called airtel and confirmed the same and, as expected they said not data usage will be charged, for any internal traffic.

 

[regeHA]

That link, is not possible and atleast is not happening with my Airtel, else my plan would ended in 2 days. There is a truck load of huge data flow from my internal network, all the movies and TV series I see I stream from my NAS via my internal network, if Airtel was charging for that, the plan would have had ended in the initial week. My broadband cycle starts from 11th of every month and I still have 60% data left with me.
ok coming to ur queries, I would suggest drop the Airtel modem/combo all together. Get a new modem, THIS IS what I use.
Wifi router can be same, which ever you bought, mine is Linksys E2000 but that is not available anymore I guess you can go for Linksys E1200 or TP-LINK TL-WR841N, I use tplink for my HT wifi zone and E2000 for my bedroom and other rooms.

Now setup the modem fresh, you DO NOT need bridge mode IF you are not port fw ur internal network, to have access from out side. In this case, the airtel broadband credentials will go into the modem with PPPoP selected. IF YOU DO plan to port fw and access your internal network from internet, then set the modem on bridge mode and configure the airtel broad band credentials on the router instead (E1200 or tplink). with PPPoP

Once that is done ur router servers as wifi and lan and ur modem just supplies the DSL connection to your internal network. Hope this helps

It's not possible for the ISP to know your local traffic, unless everybody is spying on us and they have installed malware with surveillance technology like the NSA.

The only thing I will advise differently from the above is to get an AC router, they cost just about the same and will give you gigabit wireless transfer speeds. Eventually when you upgrade to a gigabit NAS or even ISP you will not need to buy a new router. Wireless N (even 300) is behind the curve now, but any new AC router you buy will also support both 2.4 GHz N band as well as the 5 GHz AC band.

 

[sam9s]

Nothing but sometimes when i streamed movies from my samba share and used spotify over airplay appeared that every bit of data that flows through the modem plus router combo(even internal) is recorded as usage of data towards data cap

Spotify????? .....errrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Spotify streams from the internet Dude, why are you confused, what ever song from Spotify you play will effect your GB data limit, HOWEVER the streaming from Spotify to Airplay will not make any difference since that is happening with in your local lan.

You never brought Spotify into the picture earlier, else would have cleared this initially.

 

[sam9s]

It's not possible for the ISP to know your local traffic, unless everybody is spying on us and they have installed malware with surveillance technology like the NSA.

The only thing I will advise differently from the above is to get an AC router, they cost just about the same and will give you gigabit wireless transfer speeds. Eventually when you upgrade to a gigabit NAS or even ISP you will not need to buy a new router. Wireless N (even 300) is behind the curve now, but any new AC router you buy will also support both 2.4 GHz N band as well as the 5 GHz AC band.

The only caveat is that all your devices should support wifi AC standard in order to use it, else no point. The other way round is possible like you have a wifi AC device, and wifi n router, so your device will work fine with your existing wifi n router.

 

[sam9s]

For now if ok I will use the binatone modem plus router(airtels) in standalone modem mode, and connect a dlink wifi router to the output rj45 of the modem and then connect all devices to dlinks wifi/ethernet. Guess thats fine?

Yes that would work, athough the bintone modem is not something that I would be very enthusiastic about ...

 

[rikhav]

The only caveat is that all your devices should support wifi AC standard in order to use it, else no point. The other way round is possible like you have a wifi AC device, and wifi n router, so your device will work fine with your existing wifi n router.

Most phones and tablets support AC
Most motherboard PCs from last few years have gigabit port so no isuse if wired

Issue mainly is with wiif adapter used in any pc as most have one which don't support AC

But if you are changing router makes sense to buy one with AC wireless and later on as and when budget permits chnage the wifi adapter to one with AC wireless

 

[Appys]

Spotify????? .....errrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Spotify streams from the internet Dude, why are you confused, what ever song from Spotify you play will effect your GB data limit, HOWEVER the streaming from Spotify to Airplay will not make any difference since that is happening with in your local lan.

You never brought Spotify into the picture earlier, else would have cleared this initially.

I know spotify will count towards data cap man, I am aware of that, I used dlna for a downloaded playlist on premium and streamed a movie from my samba hdd to my tab. Boom 4gb gone. I did not do anything else that day. Then a call to airtel c.care and the rep says he is unaware and every bit that flows by through the device is metered and hence the alarm. Same thing was reported by the reddit guys using rogers in canada as well. Hence the query...
Also will have to make do with the modem for now if i knew i had to buy a router, i would have gotten a top of the line one with usb storage attaching capabilities. Got a usb hub to attach my hdds for samba just last week for 1700..damn.now all i will buy is an el cheapo wifi 2.5ghz one

 

[regeHA]

The only caveat is that all your devices should support wifi AC standard in order to use it, else no point. The other way round is possible like you have a wifi AC device, and wifi n router, so your device will work fine with your existing wifi n router.

All smartphones from 2014 onwards have wireless AC (my Moto X from 2013 had it), likewise all iPads and Android tablets.

It is true the other way too, all the AC routers also support the 2.4 GHz band.

Pretty much all PCs from 2007 onwards have gigabit ethernet port, so you can re-purpose any old PC with even limited specs (Pentium 3, 512MB RAM, and 2GB storage) into a gigabit NAS with Open Media Vault and have both a gigabit wired and wireless network.

I set this up for my brother, and he is extremely happy with the transfer speeds as well as media streaming throughput of the entire house.

 

[regeHA]

I know spotify will count towards data cap man, I am aware of that, I used dlna for a downloaded playlist on premium and streamed a movie from my samba hdd to my tab. Boom 4gb gone. I did not do anything else that day. Then a call to airtel c.care and the rep says he is unaware and every bit that flows by through the device is metered and hence the alarm. Same thing was reported by the reddit guys using rogers in canada as well. Hence the query...
Also will have to make do with the modem for now if i knew i had to buy a router, i would have gotten a top of the line one with usb storage attaching capabilities. Got a usb hub to attach my hdds for samba just last week for 1700..damn.now all i will buy is an el cheapo wifi 2.5ghz one

A simpler solution for your predicament is to get a network switch (100 Mbps will cost around 500 bucks) and separate the local traffic from the router.

I have been using network switches, a gigabit one for the Synology and my i7 desktop, and a 100 Mbps network switch for the Raspberry Pi (I have 2 of them) and all the peripherals connected to them. This also helps the router by freeing up resources and moving the network switching duties to these devices. More adventurous folks can even buy a secondary router to separate the local wireless traffic from the router.

 

[hydra]

There's a new i2s reclocker available for the RPi - The KALI Reclocker ($75): https://www.allo.com/sparky/kali-reclocker.html
(Note that it says "Made in India" on the board in the pictures!)

Apparently, this will slot in between the RPi and the DAC/SPDIF Board.

SPDIF/DAC
^^^^^^^
Kali Reclocker
^^^^^^^
Raspberry Pi

Thread on diyAudio (manufacturer-supported): New FIFO buffer for RPI/SBCs - diyAudio

As of now, it looks like the HifiBerry line does not work with it, because of lack of drivers. I'm sure they will work with HifiBerry to fix this, as the Hifiberry boards are very popular.

I've just started reading the thread, and I'm not sure about whether the RPi's power supply will be enough, or whether it needs a separate power supply, in addition to the Pi. My guess is probably not: The RPi connector should provide the power to this board also. BUT, the board comes with a power supply jack, and provision for an alternate power supply also on the board (but soldering is required). [EDIT: Apparently everything - The RPi and the DAC/SPDIF board can be powered from the Kali's 5V/3A power supply].

Here's a glowing review from Volumio: https://volumio.org/allo-kali-i2s-reclocker-a-true-gamechanger/

 

[Appys]

Need your guidance:
Kodi (openelec) running on rpi-2. HDD's are connected to it via usb hub.
Its connected to my network via wireless usb adapter.

Now the requirement is "play movies on mobile (android) without copying to it"

Played via Bubble UPnP. But not happy with that.

Downloaded ES File Explorer. But didn't see the files (rpi2).
Please elaborate the method

Create a samba share and share the hard drive over your network like an NFS.Use Asus file browser and look for network folders( available on play store )you should be easily able to view your Samba share and the files therein and play them. This is like a poor man's NFS.

Warning: Do this if you are using a proper dedicated wifi router/network switch mentioned in earlier posts.And are not using airtel's eff'd up modems.


@Sam et al,if you still remember my issue of local network data being logged as internet usage by airtel cheats.before buying the dedicated wifi router I had escalated the same to airtel appellate and airtel presence.Half of the network team didnt even know what a local network share is and after much screaming some level headed people came into loop.Much explaining later (with windows examples)their network team asked me to switch off adsl n try the same and mentioned some synchronisation issues(WTF),I copied 300 mb with adsl unplugged and 500Mb with it plugged in the modem(From a Pi(ethernet to modem) connected hdd over samba to a Tablet connected to the wifi). Restarted modem after that 800 mb gone,just like that. I have no doubts over something fishy in their device that syncs all data transfer via itself to the airtel servers.

 

[sam9s]

@Sam et al,if you still remember my issue of local network data being logged as internet usage by airtel cheats.before buying the dedicated wifi router I had escalated the same to airtel appellate and airtel presence.Half of the network team didnt even know what a local network share is and after much screaming some level headed people came into loop.Much explaining later (with windows examples)their network team asked me to switch off adsl n try the same and mentioned some synchronisation issues(WTF),I copied 300 mb with adsl unplugged and 500Mb with it plugged in the modem(From a Pi(ethernet to modem) connected hdd over samba to a Tablet connected to the wifi). Restarted modem after that 800 mb gone,just like that. I have no doubts over something fishy in their device that syncs all data transfer via itself to the airtel servers.

That's is one weird issue and exception to your case. Did you use the same modem cum router from airtel for this experiment? Suggest u try the way we discussed, keep a separate modem, and connect it to a router and then from router connect all devices.... and perform the test .

 

[Appys]

That's is one weird issue and exception to your case. Did you use the same modem cum router from airtel for this experiment? Suggest u try the way we discussed, keep a separate modem, and connect it to a router and then from router connect all devices.... and perform the test .

Yeah ordered a Netgear just now,the airtel engineer himself told that the binatone modem cum routers are messy and keep a separate wifi router as thats the best approach to avoid this issue.I am sure the issue shouldnt occur after that as well.In his words he isnt sure what is going on inside that box if I use it as modem as well as a local network provisioning device,he also advised against pushing on this issue as i will keep testing their generic modem cum routers(which mostly have this bug/scam built in) at my own data loss.Seemed sensible so after all this hullabaloo I am calling a rain check and moving to separates Damn airtel.

 

[sam9s]

If I were you I would completely dump the Binatone thing, not even used as just modem, and get a separate D-Link modem that I shared earlier, none the less, try this way, just use Binatone as modem and Netgear as router, and see if the issue is resolved .....

 

[sud98]

I bought a rpi3 to be used as a media player/music player/automation server. Installed Librelec and tried watching the first movie and it was very choppy and unwatchable. Am I keeping too much hopes on the rpi?

1. The connection from rpi to NAS is via wifi (can change to ethernet) but defeats the use case.
2. The file is a 12 gb one with dtdhdma and I disabled passthru, can enable it, but wanted to test it.
3. The SD card is from my old phone and is a class 4, can upgrade to a class 10, but I believe the read rates are what matters while streaming movies and not write rates.

As this is not my regular media player, just want to test the limits of what it can do by itself with very little investment. So any advise?