vb insert client (for use with mfs_ftp)

[mavrcksd]

I have written a SIMPLE VB application that only inserts TMF files right now.

Using SmartFTP, FLASHFXP, command line ftp in both windows and linux, I would only get max 3-400k/sec

With this I avg above 850k/sec with bursts to 1MB/sec.

I'll be posting it here shortly.

Right now, it's in a sorta crude state. It doesn't close down cleanly. It takes about 2 minutes to close down if you close it while it's uploading. However, if you wait for it to become idle, then it will close fine.

http://members.cox.net/benstivo

[rung]

It would be neat to see how you are doing this. Will you be making the source code available?

[mavrcksd]

Rung:

Did it work for you

and while it's uploading, can you do a telnet into your mfs_ftp directory and cat the port.3105.log?

Thanks

[Hi8]

Hum..

confused.

what is the apps purpose? does it require mfs_ftp running on the destination tivo? if so, what is the advantage over running a standard FTP client?

do you do the insert via the ftp server on tivo?

[mavrcksd]

The purpose of writing this was:

1) Inserts into the tivo
2) Get better throughput

To answer your questions, yes. You need to have your mfs_ftp server running on the tivo, default port of 3105.

Then use it to browse to a tmf file in your computer and SEND it to the tivo.

There is a lot of overhead in the other apps I feel, and I could NEVER get above 200..250k on inserts, with all the hacks of the runideturbo=false etc, and the hard drive parms...

This was giving me 850k on avg for inserts, and it's just a very generic interface, no throttling or anything.

MAV

[alanjudy]

I get the following error when I run this... I suspect that there is a component on your development box that needs to be included on my system... I've seen this type of error in that situation with other VB apps...

Error --
Component "msinet.ocx" or one of its dependencies not correctly registered: a file is missing or invalid

=alanjudy

[Hi8]

Originally posted by alanjudy
I get the following error when I run this... I suspect that there is a component on your development box that needs to be included on my system... I've seen this type of error in that situation with other VB apps...

Error --
Component "msinet.ocx" or one of its dependencies not correctly registered: a file is missing or invalid

=alanjudy

yes I got the same thing, you need to get a copy of msinet.ocx do a google "msinet.ocx" and "download" comes up first for me...
you will also need to run the .bat file to register it on your computer.

msinet.ocx - [download] (http://www.download.support.safetec.net/msinet.ocx/)

[larray]

I don't imagine that this could be used to aid in server to server transfers could it? (source tivo1 instead of local fs, destination tivo2)? I don't think it could help with the direct mfs_ftp to mfs_ftp transfer, but maybe if the box running this client could be used as a proxy? Might make for a nice addition to the material cwingert is working on... (just thinking out loud)

[mpauley]

Originally posted by mavrcksd
I have written a SIMPLE VB application that only inserts TMF files right now.

Using SmartFTP, FLASHFXP, command line ftp in both windows and linux, I would only get max 3-400k/sec

With this I avg above 850k/sec with bursts to 1MB/sec.

I'll be posting it here shortly.

Right now, it's in a sorta crude state. It doesn't close down cleanly. It takes about 2 minutes to close down if you close it while it's uploading. However, if you wait for it to become idle, then it will close fine.

http://members.cox.net/benstivo/files/mfs-ftp/mfs-ftp-vb.zip

@mavrcksd - What in your code allows for higher rates of transfer that other FTP clients don't? Do you use Winsock in this also or just MSInet? Can you please open the source for this?

Thanks!

[mavrcksd]

I'm sorry for the ocx problems.

I"ll put up the package install today.

Yes, this is just the built in msinet control using FTP protocol.

There is no overhead throttling on it, and the nice thing, only about 15-20 lines of code.

I have talked to cwingert about the vserver application, and I dont have the experience in reading the "chunks" that it is used for.

However, with some minor changes, I could look into making it a "proxy" for moving files between tivo's.

However, I think the best bet would be that that proxy have to nic's in it so you get the best duplex.

I have used a PCI nic, and a USB 2.0 network adapter in the past with great results.

I"m also trying to put together a "shelling front end" that will spawn the other tools out there. Some have command line options, some dont. I"ll be working on a command line option for this as well as soon as the major functionality is going smoothly.

Also, the MSINET control doesn't give you any indication for progress. I'm going to work on that.

Stay tuned....

[mavrcksd]

Here is the complete SETUP package.

It will not compress enough to post on here so you can find it at

http://members.cox.net/benstivo

[sanderton]

I've installed it, told it my TiVo's IP, selected TMF, chosen a TMF file and pressed send... and nothing happens? Well the application acts all busy, but there's no network activity?

I've tried leaving tha username/password as they stand, and also blanking them out. Doesn't seem to make any odds.

mfs_ftp is up and running as I can connect to ist with SmartFTP.

Edit: Looking at the source code, I renamed the .tmf file with no other periods in it. It now says "uploading" for a fraction of a second, before saying idle, and no amount of clicking of Send will make it do anything else.

Extra edit: looking at the code

ftpRemotePath = LCase(FileType) & "/" & filename
Inet1.Execute , "Put " & ftpLocalPath & " " & ftpRemotePath

Shouldn't the remote path be /tmf/filname rather than just tmf/filename ?

[mavrcksd]

Sanderton:

Thank you - I had a file renamed here with just filename.tmf

YES... the TMF's extracted from mfs_ftp have a . in the time for like 10.55 AM etc... and for some reason it doesn't like that.

I renamed a show to be just "filename.tmf" and it uploaded as is.

and I just have remote path is "tmf/filename"

[mavrcksd]

Please refer yourself to just the website address for files.

http://members.cox.net/benstivo


I'll be changing to a static IP address once I dont have COX communications anymore!

[mavrcksd]

[i]

Shouldn't the remote path be /tmf/filname rather than just tmf/filename ? [/B]


Did you try putting the / in front of the "filetype" variable?

Thanks

[rc3105]

an observation

if a vb app uploads faster than smart-ftp then the network config on your pc is whacked (common in XP)

[mavrcksd]

Thanks RC... I have just downloaded and updated my mfs_ftp.tcl file so many the readme i have never read since version ....1 :)

Anyways. - Sorry for that ... I'll fix it right away.

AS for XP. My xp is a fresh install, with just VB6 installed on it. Because I have a spare computer just running that, and it's actually just a 800mhz with 512MB ram.

MAV

[mavrcksd]

I changed it so that it should find the extension correctly.

I appologize.

I also added it so that it would assume the entire filename, and not stop at at a "." in the filename to truncate at.

MAV

[sanderton]

Originally posted by mavrcksd
Did you try putting the / in front of the "filetype" variable?

Thanks

No, VB.net is happy to show me you code, but won't actually let me edit it!

[sanderton]

The latest version now works for me.

Unfortunately it is slightly SLOWER on my system than SmartFTP. :(

I'd have to agree with the comments above that you appear to have a ntetworking issue of some kind which is slowing down the conventional apps, rather than this approach being intrinsically faster.

[mavrcksd]

Sanderton, thanks for the confirmation that it DOES work :)

That it's slower on your side.

What speed were you getting when you looked at the port.3105.log ?

My setup was my laptop -> 100mb 8port linksys switch -> Tivo


MAV

[sanderton]

The insert speed I get depends on what the TiVo is doing. 500kbytes/sec when it's under straiin, 1.1Mb/sec if I let insertion run riot with the priorities (but that pretty much freezes the TiVo for anything else.) Average 750kbytes/sec, I'd say.

[mavrcksd]

Well you were seeing faster than me using this then (or do you mean your other ftp clients)??

I would like to write a front end that would spawn other tools that are out there...

I have a tivo support directory with about 100 subfolders under that of different things for this and that.

Glad that I have some collaboration on this

[wkozun]

I was getting slow insertions with mfs_ftp using SmartFTP so I decided to try this tool.

I inserted one show but it was very slow going - I got throughput of about 160k for a show that was about 1.2G.

Any advice on how to troubleshoot this problem.

I have version 3.0 of TiVo software running so I never had to install any drivers for my TurboNet card. I have never had any network problems in the past and I get reasonable speed on extractions - about 1300k.

[sanderton]

Originally posted by wkozun
Any advice on how to troubleshoot this problem.



Check the mfs_ftp thread, and look for posts about:

hdparm
ideturbo
setpri

[sych0]

guess this project is dead?

[rc3105]

looks like. not terribly usefull as it stands now, could be pretty handy with a few additional features like tmf<->ty conversion or scheduled uploads/downloads/transfers... (20 mins work if somebody feels like tackling it)

[mavrcksd]

looks like. not terribly usefull as it stands now, could be pretty handy with a few additional features like tmf<->ty conversion or scheduled uploads/downloads/transfers... (20 mins work if somebody feels like tackling it)


I have all the spare little tools. Would a GUI front end to some of the little tools out there be useful?

However, a re-packaging of them? hmm. who can provide the latest conversion tools - command line parms, and let me know.

MAV