Vlc 3.2.2 local network problem

[unidan]

What Felix mentioned should solve your issue, but in any case SMBv1 should be avoided as much as possible nowadays.

[glnz]

What Felix mentioned should solve your issue, but in any case SMBv1 should be avoided as much as possible nowadays.

unidan - my SMB2 has been active for most of this year at least, maybe even earlier. The VLC problem is NOT due to SMB1.

So far, neither felix nor anyone else has mentioned anything that solves this issue.

[fkuehne]

You cannot solve the problem without editing the source code. It needs to be fixed in the app.

Regarding the next update, we are quite close, but I can't give a release date.

Additionally, note that there is not that one flip you need to make to restore the 3.1.9 behavior. The 3.1 codebase line is more than one year behind the current releases so there are various changes.

[glnz]

Still no fix. Really sad. Someone incompetent took over VLC.

[njragger]

After waiting patiently for yet another month, I tried out the latest update (3.2.3) to no avail. It still will not connect to my Win7/64 PC.

I've tried to revert to an older version using the .ipa accessed at https://www.videolan.org/vlc/download-ios.html. Note - the "VLC for iOS 3.2.2 binary" link there is broken apparently because of upper/lower-case confusion.

http://get.videolan.org/vlc-iOS/3.2.2/vlc-ios-3.2.2.ipa <broken link>

http://get.videolan.org/vlc-iOS/3.2.2/VLC-iOS-3.2.2.ipa <actual file>

Once at http://get.videolan.org/vlc-iOS/, you can navigate to a trove of all previous releases. Unfortunately, I have not been able to successfully install any prior version using the .ipa files stored there. I've downgraded iTunes and tried a 3rd-party utility called iMazing which allows you to manage iOS apps. Each time, I get about 85% through the installation then it crashes with:

VLC installation failed. This app is not compatible with iOS 9, or is made for a specific type of Apple mobile device (iPhone only or iPad only).

Any suggestions on reverting to a prior version that actually works?

[glnz]

njragger - I tried your second link
http://get.videolan.org/vlc-iOS/3.2.2/VLC-iOS-3.2.2.ipa
but it points only to the ipa for version 3.2.2, and we all want the last subversion of 3.1. (Maybe 3.1.9?)

Any ideas?

[njragger]

Go up one level to http://get.videolan.org/vlc-iOS/, you'll see them all listed. I tried many of them but they wouldn't complete the installation. Maybe you can figure it out?

[glnz]

njragger - fascinating, says Spock.
I'm a newcomer to iOS and have never used iTunes. Was there a way to use iTunes to install an .ipa on an iPad? (While drinking an IPA?)
Does anyone else know?
I think mine is an iPad Air 2 (my wife gave it to me), and i now have iOS for iPad 13.something.
Did you try to uninstall VLC 3.2 first before trying to install one of these earlier .ipa files?
Does anyone know the difference between VLC version 3.1.8 and 3.1.8-1 ?

[njragger]

If you Google how to install .ipa file from PC (or Windows) you'll be presented with plenty of options. I've tried most of them and nothing has worked. I'm beginning to suspect the .ipa file itself is the problem.

iTunes prior to 12.7 could install .ipa files. I downgraded my version to try it out. I also installed iMazing which has some useful features for managing apps. My girlfriend's iPad still has VLC 3.1.x (auto-update turned off) and maybe I can clone the app and/or transfer it to mine.

I did delete VLC from the iPad before attempting to install older versions.

I wonder if someone from VLC can shed light on the problem of downgrading to an older .ipa.

[RUSEN]

Have a good day!
I have the same problem with the local network.
I can't connect to my computer with version 3.2.2 but I can connect with 3.1.7 version without any problems.
The VLC player 3.2.2 asks me to write user name and password after that I see endless loading (with 3.2.2).
Please fix the problem with the local network.

[glnz]

VKC team - why are you being pig-headed? 3.2.x does not work. Please let us re-install 3.1.9.

[fkuehne]

@glnz: take your hatred somewhere else, please. 3.2.3 included further SMB improvements and there is virtually no-one complaining about it anymore on the App Store. If you still have issues, state them in a reproducible and friendly manner. If you continue to spread anger and hate here, you'll be ignored by the team. Additionally, insults against the team will not be tolerated and will lead to have your postings or account removed.

[glnz]

Felix - I did not see an improvement in your ratings on the Apple App Store, newest subversion 3.2.4 still does not connect to my Win 7 Pro SMB2 (although other apps do), and there are new comments here with the same problem. See Rusen and Njragger three and four above.
I love you even though you are hiding from -- and don't fix -- the problem.

[Naxos]

Heads up! It's working again! ... at least for me.

I tried to start VLC on my iPad Air 2.0 a couple of days ago, it wouldn't start at all. I deleted it, reinstalled it and it works like it did before!

I'm connecting from an iPad Air 2.0 to a PC that's on my home LAN set up with no username/password. I didn't check the latest VLC version number... if anyone needs more info, let me know.

The only thing now is I keep wondering why I can't sort a playlist by date instead of by name. Wouldn't that be a basic feature for showing a list of files, any kind of files?

Another great feature would be to be able to delete files from a playlist. I understand this is a feature for a file manager but would it be too difficult to add this to VLC?

Thank you VLC

[glnz]

 
Naxos - I also have an iPad Air 2, updated to iOS for iPad 13.2.3. My VLC was and still is 3.2.4. I followed your suggestion, deleted VLC and re-downloaded it from App Store.

It connects to my old XP machine (SMB1) but not to my 7 machine (SMB2). Neither my XP machine nor my 7 machine requires a password.

As an experiment, I turned on SMB1 on my 7 machine and rebooted it. VLC then connected and could play the videos on my 7 machine!

I then turned off SMB1, leaving SMB2 on in my 7 machine. Again, VLC cannot see anything on my 7 machine. However, two other apps on my iPad can see the 7 machine easily - the apps Documents and File Explorer. (As you know, SMB1 is now dangerous, and all security pros and Microsoft recommend NOT using it because it is a vector for ransomware.)

One detail - both my XP and 7 machines are listed in VLC under Network - File Servers, and have always been. So VLC knows that my 7 machine exists on the LAN. VLC just can't reach any of its folders or files.

So, VLC 3.2.4 does not connect with SMB2. Still broken. Still not fixed by VLC after more than ten weeks.

Naxos - I am curious whether your PC is running SMB1 and that's why you are connecting.
In regedit, go to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\LanmanServer\Parameters
Look for the SMB1 key. If its DWORD value is 0, then it is off. If it is 1, then it is on.
Also curious whether your SMB2 is on. Same 0 off and 1 on.
Please let us know.

Thanks.
 

[Naxos]

 
[...]

Naxos - I am curious whether your PC is running SMB1 and that's why you are connecting.
In regedit, go to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\LanmanServer\Parameters
Look for the SMB1 key. If its DWORD value is 0, then it is off. If it is 1, then it is on.
Also curious whether your SMB2 is on. Same 0 off and 1 on.
Please let us know.

Thanks.
 

glnz, I don't see any SMB1 setting --- it's Windows 10, 64 bit, the latest version:

http://prntscr.com/q4t5j1

[url]https://prnt.sc/q4t5j1[/url]

[glnz]

Naxos - I didn't realize you were on 10. One more test for you -- please go to Windows Features (Start button and type Windows Features). There is an option box for "SMB 1.0/CIFS File Sharing Support", with three sub-options.
Is any of them checked (some SMB 1) or all off (no SMB 1)?
Thanks.

[Naxos]

Naxos - I didn't realize you were on 10. One more test for you -- please go to Windows Features (Start button and type Windows Features). There is an option box for "SMB 1.0/CIFS File Sharing Support", with three sub-options.
Is any of them checked (some SMB 1) or all off (no SMB 1)?
Thanks.

Do I need to turn on Windows features on first?

http://prntscr.com/q4tbcb

[glnz]

Naxos - yes, please hit "Turn Windows Features On or Off". This will bring you to a list of Windows features. The "SMB 1.0/CIFS File Sharing Support" feature will be about half way down and, if you expand it, has three sub-features. Don;t need you to turn anything on or off. Just curious if any of your SMB 1.0 boxes is already checked.

[Naxos]

Here it is:

http://prntscr.com/q4td74

[glnz]

Naxos - looks like your SMB 1 is on in your Win 10.
If you UNchecj the three SMB 1 boxes and reboot, does your VLC on iOS still connect?
You can then go back in to Windows Features and turn those boxes back on if you want although SMB 1 is supposed to be insecure.

[Naxos]

Naxos - looks like your SMB 1 is on in your Win 10.
If you UNchecj the three SMB 1 boxes and reboot, does your VLC on iOS still connect?
You can then go back in to Windows Features and turn those boxes back on if you want although SMB 1 is supposed to be insecure.

glnz, I won't mess with anything at this point... I was glad to get the VLC functionality back and I'll leave things as they are.

Good luck!

[glnz]

 
On my Win 10, I get the same result as on my Win 7, and the same result as Naxos.

-- If SMB 1 is on, then VLC on iPad will connect.
-- If SMB 1 is off, then VLC will NOT connect, even if SMB 2 is on.

VLC on iOS does not know how to use SMB 2. It cannot connect with only SMB 2 on the "host" PC on the LAN.

This was not a problem before VLC 3.2. (And we should NOT be using SMB 1 any more.)

Other apps on my iPad can connect to SMB 2 on my LAN.

VLC 3.2 is badly designed and broken.
After ten weeks, VLC for iOS has not been fixed.
 

[glnz]

I see there might be a new VLC 3.2.5. Does anyone know whether it connects to PCs on your LAN using only SMB2?

Please confirm your PC is using ONLY SMB2, with SMB1 off.

In Win 7, go to regedit.
In regedit, go to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\LanmanServer\Parameters
Look for the SMB1 key. If its DWORD value is 0, then it is off. If it is 1, then it is on.

In Win 10, go to Windows Features and look for the SMB 1 options - any checked (on) or all of them unchecked (off)?

Has this been fixed finally?

[glnz]

I just tried VLC 3.2.6
It is still broken.
It connects to SMB1, which is old and insecure.
It does NOT connect to SMB2.
Other apps on my iPad connect to SMB2 without a problem.
I guess VLC lost its up-to-date talent and is floundering. Shame.