Setting Up Your Network for Media Center

Although setting up your physical network connections can get tricky, it's really on the software side that things tend to get seriously complex. Because most of the network capabilities that Media Center relies on are actually part of the underlying operating system, we'll leave it to excellent books such as Robert Cowart's and Brian Knittel's Special Edition Using Windows XP Professional to sort out all the dos and don'ts involved in setting up and troubleshooting your XP-based network.

Like their counterparts at the HPNA, the HomePlug Powerline Alliance has also set its sights on the capability to stream video through your home, via the electrical outlets. Called HomePlug AV, the new version is being designed to support up to High Definition television (HDTV) signals. Look for products to appear in late 2004 at the earliest.

For the most part, Media Center will operate independent of the network. However, there is one exception: if your Media Center PC relies on a network to connect to the Internet. That's because Media Center gets its online television guide via the Internet. Without that critical connection to the outside world, Media Center's TV recording features will be seriously crippled.

Testing Your Connection

Generally , the acid test for determining whether Media Center will be able to connect across your network to receive guide data is to launch Internet Explorer, and see whether you can surf. If you can roam the Internet freely , including gaining access to sites using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption, you should have no problems getting guide data via your networked Web connection.

Media Center has its own test routine for ensuring that it has Internet connectivity. We'll discuss this whole concept in greater detail in Chapter 23, "XP Media Center and Your Internet Connection," but you may want to run the test to ensure that your home network is functioning properly. The diagnostic utility is part of the Set Up Internet Connection wizard found under Settings, General.

If you experience problems with downloading program guide information, or you just want to check whether your network connection to the Internet is working, choose the Internet Setup tab and follow the onscreen instructions until you see the page titled An Internet Connection Is Set Up (see Figure 22.5). Select the Test button to confirm that your connection is working. If the wizard fails, it will return the ominous message "Test failed: LAN connection not working. Check the connections or reboot." Bottom line: Media Center will not be able to download TV guide data until that LAN connection is restored.

Figure 22.5. In this example from the Set Up Internet Connection wizard in Media Center, the test was not a success.

graphics/22fig05.jpg

Network Troubleshooting

If you are able to browse the Internet on your Media Center PC via a network connection, but are still unable to download guide data, it could be that your Internet connection is set up correctly for browsing, but not for Media Center. When you set up a networked Internet connection in Internet Explorer (using the settings in Tools, Internet Options, Connections, LAN Settings), you are not necessarily affecting the settings that Media Center uses.

Media Center's guide data download process runs in what Microsoft calls the System context. System is like an all-powerful user identity, making the default Administrator user identity that you probably logged on with appear weak and worthless by comparison.

SSL, originally developed by Netscape and later adopted by Microsoft for its Internet Explorer browser, is one of the most common ways for securing Internet transmissions. When you see a Web site whose address begins with https : instead of just plain http: it's probably using SSL security. As you may have guessed by now, the site where Microsoft stores its TV program guide information relies on SSL security.

Because of its reliance on the System context, Media Center will use whichever default Internet connection settings the SYSTEM user hasand these may be quite different from what you see from the Administrator standpoint.

caution

In fact, the System context is so powerful that Microsoft doesn't even mention its existence in most support literature, because there's a distinct potential for its misuse, potentially wreaking unintentional havoc with your system. Microsoft may eventually decide to do away with providing access to the System context altogether, because of its security ramifications . If you decide to follow the procedure outlined in the following text, exercise caution. One false step and you could wind up seriously disabling your system.

Checking the Internet settings for the System context is a bit tricky, but if you've already tried everything else, it's often worth a shot. Here's how to do it:

From the Windows XP desktop, open the Start menu and choose Run.
Type CMD in the window and click OK. This will open up a DOS command window.
Next , we're going to schedule a job to automatically open and run Internet Explorer in the System context. First, choose a time (rendered in 24- hour format) that is about 35 minutes from the current time. For example, let's say that the current time is 4:49 p.m. Then you would type the following command exactly:
```
 at 17:04 /interactive "%ProgramFiles%\Internet Explorer\IEXPLORE.exe " 
```
Be sure to note the spaces and quotation marks, as well as where to use forward slashes and back slashes .

If you entered the command correctly, you will receive the following confirmation message: "Added a new job with job ID = 1." If so, simply wait until the appointed time, and a new Internet Explorer window will appear. It will look like any other IE window, but its connection properties will reflect the settings for the System context, not the user that is currently logged in.

In the new IE window, select Tools, Internet Options, Connections, LAN Settings, and check to make sure that all proxies and related information are correct.

Finally, try navigating to www.microsoft.com/ from that browser window. If you can reach Microsoft's Web site, Media Center also can.

Adding Network Folders for Storing Recorded TV Files

Although it is possible to configure Media Center to look for recorded TV files in folders other than the default Recorded TV folder on your local hard drive, this isn't exactly a supported feature. In fact, Microsoft technicians warn that this is considered "a power-user technique," requiring knowledge of the Windows registry and familiarity with the use of the registry editor.

caution

Use care when editing your registry filesonce again, you're getting "under the hood" of your operating system, and any mistakes you make could seriously damage the operation of your PC. It is a good idea to always back up your registry before making changes. Here's how:

From your Windows XP desktop, select Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, and then select Backup. This will start the Backup Wizard.
Click Advanced Mode.
Select the Backup Wizard (Advanced).
Click Next, and then select the check box Only Back Up the System State Data.
In the Backup Destination screen, type the full path and filename where you want to store your backup file, and click Next.
Choose Finish. A status window will be displayed while the backup file is created (see Figure 22.6).

Figure 22.6. The Backup Utility displays the following progress window while it is performing a backup of your system state.
When the backup is complete, click Close.

Using this technique, the TV recorder in Media Center can be configured to "watch" folders on your network to look for new recorded TV programs. You may want to enable this if, for example, you have multiple Media Center machines on your network, and you want to be able to access shows recorded on any of them, from any Media Center machine.

Here's how to do it:

From the Windows XP desktop, open the Start menu and choose Run.
Type REGEDIT in the window and click OK. This opens the Registry Editor.
Navigate to the following registry key : HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Media Center\Service\Recording\WatchedFolders = REG_MULTI_SZ "<path>".

You accomplish this by clicking on the + symbol next to the entry for HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE in the left pane of the Registry Editor, then doing the same for SOFTWARE, Microsoft, Windows, and so on, until you reach the final registry key stated previously.
When you have located the final registry key in the right pane of Registry Editor, right-click on the entry and select Modify.
A small window with the title Edit Multi-String (see Figure 22.7) will appear. The Value Name is WatchedFolders, indicating that the folders listed in the Value Data box will be watched by Media Center to see whether new recorded TV programs are stored in those locations. You will see an existing folder listed on your local drive (the default location is C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Document\Recorded TV).

Figure 22.7. This Edit Multi-String window in Registry Editor allows you to input additional folders where you want Media Center to look for recorded TV files.
On the line below the default folder, enter another folder you want Media Center to watch, such as \\NetworkPC\Recorded TV.
Exit the Registry Editor and reboot the PC for your changes to take effect.

If the registry key previously noted is not present, you may need to add your own local folders registry key to the watched list. Just use the Registry Editor to add the WatchedFolders value in the Recording key path as a multi-string value, as shown previously.

Mapping a Network Drive for Recorded Video

If you made the changes as noted previously, and new recorded TV content from the network folder you specified still doesn't show up when you open Recorded TV in the Media Center My TV menu, you may need to map the network drive in the System context. If so, open a command window as described previously, except this time, type the following statement:

 at 17:04 /interactive cmd

As before, substitute a time value that is a few minutes ahead of the current time shown on your PC, and make sure it's in 24-hour format. When the time you specified rolls around, a new command window will pop up, and this time it will be in the System context. The next command you enter in this window will have the following format:

 NET USE Z: "\NetworkPC\Recorded TV"

Use any drive letter you want, as long as it isn't already in use. Press Enter, and you will be prompted to enter the user name and password for the network machine (if it's another XP Media Center PC, the default user name will be Administrator, and the password will be blank, unless you made some changes). You'll get a message telling you that the command completed sucessfully. Now try restarting Media Center and navigating to Recorded TV. You should see listings for the recorded TV shows stored on both PCs.

The Absolute Minimum

Although Windows XP Media Center generally doesn't require a home network to deliver its media management capabilities, adding that network dimension still has its advantages. For example, if you're running out of room for new TV shows on your Media Center, you can conveniently stash them on another networked hard drive. You can also pull pictures and audio files from anywhere on the network into your Media Center applications. Here are a few things you should remember:

There are several ways to enjoy network connectivity in your homeEthernet, wireless, phone line, power line, and so onand each offers a slightly different equation for cost versus performance, and overall ease of use. Do a little research and choose the network technology that's best for you. You can even mix and match multiple network architectures to get the right mix of connectivity and flexibility you're looking for.
Although Media Center generally doesn't care whether you have a network, there is one exception: if you are sharing your Internet connection from a remote PC on the network. Media Center must have an active Internet connection to access TV guide data, which is an essential ingredient for getting full enjoyment from Media Center's My TV experience.
Some network troubleshooting and customization features described in this chapter require making changes to your system via the Registry Editor and/or the System context. Exercise great caution when working in these environments, because it's quite possible to severely damage your PC's operations.