[SOLVED] Media Server's UUID (Universally Unique Identifier) FIXED

[stambeccuccio]

Whenever router reboots it generates a new UUID for Media Server.
So in the folder "Devices and Printers" of Windows, I find a lot of dead media server devices (practically a new media server each time you rebooted router) that I have to delete manually.

I ask:
Is that correct? Device's UUID (Universally Unique Identifier) should not always be the same?

 

[stambeccuccio]

Whenever you reboot router the inconveniences are:
- having to manually delete all previous Media Server from all networked computers;
- having to reboot all network devices using the Media Server (TVs, Home Entertainment Systems, audio/video receivers, ecc.) because they keep in memory all previous UUID's Media Servers.

In conclusion, can you have an option to block the Media Server on a single UUID and not always change?
The continuous UUID's change is a really hassle for home network.

Thank You

 

[Diamond67]

Thanks for this thread

I have the same problem, mainly with my Sony TV.
edit: Just checked, and I have tens of Asus Servers visible in my Windows 10 Control Panel\Hardware and Sound\Devices and Printers. Haven't noticed them before, before user stambeccuccio mentioned about them . And seems that you can only remove these "phantom" Servers one by one?

Anyway,

I have Media Server called "Asus" (= Media Server Name) manually configured, and two usb thumb drives (containing mp4-files) attached to the router. When I open my television, select the Media Player and choose Video, I can see the Asus Server OK and it is "Connected". And I can play the video files.

But when I reboot or shut down the router (I use to turn off my router quite often, when I am not home etc.) and open the television later, the Media Player of my Sony televison shows two or maybe several Asus Servers listed. The status of one of these is "Connected" and the other(s) are "Disconnected". When I look at the info of these Asus Servers, the "Connected" one has IP 192.168.1.1, and those marked "Disconnected" have no IP address (= IP: -)

The "Connected" Asus Server works OK. And I can manually delete these "extra" non-working "phantom" Asus Servers from my TV menu as they appear. And re-scan the available Servers. But they keep coming back all the time, seemingly after turning off the router and turning it on again. Seems that my Asus Server of the router changes its uuid after every reboot and television will see and list it as a new Server available.

With my case, and seemingly with OP's too, Asus router's Media Server Serial Number = MAC address. MAC address of course won't change, but uuid will (with every boot).

I have a LG-NAS with Media Server enabled as well. Media Server of NAS won't change neither its Serial Number (which is not the MAC address of NAS, btw) nor uuid after reboot. So, no problem.

I have a couple of computers visible as Media Servers to my Sony as well, and their Media Server Serial Numbers are more complicated (and not the same as their MAC addresses either) and these Media Servers won't change uuid either. So, no problemo.

@RMerlin already gave some info when it comes to Serial Number and uuid, and said that the change of uuid (after restart of router) is kinda "feature":
https://www.snbforums.com/threads/b...ta-is-now-available.36868/page-24#post-306017

I have run some Asus-Official (Factory) firmware versions while having my Sony Television. For example:

Year 2016
RT-AC68U_3.0.0.4_380_1842-g7414eb9

Year 2015
RT-AC68U_3.0.0.4_378_7369-g8f33a45

And haven't ever faced this problem with uuid/serial number (or whatever is the reason) before. Just lately, after testing latest Merlins and Merlin betas.

 

[Fitz Mutch]

The router changes the UUID on reboot, even with the Entware-ng version of minidlna. Here's the fix.

/opt/etc/minidlna.conf

uuid=aaaaaaaa-bbbb-cccc-dddd-ffffffffffff

 

[Diamond67]

BTW: Does it change the situation if you Enable JFFS custom scripts and configs from the router menu? I mean, earlier when I did not have this problem, I didn't use Entware or scripts or anything. Just lately.

 

[latenitetech]

The router changes the UUID on reboot, even with the Entware-ng version of minidlna. Here's the fix.

/opt/etc/minidlna.conf

uuid=aaaaaaaa-bbbb-cccc-dddd-ffffffffffff

Fitz, genius! Thanks for sharing. I didn't even know I had this problem until I opened 'Devices and Printers' on a couple of Win10 PCs and OMG saw all the phantom media servers! I'm running the built-in minidlna, so my fix had to go into my config under /jffs, but the change was trivial with your pointer.

Also, not sure it matters, but in looking at all the phantom servers, it appears that only the last block waa changing, so the hard-coded UUID I ended up using preserved the first 4 blocks, then set the final block to all f's as you show.

Thanks again.

 

[Diamond67]

I'm running the built-in minidlna, so my fix had to go into my config under /jffs, but the change was trivial with your pointer.

Also, not sure it matters, but in looking at all the phantom servers, it appears that only the last block waa changing, so the hard-coded UUID I ended up using preserved the first 4 blocks, then set the final block to all f's as you show.

I'm a total unix/linux/whatever newbie . So, could you plz help me a bit.

Started my PuTTY and found a minidlna.conf under etc (not under /jffs), and edited it with nano (added uuid line, and saved). But after next reboot of the router the minidlna.conf is back to the original and the uuid gets renewed as usual.

Maybe you could give me kinda step by step instructions.

 

[Martineau]

I'm a total unix/linux/whatever newbie . So, could you plz help me a bit.

Started my PuTTY and found a minidlna.conf under etc (not under /jffs), and edited it with nano (added uuid line, and saved). But after next reboot of the router the minidlna.conf is back to the original and the uuid gets renewed as usual.

Maybe you could give me kinda step by step instructions.

https://github.com/RMerl/asuswrt-merlin/wiki

see section Usage-> Customizing configuration files.

 

[Diamond67]

https://github.com/RMerl/asuswrt-merlin/wiki

see section Usage-> Customizing configuration files.

Thanks! Created

/jffs/configs/minidlna.conf.add

which contains just the uuid line

uuid=1a23456b-789c-123d-345e-ffffffffffff

Used the original "fixed" figures and just replaced the last 12 digits with f-letters.

Seems to work like a charm!

Spoiler: Picture

 

[stambeccuccio]

To me it doesn't function

 

[latenitetech]

To me it doesn't function

Could you share exactly how and what you modded? All the extra changes you show are separate entries in the minidlna.conf file, so it appears you inadvertently whacked several lines in there when adding the uuid line. By chance did you add the line to /jffs/configs/minidlna.conf instead of /jffs/configs/minidlna.conf.add?

 

[stambeccuccio]

Yes. Because i don't know how to do
I'm a very new baby..

I'm here and I do not know how to add /jffs/configs/minidlna.conf.add

Can You help me step, by step? Thank You

 

[latenitetech]

Yes. Because i don't know how to do
I'm a very new baby..

I'm here and I do not know how to add /jffs/configs/minidlna.conf.add

View attachment 8445

Can You help me step, by step? Thank You

Well, if you do indeed already have a 1-line file named minidlna.conf under /jffs/configs with the 'uuid=' line in it, all you need to do is rename it to minidlna.conf.add.

cd /jffs/configs
mv minidlna.conf minidlna.conf.add

That's it. Reboot (or just restart minidlna via the GUI), and it should be fine.

If that's not it, you'll need to tell us what you already did to get the 'modded' view you showed earlier, so we can figure out how to undo it and then proceed forward.

 

[stambeccuccio]

No. I created minidlna.conf in my desktop. I haven't it in jffs/configs. How to do?

...@ROUTER:/jffs/configs# mv minidlna.conf minidlna.conf.add
mv: can't rename 'minidlna.conf': No such file or directory

Attached file (extension changed to txt)

 

[stambeccuccio]

...If that's not it, you'll need to tell us what you already did to get the 'modded' view you showed earlier, so we can figure out how to undo it and then proceed forward.

- I backuped JFFS partition by GUI (backup_jffs.tar)
- I copied minidlna.conf in .\configs
- I restored JFFS partition by GUI



.... I recognize that I am a bit fanciful

Then I restored original JFFS partition

 

[stambeccuccio]

.

.

.

.

Thank You so much. Fix it.

SOLVED

 

[Diamond67]

Now all is OK?

Attached file (extension changed to txt)

Noticed that there is spaces in your uuid line in the txt-file:

uuid = 123456a-........

instead of: uuid=123456a-........

Don't know if it matters anyway...

 

[Diamond67]

Yes. Because i don't know how to do
I'm a very new baby..

I'm here and I do not know how to add /jffs/configs/minidlna.conf.add

View attachment 8445

Can You help me step, by step? Thank You

I decided to make instructions for other newbies. This is how I (a total newbie) did it (experts plz tell me if there is something wrong) :

login as: stambeccuccio
stambeccuccio@192.168.1.1's password:
ASUSWRT-Merlin RT-AC68U 380.65-0 Fri Feb  3 05:19:01 UTC 2017
stambeccuccio@ASUS:/tmp/home/root# cd ..
stambeccuccio@ASUS:/# ls
asus_jffs  cifs2      home       media      opt        root       sysroot    var
bin        dev        jffs       mmc        proc       sbin       tmp        www
cifs1      etc        lib        mnt        rom        sys        usr
stambeccuccio@ASUS:/# cd jffs
stambeccuccio@ASUS:/jffs# ls
configs          openvpn          signature        syslog.log-1     usericon
nmp_client_list  scripts          syslog.log       traffic.db       wrs_vp.txt
stambeccuccio@ASUS:/jffs# cd configs

Create the .add-file:

stambeccuccio@ASUS:/jffs/configs# touch minidlna.conf.add

File will be created, check it is there:

stambeccuccio@ASUS:/jffs/configs# ls
minidlna.conf.add

Open the file with nano:

stambeccuccio@ASUS:/jffs/configs# nano minidlna.conf.add

nano opens the file, type the uuid line:

uuid=1a23456b-789c-123d-345e-ffffffffffff

Save with Ctrl + o

You can view the contents:

stambeccuccio@ASUS:/jffs/configs# less minidlna.conf.add

Come out of the view by pressing q

exit

 

[tomsk]

I decided to make instructions for other newbies. This is how I (a total newbie) did it (experts plz tell me if there is something wrong) :

login as: stambeccuccio
stambeccuccio@192.168.1.1's password:
ASUSWRT-Merlin RT-AC68U 380.65-0 Fri Feb  3 05:19:01 UTC 2017
stambeccuccio@ASUS:/tmp/home/root# cd ..
stambeccuccio@ASUS:/# ls
asus_jffs  cifs2      home       media      opt        root       sysroot    var
bin        dev        jffs       mmc        proc       sbin       tmp        www
cifs1      etc        lib        mnt        rom        sys        usr
stambeccuccio@ASUS:/# cd jffs
stambeccuccio@ASUS:/jffs# ls
configs          openvpn          signature        syslog.log-1     usericon
nmp_client_list  scripts          syslog.log       traffic.db       wrs_vp.txt
stambeccuccio@ASUS:/jffs# cd configs

Create the .add-file:

stambeccuccio@ASUS:/jffs/configs# touch minidlna.conf.add

File will be created, check it is there:

stambeccuccio@ASUS:/jffs/configs# ls
minidlna.conf.add

Open the file with nano:

stambeccuccio@ASUS:/jffs/configs# nano minidlna.conf.add

nano opens the file, type the uuid line:

uuid=1a23456b-789c-123d-345e-ffffffffffff

Save with Ctrl + o

You can view the contents:

stambeccuccio@ASUS:/jffs/configs# less minidlna.conf.add

Come out of the view by pressing q

exit

the nano editor can create the file if it doesn't exist, so you don't necessarily have to use the touch command to create it.

nano /jffs/configs/minidlna.conf.add

 

[stambeccuccio]

To fix UUID I did, step by step:

from prompt terminal (I use putty):

cd /jffs/configs

then:

nano

inside nano paste fixed string (for example):

uuid=7dxx6e6x-555c-666e-1d42-ffffffffffff

inside nano (Write Out):

Ctrl+O

inside nano (File Name to Write):

minidlna.conf

inside nano (Exit):

Ctrl+X

then:

mv minidlna.conf minidlna.conf.add

fix ended (exit from terminal):

exit

Not knowing if there is a terminal command to restart Media Server, I restarted Media Server via GUI (http://router.asus.com/mediaserver.asp) before disabling and then enabling Media Server.