Kodi - Remote Remedy

Try this if you can't get your remote working and you're using a Wifi Extender

After installing my new HTPC, I discovered that the Kodi remote app (on my Samsung GT-19070P) no longer worked. I'd get no connection or connection refused errors despite being attached to my wireless network and being able to connect to the Internet.

I tried everything from enabling/disabling UFW, opening/closing ports, rebuilding the host information, fixing the host's IP address, and rebooting the router. Nothing seemed to work. However, whilst rebooting my router via the web interface, I noticed that my phone didn't appear in the client list - hmmmmm.

I'd recently installed a wifi range extender in my lounge and my phone was connecting via this node: simply rebooting the device solved my problem and ended hours of frustration. I'm not entirely sure why the node was refusing to pass the datagram to the router, but it may have just been a glitch in the network layer. Anyway, the moral of the story; you can't reboot enough!

Sources & References:

• TP-Link: WPA281 Wifi Extender

Ubuntu 14.04 LTS on DELL Inspiron 6400 - restoring your network

Now that Microsoft has (finally) pulled the plug, I've helped a couple of people to migrate from XP to Ubuntu. In my most recent project, I thought I'd give the new release of 14.04 a try, just to see if The Register's Scott Gilbertson is right about needing a new PC to run Canonical's latest incarnation of the Ubuntu OS. He's not!

I loaded 14.04 onto a DELL Dimension 5150 that was shipped with XP. This model was released in 2006, so let's be generous and say that this machine is at least five years old. The installation was flawless with all of the hardware properly supported and functioning as expected - boot time is around 70 seconds and the old desktop is responsive and agile with a state-of-the-art operating system! So impressed was I with the look and feel of the new LTS, I thought I'd load it onto the Inspiron 6400.

Unfortunately, this was not so easy!

Running the live DVD was painless enough although I didn't have WiFi (no surprise there!) but, when I installed the system to the hard drive, I had no networking of any kind - that's kind of a deal breaker! After a couple of hours tinkering with the setup, it seemed that the bundled WiFi driver was killing my wired connection on boot, so I removed the driver with:

sudo apt-get remove --purge bcmwl-kernel-source

Rebooting gave me a brief error message that I had no WiFi drivers installed (as expected - I'd just purged them!) but eth0 popped up as if it had never been away! So, now the usual installation of the b43 driver:

sudo apt-get install firmware-b43-installer

A reboot saw my WiFi indicator light up and a wireless connection to my router! I expect the problem to return whenever the kernel is updated, but it should be fairly easy to fix from now on.

Sources &References:

• The Register: Ubuntu 14.04 LTS: Great changes, but sssh don't mention the... Scott Gilbertson

WiFi Speed Tip

I love my little appartment, but I've been thinking for a while now that I need to add a wireless access point to my network in order to improve WiFi reception in my lounge. After all, I don't want to be sat in my home office all the time!

However, whilst reading December's back issue of Maximum PC magazine, I was reminded the there are cheaper options to try before getting out your credit card. Ok, so it's no huge revelation that you can change your WiFi channel, but sometimes the obvious just passes you by: inSSIDer is a utility designed for Windows (and Mac¹) but you can also download it for Android from Google Play.

So, I downloaded it to my Samsung Galaxy Advance, sat in my lounge and looked for the best channel to use. The performance improvement was substantial, so I may spend more time on my couch from now on!

Notes:

1. There is a version for Linux, but reports about its efficacy are mixed. I just found it easier to load onto my mobile phone and analyze my network that way.

Sources & References:

• Maximum PC: Home
• Metageek: inSSIDer for Home
• Google Play: inSSIDer

Just So I Don't Forget....

Getting the WiFi driver installed on the DELL Inspiron 6400 (and the 1501) is:

sudo apt-get install firmware-b43-installer

You'd think that I could remember that by now, wouldn't you?

Sources & References:

• Ubuntu Documentation - Wifi Docs/Driver/bcm43xx