This may be the wrong place to discuss the Genie product but I would appreciate some help.Using Windows 8.1 through the Netgear D6200 to the Apple Airplay Express. The music drops are annoying and I have found that the problem may be exacerbated by the Genie software. On the Windows page "devices and printers" there is an item "Genie Media Servers" and if I close out the system and then restart there will be two or "Genie Media Servers" and then three. The more replications of the Genie Media Servers icon the more the problem exist. When I delete all but one of the Genie Media Servers the system works fairly well.What is this function and how does one control it?Am I the first to have this problem?Tom F

minions08 wrote:Do you have the latest Genie software version or have you tried a different Genie version?I've got the latest. 2 computers on W8.1 both running Genie occasionally. Router is the R7000. In addition, 2 iPad's, both with the iPad Genie.On the W8.1 computer, in CONTROL PANEL, PRINTERS AND DEVICES, I have 74 Devices. Single instances of the Router, other computer on the network, Wireless DVD player and Wireless TV. 70 Genie Media Servers, spread evenly it seems over the 2 networked computers.Not only that, but when I use the iPad Media Client, like AirAV, it shows multiple entries for Genie Media Servers on both computers as well.Something is being injected into the network it seems?Deleting 70 instances is a REAL pain, can only REMOVE DEVICE individually. Also causes a long delay in seeing the Printers and Devices.This is the same on both W8.1 computers and iPad's.

I have a 6300v2 with Genie 2.4.12 running on a Win 10 Pro 64 bit and another computer running Win 10 Home 32 bit plus an old XP machine used just for running my model trains. This did not happen when running Win 7 Pro on the one machine and Win 7 Home nor on the XP. This problem only showed up after upgrading the two machines to Win 10 (not much dissimilar from 8.0 or 8.1). I was getting many instances of the Genie Media servers like you, and I just now discovered what I think is the answer. I don't give a rip about sharing media between cvomputers as I don't use my computers as toys but as serious tools. I guess that is not the norm these days (I am 73 and a retired IT who used computers as business tools, not playthings) and why NetGear sets the media servers on by default. After deleting all instances on the two Win 10 machines (not showing up on the XP), I then opened NetGear Genie and by looking a little bit I found a setting I have never used because I never needed it with Win 7. Give this a try and see if it works for you as it did for me. First delete all instance of the Genie Servers in Devices and Printers. If you don't, that is ok as you can delete them later, but they will show up in the next step if you don't delete them first. What you are going to do next is turn off the Genie Media Service within NetGear Genie. In the left column of choices click on 'My Media'. In the box to the right and at the top of that box you will see a square button and next to it a refresh button. When you point to the square, it will say something like 'turn off service'. Click on that and confirm. That turns off the media sharing service with Genie and should stop the annoying instances of media servers in devices and printers. I believe that will solve the problem.

I did discover one other thing that all need to know, Of course, the simpleist solution is for Netgear to fix Genie so this doesn't happen. But, in the meantime, this solution does work with one caveat and that is if you restart the computer or shut it down and then start again, Genie will reset the service as on when it reloads. Just open Genie and turn it off and you will not get the repeated instances of Media Servers. You should only get one server for each computer on the network in Devices and Printers on each connected computer. If you put the computer(s) in sleep or hibernation, the service will remain off though and you do not have to turn it off again. You only have to do it for any computer(s) that were restarted or shut down.

Workaround for Genie Media Servers found here: https://community.netgear.com/t5/Genie/Workaround-To-Stop-Multiple-Genie-Media-Servers-On-Win-8-1/m-p/974414#U974414

:mad:Yup same problem...I have about 8 of them now....they all work, a new one appears everytime I reset the modem .... sorry no idea either

Genie Problem | NETGEAR Communities

43 Replies

jimsheila1
Aspirant
Mar 09, 2014
I have the same problem. I uninstalled genie v16 and tried v13. The results were the same. When I restart, another genie media server icon is added. I uninstalled the genie app and cleared all the media server icons. I restarted several times and found more genie media server icons in the multimedia area of Devices and Printers, even with the genie app removed.

I did not have this issue until I updated to genie v16. So, I am assuming that the issue is a compatibility issue. Hopefully Netgear will resolve it.
Devor
Luminary
Mar 09, 2014
theoldfarter wrote:
No, I don't use it. It would be nice to have it working correctly with Windows 8.1 though.

Seems like you are investing a lot of time into something that you don't use. :)

I can understand if you're bored and need something to do, but to be honest, it's always been a buggy program that wastes CPU cycles.
theoldfarter
Aspirant
Mar 09, 2014
Ha Ha ... you are quite right. It has now been uninstalled. Thanks all :)
SuRFDownUnder
Aspirant
Mar 15, 2014
I have Genie installed because I use Bypass accounts on the Parental Control. Is there a different program I can run to handle the bypass accounts without needing Genie?
Devor
Luminary
Mar 15, 2014
Have you tried accessing the router's configuration with a web browser?
SuRFDownUnder
Aspirant
Mar 16, 2014
Yes, but that does not help. For override accounts to work you need to have a program (Genie) running on the machine. The problem is that is all I need. I do not use Genie for anything else. What I want is a program that enables the Bypass account, but does not suffer from the Genie bug of creating a zillion multimedia devices.
theoldfarter
Aspirant
Mar 17, 2014
Does Netgear see these posts of ours?
Devor
Luminary
Mar 20, 2014
@SuRFDownUnder
Sorry, I have no experience in that area. If it's any consolation, the desktop Genie software, regardless of the version, is buggy and in my opinion, a waste of cycles. Can't say whether it will help or not, but have you seen this here?

@theoldfarter
At it's core this is a user-to-user forum. To contact Netgear support, click here.
theoldfarter
Aspirant
Mar 20, 2014
Have emailed Netgear about this, will update as to what happens.
theoldfarter
Aspirant
Mar 20, 2014
Find myself with time on my hands so installed Genie v2.3.1.12 again. Will keep an eye on how many installs it does in Devices & Printers, as I think I was mistaken when I previously said v12 did not generate icons in there.

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Genie Problem