Connecting wirelessly

tas03 · 01-12-2019, 06:08 PM

I regularly transfer books from my desktop Calibre library to my laptop Calibre library. It is usually only a few books at a time so I prefer not to export/import the entire library.

I have used the Content Server method and have not been able to find a way to move more than one book at at time. This can be kind of cumbersome when I get behind in moving books.

I have found another way that I have not found mentioned any where and am not even sure that it is supposed to work. I start the wireless device connection on the desktop, open a browser window on the laptop and type in the IP address from Calibre and it connects the laptop to the desktop the same way my iPad and iPhone connect as wireless devices: on the left hand side of the Calibre window a column entitled On Device opens and displays green check marks if the book is in the library on the lap top. If it is not on the lap top library, I am able to send it to the laptop by right clicking on the book and sending it to the device just like I would with CC on the other devices. It even allows be select multiple books to send.

I don't know if this is supposed to actually work or not. But, it has worked for me twice and I can go into the browser history and see where the books have been added.

My problem is this. The method no longer works. When I tried to connect the laptop browser to Calibre on the desktop, the browser tries and then times out because the connection is taking too long. The Content Server method sometimes still connects and sometimes times out. When I get the timed out message, I try to connect the browser on the laptop to a page on the internet and it connects right away.

I am running Windows 7 on the desktop and Windows 10 on the laptop. Calibre on the desktop is up to date and Firefox on the laptop is up to date. It's not just Firefox that is not connecting. Chrome and the Microsoft browser on the laptop also fail to connect. When the connection first did not work yesterday, I updated things, so the failure yesterday was still using the versions of the programs that worked before.

Was this wireless connection method I have used twice just a fluke? It worked in November and once a month or two before that. Has something changed in Calibre during that time that would make the method not work now. Has anyone else ever used this type of method between a laptop and desktop with Calibre?

chaley · 01-12-2019, 07:15 PM

Using a browser to connect as a wireless device has never worked, and in fact cannot work for various technical reasons related to network protocols. The only way this could work is that your browser supports the calibre Wireless Device protocol, but I know of no browser that does.

Connecting to calibre's content server in either OPDS or standard mode works but that won't give you OnDevice marks (and never has). You can download books using the content server. Perhaps the history entries you are seeing come from that.

tas03 · 01-14-2019, 11:44 AM

Thanks for the reply.
Somehow connecting wireless did work for me at least twice somehow. There were books in my Calibre library on the laptop that did not appear in the download folder like books do when using the content server method. I checked the dates the books were added and then looked in the downloads folder for the books.
Since it's not supposed to work I guess I'll quit trying.

01-12-2019, 06:08 PM	#1
tas03 Zealot Posts: 128 Karma: 129368 Join Date: Feb 2017 Device: Nook Glowlight +, Nook Tab. , Nook Simple Touch, iPad Air, iPhone 6Se	Connecting wirelessly I regularly transfer books from my desktop Calibre library to my laptop Calibre library. It is usually only a few books at a time so I prefer not to export/import the entire library. I have used the Content Server method and have not been able to find a way to move more than one book at at time. This can be kind of cumbersome when I get behind in moving books. I have found another way that I have not found mentioned any where and am not even sure that it is supposed to work. I start the wireless device connection on the desktop, open a browser window on the laptop and type in the IP address from Calibre and it connects the laptop to the desktop the same way my iPad and iPhone connect as wireless devices: on the left hand side of the Calibre window a column entitled *On Device* opens and displays green check marks if the book is in the library on the lap top. If it is not on the lap top library, I am able to send it to the laptop by right clicking on the book and sending it to the device just like I would with CC on the other devices. It even allows be select multiple books to send. I don't know if this is supposed to actually work or not. But, it has worked for me twice and I can go into the browser history and see where the books have been added. My problem is this. The method no longer works. When I tried to connect the laptop browser to Calibre on the desktop, the browser tries and then times out because the connection is taking too long. The Content Server method sometimes still connects and sometimes times out. When I get the timed out message, I try to connect the browser on the laptop to a page on the internet and it connects right away. I am running Windows 7 on the desktop and Windows 10 on the laptop. Calibre on the desktop is up to date and Firefox on the laptop is up to date. It's not just Firefox that is not connecting. Chrome and the Microsoft browser on the laptop also fail to connect. When the connection first did not work yesterday, I updated things, so the failure yesterday was still using the versions of the programs that worked before. Was this wireless connection method I have used twice just a fluke? It worked in November and once a month or two before that. Has something changed in Calibre during that time that would make the method not work now. Has anyone else ever used this type of method between a laptop and desktop with Calibre?

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01-12-2019, 07:15 PM	#2
chaley Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,742 Karma: 6997045 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Notts, England Device: Kobo Libra 2	Using a browser to connect as a wireless device has never worked, and in fact cannot work for various technical reasons related to network protocols. The only way this could work is that your browser supports the calibre Wireless Device protocol, but I know of no browser that does. Connecting to calibre's content server in either OPDS or standard mode works but that won't give you OnDevice marks (and never has). You can download books using the content server. Perhaps the history entries you are seeing come from that.

01-14-2019, 11:44 AM	#3
tas03 Zealot Posts: 128 Karma: 129368 Join Date: Feb 2017 Device: Nook Glowlight +, Nook Tab. , Nook Simple Touch, iPad Air, iPhone 6Se	Thanks for the reply. Somehow connecting wireless did work for me at least twice somehow. There were books in my Calibre library on the laptop that did not appear in the download folder like books do when using the content server method. I checked the dates the books were added and then looked in the downloads folder for the books. Since it's not supposed to work I guess I'll quit trying.