Wireless speaker on same internet.

[Neil Hickey]

I know sonos speakers can be linked to the B2 but if i have a different wireless speaker using google interface linked to my home internet and my b2 is paired with my desktop computer on the same internet, can i play the music on the b2 via my desktop through that wireless speaker? I hope that makes sense.

Thank you for any help.

[Daniel Taylor]

The B2 has DLNA capability.  If your speaker uses that protocol, you might be able to get it to work.  But your desktop computer won't enter into that picture.

[JFBUK]

Hi Neil,

What is the speaker model ?

John

[JFBUK]

Neil replied to me direct

Hi John

Polk audio assist is one I am looking at. I have emailed Polk to ask if it has DNLA capability.

Thank you for your help.

Neil

[JFBUK]

Hi Neil,

The B2 does not currently support output to a DLNA device.

Your speaker does support Bluetooth so that is an option if within range of the B2.

You may be able to access your B2 as a NAS(network attached storage) but you would need to use an app other than the B2 web Ui or the Brennan app to control playback

John

[Daniel Taylor]

Hi John,

I think I'm still confused about how the B2 does DLNA.  I think you said that it cannot send music to a DLNA speaker, and cannot be the controller.  So does that mean that you need a DLNA control device (or app on a phone or tablet) that pulls music from the B2 in a similar way that it would be done when the B2 is seen as NAS?  Then how would the device then get the music to the speakers?  I'm not even sure if I'm asking the right questions.

[fred.w....@gmail.com]

DLNA acts rather like NAS, the B2 provides a DLNA service over its Music holdings. 

It is up to a DLNA client to make use of it - are your speakers functioning DLNA clients?

Fred

[PMB]

Hi Daniel,

You are correct in thinking that you need a host device to pull music from the B2 when working in DLNA mode. My Ruark Audio R2 has a media player option which allows me to search and play music from the B2.

Paul

Brennan Support.

[PMB]

Hi All,

Neil replied via email -

Hi everyone,

Thank you for your help, I am getting a bit confused as some are saying DNLA does work on the b2 others have said it doesn’t . Can I assume if I I use the NAS facility then use the google interface on the speaker I should be able to play the music on the  b2 via the library uploaded via NAS to the computer?

 

Thank you for your help.

 

Neil

[JFBUK]

Hi Neil,

apologies if we have confused you.

I posted this some time ago which may be a bit more detailed than you need but hopefully still helpful

The DLNA/ UPnP interoperability guidelines talk about about three major pieces to the architecture of digital media delivery; Media Server, Media Renderer, and Control Point.

 This is a very good description

 https://audiophilestyle.com/ca/ca-academy/the-complete-guide-to-hifi-upnp-dlna-network-audio/

 In my personal scenario:

 Media Server = B2

Media Renderer = Yamaha Receiver

Control Point = Media Monkey 5 software running on a Windows 11 PC

 The Control Point acts as the “controller” to manage the digital media. It can see both the DLNA  compliant media sources (Media servers) and compliant target rendering devices (Media renderers). It should have the smarts to know whether the format of the media source is one which the renderer can render (e.g. mp3, flac etc.) and some like Media Monkey can offer functionality to convert the source, if required, for the renderer.

 As Fred & Daniel posted, the B2 does have the capability to be  a DLNA media server (similar to NAS) what it does NOT currently do is have the ability to act as DLNA Media Renderer or Control Point.

Assuming your Polk speaker can act as DLNA media renderer (I'm not sure it can) then you would need the B2 to be acting as  DLNA media server (it can) and a DLNA Control Point (It does not) to output your music to your Polk speaker via DLNA using the B2 front panel or B2 software.

To answer your NAS question then yes, if you enable NAS on your B2, you will be able to play your music on your Polk speaker but you will need to have software running on your pc/phone/tablet that can both access the B2 as a NAS and can also see your Polk speaker as a target for your audio output.

The simplest way to use your speaker with the B2 is using Bluetooth assuming they close enough together to be in Bluetooth range. There are ways to boost Bluetooth range if you need it.

@Daniel

in answer to your question

So does that mean that you need a DLNA control device (or app on a phone or tablet) that pulls music from the B2 in a similar way that it would be done when the B2 is seen as NAS?  Then how would the device then get the music to the speakers?  

Yes you do need control point software which sees both sides, so to speak, the media source and the media target. It manages the negotiation between the two and manages the physical sending of the media data across the network (cf section 3 in the web article I quote above). If the B2 could act as a DLNA control point then it would be possible to send its content to a DLNA renderer (amp or speakers) on the same network. Its analogous to sending to Sonos speakers.

@Fred

From my DLNA enabled PC and using MediaMonkey or Foobar I can see the DLNA renderers visible on my network. The B2 does not appear.

I'm guessing that Martin Brennan has implemented DLNA as a media server only for technical reasons.

John

 

[Daniel Taylor]

Thanks John.  I think that really lays it out to answer most any question we might have.  The only think left for the individual is to determine if their particular piece of equipment fits into the DLNA scheme, and what role it can play.

[JFBUK]

Neil replied directly

Hi,

Thank you for the further information and as my desktop is showing under connected devices that the b2 is connected to it then it follows that when I connect the wireless speaker to the network and discover and connect it to the network when I use the brennan’s web address on the internet I should be able to play the music stored on the my brennan using the google assistant link which should find the brennan as it is connected to the desktop. If I have read the below correctly?

I await Polks answer re DNLA connectivity.

I do though have one further issue which may put a spanner in the works.

I tried to set up NAS but my windows 10 desktop even though connected to my b2 when doing a network search does not find the BRENNANB2 folder even with the firewall turned off. Any solutions very welcome.

 

Many thanks

 

Neil

====================================================================================

Neil,

please use the 'Reply All' button so that your reply gests posted to the forum. That way everyone gets to see your response and for help/benefit.

Thanks

Can you clarify this

 as my desktop is showing under connected devices that the b2 is connected to

What are you looking at to get this information ?

The B2 is connected to your home network, as is your PC.

When you set up the Polk there will be a process for it to connect to the network too.

As regards Google Assistant its not something I have experience of but I'm guessing that you will to install an additional piece of software or feature for it to see your NAS.

Hopefully someone else can shed some light.

Please see the following notes on setting up NAS on a Windows PC  that Paul from Brennan has posted

NAS mode using a Windows 10 computer:

On the B2:

• Make sure the B2 is connected to WiFi - displaying an IP Address - something like 192.168.1.127

• Using the front control go to the Maintenance menu and select Start NAS - the display will return to the clock and then show 'done' after a couple of seconds.

On your Win10 computer: 

This stage only required if the B2 doesn't show in 'View network computers and devices' (see the next stage)

• In the 'Type here to search' box type - Turn Windows features on and off (you don't have to type all of this as you will be prompted by the computer).

• Click on 'Turn Windows features on and off'

• Scroll down to 'SMB1.0/CIFS File sharing support' and expand the section - click on the '+' box

• Select the second item - SMB1.0/CIFS Client - it may already be selected so no need to select again

• Click on OK.

On the Win10 computer:

• In the 'Type here to search' box type View network computers and devices

• Click on 'View network computers and Devices'

• BRENNANB2 should be displayed on the 'computer' line - if not wait a while (it can take a while to show the first time) and try refreshing the 'View network....' page.

• Double click on BRENNANB2 - a pop up panel will open

• Enter user name = root

• Enter password = brennan and click on OK

• The B2's 'music' folder will be shown - double click to open it - this can take a while as the computer needs to load all of the files on the B2's HDD.

• Once loaded a list of Artist folders will be shown

• Double clicking on an Artist folder will show the Album folder/s associated with the Artist

• Double clicking any Album folder will show the Tracks and Album Artworks

You can then edit these folders and files as you would any folders/files on your computer e.g. create new folders, copy and paste, cut and paste, rename, delete, etc.

You can also copy music from your computer (iTunes, etc) to the B2 whilst in NAS mode - make sure you maintain the correct Artist - Album - Track folder format so the music is correctly displayed on the B2.

Please note - any changes you make on the computer are local to the computer and must be transferred to the B2 by running Scan Disk - Settings menu - on the B2. If you leave the computer session without running Scan Disk, any changes will be lost.

John