Calibre Content Server questions

[Ginnia]

1. When I connect the Fire to the Calibre content server, I can see the books in my Calibre library, but cannot download any of them. Mostly they are .mobi format, and no security involved -- the message I get on the Fire is "download unsuccessful" and no other information as to why. Is there a setting in the Fire I need to change, or is it something I could have in my Calibre setup that could cause this problem? I can connect my Fire via USB and send to device just fine and the books are readable and the covers are there.

2. My home computer where my Calibre Library is is on a router. From other computers on that same router, I can access my Library via the content server and download just fine. I would like my sister to be able to access my Calibre Library from outside my "linksys family". Would she enter "http://192.168.1.101:8080/" just like I do from within my household? That IP addr seems to be pretty local to me. If not, where do I get an IP address to give her?

[itimpi]

2). This requires you to take certain steps:

- Find out your 'external' network address. The easiest way is to sign up with a free service such as that offered by dyndns.org as that way you get a network name for the external address that follows your external IP address if it changes.
- Set up port forwarding on your router so that any attempts to connect on the port you have specified for the Calibre server are forwarded to the machine actually running the Calibre server.

Once this has been done you should be able to connect from outside your home network using an address of the form "http://dyndns_name:8080/". You will probably find this would also work from inside your network if you would rather use a name than the raw IP address (it depends on your router model).

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by Ginnia

1. When I connect the Fire to the Calibre content server, I can see the books in my Calibre library, but cannot download any of them. Mostly they are .mobi format, and no security involved -- the message I get on the Fire is "download unsuccessful" and no other information as to why.

This might have to do with a password being used on the content server. Remove the password from the content server and try downloading a book again without having to first log onto the server.

[Ginnia]

Thanks for your help. Removing the password did the trick. But now, when I download a book, it goes to the download folder. I use ES File Explorer to move the download to the books directory. I then have to shut down the Fire and restart. Sometimes the book shows up in the Books tab and sometimes the Docs tab. I really can't see any reason for that -- all books I download are mobi format.

[Ginnia]

itimpi---

Thanks for replying. I couldn't see any free service at dyndns.org. But is the router IP addr the external IP? I can see that on my router setup, and also when I run speedtest.net, the same IP addr shows.

On my router, I've attached a jpg of what I did for the port forwarding, where the "To IP addr" is my computer on our local network where Calibre is loaded. Don't know if it's right, but could you comment?

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Ginnia

itimpi---

Thanks for replying. I couldn't see any free service at dyndns.org. But is the router IP addr the external IP? I can see that on my router setup, and also when I run speedtest.net, the same IP addr shows.

On my router, I've attached a jpg of what I did for the port forwarding, where the "To IP addr" is my computer on our local network where Calibre is loaded. Don't know if it's right, but could you comment?

That is one part, very important (that is port forwarding)

To connect from the outside you need to know the Outside IP (on the WAN side) or configure DYNDNS (some other screen)

[Ginnia]

OK, for anyone interested, if your home network is on a router (and I suppose everyone's is), and you need the "external" IP address for the Content Server to work outside your home, the IP address is the router address you can find in your router setup. OR..... you can go to speedtest.net to test your computer's upload/download speed, and in the lower left of the screen is your external IP address. I just tested this, and it works -- you do have to do the port forwarding, example above in a jpg I sent earlier.

Thanks, and I hope this helps someone else...

Ginny Meyers

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by Ginnia

OK, for anyone interested, if your home network is on a router (and I suppose everyone's is), and you need the "external" IP address for the Content Server to work outside your home, the IP address is the router address you can find in your router setup.

Keep in mind that occasionally, depending on your ISP, this IP address may change. This is where a service like dyndns.org comes in handy. When the IP address changes, if setup correctly, the router should update the service and the url continues to work. If you don't use this service and at some point in the future your sister starts having trouble check to see if the external IP has changed.

Good Reading.

[itimpi]

Originally Posted by Ginnia

Thanks for replying. I couldn't see any free service at dyndns.org. But is the router IP addr the external IP? I can see that on my router setup, and also when I run speedtest.net, the same IP addr shows.

You are correct - the option for he free account seems to have disappeared - I wonder when that happened. I hope they do not want to suddenly start changing me for my current free account. I do not know offhand if anyone else offers similar functionality for free.

The problem with using the external IP raw address is that unless you pay for a fixed address it is subject to changing. On a cable connection it changes infrequently, but on an ADSL connection change is very frequent.

[chaley]

Originally Posted by itimpi

You are correct - the option for he free account seems to have disappeared - I wonder when that happened.

You can apparently still get it, but doing so requires some hassle. You sign up for the free trial of dyndns pro, create one dynamic dns entry, then cancel the free trial. You are permitted to keep the one entry, as long as it is updated at least once per month.

My guess is that they are hoping people forget and will pay the $20/year, or perhaps the "advanced features" and elimination of the 30-day rule is considered worth it.

[PeterT]

There are other DDNS providers out-there beside dyndns.org. Check out:

http://www.dnsomatic.com/
http://www.dnsexit.com/

[Matth79]

A couple of other tips, if you are port forwarding, you need to fix the address of the PC - If the router supports it, I prefer to fix using the mac (hardware) address to IP mapping in the router, rather than forcing a fixed address in the PC TCP/IP properties. Similarly, if the router supports a dynamic DNS (that you can get free service from), then it saves having the client software runninng on the PC.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by chaley

You can apparently still get it, but doing so requires some hassle. You sign up for the free trial of dyndns pro, create one dynamic dns entry, then cancel the free trial. You are permitted to keep the one entry, as long as it is updated at least once per month.

My guess is that they are hoping people forget and will pay the $20/year, or perhaps the "advanced features" and elimination of the 30-day rule is considered worth it.

$20 is still lots cheaper than the $5 per month my ISP wants (plus "setup fee" ) . I pay more per month than the new subscribers and I had to purchase my DSL Modem without a multi-year contract, way back then) . They have me where they want with my email linked to all my contacts )

[ApK]

Originally Posted by dwanthny

This might have to do with a password being used on the content server. Remove the password from the content server and try downloading a book again without having to first log onto the server.

Any info on why the password is causing the problem and if there could be a fix? I'd like to make my CS available to me on the Internet, and I'd prefer it were password protected.

Short of a fix, anybody have a decent workaround (ie, another way to secure it)?

Thanks,

ApK

[theducks]

The password issue is caused by some devices browsers being incompatible with the authentication process.

If you use Firefox, IE you won't have that trouble