Mythbuntu / Ceton pcie no longer communicate

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Northpoint
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Mythbuntu / Ceton pcie no longer communicate

Post by Northpoint »

hello everyone,

Is it just me or do others have network issues with mythbuntu?

Anyways, I have a issue that is quite strange. I have Mythbuntu's latest release and a ceton pcie card with comcast Mcard installed. Has worked fine until I installed updates for mythbuntu. Then I had a hard drive die. Ok, Time to just reload this thing and start fresh. Well, For some reason my mythtv install can not communicate with the ceton card.

Now I noticed that when I went into the Information Center I could see the four tuners I setup but I see the following messages:
Tuner 1 has an error
Tuner 2 has an error
Tuner 3 has an error
Tuner 4 has an error
I pulled the card and reseated the Mcard from comcast and reinstalled the ceton card but still the same issue. Checking the logs for mythtv I can see that mythbackend cannot communicate with the ceton card.

Here is some more info:
ctn0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:22:2c:ff:ff:ff
inet addr:192.168.200.1 Bcast:192.168.200.255 Mask:255.255.255.0
inet6 addr: fe80::222:2cff:feff:ffff/64 Scope:Link
UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:2033 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:133 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
RX bytes:718583 (718.5 KB) TX bytes:23899 (23.8 KB)
Interrupt:46
The ifconfig output seems correct for the card. I have it setup in my 'Interfaces' file in order to get mythbuntu to assign an ip address. Here is my 'Interfaces' file:
auto lo ctn0
iface lo inet loopback
allow-hotplug ctn0
iface ctn0 inet static
address 192.168.200.1
netmask 255.255.255.0

auto eth0
iface eth0 inet static
address 10.0.1.12
netmask 255.255.255.0
Ok, So - I openned up chrome on the mythtv box and tried to get to 192.168.200.1 and got mythweb instead. So, I shutdown apache2 and tried again thinking it was somehow blocking it but then I cannot connect to anything.

I did try a reset with the reset_network.py script from Ceton and it said "Unable to send".

Did my Ceton card just die?

Northpoint.
AMD FX-6200 Six-Core GeForce GTX 650 500GB ST500DM002 2TB ST2000DM001
Ceton 4 Tunner / Mythbuntu 14.04 / Mythtv .27-fixes
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bill6502
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Re: Mythbuntu / Ceton pcie no longer communicate

Post by bill6502 »

192.168.200.1 is your backend, and is properly displaying
mythweb when you connect to it.

From another thread, you should look in your mythbackend.log file to see
if there are errors. If configured correctly in your MythDB setup, the address
of the Ceton card will show up in any failures this test is what was
failing there:
192.168.180.1/get_var.json?i=0&s=diag&v=Host_IP_Address
into the chromium browser window and press <Return> the browser returns the following:
{ "result": "192.168.180.1" }
Note the other user had ctn0=192.168.1.3 where you're using .1. See:
viewtopic.php?f=36&t=776 It may be
as simple as changing your interfaces file to another address for ctn0
Northpoint
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Re: Mythbuntu / Ceton pcie no longer communicate

Post by Northpoint »

bill6502 wrote:192.168.200.1 is your backend, and is properly displaying
mythweb when you connect to it.

From another thread, you should look in your mythbackend.log file to see
if there are errors. If configured correctly in your MythDB setup, the address
of the Ceton card will show up in any failures this test is what was
failing there:
192.168.180.1/get_var.json?i=0&s=diag&v=Host_IP_Address
into the chromium browser window and press <Return> the browser returns the following:
{ "result": "192.168.180.1" }
Note the other user had ctn0=192.168.1.3 where you're using .1. See:
viewtopic.php?f=36&t=776 It may be
as simple as changing your interfaces file to another address for ctn0
Hello Bill,

This is in my logs and then some more related to it.
Apr 9 13:53:49 mythtv mythbackend: mythbackend[1834]: E CoreContext recorders/cetonstreamhandler.cpp:146 (CetonStreamHandler) CetonSH(::-1): Ceton tuner does not seem to be available at IP
Correct me if Iam wrong here but isnt the default ip for the ceton pcie card suppose to be 192.168.200.1 ? Im thinking I have a basic ip address issue here then. I think part of the problem is that at one point when I installed and modprobed the driver for the card I could not get it to assign an ip-address by just loading the driver. So, I had to go into the network 'Interfaces' file to manually do it.
As I said in the first post I tried to reset the card with the python script from ceton but it said it could not communicate. Here is the output:
coffee@mythtv:/sbin$ ls *.py
reset_network.py
coffee@mythtv:/sbin$ reset_network.py
Failed to send reset
coffee@mythtv:/sbin$ sudo reset_network.py
[sudo] password for coffee:
Failed to send reset
I think the first thing then I need to do is find a way to Find the network address on the card?
AMD FX-6200 Six-Core GeForce GTX 650 500GB ST500DM002 2TB ST2000DM001
Ceton 4 Tunner / Mythbuntu 14.04 / Mythtv .27-fixes
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bill6502
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Re: Mythbuntu / Ceton pcie no longer communicate

Post by bill6502 »

Right, the other user had the USB version and .200.1 looks to be the proper
address for the PCIe tuners. The ctn0 card (really a NIC like eth0) should
be configured to some other address in the same subnet e.g. .3.

https://www.mythtv.org/wiki/Ceton#Setti ... ork_Driver suggests
the .200.1 address is for the tuners too, where the ctn0 would be .200.200.

I agree, it's getting the correct address that's important now. I'd change the
entry in /etc/interfaces for ctn0 to 192.168.200.200 (or anything other than
.0, .1 or .255.)

Just in case you didn't read it in the other thread, I don't own the Ceton, just
read the backend log. Once the tuners are available on .200.1, the curl line
above should return: { "result": "192.168.200.1" } (not 180.1 as I pasted from
the other thread.
Northpoint
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Re: Mythbuntu / Ceton pcie no longer communicate

Post by Northpoint »

bill6502 wrote:Right, the other user had the USB version and .200.1 looks to be the proper
address for the PCIe tuners. The ctn0 card (really a NIC like eth0) should
be configured to some other address in the same subnet e.g. .3.

https://www.mythtv.org/wiki/Ceton#Setti ... ork_Driver suggests
the .200.1 address is for the tuners too, where the ctn0 would be .200.200.

I agree, it's getting the correct address that's important now. I'd change the
entry in /etc/interfaces for ctn0 to 192.168.200.200 (or anything other than
.0, .1 or .255.)

Just in case you didn't read it in the other thread, I don't own the Ceton, just
read the backend log. Once the tuners are available on .200.1, the curl line
above should return: { "result": "192.168.200.1" } (not 180.1 as I pasted from
the other thread.
Hi bill,

I changed the ip to 192.168.200.10 to test it out and I got the same results. I even tried pulling the card up thru chome browser and it still defaulted to mythweb at that address too. I dont know whats up there. My setup is like this:

192.168.200.xxx - the ceton card
10.0.1.12 - eth0 - my nic in the computer.

I will try 200.200 I guess. But I cannot just sit and try every combo (lol).

Thanks for your feedback,
AMD FX-6200 Six-Core GeForce GTX 650 500GB ST500DM002 2TB ST2000DM001
Ceton 4 Tunner / Mythbuntu 14.04 / Mythtv .27-fixes
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bill6502
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Re: Mythbuntu / Ceton pcie no longer communicate

Post by bill6502 »

Hi,

.200.10 should be fine. Did you reboot so the new address took effect
and that would restart the BE too. ifconfig ctn0 should show the .10
address.
Northpoint
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Re: Mythbuntu / Ceton pcie no longer communicate

Post by Northpoint »

bill6502 wrote:Hi,

.200.10 should be fine. Did you reboot so the new address took effect
and that would restart the BE too. ifconfig ctn0 should show the .10
address.
Yes, Nothing. Same issue as before. I did notice that on this install of Mythbuntu the program 'Curl' is not installed (???).

Getting tierd and losing steam here tonite. I will take a break from it for a bit and do some reading on it.

I could just do a complete reinstall of mythbuntu because I just completed it a short while ago and it was working. I dont know what fudged it up. I dont know.....
AMD FX-6200 Six-Core GeForce GTX 650 500GB ST500DM002 2TB ST2000DM001
Ceton 4 Tunner / Mythbuntu 14.04 / Mythtv .27-fixes
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bill6502
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Re: Mythbuntu / Ceton pcie no longer communicate

Post by bill6502 »

Every recent *buntu host that I've installed lately (past few years) has
has NetworkManager for configuring the ethernet cards. I've used both
/etc/network/interfaces and NetworkManager (the GUI), but never both
at the same time. Look in the Mythbuntu Settings for Network Configuration
and make sure the ctn0 card isn't configured there too. NetworkManager
configurations are in /etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/eth0 etc.
but best not to had edit them.
Northpoint
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Re: Mythbuntu / Ceton pcie no longer communicate

Post by Northpoint »

bill6502 wrote:Every recent *buntu host that I've installed lately (past few years) has
has NetworkManager for configuring the ethernet cards. I've used both
/etc/network/interfaces and NetworkManager (the GUI), but never both
at the same time. Look in the Mythbuntu Settings for Network Configuration
and make sure the ctn0 card isn't configured there too. NetworkManager
configurations are in /etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/eth0 etc.
but best not to had edit them.
Hi Bill,

I have checked everywhere as you suggested. I am of the opinion that this card's networking chip (?) has died. I have tried various things to try and communicate with it and it just comes back as failed attempts.

-The python reset script fails to communicate with card.
-The card will not respond to a browser request at 192.168.200.1 as it should.
-Manually setting the ip address with ifconfig and trying again does nothing.
- No firewall instances running.
- Mythbackend logs show failed attempts to communicate or find IP address.

I am about 99 percent sure this card has failed. Something in the networking/communication has died in it. Either by heat or static shock. We have a dry, carpeted living room and anything is possible.

I have therefore made a big decision this morning to replace the card. I ordered the 6 port version off of amazon. Comes in overnite with my prime account.

I will take this failed card and do some more troubleshooting on it as time permits. However, My girlfriend is all over me to get MythTV up and running ASAP.

Thank you for all your replies, I am grateful.
AMD FX-6200 Six-Core GeForce GTX 650 500GB ST500DM002 2TB ST2000DM001
Ceton 4 Tunner / Mythbuntu 14.04 / Mythtv .27-fixes
Northpoint
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Re: Mythbuntu / Ceton pcie no longer communicate

Post by Northpoint »

Just got the new card in today. Pretty excited to install it. The only thing I dread is calling comcast to have them pair the Mcard to the pcie tuner. This is the upgrade from the 4 port pcie card and its got 6 tuner capability now. That should be the total number of tuners the Mcard supports from what I have read.

With Luck :)

Northpoint
AMD FX-6200 Six-Core GeForce GTX 650 500GB ST500DM002 2TB ST2000DM001
Ceton 4 Tunner / Mythbuntu 14.04 / Mythtv .27-fixes
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