Applies to these editions of Windows 7

Home Premium

Professional

Ultimate

Enterprise

In this topic

Which error message do you see during Extender setup?
Determine which firewalls are installed on your computer
Configure a firewall to work with your Extender
Enable multicast and UPnP technology on your network router
Ensure that your Extender and your computer are on the same subnet

Tips for solving setup problems with Windows Media Center Extenders

With Windows 7, you can set up a device called a Windows Media Center Extender to stream media over a network to another room in your home. For more information, see Set up a Windows Media Center Extender and Windows Media Center Extenders: frequently asked questions.

Windows must be activated on your computer before you can set up an Extender. For more information, see Activate Windows 7 on this computer.

If you see an error message while setting up your Extender, it might be because a firewall is blocking it, or because your Extender is not recognized on your network. Use the following information to determine why you are receiving an error and how you can fix the problem.

Which error message do you see during Extender setup?

Here are the error messages you might see in Media Center if you have problems setting up an Extender, and solutions.

Error: "Cannot detect Extender"

This usually means that a firewall on your computer is blocking the Extender. If you have more than one firewall installed, check the error message to see if it specifies which firewall is blocking your Extender, or see Determine which firewalls are installed on your computer later in this article.

Then try the following:

Open the firewall on your computer. In the firewall settings, open the following exception:

Program		Service		Local port		Remote port		Direction		Network		Needed for
svchost.exe		ssdpsrv		UDP 1900		Random		Inbound		Local subnet		Device discovery

Open Media Center and try to set up the Extender again.

If your Extender is still blocked, try opening the other exceptions listed in Configure a firewall to work with your Extender later in this article.

Error: "Cannot find Extender"

This usually means that the Extender can't be found on the same network as your computer, or that a firewall on your computer is blocking UPnP communication. Try the following:

Make sure that your Extender and your computer are on the same subnet. To learn how to do this, see Ensure that your Extender and your computer are on the same subnet later in this article.
Open Media Center and try to set up the Extender again.

If you still see the error message, it might be because a firewall is blocking the Extender. If you have more than one firewall installed, check the error message to see if it specifies which firewall is blocking your Extender, or see Determine which firewalls are installed on your computer later in this article.

Then try the following:

Open the firewall on your computer. In the firewall settings, open the following exception:

Program		Service		Local port		Remote port		Direction		Network		Needed for
svchost.exe		ssdpsrv		UDP 1900		Random		Inbound		Local subnet		Device discovery

Open Media Center and try to set up the Extender again.

If you still see the error message, you might need to change your router settings. See Enable multicast and UPnP technology on your network router later in this article.

If after changing your router settings your Extender is still blocked, try opening the other exceptions listed in Configure a firewall to work with your Extender later in this article.

Error: "Cannot set up Extender"

This usually means that your network router (or other network device) is blocking your Extender and you need to change the settings to enable multicast and UPnP technology. See Enable multicast and UPnP technology on your network router later in this article.

Error: "Unable to find Extender"

This usually means that your Extender isn't detected on the same network as your computer or that your router (or other network device) is blocking your Extender. Try the following:

Make sure that your Extender and your computer are on the same subnet. To learn how to do this, see Ensure that your Extender and your computer are on the same subnet later in this article.
Open Media Center and try to set up the Extender again.

If you still see the error message, you might need to change the router settings. See Enable multicast and UPnP technology on your network router later in this article.

Error: "Extender connection blocked"

This usually means that your Extender can't communicate with your computer using Remote Desktop Connection because a firewall is blocking Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP). You might see this message even if you've already set up your Extender successfully. If you have more than one firewall installed, check the error message to see if it specifies which firewall is blocking your Extender, or see Determine which firewalls are installed on your computer later in this article.

Then try the following:

Open the firewall on your computer. In the firewall settings, open the following exception:

Program		Service		Local port		Remote port		Direction		Network		Needed for
svchost.exe		termservice		TCP 3390		Random		Inbound		Local subnet		Remote Desktop Connection

Open Media Center and try to set up the Extender again.

Error: "Extender connection failed"

This usually means that your Extender can't communicate with your computer using Remote Desktop Connection because your network bandwidth is low and the connection is timing out. You might see this message even if you've already set up your Extender successfully. Try the following:

If you're using a wireless network, try connecting at least one segment of your network using an Ethernet cable. For example, connect your computer directly to your router or your Extender directly to your router rather than using a wireless connection. (For the best performance, we recommend that you connect both your Extender and your computer to your home network using Ethernet cables.)
If you're using an 802.11b or 802.11g Wi‑Fi network router, you might not have enough bandwidth to support an Extender. In this case, we recommend that you upgrade to an 802.11n home network.

If you still see this error message, it might mean that a firewall is blocking your Extender. If you have more than one firewall installed, check the error message to see if it specifies which firewall is blocking your Extender, or see Determine which firewalls are installed on your computer later in this article.

Then try the following:

Open the firewall on your computer. In the firewall settings, open the following exception:

Program		Service		Local port		Remote port		Direction		Network		Needed for
svchost.exe		termservice		TCP 3390		Random		Inbound		Local subnet		Remote Desktop Connection

Open Media Center and try to set up the Extender again.

If your Extender is still blocked, try opening the other exceptions listed in Configure a firewall to work with your Extender later in this article.

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Determine which firewalls are installed on your computer

Most firewalls (including Windows Firewall) are automatically configured during the Extender setup process. If you suspect that a firewall is blocking your Extender, it's most likely a less common firewall. Here's how to determine which firewalls are installed on your computer:

Open Action Center by clicking the Start button , clicking Control Panel, and then, under System and Security, clicking Review your computer's status.
Click Security to expand the Security section. Under Network firewall, you'll see which firewall or firewalls are currently installed on your computer.

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Configure a firewall to work with your Extender

There are two ways you might need to configure your firewall depending on the type you're using:

Configure the firewall to allow the Extender to access the ports
Configure the port or ports to allow the Extender to communicate with your computer

During the configuration process, you might also need to know which network the program or port needs to work with. In your firewall settings, Local subnet means that the program or port is for use on a home network. Internet means that the program will talk to other computers over the Internet.

The steps for configuring a firewall will vary depending on which firewall you're using. To learn how to manually change the settings, check the information that came with your firewall. The following table shows the specific information you will need to configure some firewalls to work with Extenders.

Firewall exceptions required by Media Center Extenders

Program	Service	Local port	Remote port	Direction	Network	Needed for
svchost.exe	ssdpsrv	UDP 1900	Random	Inbound, outbound	Local subnet	Device discovery
svchost.exe	termservice	TCP 3390	Random	Inbound	Local subnet	Remote Desktop Connection
svchost.exe	Qwave	TCP 2177	Random	Inbound, outbound	Local subnet	Network Performance Tuner
svchost.exe	Qwave	UDP 2177	Random	Inbound, outbound	Local subnet	Qwave diagnostics
svchost.exe	mcx2svc	Random	Random	Outbound	Local subnet	Sending Extender image to the Xbox 360
system		TCP 10244	Random	Inbound, outbound	Local subnet	HTTP streaming
system		TCP 2869	Random	Inbound, outbound	Local subnet	Play To
ehshell.exe		TCP 554, 8554-8558	Random	Inbound, outbound	Local subnet	RTSP
ehshell.exe		UDP 5004, 5005, 50004-50013	Random	Inbound, outbound	Local subnet	RTP/RTCP (AV streaming)
ehshell.exe		UDP 7777-7781	Random	Inbound, outbound	Local subnet	WMDRM-ND Registration
ehshell.exe		Random	Random	Outbound	Local subnet	Play To
mcrmgr.exe		Random	Random	Outbound	Internet	Validation of device certificates
mcx2prov.exe		Random	Random	Outbound	Internet	Download of CRL from Microsoft

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Enable multicast and UPnP technology on your network router

Some routers might be configured to block ports for UPnP technology and multicast network traffic. You'll need to configure your router to allow traffic through these ports in order for your Extender and your computer to communicate.

The steps for changing router settings will vary depending on the type of router. Typically, your router's administration page is accessible via a web browser, and will have options to enable UPnP technology and multicast network traffic. For specific information, check the information that came with your router.

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Ensure that your Extender and your computer are on the same subnet

Your Extender and your computer need to be on the same subnet in order to work properly. For information about setting up subnets, see Configuring multiple gateways on a network.

Here's how to check if your Extender and your computer are on the same subnet:

Turn on your Extender and note the 8-digit setup key on the screen. (For more information, see Set up a Windows Media Center Extender.)
On your computer, click the Start button , click All Programs, and then click Windows Media Center.
Scroll to Tasks, click Settings, click Extender, and then do one of the following:
- If you don't see your Extender represented on this screen and you have multiple routers, try connecting your computer and your Extender to the same router.
- If you see an icon representing your Extender, make sure that the 5th, 6th, and 7th numbers in the setup key (displayed below the Extender icon) match the 5th, 6th, and 7th numbers from step 1.
  - If the numbers match, click the Extender icon, and then click Configure to try setting it up again.
  - If the numbers don't match, you might have multiple Extenders of the same type on your home network. Turn off any other Extenders, and then try setting up your Extender again.