Does WL3 run on WHS 2011?

[johnmhome]

Does anyone know if the HAI weblink 3 software runs on Windows Home Server 2011 (which was known as Vail during beta)? I don't own either product and am reluctant to buy without knowing this in advance, since the DVR capability for cameras is central to my decision.

 

[sawadee]

I have upgraded from WHS (32 bit) to WHS 2011 (64 bit) and WL3 will not install.
I am waiting for some upgrade or new release of Web-link.
I have purchased Web-link II and WL3 and am sick of having to purchase new programming every few years.
Even more sick of waiting for releases of Web-link software. Had to upgrade from WHS because of continual issues with this poorly release version of an operating system.
Love the HAI hardware but the software releases are slow to keep up. Wish there was enough demand for a 3rd party to release optional software.

Good luck

 

[pbeaulieu]

Does HAI have any information or comment on whether HAI WL3 will work on Home Server 2011?

Will there be a new release that works on Home Server 2011?

 

[scorp133]

I would love to know this as well. I'm not willing to buy a WL4 or anything though. If thats the case I'll probably end up getting WHS2011 and installing WHS as a virtual server on it just to run WL3.

Myro Control is an alternative to WL3, but right now I don't think that it supports either Nuvo or Blackberry so I will stick with what I have until a good solution appears.

 

[pbeaulieu]

FYI,

I was told by HAI support that they have not made a decision to support Microsoft Home server 2011.

Anyone have any other information or alternatives?

 

[jharrell]

FYI,

I was told by HAI support that they have not made a decision to support Microsoft Home server 2011.

Anyone have any other information or alternatives?

I am not real surprised, MS really messed up a good product with WHS 2011. Biggest reason for me is no upgrade path, I have no desire to re install my home server from scratch. Second is lack of drive extender, which I rely on for data mirroring and to make my two 1 terabyte drives look like a single 2 terabyte.

WL3 is also written in Classic ASP, WHS 2011 may not even support that aging runtime which was released in 1998. Although I do know Win2008 still supports it.

I really think HAI needs to make their own embedded web server, they kinda have it with the music server but that just running WL3 on some version of Windows. If I where them I would add a web server to the 5.7e touchscreen and also make a headless box that is a 5.7e without the screen. That way you have a fanless POE embedded server that can set controller time from the internet, send emails, and act as a web interface for any device. Would be nice if the web interface allowed controller setup too so I don't have to run Windows for PCaccess, you know like most $50 routers out there.

 

[pbeaulieu]

I am not real surprised, MS really messed up a good product with WHS 2011. Biggest reason for me is no upgrade path, I have no desire to re install my home server from scratch. Second is lack of drive extender, which I rely on for data mirroring and to make my two 1 terabyte drives look like a single 2 terabyte.

WL3 is also written in Classic ASP, WHS 2011 may not even support that aging runtime which was released in 1998. Although I do know Win2008 still supports it

I really think HAI needs to make their own embedded web server, they kinda have it with the music server but that just running WL3 on some version of Windows. If I where them I would add a web server to the 5.7e touchscreen and also make a headless box that is a 5.7e without the screen. That way you have a fanless POE embedded server that can set controller time from the internet, send emails, and act as a web interface for any device. Would be nice if the web interface allowed controller setup too so I don't have to run Windows for PCaccess, you know like most $50 routers out there.

The no upgrade is definitely a pain. The drive extender not being in Home server 2011 is probably a problem for many users. Personally, I did not uuse it. I think it is a good thing that it is gone if the only product that was going to have it was Home Server 2011. However, it would have been great if it was included in Home Server 2011 and the new SBS. Alternatively, you can use raid many mother boards do come with built in raid but it is a little more complicated. There is also an addin "Drive Bender" which is in beta that seems to provide the same functionality as drive extender for Home Seerver 2011. .Drive Bender Description

 

[johnmhome]

The whole WHS thing looked so promising and now it's just a train wreck.

Assuming I buy an intel box to run a headless server, and I want it to talk to OmniPro, and record from IP based security cameras, what are my software options? WL3 meets all my needs but it's tied to the old platform that looks like it has no future. Is there other software I should consider?

BTW - I'm a software guy so I'm certainly not afraid of piecing something together. I just want to spend $$ on getting trapped.

 

[jharrell]

The whole WHS thing looked so promising and now it's just a train wreck.

Assuming I buy an intel box to run a headless server, and I want it to talk to OmniPro, and record from IP based security cameras, what are my software options? WL3 meets all my needs but it's tied to the old platform that looks like it has no future. Is there other software I should consider?

BTW - I'm a software guy so I'm certainly not afraid of piecing something together. I just want to spend $$ on getting trapped.

I seriously looking at QNap devices, they are Linux based, low power, boots off flash. They also have "Apps" which is thier own package solution for easy software installation on the server. For instance they have packages for Mono so I could port the .Net code I have for talking to the Omni over, and packages for Postgresql and MySql for a database solution, which I need for logging purposes. QNap is also very big in the video surviellance area, they have special NAS's just for IP camera recording, but I think even thier consumer storage NAS have IP camera ability although somewhat stripped down.

They also can act as a Time Machine drive for Mac's and some kind of backup software for Windows, which I need, and they have an iPhone app as well for access.

QNap Link

 

[Percy9427]

I have installed weblink ii (WLUpdate_9127) on WHS 2011 and it runs. It gets an error during install, but it doesn't seem to cause any problems. The web server works and seems to play nice with The homeserver. I can't get the email alerts to work, but I think that is due to the lack of support for SSL (I am trying to use stunnel, but not having much luck). I don't know about the audio or video functions as I don't use those. Since it is weblink 2 and not WL3, you have to configure weblink from the control panel and not as an addin. But I can live with that.

 

[johnmhome]

That's good to know. It looks like WL2 is written for standard win32 APIs as it has a look and feel from 2002. I'm guessing HAI thought a rewrite for WHS APIs would give them a better platform for the future, but they got trapped by WHS when Microsoft changed the APIs for WHS 2011. Now they have an old product that runs on win32 and a new one with no future. They're probably juggling with a third rewrite.

Given all the uncertainty and HAI's dreadful software upgrade policies, I think I'm going to punt.

However the QNAS stuff looks very very good and that might just fit the bill.

 

[jharrell]

WL3 and Web-Link II are identical code bases except for a few small details. WL3 has a IP camera support module while WL2 support analog video streaming from capture devices. The other difference is WL2 has a normal install program that will install on just about any version of Windows that can run IIS with Classic ASP, even WHS, while WL3 has a install designed around WHS's deployment model, so it only works on WHSv1.

They are so close that the most recent update to WL2 has the new WL3 skin, with iPhone support, and even says WL3 in the title bar!

 

[johnmhome]

WL3 and Web-Link II are identical code bases except for a few small details. WL3 has a IP camera support module while WL2 support analog video streaming from capture devices. The other difference is WL2 has a normal install program that will install on just about any version of Windows that can run IIS with Classic ASP, even WHS, while WL3 has a install designed around WHS's deployment model, so it only works on WHSv1.

They are so close that the most recent update to WL2 has the new WL3 skin, with iPhone support, and even says WL3 in the title bar!

That's very useful to know, but it really makes me wonder why HAI sells both, and doesn't just roll everything into one code base. The analog vs IP cameras is a minor difference. They seem to adhere to the IBM mainframe software model, and not the Apple software model. Really eccentric.

 

[jeff1]

What is the latest WL2 update? I have been trying to get it running on Win7 for months... I have 2.01.7239 and 2.01.7249... but it doe snot work on Win7. And the kicker is that the only way I knew to get to the update page was in the web interface... which does not work... is there a newer version that works on Win 7?