How can I listen to B2 remotely?

[Shawn Rosvold]

I had my wife access the B2 UI on her computer. She can see the web UI but I cannot figure out how to play music from the B2 on her desktop computer. Her computer sees the B2 and the B2 sees her desktop, but music will only play through the speakers wired to the B2. 

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

Provided the B2's NAS is switched on, your wife;s desktop computer should be able to see this NAS (which contains all the B2's music holdings). You can then use your favourite desktop program/app to access the B2's NAS as a music source. 

(the VLC) music play will do this fine. 

The B2 can not play "through" your wife's desktop speakers directly. 

The BEST solution for your wife would be to invest in a Sonos speaker - the B2 CAN put music out to one of these.

Also the B2 can send music to Bluetooth speakers (or earbuds) if the distance apart is not too great.

Fred 

[Shawn Rosvold]

Hi Fred,

"The B2 can not play "through" your wife's desktop speakers directly." That's what I was afraid of. I don't understand the technical reason why this isn't possible. Do you think there will be an update so we can actually the sound from the computer that is running the UI?

Thanks,

Shawn

[Daniel Taylor]

I don't know if computers can do this normally, but if the computer can be a Bluetooth receiver, you can do it that way.  If the computer does not have that capability by itself, you can get a small Bluetooth receiver to plug into the computer's analog input and do it that way.

Internal computer speakers are generally pretty dismal.  So the better solution is to just get a good Bluetooth speaker to play near where the computer is.

[JFBUK]

Hi Shawn,

One other consideration is that the B2 ,as a music player,  can only output one track at a time to devices it sees for output, whether that be wired speakers, optical/line out, Sonos , or Bluetooth. It cannot output a different track to a different device.

I.e if you are happily playing Beethoven over your B2 connected speakers and your wife decides to play Pink Floyd via the Web UI you will start hearing Pink Floyd !

This is why Fred’s suggestion is the better way to go. 

Using the B2 as a NAS means your wife can have separate simultaneous access and control of your music library along side you.
There are numerous very good pieces of software that will play back music stored on a NAS device,  even Windows Media Player will do it !

John

[Shawn Rosvold]

I use VLC for a music player. Can I use VLC to play music from the B2 from any location? If so, how do I do that?

[JFBUK]

Shawn,

When you say any location, do you mean anywhere within your home on your home network ?

Or do you mean anywhere in the world ?

John

[Shawn Rosvold]

Anywhere in the world. I have assigned a static IP to the B2, so I'd like to be able to access the music using a music player like VLC. Is this possible?

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

Hi John,

For clarification,

"the B2 ,as a music player,  can only output one track at a time to devices it sees for output, whether that be wired speakers, optical/line out, Sonos , or Bluetooth. It cannot output a different track to a different device.

I.e if you are happily playing Beethoven over your B2 connected speakers and your wife decides to play Pink Floyd via the Web UI you will start hearing Pink Floyd !"

I am not sure this is correct.

When connected to a Sonos system (on the same LAN) the B2 can send DIFFERENT music to each Sonos device (as defined/set up in the Sonos' App) at the same time. For instance at home I have a B2 connected to my Quad Amp + speakers

and a single Sonos speaker in my office (called "Office" in Sonos) and a setero pair of Sonos speakers (called "Living Room" in Sonos) thus.

In the B2 UI this set up looks like this

I can use the Brennan UI to send individual streams of music to each of these devices at the same time (at present there is a maximum limit of 10 Sonos devices that can be handled). What you CAN'T do is send the SAME (synchronised) music to all the devices at once.

Hope this helps.

Fred

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

Hi Shawn,

OK you are familiar with VLC and (I assume you have a PC). Then to get your wife listening to the Brennan music on her Laptop (at home on the same LAN as the B2).

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Please see the following notes on setting up NAS on a Windows PC -

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.

Paul

Brennan Support.

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Then start up VLC on the PC and connect to the B2's NAS as the music library.

You will VIA THE VLC INTERFACE be able to play all the music on the B2, independent of what the B2 itself may be playing.

Hope  this helps 

Fred

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

Hi Shawn

re " Anywhere in the world. I have assigned a static IP to the B2, so I'd like to be able to access the music using a music player like VLC. Is this possible?"

Please read this thread

https://groups.google.com/g/brennanb2/c/3XRgFOUnu0Y

Fred

[JFBUK]

Hi Fred,

I’m not a Sonos user and I don’t want to confuse this thread but the reason I worded my post as I did is because I thought that the Sonos 

functionality still required the Sonos to see the B2 as ,what is in effect, network attached storage ?

Is this not the case ?

Thanks

John

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

Hi John,

You are correct for Sonos (from the B2's web UI and form the Sonos App) to work, the B2's NAS must be on.  (so the Sonos is getting the feed form the NAS in both modes).

However, from the User experience viewpoint - form the web UI - this interface can control the wired B2 speakers and up to 10 Sonos "things".

Fred

[Steve Woolaway]

Re SONOS. Unless I have misunderstood them - there are a couple of comments above which don't seem correct to me.

First, since the much improved SONOS support on the B2 which came in around October/November last year it is very definitely NOT required to use NAS, in fact it must be switched OFF, unless you are using B2/SONOS in the pre October 20 NAS set up. I could never be bothered with that, but the new facility was a game changer, and I bought a bunch of SONOS One SL's.

Second. Within the new B2/SONOS setup you definitely CAN send synchronised output to all your SONOS speakers. I do it often to all round the house. It just requires them to be in a named group via the SONOS app. It is very flexible and simple to set or change groups very quickly.

 What you CAN'T do is synchronise all that with the same output to WIRED Brennan speakers. It is not possible because it would be ahead slightly of the output to SONOS. The new SONOS functionality is such a game changer that I was quite prepared to 'write off' my B2 speakers and replace with a stereo pair of SONOS. Unless I'm mistaken there are others doing the same.

Hope this helps

Steve.

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

Hi Steve

your points

1)  B2 which came in around October/November last year it is very definitely NOT required to use NAS, in fact it must be switched OFF,  -- I do not think this is correct - my NAS is on and Sonos from the B2 works OK.... I DO think that the DLNA service needs to be off though........ Weather NAS needs to be ON to work I do not know for definite - I have not tried with it OFF.  

Perhaps Paul could confirm ?

2) Second...... Agreed IF all your Sonos are in a "named" group BUT not if you have several speakers in differently named groups.

3) Agreed

Fred

[Steve Woolaway]

Hi Fred: my NAS has never been switched on, unless the B2 has switched it on without telling me. I wouldn't even know where to find to switch it on. I can't imagine why it would need to be on - I don't have any network attached storage. Just a B2 sending output wirelessly to SONOS speakers driven by the UI.

Steve

[Daniel Taylor]

When NAS is on, it means the B2 is acting as the NAS.  To see NAS status, press the Info button on the remote, then press the Up arrow twice.  The front panel display will show the status of NAS and DLNA.

It is my understanding that you can use the B2 with Sonos in two different ways.  When the B2 is in control, NAS is not needed.  But when the Sono app is in control, then NAS must be on.

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

Hi Steve and Daniel

Yes Daniel you are correct, When using Sonos from Brennan UI the B2's NAS can be ON or OFF 

To use B2's music from the Sonos App the B2's NAS must be ON.

To use Sonos DLNA must be off

Fred