Serviio

I have been using Serviio for years and pay for a full access license, which gives me the option for access restrictions by user account. Does anyone know if there is a way to select a default user for new devices? I want to default new devices to a limited access profile, instead of full access to all content.

Unfortunately there is no current default user for new devices. They get access to everything. It has been suggested/commented before, but Im unsure if its on the todo-list or not to fix it.

If you have content that you don't want every device to access you should deactivate "enable access for new devices", and manually give each device its user and then enable access.

That's what I've been doing. but dynamic IP addresses (DHCP) makes it difficult to ensure each machine keeps the access level they have been granted, at least without using reservations.

It sounds like you have returning PCs, why not just give them a permanent IP?
If its your own machines, having them on static will also make other permissions that are based around IPs easier. If its guests, personally I dont like giving guests access to the same network I have all my machines on. Guests go on the guest network.

I havent verified if Serviio remember Device ID (or Mac) or just go by IP. But if it goes by IP its kinda unwise to allow access based on IP if you use dynamic.

One alternative is to set up a form of "content forwarder", like BubbleUPnP and have that one only access to what you want to share, and have guests connect to that one. No more need to set up manually for each guest. Just recommend an client app (if phone) and give them the password for BubbleUpnP and they do everything. Because then all users connect through one node with its access instead of having their own device getting a individual setup.
Unfortunately a bit of hassle in more setup, but with lack of those kinds of features you need to look at other tools and/or plugins. I used BubbleUPnP mainly for better Chromecast support, to cast from my phone to TVs but it also supports more features.

Not all consumer electronic devices have the ability to enter a static IP. No Roku device, for example. But one can accomplish nearly the same thing by using address reservations in the router that is providing DHCP services for the network. But with most routers creating an address reservation is not a simple click. Most require entering the MAC address, which is a alphanumeric string that sometimes even requires entering the colon between digits. It can be tedious sometimes.

It might just be me, but I feel that thats the very least to to if you have units you want to share your library with. Especially if you want to differentiate content between units.
Luckily most newer routers have auto-complete in the DHCP-table of what addresses has been connected. So that part has become easier, but still a bit bothersome. My biggest annoyance there is how almost no router support an export/import of the DHCP-table. You can get it from an complete settings export, but that only works if you go between the same router, so not working when upgrading.

I agree that having a default access user would be a nice QoL, but until thats released you either have to do it manually yourself, or find external tools to help (like the one I wrote above). Tedious or not does (unfortunately) not matter when there is no options.
Though with the bitbucket set to private Im not sure if its possible to suggest and/or vote up this as a feature the users want.

At the very least I would set up permanent IP (DHCP) for the devices that get access to the whole library. Unless verified that Serviio store devices based on mac, and never forgets, I would never risk any guest or other devices getting a "full library IP" and therefore getting all access.

The bigger newer annoyance here is units that have a MAC-randomizer, so no use setting up permanent in the router or giving access in Serviio when it pretend to be a new device every time it connects.

Serviio does not register the MAC address, only IP. But it remembers that IP forever and any settings (user access restrictions, profile assigned) is also set in stone. The latest version of Serviio does include a new feature that allows selecting multiple devices from the Status page and deleting them. I deleted dozens of devices from mine, although I know I still have some duplicates in there. Cleaning up the list can make life a bit easier for administering access permissions.

Thanks for the clarification! Appreciate it.

If so you _shouldnt_ give full library access to anything that is not on a permanent IP. In case another device gets that IP, and therefor access to the entire library.
It also means that you could "pre-set" an IP range in Serviio with the "limited library user", since it will remember the IP whatever device that gets that IP later will just get that access. So after you done it for an IP once, you dont have to do it again. Though you have to do it once per IP.

Well, you really can't 'pre-set' anything. You can't add a device on the status page manually, it only appears when a specific IP address is found. You would have to set a static IP in a device, detect it, then change the IP address, detect it again, rinse and repeat. That would be quite the time consumer.