Minimserver is Offline

[Ogh]

I use Minimserver on my home network main PC, with a library of music files, that I can play on the Teac NT-505. Some days ago it stopped working. I got the message "Offline: Minimserver" and could not access the library, even though Tidal streaming still worked. This message appeared in the Lumin app (and the HR Streamer app) that I use to control the Teac from a phone and an Ipad. I got no warning or error message on the PC itself. Various tricks - rebooting, rebuilding the library, resetting the wireless and router, etc - did not work, and I got a sinking feeling that I would have to send the Teac in for repair (some of these units had known network problems, in the beginning). Luckily I thought about the firewall on the PC. I turned the firewall (Windows 10 Defender) fully off, and discovered that Minimserver was online again, the error gone. I then discovered that Windows 10, for some reason, had turned my home network from Private to Public. And that the Public setting won't allow "outsiders" to access Minimserver (even if it runs without error on the PC itself). I don't know why the network profile was changed to Private - maybe, due to a change of router on our home network, or maybe some over-eager Windows security update.

This firewall issue is probably described somewhere already, but I could not find it, so my post is maybe useful. In my case, Minimserver was already installed, leading to the "Offline: Minimserver" message, but in a new installation it might lead to - simply - Minimserver not being found, in the Music library setting in the Lumin or HR app.

[simoncn]

Thanks for sharing this. The firewall issue is mentioned in point 12 of this section but not the public/private issue. I will add some words about this. I will also add something about this to this section.

The change from private to public would probably have happened when you changed the router. Some other users have reported the same problem.

[Ogh]

Thanks. Maybe you could consider a more specific note, What to do if Minimserver runs fine on your pc, but is offline from other devices.

[simoncn]

I think the text I have added today is sufficient to alert the user to the possible reason for this problem.

[Peter@57m]

I had this happen too in the last few days after a major Windows update so I suspect it was the cause.

In my case all was running fine as I use MinimServer on my Melco and primarily use my iPad with the Lumin app or the Linn app. These were working fine.

I was then sitting at the PC and tried to access MinimServer on the Melco using MinimWatch and couldn’t. Tried a few things including turning off the firewall (McAfee) which then gave me access. McAfee was allowing access to Java and MinimWatch so couldn’t figure out what was the problem. Then saw that my home network on the PC was Public. Changed this to Private and all was OK. I never made this change.

So as I say, I think a Windows update/change was the problem.