I can't get my empeg to be recognised either by JEmplode (with ethernet) or via Emplode (installed on Mac, using Virtual PC 4.0, with ethernet or USB).

I've read some other posts about this and they mention IP addresses and such - so how come the emplode instructions don't mention any of that?

Can anyone guide the way?

Thanks

Sally (getting really frustrated)

Because when the manual was written, emplode didn't support Ethernet.


Roger - not necessarily speaking for empeg

We need to write an ethernet FAQ. I wouldn't know where to start, it's all so complicated... :-)

But before we go any farther, now that you've got virtual PC working, can you at least get it to recognize the Empeg via the serial port?

Now, on to ethernet, because it's your best bet.

First: You need to know your Mac's IP address, and whether it's a fixed address or if it gets the address from a DHCP server (for future reference- and also we don't know whether you're trying this from your home network or from work).

Second, you need to be sure the TCP/IP software is even installed on the VirtualPC at all (it might not be). Go into control panel/network, there should be a TCP/IP protocol installed.

Third, do you have any other hard-wired ethernet devices on the network that you can ping to make sure everything else (besides the empeg) is working on TCP/IP

Fourth, are you getting a proper link light at both ends of the ethernet cable that you're using to connect the empeg to... wait... what are you connecting the empeg to? Anyway, if you're not getting a link light, then you need the "other" kind of cable (either crossover or non-crossover).

Let's get these things ironed out before moving on to deeper diagnostics...

___________
Tony Fabris

One other thing I just thought of...

I don't know how VirtualPC works... I assume that it doesn't come with the operating system, right? You still need the Windows installation CD in order to run Windows on VirtualPC, right?

Well, which version of Windows did you install into VirtualPC? If you installed Win95, that's why USB doesn't work. USB will only work on Windows 98.

Maybe it's that simple.

___________
Tony Fabris

can you at least get it to recognize the Empeg via the serial port?
No, 'cos I haven't got a serial cable adaptor...

First: You need to know your Mac's IP address
Where can I find this?

and whether it's a fixed address or if it gets the address from a DHCP server
How can I find out?

Second, you need to be sure the TCP/IP software is even installed on the VirtualPC at all (it might not be). Go into control panel/network, there should be a TCP/IP protocol installed.
Yep, it's there.

Third, do you have any other hard-wired ethernet devices on the network that you can ping to make sure everything else (besides the empeg) is working on TCP/IP
Firstly, I don't know anything about pinging! (Didn't realise you had to have a computer science degree to own a car stereo!!) Secondly, there's no network as such - I 'm just sat at home with my laptop.

Fourth, are you getting a proper link light at both ends of the ethernet cable that you're using to connect the empeg to
Where's the light supposed to be? I'm using a crossover cable, and I've also tried a reguar ethernet cable.

... wait... what are you connecting the empeg to?
To the ethernet port of my Mac.

Hope this doesn't sound too hopeless! : (

Sally

It's Windows 98.

Sally

The first thing to do is wait until the first "virgin" connect fails. At this point (if JEmplode follows emplode) you should get a dialog box with an "Options" button.

Using "Options" you should be able to select the physical route available in case emplode/J didn't detect the unit; then you can force it to look for the unit.

If this fails, then there's genuinely something up.

One of the few remaining Mk1 owners... #00015

Using "Options" you should be able to select the physical route available in case emplode/J didn't detect the unit; then you can force it to look for the unit.
Yeah, I've forced it to look, but it doesn't find anything (with Emplode). With JEmplode it found the empeg, but when I selected it and pressed OK, nothing happened.

Is there anything I should press on the actual empeg itself? Can it be restarted somehow?

Sally

We need to write an ethernet FAQ. I wouldn't know where to start, it's all so complicated... :-)

I think I'd argue the toss on that one Tony, it's not. It's bad explanations that make it over-complicated. Yours on most subjects are excellent - however, the ones I've seen on this board relating to ethernet aren't.

This lays me wide open to "well, why don't you write an explanation, then?"

- to which I rudely reply "Bog off!" 'cos it's the usual "how long is a piece of string?" answer.

If you are stuck, write and bribe me with low-quality, high alcohol content beer. You might be lucky - go ahead, make my day.

One of the few remaining Mk1 owners... #00015

I've forced it to look, but it doesn't find anything (with Emplode).

That could be an incompatibility issue with the emulator. Strike one.

With JEmplode it found the empeg, but when I selected it and pressed OK, nothing happened.

Then that's either a bug in JEmplode (it can see the unit but can't connect) or more likely a problem with the supporting library classes that do the connection.

2 Q's:

- what is the physical path you are using to connect (USB, Serial, Ethernet)?
- have you installed (as per DMZ's instructions) the upgrade fix to the comms class in the JVM (Java Virtual Machine)?




One of the few remaining Mk1 owners... #00015

So forgive, gentle sir, then why the boggin' heck hasn't it been updated?

PS. Merry still sighs about you in her sleep

One of the few remaining Mk1 owners... #00015

can you at least get it to recognize the Empeg via the serial port?
No, 'cos I haven't got a serial cable adaptor...

Thought you said you did in the other thread...

First: You need to know your Mac's IP address
Where can I find this?
and whether it's a fixed address or if it gets the address from a DHCP server
How can I find out?

I've got NO idea, since I know nothing about macs. MComb?

(Didn't realise you had to have a computer science degree to own a car stereo!!)

You are right... it was designed to simply work when you plug it into the USB port... of a windows computer...

Where's the light supposed to be? I'm using a crossover cable, and I've also tried a reguar ethernet cable.

There's a pretty blue one on the back of the Empeg (oddly, it's next to the USB port rather than the ethernet port, but it is the ethernet link light). On the Mac, I don't know where it is- but most computers have a small green LED somewhere near the plug. It's possible that the Mac doesn't implement a hardware link-light and it's in software, appearing somewhere on the macintosh screen. Anyway, that's the first step, making sure you have a link light.

Secondly, there's no network as such - I 'm just sat at home with my laptop.

Okay, then you're not running DHCP. Interestingly enough, if you were to plug in your Empeg at work, everything would probably magically start working because DHCP would be active at your work, you might wanna give that a try just for fun.

Okay, for your home system...

Okay, let's try something. Hopefully using the serial cable adapter and Virtual PC, use the Emplode to program to connect to the Empeg player. Use the "Configure player" option to set the player to be on the fixed IP address of 10.1.1.1, with a netmask of 255.255.255.0 and leave the gateway blank.

Then, on your Mac, find out where to put in your ethernet settings. Then tell it to be 10.1.1.2 with the 255.255.255.0 netmask and leave the gateway blank.

Reboot everybody, including the player (important after changing IP address stuff).

Run your Java Emplode program and see if it'll see the Empeg at 10.1.1.1.

You can do the same with the ethernet settings in Windows with the VirtualPC software, I think. It's possible that the virtualPC software will be smart and pull its ethernet settings from the mac.

Anyway, this fixed-IP stuff might screw up some other existing settings on your network, so be prepared to write down all your existing settings so you can change them back once we're sure this works at all. This is just an experiment to see if everything is functioning. If we can get this far, then later we'll worry about integrating it into your home network with the airport and everything.

___________
Tony Fabris

There's a pretty blue one on the back of the Empeg
Oh, I definitely saw that earlier.

if you were to plug in your Empeg at work, everything would probably magically start working because DHCP would be active at your work, you might wanna give that a try just for fun.
I doubt it - I work alone! Networking is totally alien to me.

I'll run through that other stuff now.

Thanks again!

- what is the physical path you are using to connect (USB, Serial, Ethernet)?
I've got no idea I'm afraid. Where would this be entered?

- have you installed (as per DMZ's instructions) the upgrade fix to the comms class in the JVM (Java Virtual Machine)?

Yes.

Oh, and one other thing worth trying. If you can use the serial adapter and Emplode, make sure to upgrade both Emplode on your VirtualPC and the empeg player itself to version 1.02. I dunno if that has anything to with why JEmpeg's having trouble finding it, but it's worth a shot.

___________
Tony Fabris

Use the "Configure player" option...
This option is blanked out until you have connected to the player - so I'm stuck!

Use the "Configure player" option...
This option is blanked out until you have connected to the player - so I'm stuck!

Right- that's why I said you needed the serial adapter. The serial adapter is the lowest common denominator and should be the one that works. From there, you can do things like change the player's IP address to get the ethernet connection running.

Again, sorry about all this complexity. The thing was designed to link with a Windows machine, and for Windows users you just plug the thing in and it works...

___________
Tony Fabris

Crewe-

A guy at work has been using his Mac to load his empeg player using JEmpeg, a nice little java app. like Emplode. Here's what he said to do.

The only thing that you need to do is:
1) Find a PC, load up the Emplode software and connect to your empeg through the USB port (not the ethernet).
2) Start Emplode and go into options and specify a specific address, something like 10.0.1.185.

Once you have configured the player to a specific IP address, you can use JEmpeg with your Mac and skip Virtual PC completely by connecting your empeg to your Mac using the cross-over cable you mentioned earlier.

I know that this takes you in a different direction, but I hope this helps...

First: You need to know your Mac's IP address
Where can I find this?
and whether it's a fixed address or if it gets the address from a DHCP server
How can I find out?

I've got NO idea, since I know nothing about macs. MComb?

Go to your apple menu, and down to Control Panels. Select TCP/IP. Enter these settings.
Connect via: Ethernet
Configure: Manually
IP Address: 10.1.1.2
Subnet: 255.255.255.0
Router: (empty if possible, if not 10.1.1.2)
Name Server: (empty)
Search Domains: (empty)

Like Tony said, be sure to record your current settings first because this is going to disable your dial up connection until you put them back (we can set you up for both later). You do not need to reboot your mac.

Depending on the Mac model you probably don't have a link light. If the link light on the empeg comes on that is good enough.

I do not have a copy of VirtualPC handy, but there is an option for it to share the macs network connection or use its own. There may also be an option to disable networking entirely. These will be under an options or preferences menu. Make sure networking is enabled and tell it to share the Mac's network connection.

-Mike

FYI VirtualPC does come with an OS. Your choice of Win98, dos, or RedHat linux (at different prices).

-Mike

Yeah, I've forced it to look, but it doesn't find anything (with Emplode). With JEmplode it found the empeg, but when I selected it and pressed OK, nothing happened.

Discovery does work with Virtual PC and Emplode (at least for me). If jemplode did in fact see it and emplode did not than my guess is that there is a configuration issue with windows or VPC. Can you clarify what happened when you pressed OK under jemplode? Did the window go away/did another small window come up/did jemplode quit?

-Mike

OK, one more thing just occured to me. You have an airport base station right, and I am guessing the mac you are using is a laptop or something else with a wireless card that would normally get internet access through the airport. Is that right? If so try this...

The airport base station will do DHCP by default so.
Go to your TCP/IP control panel on your mac and set it to
Connect via: Airport Card
Configure: using DHCP Server
Close the control panel
Using your cross over ethernet cable connect your empeg to the Airport base station.
At this point, the empeg and the Mac should be able to get all needed info from the airport

At this point jemplode on your mac should be able to connect to the empeg with no additional configuration.

-Mike

Nooo, what kind of cable are you using to connect your Mac to the Empeg?

One of the few remaining Mk1 owners... #00015

Hi,

This sounds like it makes sense, but can you clarify things a bit? I am connected to the internet using the Airport, but my settings say configure manually. Should I enter this IP address somewhere within JEmplode? Or should I switch the airport to configure via DHCP? Then, once I've put the ethernet cable into the airport from the empeg, what's supposed to happen? Do I leave it plugged in whilst I try to use JEmplode?

Thanks!

Sally

Can you clarify what happened when you pressed OK under jemplode? Did the window go away/did another small window come up/did jemplode quit?

I launch JEmplode. The 'select connection' screen appears, and 'empeg car at 0.0.0.0' appears in the select connection box, (which is more than I can say for Emplode under Virtual PC!) so I highlightthe empeg car and press ok and the box goes away and nothing happens. So I go back to the select connection box, highlight the empeg, check the options, press 'refresh', it searches and then stops searching and stays in the connection box. I press ok, nothing happens. Back to the main screen with nothing there except a small 'Downloading...' folder in the top left panel, which does nothing when I click on it and does nothing if I leave it for an hour either!

An ethernet crossover cable. I've also tried USB and regular ethernet. I can't try serial 'cos I'm on a modern Mac and they don't have serial outputs any longer. I could use my serial -> USB transformer I suppose, but I think that would be asking for more trouble, and I'd still need a PC -> Mac serial transformer to plus into the other transformer!

Well, I'm not surprised - an IP address of 0.0.0.0 is (essentially) illegal. It shows the empeg is not configured with a suitable valid IP address. You really need to make a serial connection to the unit somehow to set this, or get the unit to someone with a small network that supports DHCP configured address control.

One of the few remaining Mk1 owners... #00015

How do I know what IP address to give it?

The manual is only intended to document the player software - emplode is documented electronically. I recall at the time there was a suggestion to scrap ALL printed documentation, but I thought it was important to have a user guide for functions you may try out in the car.

Rob

PS. Merry still sighs about you in her sleep

Umm, I know a lot of beer was consumed, but did I miss something when we visited? I guess I was distracted by those ribs (the edible kind).

Rob