Streaming Media from Windows 7 to Android

This article is a compilation of solutions for several issues (most of them) faced in setting up a streaming environment in your home wireless LAN.

Situation:  The idea was to primarily access media files on the PC from a phone and a tablet, all of them on the wi-fi network. But, I do not use a dedicated media center hardware or a suitably enabled external hard disk for this. My network has a wireless router, a Windows PC and a couple of Android devices. I wanted to create a streaming environment from my Windows desktop.

Basic Set-up: 

The following article is comprehensive and easy to follow. ES Explorer is probably one the best things that has happened to an Android phone. If you have already tried this and got stuck, skip to ‘Problem 1’.

Else, follow the steps shown in this article: APC Magazine article

By now, you should be streaming videos or music onto your tablet/phone. For me, the fun began at this stage. I faced all of the following issues and sorted them one by one. See where you are getting stuck and take it from there.

Problem 1: Basic permissions are not in place and/or sharing is off

This should help you check if any or all of the steps are in place:  

Windows 7 'How to' on Microsoft site

If you have done this and still unable to connect to the PC, you might wonder if you need a Windows domain.

Problem 2: You are unable to create a HomeGroup or Join a HomeGroup

If you are using Windows 7 Home Basic (or Starter) you cannot create a HomeGroup. Unless in your Wifi LAN you have a PC with a higher version of Windows Home, you will not be able to join a HomeGroup. But, you do not need one- you will have to rely on Public Folders.

Problem 3: You cannot locate Public Folders

The following helped sort this issue out: Microsoft Answers / Windows 7 Forum thread

Problem 4: On setting sharing permissions on Public Folders you see the error “You folder can’t be shared”

This can be quite frustrating since you will go over all the steps one by one and end up realising you might not have missed any of the above. One cannot be faulted for interpreting this error message as ‘something is missing in the way the folder is shared’. The message has to be simply understood as ‘There is no need to share this folder’. After all it is a public folder! So, if you are stuck here even after fixing sub folder level issues, it is likely not an issue at all. see if the following issue is causing the problem. The next step solved my problem.

Problem 5: Firewall!

Since it is the PC which is not accessible, check the firewall on your Windows PC. I use one of the sleekest (light on memory and network requirements) internet security packages – Kaspersky. By default, Kaspersky puts all the computers (read devices) on your wifi LAN under the Public Network category.  Maybe every firewall does. If you are using any other firewall/internet security, see if you can trace these steps on that.

1. Open the Kaspersky Client and click ‘Settings’ 
2. Look for Firewall under the ‘Protection Center’ menu
3. In the FireWall Setting screen look at the list in ‘Networks’. This is a list of various network access hardware devices and Windows network profiles
4. Scroll down to locate the primary device in use for wifi access on your PC. It will be the name of the Wireless Adaptor in use.
5. The Anroid devices connected to the Wifi Router will be listed here. Most probably, the devices would be seen carrying values ‘Public Network’. Change these values to ‘Local Network

By now, ES Explorer LAN view on your Andriod device should be able to see all the shared files on your Windows PC. Have fun!

In The Rush: My White Water Rafting Experience

"My name is Viru and I am going to teach you why the paddle will be your best friend and maybe even your life saver today" is how the orientation began for about 40 of us gathered on a late December morning for a white water rafting experience. I looked around as everyone adjusted to the chill in the breeze blowing over the shallow waters. Shortly, the water would rise. We listened with rapt attention as he continued for the next fifteen minutes on how to hold the paddle correctly for effortless rowing, the need for synchronisation in rowing, what to do when one falls off the raft, safe position to float in rapids etc.

Interestingly, I spotted a few people in their mid to late fifties while most of the crowd was in their mid twenties. Bivouacking at a nature camp with my family I had decided to take the morning away for white water rafting in the Bhori river near Kolad, Maharashtra.  Regulated by a hydel power dam, the river is a popular rafting point, especially in the monsoon and is a Level 3 rapid for most parts. Around the year, however, the rapids are created by waters from a hydel dam that irrigate the farmland and serve as the primary source of potable water in the region.

As we waited for the gates of the dam to be opened, we were asked to fill up the "risk undertaking and non-indemnity" (i.e. "I am responsible for any kind of injury to me") form. We were geared up in helmets, life jackets and paddles in hand. I also had a dry bag slung on my back with some money, change of clothes and car keys in it. I had earlier driven down with Mercury Himalayan Expeditions (MHE) team in their pick up truck. Before that, it was with much curiosity I had witnessed deceptively lean looking Gorkhas load with deftness two fully inflated rafts, at least 12 feet long, and secure them on top of the truck. With equal swiftness, they had loaded about 40 life jackets, and an equal number of helmets and paddles in what was a morning routine for them.

A feeling of nervous confidence in the air, which had hitherto lingered around the gathered crowd, turned to one of exhilaration when we heard a roar of water gushing down the hill. We bellowed as we saw the rocky bed of the ravine submerge under the jetting irrigate. Some of the taller trees stood proudly above water, their tops proudly showing off their height above the filled up ravine. Water would continue to rise a few feet per minute for several more minutes. That was a lot of water rolling down the valley and I felt very small in the scheme of things. Knowing that such destructive force was managed by the touch of a few buttons offered superfluous consolation.

We took our spots on the dinghy, more randomly than by instruction or choice. The blue and yellow inflatable raft had a seating capacity of ten. There were six of us on this raft loosely anchored to the rocks by a rope. A raft leader would join us momentarily. I could make out from the talk going on in the raft that I was a with a group of students, five men well known to each other. Later, I was told by one of them that they were all doctoral candidates. I was amused thinking that between the six of us 17 academic degrees could be counted.

Just then, a man with swim tights and complete rafting gear hopped onto the boat. "My name is Deepak and I will be your raft leader today. Let's get this boat loose.", he said and untied the rope that anchored the raft. As a raft slowly drifted into the pool of back water created by the flash flood in the river, Deepak recalled the instructions and told us we would now practice all that we had learned in the past hour. I looked around to other boats doing the same manoeuvres as we were practicing. Right in the middle one of the MHE safety crew was bobbing in and out of water with his snug fit sit-in kayak; his way of getting the feel of the water. Noticing that we were struggling to synchronise, I volunteered a suggestion that the guys at the head of the boat sync each others' movements while each of us synced up with the person immediately in front of them. There was a round of "yeahs" as the idea sunk in.

Sooner or later, this was bound to happen, and it did: people started splashing water on each other and there was brief water fighting all around. Following suggestions from the raft leaders, some people jumped into water just to get the feel of how cold it was. No doubt those who jumped first were good swimmers. It was a little early for the non swimmers to get used to the comfort and security of the life jackets. The life jacket is probably the most fantastic safety equipment. But, more on that later.

I could see the first raft slowly rowed toward the current. Supported by the steady rush of the water, the boat eased itself downstream. Guided by Deepak, we made our way past the overhanging shrubs and bushes in the direction of the current. Immediately our training was put to action. As we steered clear of the trees jutting out the in the middle of the rapids, we kept our arms rowing to the direction of Deepak's voice. "Left side forward, right side back" turned the raft left, out of the way of the boat ahead of us,"We will soon hit our first rapid; this one is called 'Good Morning'!"

(To be Continued... Watch this space)