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View Full Version : MCE WebGuide: Remote Media Center Access with a Pocket PC


Darius Wey
09-14-2005, 08:00 PM
<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://asciiexpress.com/webguide/' target='_blank'>http://asciiexpress.com/webguide/</a><br /><br /></div><i>"MCE WebGuide was created for Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition users to provide remote Internet access to scheduling and the management of recorded programs on the Media Center Edition (MCE) PC. Just install WebGuide on your Media Center PC and access it from any machine that has a web browser."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/wey-20050915-WebGuide.jpg" /><br /><br />MCE WebGuide works over an internet connection and can be accessed on any computer equipped with a web browser (including your Pocket PC). With it, you can schedule recordings, play back recorded TV shows, and much more. It supports Windows Media Center Edition 2005 and is a free download.

Arne Hess
09-15-2005, 08:02 AM
You shouldn't forget, that it's not just installation and run but it requires a web server on the MCE (e.g. IIS which comes with the MCE) and you have to change some security settings by hand if you run ServicePack 2.
I've previewed it a while back (http://www.theunwired.net/?itemid=2636) and it took me more than 1 hour and several reboots to got it working.
However, if it runs it's great but now I have running the IIS on my MCE which needs additional monitoring...

PS: It also works great with Windows Mobile 5.0:
http://www.theunwired.net/media/column/mce_webguide/mce_webguide15.gif (http://www.theunwired.net/?itemid=2636)

Sven Johannsen
09-15-2005, 04:12 PM
That's always my concern with any of these things that promise access from the internet. You have to open ports on the firewall, and/or port forward if you are running multiple PCs with NAT. It's exactly the ports you really don't want to open, unless you really have good protection software and know what you are doing. The last thing I need is port 80 wide open to the net on my MCE machine.

Airscanner
09-15-2005, 04:58 PM
I'd love to test it for security vulnerabilities, but just the thought of opening up IIS (with write access no less!) on my living room MCE makes me cringe :(

Speaking of which, here are some of the latest security advisories from Seth Fogie, related to Cambridge software for PocketPC:

http://www.airscanner.com/security/05081101_vxweb.htm
http://www.airscanner.com/security/05081102_vxftpsrv.htm
http://www.airscanner.com/security/05081203_vxtftpsrv.htm

At least one of these vulnerabilities allows remote execution of code and should be considered a critical threat.