How to handle new NAS IP address

[TroubleClef]

I got a new router and the IP address for my NAS which houses all my media is no longer valid. I'm trying to understand my options but if I don't re-assign the old IP address what changes would I need to make in MM4 to reconnect? Also would I need to change anything to sync to MMA devices?

[Lowlander]

It depends, did you scan by IP or device name. Generally you'd use device name, so the IP doesn't matter and any changes to the IP don't affect MediaMonkey. If you scanned by IP, you'd need to use File > Locate Moved/Missing Files to update the files to the new location (new IP) or easier, match the IP of the new NAS to the IP of the old NAS.

[TroubleClef]

It depends, did you scan by IP or device name. Generally you'd use device name, so the IP doesn't matter and any changes to the IP don't affect MediaMonkey. If you scanned by IP, you'd need to use File > Locate Moved/Missing Files to update the files to the new location (new IP) or easier, match the IP of the new NAS to the IP of the old NAS.

Thanks, this stuff isn't my forte so I'm shaky on the details. I haven't had a chance to try a scan yet but I remember coming here years ago when first setting up MM4 and being told it was best to assign a static IP address to the NAS rather than device name or drive letter. So that's the way its stayed. The static NAS IP address is part of all the file paths in my MM4 database.

I could assign the old IP address to the NAS using the new router, but as I understand it, that would require reassigning the LAN IP of the new router. I found the steps to do that but not sure if that could potentially cause other unrelated problems, but if not, is that the best way forward from a MM perspective?

If I scan for the new IP address and not mess with the LAN IP of the new router, would that involve many other steps to maintain functionality in MMW and MMA?

[Lowlander]

YouTube and online search for your model router can be of great help in solving the subnet (IP).

However if you don't want to go that route Locate Moved/Missing Files should match the files to their new location (IP).

Do not scan your files till you fix this.

[TroubleClef]

YouTube and online search for your model router can be of great help in solving the subnet (IP).

However if you don't want to go that route Locate Moved/Missing Files should match the files to their new location (IP).

Do not scan your files till you fix this.

Thanks, yeah I was able to get some instruction from the router manufacturer on the steps to changing its LAN IP. They say it should be no problem, but others on a forum suggest it could revert after firmware updates. Maybe I'll do a wider search online as you suggest before I decide.

I haven't opened MM4 since the move because I didn't want to inadvertently cause any problems before I understood things a little better. So I'm glad you mentioned the Locate Moved/Missing Files before scanning option. I believe my MM4 is set to scan automatically at startup though. What should I do in that scenario? Or am I confusing two different things?

[Lowlander]

In that case make a copy of the database file which will allow you to revert.

Then start MediaMonkey and disable any Folder Monitoring. There likely isn't a problem as it's trying to scan a location (IP) that is from the old NAS. So files on the new NAS shouldn't be scanned in (which is what you can't do yet).

Then use Locate Moved/Missing Files on the files from the old NAS and have it locate them on the new NAS.

[TroubleClef]

In that case make a copy of the database file which will allow you to revert.

Then start MediaMonkey and disable any Folder Monitoring. There likely isn't a problem as it's trying to scan a location (IP) that is from the old NAS. So files on the new NAS shouldn't be scanned in (which is what you can't do yet).

Then use Locate Moved/Missing Files on the files from the old NAS and have it locate them on the new NAS.

Just to be clear, I have the same NAS with the same data. I've only changed the router, and it wants to assign a new IP address to the NAS.

So correct me if Im wrong, but it sounds like maybe I can just open MM4 and use Locate Moved/Missing Files to find the old NAS at it's new IP address? Would I still need to disable folder monitoring before that step? Either way I would backup the database probably the whole NAS first incase of any problem.

[Lowlander]

Folder Monitoring will probably not interfere, however you'd need to remove the old entries anyway as they point to the wrong IP. Then you'd use Locate Moved/Missing to get the files located on the new IP.

[TroubleClef]

Folder Monitoring will probably not interfere, however you'd need to remove the old entries anyway as they point to the wrong IP. Then you'd use Locate Moved/Missing to get the files located on the new IP.

OK so it sounds like it's still better to disable folder monitoring before using Locate Moved/Missing Files, yes? When you say remove old entries though, what does that mean?

[Lowlander]

In Folder Monitoring you set specific locations to be monitored. These locations will point to the old IP and thus need to be removed (to, once files are fixed, to be replaced with locations from the new IP that you want monitored).

I'd suggest removing Folder Monitoring first, however it likely isn't necessary as they're set to the old IP, thus there shouldn't be any scanning of files on the new IP happening (and if it did, this still could be fixed). But better be safe, then to solve problems later and thus remove locations from Folder Monitoring, use Locate Moved/Missing on all files on old IP and once successful you can enable Folder Monitoring for locations on the new IP.

[TroubleClef]

In Folder Monitoring you set specific locations to be monitored. These locations will point to the old IP and thus need to be removed (to, once files are fixed, to be replaced with locations from the new IP that you want monitored).

I'd suggest removing Folder Monitoring first, however it likely isn't necessary as they're set to the old IP, thus there shouldn't be any scanning of files on the new IP happening (and if it did, this still could be fixed). But better be safe, then to solve problems later and thus remove locations from Folder Monitoring, use Locate Moved/Missing on all files on old IP and once successful you can enable Folder Monitoring for locations on the new IP.

OK, thanks. I guess the concern is MM somehow connecting to a wrong location and thinking the database should be empty?

[Lowlander]

No, that shouldn't happen without user input.

[TroubleClef]

No, that shouldn't happen without user input.

OK, I was just trying to understand the concern with using Folder Monitoring before the correct file locations are established.

[TroubleClef]

I was able to turn off Folder Monitoring, then use Locate Moved/Missing and it did find all but a few files, not sure what happened to those... But it seems like that was a success overall. So I went back to Folder Monitoring and reset it to scan continuously at the new IP address.

At that point it seemed to go about adding the entire library and I was surprised by that part of the process, if it already found the files using Locate Moved/Missing, why did it need to re-add them all? Is that to be expected?

UPDATE
Looks like most of the missing files was album art. It's strange though when I left click on the album it lists all the art files, they just don't display. What might cause that?

[TroubleClef]

A couple issues I hope you can help with:

1) For some reason one album out of 1000's won't cooperate with the new IP address. In Windows Explorer I can see the folder exists where it should at the new IP address, but for some reason MM4 still thinks its at the old IP address. I tried changing it manually but upon rescan it reverts to the old IP.

2) When I try to auto-organize any file, not just the problem folder above, it still want to put things back at the old IP address. I went into Options and updated the rule with new address and that helped so not sure what to do with that.