Network Media Sharing Assistance! Options

[ruddyrum]

Just so you have a rough idea of what im going on about, here is a brief layout of my network:

Xbox 360 __ My PC __ NAS
Router ______/

I have 2 networks, one wireless from my router and one purely for media sharing between my PC, NAS and xbox 360. My 360 is connected to my PC via a crossover cable and also connected to my PC via crossover is is a File server (NAS).

With my original xbox I can see my network (PC & NAS) but with the 360 using Media Centre i can only see my PC.

I am using Windows Vista Ulitmate (NAS is using MCE 2005) and in media centre on my PC it detects both shares on this PC and also on the File server. It even sees the Xbox 360 as a media extender, yet i am not able to communicate between the 360 and my NAS. Normal communicate between 360 and my pc is fine!

Could anyone offer any advice or suggestions?

Thanks

[MaxP]

the issue i think is that with the original xbox using XBMC or the like, you could set the path to your file share via IP address. this would work as the xbox would say to your PC i need to contact ip address x.x.x.x and your PC would say not a problem its over here via this network adapter.

so in effect your PC was acting as a bridge between the original xbox and the NAS.


the 360 isnt as configurable.
you cannot tell the 360 to connect to a media center via an IP address.
instead the 360 searches the local network.

as far as the 360 is concerned the local network is the one between the 360 and your PC.
the network between your PC and the NAS is a totaly seperate network to all effect and your 360 wouldnt even know of its exsistance, let alone how to make a connection to it.


you have a couple of options...

1. stop using the PC as a bridge and get a switch.
this would allow you to have the 360/PC/NAS/Router all on the same network/IP range
this has to be the most sensible and suitable method.

2. try and rebuild your current set up and try to bridge the two network adapters used from PC to 360 and PC to NAS. for instance.
360 ip 192.168.0.1
NAS ip 192.168.0.2
PC IP (to 360) 192.168.0.3
PC IP (to nas) 192.168.0.4

Bridge the two network adapters on your PC and give it another IP addy such as 192.168.0.5

in theory you would then have
PC 192.168.0.5 (note the PC actually has two adapters and two ips, but bridged they appear as one virtual adapter with on ip)
360 192.168.0.1
NAS 192.168.0.2

in theory the 360 and the NAS would then be on the same subnet and be able to see each other without issues.


you will have noticed the liberal use of the term in theory.
the reason for this is routing/bridging/subnets can be about as tricky as things can get.


Seriously your best bet to is shoot down to best buy or pcworld or local pc shop and get an 4/8 port switch for less than a round of beers.

[ruddyrum]

Hi there, and thanks for the reply.

I have already tried bridging, but that didn't seem to help. Infact if i remember correctly it could not even connect to the PC, it went straight to the NAS and detected "older software" (MCE 2005) Then i had the problem of not seeing shares on my PC!!!

The main reason i don't want to go for the switch option, is that the connection from my PC to my nas is a gigabit connection, so when i transfer large files, it only takes a matter of seconds. With a switch data transfer between the two will only reach a max of 10/100 mbps which will reduce its performance 10 fold!! Unless i go for a gigabit hub, which then pushes the price up alot...