Can't pair an iTunes Plugin device with iTunes

[JGTracy]

I am unable to pair the iTunes plugin with iTunes. I've tried with the suggested "0000" as well as another 4 digit number that I frequently use. iTunes reports that the remote <Indigo> is now able to control iTunes. However, the bottom of the "Configure" window says "Error validating fields. Hover over red fields..", but there are no red fields. There is this after the pairing instruction: **NOTE** A failed attempt to pair occurred.

FWIW, I always work in a non-admin account. This is the way I've worked since 10.0.0.

[jay (support)]

Do you have one of the VM products installed (Parallels or VMWare)? They create some kind of pseudo network interface that keeps bonjour from working correctly/reliably.

[JGTracy]

No VM products. I do have Crossover and as near as I can tell none of t is loaded.
Please note:
iTunes reports that I can now control iTunes from the remote after entering a code.
Indigo reports that the pairing attempt failed.
I run iTunes and Indigo client in my non-admin user account and think this may be part of the problem.

[jay (support)]

Is the server running on a non-admin account or just the Mac client?. The reason iTunes added it as a remote is because it's failing after that part - when the message comes back from iTunes something is causing the plugin to fail the pairing. The only problem we've had is a mismatch between what the plugin thought was the IP address based on the original bonjour query for available iTunes servers and where the pairing reply message comes from - with VM sofware it often comes in on a different interface so the IP addresses don't match.

Open the iTunes plugin preferences and enable debugging. Then try the pairing again and copy/paste the iTunes debug event log entries in a reply - hopefully that will pinpoint exactly where it's failing.

[JGTracy]

The Indigo server is running in an admin account. The client is running in a non-admin account of the same Mac. Of course, both accounts have an iTunes server, but I don't use the one in my admin account.

I don't think bonjour can query a different account on the same Mac. I initially had difficulty connecting the Indigo client in my non-admin user account with the server in the admin account on the same Mac. I had to manually enter the server address as 127.0.0.1 to make the connection. The graphic below is a screen snapshot of some fseventer activity that was run during a paring attempt. "John" is my user account and "JTadmin" is my admin account.

[jay (support)]

To further debug I need the iTunes plugin debugging information as requested above...

[JGTracy]

Debug information below. "Iorek" is the name of my Mac.


Jan 6, 2012 8:29:14 AM
iTunes Debug logging enabled
iTunes Debug getDeviceConfigUiValues called
iTunes Debug getDeviceConfigUiValues(): this is a new device
iTunes Debug getDeviceConfigUiValues(): new guid: F0B75AA4317600BC
iTunes Debug getDeviceConfigUiValues(): starting pairing thread
iTunes Debug pairingThread: Starting run method
iTunes Debug pairingThread: Waiting for pairing message
iTunes Debug pairingThread: Received pairing message
iTunes Debug pairingThread: From host: ('192.168.1.102', 56950)
iTunes Debug pairingThread: Closing down

Jan 6, 2012 8:29:49 AM
iTunes Debug validateDeviceConfigUi called
iTunes Debug validateDeviceConfigUi: Pairing message was received from ip: 192.168.1.102
iTunes Debug getMediaServerList: called
iTunes Debug getMediaServerList: ip: 192.168.1.100 and host: Iorek-4.local
iTunes Debug validateDeviceConfigUi: serverList:
[('192.168.1.100', u'Iorek-4.local', u'Iorek-4.local:3689')]
iTunes Debug validateDeviceConfigUi: Pairing message was not received from a known host: 192.168.1.102
iTunes Debug pairingThread: Starting run method
iTunes Debug dacp.open: exception: (48, 'Address already in use')
iTunes Debug dacp.open: address in use exception, trying another
iTunes Debug pairingThread: Waiting for pairing message

Jan 6, 2012 8:30:15 AM
iTunes Debug closedDeviceConfigUi: device config dialog closed
iTunes Debug closedDeviceConfigUi: pairing thread exists
iTunes Debug closedDeviceConfigUi: pairing thread is running, cancelling
iTunes Debug pairingThread: Received pairing message
iTunes Debug pairingThread: From host: ('127.0.0.1', 56982)
iTunes Debug pairingThread: Closing down

[jay (support)]

As I suspected - something on your mac has created a separate network interface - notice that the bonjour advertised iTunes service is coming from 192.168.1.100, but the pairing post from iTunes came in on 192.168.1.102. So, somehow you have 2 active network interfaces and this causes issues. You need to figure out how to shut down one of them (it's likely the 192.168.1.102 interface) so that all traffic is on the same interface.

[JGTracy]

Ahh So

192.168.1.100 is my wired Ethernet connection
192.168.1.102 is my AirPort connection
Both addresses are 'DCHP' from a Linksys router

I tried first with AirPort off. The pairing worked but the device did not. See graphic below.

I then deleted and recreated the iTunes device. This time I paired with the wired Ethernet disconnected. Pairing also worked and so did the device. I have noticed that iTunes seems to favor the airport path when given a choice.

Thanks

Hmmm -- Plugin doesn't do much. I was hoping to schedule selection of Playlist, Track, and Speakers.

[asw24b]

Ahh So

192.168.1.100 is my wired Ethernet connection
192.168.1.102 is my AirPort connection
Both addresses are 'DCHP' from a Linksys router.

This is not a valid network HW configuration; You aren't supposed to have 2 physical interfaces with the same subnet.

Because MacOS has interface prioritization, it happens to mostly work, but it isn't good practice... to fix it, you need to turn off 1 interface and then reboot to clean up the routing tables.

Apple used to have a tech note about this, but it appears to be gone.


Mike

[jay (support)]

Hmmm -- Plugin doesn't do much. I was hoping to schedule selection of Playlist, Track, and Speakers.

Good thing that using it is optional then.

[JGTracy]

asw24b wrote:
This is not a valid network HW configuration; You aren't supposed to have 2 physical interfaces with the same subnet.

Because MacOS has interface prioritization, it happens to mostly work, but it isn't good practice... to fix it, you need to turn off 1 interface and then reboot to clean up the routing tables.

Apple used to have a tech note about this, but it appears to be gone.

I don't think what you're saying is right. It may have been right in the early days of AirPort. The internet was designed to work in spite of broken or busy connections, and you have no guarantee that the same path will be used twice, If having both were a problem, then Apple wouldn't allow them to be so easily configured. This kind of problem is likely due to a hard-coded rather than universal solution for a good or misguided reason. For example: this hard-coded path could be directed by iTunes or bonjour or whatever.

The configuration I have has been trouble free for over 5 years and I see no need to disable one connection now. I suggest a note on your plugins wiki that if the user has both a wired and AirPort internet connection, that they disable one of them during the pairing attempt.

[asw24b]

asw24b wrote:
This is not a valid network HW configuration; You aren't supposed to have 2 physical interfaces with the same subnet.

Because MacOS has interface prioritization, it happens to mostly work, but it isn't good practice... to fix it, you need to turn off 1 interface and then reboot to clean up the routing tables.

Apple used to have a tech note about this, but it appears to be gone.

I don't think what you're saying is right. It may have been right in the early days of AirPort. The internet was designed to work in spite of broken or busy connections, and you have no guarantee that the same path will be used twice, If having both were a problem, then Apple wouldn't allow them to be so easily configured. This kind of problem is likely due to a hard-coded rather than universal solution for a good or misguided reason. For example: this hard-coded path could be directed by iTunes or bonjour or whatever.

The configuration I have has been trouble free for over 5 years and I see no need to disable one connection now. I suggest a note on your plugins wiki that if the user has both a wired and AirPort internet connection, that they disable one of them during the pairing attempt.

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3679

[jay (support)]

Microsoft agrees - it's a nonstandard configuration. Now, if the two interfaces were on different subnets, it would be a different story.

[yschutzer]

I'm getting the error "a failed attempt to pair occurred" as well. It looks like the above suggestions worked for the thread starter, but the suggested steps above did not solve the issue, so I'd like to continue this thread.

Just a few setup details:
-MacMini running admin account running Indigo 6.0.0b and intending to pair with iTunes (both on localhost)
-Ethernet port connected (no airport or anything else). IP is 192.168.39.143
-No VMWare or Parallels running. Crossover is installed but not running.

I made several attempts to connect which fail immediately after entering a 4 digit pin in iTunes. From the logs below, I'm getting an error stating: dacp.open: exception: (48, 'Address already in use')

Dec 12, 2012 10:37:35 AM
iTunes Debug getDeviceConfigUiValues called
iTunes Debug getDeviceConfigUiValues(): this is a new device
iTunes Debug getDeviceConfigUiValues(): new guid: 443852329CB6A3ED
iTunes Debug getDeviceConfigUiValues(): starting pairing thread
iTunes Debug pairingThread: Starting run method
iTunes Debug pairingThread: Waiting for pairing message
iTunes Debug pairingThread: Received pairing message
iTunes Debug pairingThread: From host: ('192.168.39.143', 49998)
iTunes Debug pairingThread: Closing down
iTunes Debug validateDeviceConfigUi called
iTunes Debug validateDeviceConfigUi: Pairing message was received from ip: 192.168.39.143
iTunes Debug getMediaServerList: called
iTunes Debug validateDeviceConfigUi: serverList:
[]
iTunes Debug validateDeviceConfigUi: Pairing message was not received from a known host: 192.168.39.143
iTunes Debug pairingThread: Starting run method
iTunes Debug dacp.open: exception: (48, 'Address already in use')
iTunes Debug dacp.open: address in use exception, trying another
iTunes Debug dacp.open: exception: (48, 'Address already in use')
iTunes Debug dacp.open: address in use exception, trying another
iTunes Debug pairingThread: Waiting for pairing message
iTunes Debug validateDeviceConfigUi called
iTunes Debug validateDeviceConfigUi: thread is still running so no pairing was successful
iTunes Debug pairingThread: Received pairing message
iTunes Debug pairingThread: From host: ('192.168.39.143', 50006)
iTunes Debug pairingThread: Closing down
iTunes Debug validateDeviceConfigUi called
iTunes Debug validateDeviceConfigUi: Pairing message was received from ip: 192.168.39.143
iTunes Debug getMediaServerList: called
iTunes Debug validateDeviceConfigUi: serverList:
[]
iTunes Debug validateDeviceConfigUi: Pairing message was not received from a known host: 192.168.39.143
iTunes Debug pairingThread: Starting run method
iTunes Debug dacp.open: exception: (48, 'Address already in use')
iTunes Debug dacp.open: address in use exception, trying another
iTunes Debug dacp.open: exception: (48, 'Address already in use')
iTunes Debug dacp.open: address in use exception, trying another
iTunes Debug dacp.open: exception: (48, 'Address already in use')
iTunes Debug dacp.open: address in use exception, trying another
iTunes Debug pairingThread: Waiting for pairing message

Dec 12, 2012 10:38:30 AM
iTunes Debug pairingThread: Received pairing message
iTunes Debug pairingThread: From host: ('192.168.39.143', 50008)
iTunes Debug pairingThread: Closing down
iTunes Debug validateDeviceConfigUi called
iTunes Debug validateDeviceConfigUi: Pairing message was received from ip: 192.168.39.143
iTunes Debug getMediaServerList: called
iTunes Debug validateDeviceConfigUi: serverList:
[]
iTunes Debug validateDeviceConfigUi: Pairing message was not received from a known host: 192.168.39.143
iTunes Debug pairingThread: Starting run method
iTunes Debug pairingThread: Waiting for pairing message
iTunes Debug closedDeviceConfigUi: device config dialog closed
iTunes Debug closedDeviceConfigUi: pairing thread exists
iTunes Debug closedDeviceConfigUi: pairing thread is running, cancelling
iTunes Debug pairingThread: Received pairing message
iTunes Debug pairingThread: From host: ('127.0.0.1', 50012)
iTunes Debug pairingThread: Closing down

Please let me know if I can provide additional info.