Frequently Asked Questions « Home Server Technologies Inc.

Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

Does the Wireless Media Stick™ work with NetFlix or YouTube?

No. The Wireless Media Stick currently only streams media from your home network. The stick will NOT stream from Netflix.

I have a firewall installed on my machine, such as Norton 360. Will the stick work?

This is the biggest support issue here at HSTi. If you have a firewall installed then you might have issues with file sharing with the stick. You NEED to either disable your firewall (usually the best idea) on your PC or use the Windows or Mac default firewall, as those products automatically open the proper channels (ports) for file sharing. Other software such as Norton or Mcafee tend to NOT work with file sharing automatically. Please consult your firewall software on how to allow file sharing on your home network.

What do I need to make the Wireless Media Stick™ work in my home?

You require three things to have the Wireless Media Stick™ work for you:
1. PC, Mac or NAS device that can share files over your network
2. Wireless router or access point at your location (802.11 g/n). Note that you can use a ‘b’ router to stream music and photo files, but not video. This is a router speed limitation.
3. Media playback device with a USB playback port (i.e. TV, DVD/Blu-ray player, digital picture frame, set-top box, game console, etc.)

Does the Wireless Media Stick™ work with my Mac?

Yes. With our latest software update you can now use it with your Mac, or a PC, or a NAS device.

Can I play video files with the Wireless Media Stick™ even though the USB port on my TV can’t play video files?

No. The Wireless Media Stick™ can only ‘see’ and play the same file types that your TV can play. e.g. If your TV can play .mp4 files from a USB memory stick, then the Wireless Media Stick™ can play those same files through your wireless network. If your TV can’t play .mp4 files, then the Wireless Media Stick™ won’t see them either. One solution is to insert the Wireless Media Stick™ into a DVD/Blu-ray player or game console that can play .mp4 files and that is connected to your TV.

The stick emulates FAT32 USB format. Does that mean I can’t have files larger than 4 GB

No. The current software version of the WMS uses the FAT32 standard USB format. This does mean that any files that are over 4 GB won’t show up on the stick. You can always compress your files to under 4 GB, or split any huge files into smaller files.

Do I need more than one Wireless Media Stick™ to stream my files?

No. Only one Wireless Media Stick™ is needed to work on your home network. It simply connects to your Wi-Fi network and communicates between computers sharing folders and your chosen media player with a USB playback port.

Do I need a dedicated ‘host’ computer or laptop to use the Wireless Media Stick™?

No. The Wireless Media Stick™ is a standalone network node that has all its configuration and ‘brains’ on the stick itself. It can stream files from any computer in your home wireless network that has files shared. And, when you are streaming media files using the Wireless Media Stick™, you can still use your computer.

Why can’t I play .avi files on my TV?

It’s likely because your TV doesn’t support that type of file. You may have to save your movie/video file into a different format on your computer to match what your TV can play. The Wireless Media Stick™ can play virtually any type of media file as long as your media player can. The limitation is with the player and not the Wireless Media Stick™.

I have set up my Wireless Media Stick™, and shared my folders but they don’t show up in the scan. What’s wrong?

There could be different reasons:
1. You may not have your computer set up for sharing folders (check your computer and specific operating system to set this up, or check the Wireless Media Stick™ User Guide).
2. You may have a firewall turned on that is not letting sharing through. Enable your firewall to allow SMB sharing ports.
3. If you have Windows 7, you may have your PC set to share with HomeGroup. You need to set your folder to share with an account on the PC. Right click on the folder and choose ‘Share With’ and then ‘Specific People’ and choose an account name.

Do I need more than one Wireless Media Stick™ per computer where I have shared files?

No. Only one Wireless Media Stick™ is needed. One Wireless Media Stick™ configured in your home network can see and stream your files from multiple computers on your network. Your media player will simply see each shared computer as a top level folder on its menu, and therefore the shared folders and files on each computer.

Do I have to install any additional software on my computer?

No. The Wireless Media Stick™ is a standalone network device that communicates and uses standard file sharing protocols already installed on your computer. There is an automatic set up wizard that appears on your computer when you plug it in and that’s all you need.

Do I need to learn how to use another remote control?

No. Your existing remote control can be used to: browse and select files on your media player’s menu, start/stop playback, and even forward and rewind the same as you normally would to view a video or other media file.

Is the Wireless Media Stick™ interchangeable with all my media playback devices?

Yes. Simply treat the Wireless Media Stick™ like a USB storage stick once it is configured. You can unplug it from one media player and plug it into another one in your home and it will always display your configured share folders to those players. If you do have a media player that is USB enabled but the Wireless Media Stick™ doesn’t work with it, check to see if the media playback device supports the file format and the USB port is enabled to play media files.

Is it secure? I don’t want other people to see my files?

Yes. The Wireless Media Stick™ is as secure as your home network is. The files that are shared are only presented as a USB storage drive to your media player and that is the only device that can ‘see’ the files, and only through the USB port. You can’t get to the shared files over a network connection (i.e. through the Wireless Media Stick™ web management interface, etc.).
The only way to alleviate your concern about other people seeing your shared files is to effectively protect your home WiFi setup with security and a good password. If you don’t have good home network security set up, such as leaving the defaults on your WiFi router, then you are more prone to have people see your files, but not because of the Wireless Media Stick™.

Does the Wireless Media Stick™ have unlimited storage capacity?

No. The Wireless Media Stick™ has virtual memory. The memory or storage capacity actually resides on your home network and not on the Wireless Media Stick™. The current version of the Wireless Media Stick™ software allows for up to 1 TB of aggregated storage on your network.
Also, the functionality of the Wireless Media Stick™ can be limited by your media player. Some players limit the amount of files that can be in any directory at any given time. For instance one player that we tested had a maximum of 250 entries per directory. Breaking up the shared folders into smaller folders (such as separating by date, genre, etc.) can solve the problem. It’s easier to browse your media player’s menu if your files are sorted more logically. This same limitation would occur on all USB drives, not just the Wireless Media Stick™.

How are codecs and file types handled?

The Wireless Media Stick™ does not code or decode files. That all happens in your media player. Remember though, the files you can access with the Wireless Media Stick™ are limited to the same types of files you could access on a regular USB stick with your media playback device. If your particular TV can read and play .mkv files, you can play those with the Wireless Media Stick™. If it can’t play .mkv files, you can’t play them with the Wireless Media Stick™.

Does it have wireless N capability?

Yes. There is a 2.4 gHz wireless ‘n’ antenna in the Wireless Media Stick™, but it also works with ‘b’ or ‘g’ routers. Note that if you are using a ‘b’ router you can stream music and photo files, but not video. This is a router speed limitation.

Can I upgrade the device?

Yes. Depending on what version of the Wireless Media Stick™ you have, firmware upgrades will be available from our web site and can be applied to the Wireless Media Stick™ through the web based management interface.

Does it automatically scan for new files and folders?

Yes and No. The Wireless Media Stick™ will find new files and folders that you create and place in an already shared folder on your computer. It won’t search for any new shared folders. This is design intent since a lot of shared folders on your network might not be for media files, and therefore not required, .
The easiest way to manage your files is to create top level shared folders such as ‘Music’, ‘Videos’, ‘Pictures’, etc, and put all media files that you want to stream into those folders. You can then add those shared folders to your Wireless Media Stick™. When you have new media files that you want your Wireless Media Stick™ to see, simply add those files to the top level shared folders. The Wireless Media Stick™ will see any new files in those folders each time it is turned on (i.e. powered up by plugging it in, or turning on your media player where it is already inserted).

So the Wireless Media Stick™ has to be ‘restarted’ to see new files?

Yes. And this is due to the nature of our patent pending technology working with some limitations of USB storage protocols. This is a somewhat trivial issue as a ‘restart’ simply means power cycling the device by unplugging it or plugging it in, or power cycling the media player it is plugged into. There is also a button on the web management interface to reset the Wireless Media Stick™. We could have set it up to simply add the new folders automatically, but that could involve your device possibly resetting while watching a movie.

Can I take the Wireless Media Stick™ to a friend’s house and use it there?

Yes. There are two ways to have the Wireless Media Stick™ work at your friend’s house. Using your own laptop/computer, you would have to configure the wireless connection again for your friend’s WiFi network if you wanted to view your shared folders. Or, if you are using your friend’s computer and wireless network, you could set up shared folders, set up the Wireless Media Stick™, and then stream and enjoy your friend’s media files.

Can the device access internet content?

Not today. But it is planned for upcoming software versions. Watch our website for updates at hsti.com.

I have my router password correct, but the stick doesn’t connect to my router, what should I do?

The first thing to try is to reset your router. Simply unplug the router and plug it back in. This should clear up an memory leak issues with the router. You should be able to connect to the wireless router with the stick now. Also, please ensure you have the password correct, and don’t have caps lock on. If you have WEP security on your router, then please enter the WEP-KEY, which is a hexadecimal code that is generated from your password you entered on your router page.