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I'm using a Pi-Rev B, hefty power supply, composite output, and a USB WiFi adapter. I've tested the voltage, it's WELL within reason. I'm accessing the Pi via XBMC official remote on my iphone.
My "house format" is MP4, all files that come into my library are re-encoded to the house format. That being said, the problem I have occurs with house format AND all others (.avi, .wmv), re-encoded in-house and files in their original, downloaded form.
I'm watching a movie, after a bit, I pause RaspBMC so I can get a glass of milk and a snack...when I come back, I press the pause/play button and NOTHING happens. I can SSH into the RPi and sudo reboot, but that's about it. It doesn't happen ALL of the time, but about 60-70%.
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I assume you are playing videos over network (nfs? smb?)
My guess is there's a network setting (something like keepalive) which is closing connection when they've been idle for a while.
Can you determine the time before it disconnects? (e.g. does pause for 1 minute break? 5 minutes? 10 minutes ? and determine how long before it breaks).
First test is to copy a file onto USB stick, or sdcard and see if that behaves correctly.
Next test would be to try playing a file from a wired network connection (in case it's the wifi that's disconnecting).
That may help narrow down the problem.
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OK...Yes, I'm playing mp4's over a wireless network from a Win 7 SMB share. All computers on my network have static IPs, so it's not a DHCP problem.
I copied the file to a USB stick and it behaved properly. I haven't done the wired connection because that would be an hour ordeal to move everything around and try to get the Pi connected to my tellie system. There IS an interesting thing I've discovered. I started playing the video over wireless, watched for about 15-20 minutes, when a phone call came in. I unlocked my iPhone, tried to access the Pi, and no go. So, I tried to SSH from my iphone...no go. So, I tried to SSH from my notebook computer (via wireless) and no go. I got pissed, yanked the power off the Pi, finished my phone call, plugged back in the Pi, reset the video calibration that it NEVER remembers, and I can use the iPhone app, SSH via both iPhone and Win 7 notebook. The "wireless remote failure" happens quite a bit...and it's odd that it happens randomly (I've left the Pi on overnight and hit it with the iPhone app the next morming without problems) and that it can happen when I'm streaming a video (which means to me the wifi is working on the Pi...)
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2013-05-02, 01:57
(This post was last modified: 2013-05-02, 02:01 by ac0mputerguru.)
So, I have more data: I was watching a video via Project Free TV (not one from my SMB server), I paused the Pi using the iPhone app...walked to the corner store to get cigs, came back (5-10 minutes), and it happened again (no connection available from the XBMB remote app, and I couldn't SSH from either the iPhone or laptop)... But, previous to watching the videoI had the sense to connect a USB keyboard and reboot. I pressed the space bar on the USB keyboard and the video started...AND I was then able to use my remote and SSH again...Hmmmm...
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And yet...I was watching the same episode, a phone call came in, and I couldn't pause the video via my iPhone, so I hit the space bar again...video paused and 1.5 hrs later I was able to pick up the iPhone and restart the video. Now, the vid was 3/4 of the way done and there was VERY little wireless acitivity throughout the rest of the vid. However, the vid ended and I still had access via my iPhone and SSH...I picked the next vid on the list and everything was fine...I can't seem to pin this one down...
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can you try different WiFi adapter or with wired LAN?
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2013-05-03, 05:42
(This post was last modified: 2013-05-03, 05:43 by ac0mputerguru.)
I tried another WiFi adapter and the same results...what I've found is that the Pi seems to "sleep" the WiFi (or something). The physical evidence is that the light on my WiFi completely stops flashing, until I do my solution. When the problem shows up, I can press any key on the USB keyboard and VOILA! Suddenly I can SSH from both the iPhone and my notebook, as well as use the XBMC remote app. This reminds me of the Windows USB option "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power." It causes so many problems in the Windows world that we turn this option off and solve a LOT of problems, ranging from system instability to moving the mouse to wake up the computer.
I want to use the Pi without a keyboard and use only my iPhone app, but apparantly there is a software/hardware bug that will prevent me from doing so...
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I don't have the directory it refers to...I do have an rt2x00lib, rt2xxusb, and an rt73usb, but nothing like the "rtw_power_mgnt" that's referred to...
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The names/directory will vary based on what type of wireless dongle you're using
If I have been of help, please add to my reputation as a way of saying thanks, it's free.
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@Dillgaf: I realize that, that's why I listed the three directories that are related to the RealTek chip...again, there is NO file called rtw_power_mgmt in ANY of those directories...
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2013-05-03, 07:05
(This post was last modified: 2013-05-03, 07:06 by Dilligaf.)
It does say you have to create the file. And you still haven't mentioned what chipset your dongle has/which module it's using.
If I have been of help, please add to my reputation as a way of saying thanks, it's free.
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I realize this, but the problem happens whilst I'm playing a video (using the WiFi), which means to me that the WiFi is not sleeping, but a module is. I'm not a computer nuub, just a Linux nuub (I've been a computer consultant since 1986). The adapter is based on the RealTek chip set, which I thought I listed the rt directories...this is VERY frustrating. There should be a config for power management, advanced wireless settings should include it, etc. without having to scour the Pi's file system, but there isn't. I've turned on the logs, but something is setting the level to 0, so not much info there. I can't even get the Pi to listen to me about overscan settings (again, something is overiding the config file, so nothing in the forums has helped)...the idea of the Pi is that it's an "out of the box, easy installation," which it's been...but not "ready for primetime."
I just don't understand how it can stream live content from the internet, yet refuse the remote app and SSH commands...
