I called HP Support because I've had trouble with the icons working from the Control Center. I discovered they only work when the Shared Folders icon is clicked. HP Support told me they never tested the MediaSmartServer with switches in the network; only a single router!!!! I was blown away. I have in my home office my computer that's connected to a GigE switch that also has two printers connected to it. That switch then connects to another GigE switch in my basement which has another computer running Control Center software and the MediaSmartServer. That GigE switch is connected to a router which is connected to the cable modem.

I was told that for right now, HP is not supporting their product if there is a switch in the network. Unbelievable!!!! I can't believe a switch has anything to do with icons not working in the Control Center unless the Shared Folders icon is clicked! Very disappointing.

What if your "router" (DSL Modem in my case) has only one RJ45 port? Then you have to use a hub or switch. Seems like a cheap & dumd policy to me!!

Interesting...
When I select a folder in "Shared Folders" in the WHS Console and select "Open", nothing happens.
Is this your problem?
...and HP's answer is that you can't use a switch in your network?
Wow....just, wow.

For the record, my MSS is connected to the router, but my client is connected to a switch (that is connected to the same router).

Cheers/ Car

I can see your point but there is no real standard for Switches and even less of a standard for Hubs Switches area created to not only give the signal strength a 300 foot boost and help manage IP Addressing. DSL Modema don't have a clue as a rule. Your everyday Normal Router (Linksys. D-Link, Belkin) can handle up to 254 address with the aid of Switches. You are better off to turn your DSL modem into a gateway to give you access to your ISP and get a Router to take care your network traffic.
Remember, most ISP's want to limit your connectivity and they are not about to give you something that will handle 254 workstations. They would prefer to sell you more connections.

_________________
Thanks for Sharing,
~SirD~

This is untrue, HP support is mis-informed. We used a broad range of popular/common switches and routers in the test lab.

My MSS has been connected to two different gigabit switches in my home network. Now, the MSS network adapter does have issues with some hubs, but it's a connectivity issue.

Can you please describe the issue you're seeing, preferably with exact steps to reproduce?

I might also suggest you call back and get a different support agent.

Thanks,
Alex

_________________
Alex Kuretz
Remote Notification: Monitoring and alerting for your Home Server via email, Twitter, text message, RSS, push notifications, and on your Mac desktop
Have you tried our Add-Ins?

All, to clarify a few things. Yes, when I click on the HP MediaSmartServer icon and open the Control Center, a great deal of the time when I click on an icon, (like Photo's), nothing happens. The HP support person said that's because they don't support switches in the network. I pushed back and said I didn't believe switches had anything to do with it; I think it's a bug. If I click on the Shared Folders on Server icon, (HP software added it), when I click on an icon in the Control Center, (like Photo's), the Contro Center icons work just fine, (tell me what that has to do with a switch).

See the attached file to see what my network looks like.

All PC's and switches are the latest LinkSys GigE devices.

Hope this helps,

Chuck

The desktop shortcut? That is installed by WHS. If it's not working but the HP control Center is working, then I'd suggest re-running c:\program files\windows home server\discovery.exe or reinstalling the client software.

_________________
Alex Kuretz
Remote Notification: Monitoring and alerting for your Home Server via email, Twitter, text message, RSS, push notifications, and on your Mac desktop
Have you tried our Add-Ins?

HP support told me the same thing. They would not help me as long as the MSS was connected to the switch. They insisted that I connect it directly to the router.

I been using my MediaSmartServer on a Linksys 8 port switch since I bought. Absolutely no problems.

I have a D-link DIR-655 router and a 8-port d-link hub (gigabit)

The WHS machine, and all my network printers are connected to the HUB, not the router, and they all work fine ! ! !

So, it DOES work.

Likewise, I have a DSL modem connected to a Linksys modem, connected to a Linksys 24 port managed switch. About half the ports on the switch are active (the router, 5 PCs, 4 network printers, DirecTV DVR and a Davis Weather Link on 100MB ports and the MSS on one of the GB ports.) I've never had the slightest hiccup with that configuration aside form some early router issues. They were older and had flakey firmware, but new Linksys fixed that.

Did they give you a support case number? Please list it here.

This is incorrect and there must be a misunderstanding. It's not possible to have a home network without some type of switch.

Case number 0807171442. This is now closed because the problem was not with the MediaSmart server, the switch was defective. But, never-the-less I had to disassemble my network and connect the MSS directly to the router before they would help me.

The HP case number was 0807241285

I have a gigabit switch and my system works perfectly....well almost.