| Technology is evolving at a rapid pace. With new | | | | address can be found online. |
| products, or better versions of older products | | | | 12) Using the Y cable, I connected the computer |
| being released every year, older products are | | | | to the stereo system. The male 1/8-inch plug |
| rendered useless. Every household has an | | | | goes into the audio out port on the sound card. |
| assortment of ‘outdated’ technology. | | | | The red RCA plug goes into the right “AUX |
| Technology left unused for years, covered with | | | | in” port on the stereo, and the other RCA |
| layers of dust. | | | | plug goes into the left “AUX in” port. |
| But often the usefulness of these | | | | 13) The stereo was set to AUX |
| ‘outdated’ products is only limited by our | | | | After this, I unplugged the monitor and mouse |
| creativity and willingness to experiment. | | | | from the CPU. I neatly stacked the CPU, with the |
| I recently noticed an old Sony stereo system, and | | | | keyboard, under the table on which the stereo |
| an old Dell Pentium III desktop lying around the | | | | was placed |
| house. At first I though about disposing of these, | | | | If the power button is pressed, the computer |
| but then I thought better. I ended up with a setup | | | | boots, loads up Windows XP, and loads up the |
| that allows me to remotely play music on the | | | | VNC server. Pressing the power button again |
| stereo system using any device with wi-fi and a | | | | shuts down Windows and turns off the computer. |
| browser, whether it be a desktop, laptop, Palm | | | | This CPU is basically a server with a permanent IP |
| Pilot, HP iPAQ, or a cell phone. | | | | on the network, which can receive streams from |
| How it basically works: | | | | other devices on the network, and play them on |
| The Dell computer, which is connected to the | | | | the stereo. |
| stereo system, acts as a server on the LAN. | | | | HOW TO USE THE SERVER TO REMOTELY |
| Other devices on the LAN can either stream | | | | PLAY MUSIC |
| songs to the server, or remotely access the | | | | There are two ways to go about playing music |
| server and launch locally stored songs on it. | | | | The first oneis streaming music. This means the |
| The following explains how I accomplished this | | | | music is located on some other device, but is |
| setup. It assumes that you already know how to | | | | played on the server over the network. |
| setup a wireless router. | | | | The following explains the steps I took to stream |
| The following hardware was used: | | | | music from my laptop |
| - Sony Stereo System | | | | 1) I set my laptop’s static IP to 10.0.0.1 |
| - Old Dell CPU (500 MHZ Pentium III, 128 MB Ram, | | | | 2) I installed the TightVNC viewer and VLC media |
| 6 GB Hard Drive) | | | | player on my laptop |
| - A Y cable (male stereo 1/8-inch plug to two | | | | 3) I launched the VNC viewer, typed in the server |
| male RCA plugs) | | | | IP (10.0.0.5) and the password and remotely |
| - An Ethernet cable | | | | accessed the server |
| - Speedtouch wireless router | | | | 4) Using the VNC viewer on my laptop, I |
| - Monitor | | | | remotely launched VLC media player on the |
| - Keyboard | | | | server. I then clicked on file-> open network |
| - Mouse | | | | stream, and set the address to udp://10.0.0.1 |
| Note: The monitor and mouse is only required | | | | (Address of my laptop, where the files were |
| when the computer is being set up. Once the | | | | located) |
| software has been installed and correctly | | | | 5) I launched VLC media player on my laptop, |
| configured, the computer only needs a keyboard | | | | clicked on file -> open file |
| attached to it to boot up. If a laptop is being used | | | | From the menu, I clicked on browse and selected |
| as the server instead, the extra hardware is not | | | | a whole bunch of songs |
| needed. | | | | I selected Stream/Save under Advanced Options, |
| The following software was used: | | | | and in settings, selected UDP, and set address to |
| -Microsoft Windows XP Professional Edition | | | | 10.0.0.5 (Address of the server, where the files |
| -VLC Media Player | | | | were to be played) |
| -TightVNC server and viewer | | | | After this I pressed ok, and, the songs started |
| Note: The same setup could be obtained using a | | | | playing on my stereo! |
| different operating system, such as Linux or Mac | | | | Using my laptop from anywhere in my house, I |
| OS, since the software required is available for | | | | could remotely pause, play, forward, or change |
| these operating systems as well. | | | | songs on the stereo. |
| What I did, step by step | | | | Using VLC media player for Windows CE /Pocket |
| 1) I hooked up the monitor, keyboard, and mouse | | | | PC, I can stream music from my HP iPAQ as well! |
| to the Dell CPU | | | | The second wayis to play songs locally stored on |
| 2) I powered it on, inserted the Windows XP CD, | | | | the server, by remotely accessing the server |
| and booted off the CD | | | | from another device. |
| 3) Following the onscreen steps, I formatted my | | | | The following are the steps I followed to |
| 6 GB hard drive, and installed Windows XP on it | | | | accomplish this |
| 4) After the installation was complete, I plugged | | | | 1) I launched the VNC viewer on my laptop, and |
| the computer into the router using the Ethernet | | | | accessed the server as mentioned earlier |
| cable | | | | 2) After launching VLC media player on the |
| 5) I launched up the browser, and downloaded | | | | server, I clicked Settings -> Add Interface -> |
| VLC Media Player from | | | | Web Interface |
| 6) I installed VLC media player | | | | Enabling the web interface allows any device on |
| 7) I downloaded TightVNC from | | | | the network to go to and remotely control the |
| 8) I installed TightVNC | | | | music from there |
| (During the installation, you will be asked to | | | | Of course, I could have just used the VNC |
| ‘Select Additional Tasks’. When asked, | | | | viewer to remotely control VLC media player, but |
| make sure to select both boxes. This will register | | | | enabling the web interface allows any device with |
| TightVNC server as a system service, and start | | | | wi-fi and a web browser to control the player. |
| it whenever windows starts) | | | | Therefore, even if a cell phone with wi-fi does not |
| 9) I set a password for the VNC server | | | | have a VNC viewer, it can use its browser to |
| 10) I went to Control Panel -> Power Options, | | | | access the controls of VLC media player, and |
| disabled hibernate and standby, and set | | | | remotely control the music being played on the |
| ‘When I press the power button on my | | | | server. |
| computer’ to shutdown | | | | Now you can use your handheld devices to |
| 11) I went to the properties of the network | | | | control the music being played on your stereo |
| connection, opened up TCP/IP, and set a static IP | | | | system! |
| address. The IP I set was 10.0.0.5. The range for | | | | I hope this guide was helpful. If you run into any |
| IP addresses differs from router to router. | | | | problems while setting this up, feel free to email |
| Consult your router’s manual, or the internet | | | | me at , with the subject “Wireless Stereo |
| if you need to find out the IP range for your | | | | Help”. |
| router. More instructions on how to set a static IP | | | | |