Setting the empeg's IP address

This is carrying on a thread that I subverted a couple of weeks ago in the the Wish List section called Backup and Play. I had help in this other post on getting DisplayServer working on my empeg but at the time didn't have a working network card. I have bought one today and fitted and, inevitably, have a couple of questions. Firstly, I've got a standard UTP patch cable but in a search for this problem elsewhere on the BBS someone mentioned a crossover cable. Is this correct? What's the difference? Secondly, how the hell do I set the IP address on the empeg? I've gone into the in emplode and under the tab I've set the IP Address to 192.168.0.3, the Netmask to 255.255.0.0 and the Default Gateway to blank, then 192.168.0.1 then 192.168.0.3 with still no luck. When I look in the on the player the Player IP shows None. I've changed my personal details and that shows it's been updated. Anything else I need to do?

BTW - I'm using the v1.03 developer image.

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Steve - 18GB Mk II Blue

A 'twisted UTP' cable is used if you want to connect two PC's (or other equimpent like the Empeg) together without using a HUB which is used when you have more than 2 PC's (or other equimpent like the Empeg).

I think your problem is that you don't use a 'Twisted UTP' cable which is needed
if you don't have a HUB.

Regrads
TommyE

If you are plugging two network cards directly together (for example PC<->PC, or PC<->empeg), then you need a 10BaseT crossover cable.

If you are plugging devices into a hub, then you need standard 10baseT cables for everything.

To set the IP address on the Empeg, you use the serial cable or the USB cable and run Emplode. In the network settings box, the values should be:

- IP address: Same address as your PC, except the last octet should be different and unique. For example. If your PC is 192.168.1.42, then set your empeg to 192.168.1.xxx, where xxx is some number between 1 and 254 that isn't the same as 42 or any other computer on your local LAN.

- Subnet mask: Must be 255.255.255.0. Note that that's only one zero octet at the end, not two.

- Gateway: Should be all blank or all zeroes (whichever it allows you to enter).

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Tony Fabris

To set the IP address on the Empeg, you use the serial cable or the USB cable and run Emplode

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I was doing this before using USB. I have now tried the same with serial, but with no luck on that, either. I've never connected with emplode using serial before. It really makes you appreciate how much faster USB is.

Anyway, I've done as you suggested. My PC is set to 192.168.0.1 and I'm trying to set the empeg to 192.168.0 with the Subnet mask at 255.255.255.0 and blank for the Gateway. I am making an assumption that the Player IP that shows up in the About screen on the empeg should reflect this or is the true test pinging that address (once I've got my hands on the right cable)?

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Steve - 18GB Mk II Blue

Anyway, I've done as you suggested. My PC is set to 192.168.0.1 and I'm trying to set the empeg to 192.168.0 with the Subnet mask at 255.255.255.0 and blank for the Gateway.

Correct, but you didn't say what the last octet was in your player IP address. In your case, I would set it to 2 since your PC is 1.

is the true test pinging that address (once I've got my hands on the right cable)?

Once you've got your hands on the right cable, everything should work. Ping, emplode, whatever. Though you ought to consider just buying a cheap ethernet hub instead, so you can start really networking stuff.

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Tony Fabris

You're right - I have set the last octet to 2. However, even if I don't have it properly connected to my PC yet, surely the player should still have the IP that I assigned set which should show up on the player's about screen or does this only show once there is a network connection with another device?

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Steve - 18GB Mk II Blue

Could it be that you have DHCP turned on?

It should show on player's about screen.

Another thing to check:

If you are using direct ('hubless') connection with crossover cable, the first thing to check is whether the blue 'link' LED on the back of the player is on (and most probably equivelent LED on your PC's NIC). If it is off, something's wrong with physical connection.

If you use a hub (with 'ordinary' UTP patch cables), then blue LED only says that connection to the hub is OK, so you must test separately PC-hub and hub-empeg connections.

HTH

Dragi "Bonzi" Raos
Zagreb, Croatia
Q#5196, MkII#80000376, 18GB green

This might sound really silly, however I assume you are doing a SYNC in emplode after setting the IP address ?

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Rod, UK Mk2 64gig Red S/No.341 2xDell RioReceiver

OK, let's make things clearer.

The network cable for connecting the empeg to a hub/switch is a standard patch cable. For a peer-to-peer connection use the crossover variant. Both cables have RJ45 connectors on both sides and have 4 twisted pair wires inside (a total of 8 wires, though only 4 wires are necessary.) This explains the TP part in the following notations:
STP - Shielded Twisted Pair
UTP - Unshielded Twisted Pair

Twisted Pair is just one of the many wiring methods. Other well known are flat-cable, coax.

The quality of the cable is category 5, which means that pair 2 is placed around pair 3 in the RJ45 connector. For instance the following order for a patch cable:
white-orange/orange/white-green/blue/white-blue/green/white-brown/brown.
For the crossover variant one end of the cable is wired as above, for the other end the orange and green pairs are exchanged places. I added two GIFs for better understanding.

CAT5 UTP/STP is rated for a maximum of 100Mbps (100Base-T) and can of course be used for 10Mbps (10Base-T) as well.

Recommended IP-adresses and associated subnet masks for a private LAN (RFC 1597):

Class A 10.0.0.0 - 10.255.255.255 / 8 (255.0.0.0)
Class B 172.16.0.0 - 172.31.255.255 / 16 (255.255.0.0)
Class C 192.168.0.0 - 192.168.255.255 / 24 (255.255.255.0)

Be sure not to use the .0 and .255 addresses, these are for network wide functionality.

You could also use the subnet mask 255.255.0.0 for the 192.168.x.x range as well. The associated masks are not mandatory. Just make sure the subnet masks of the empeg as well as your pc are the same.

For the gateway IP address there are four options:
1 - Leave blank
2 - All '0's
3 - empeg's IP address
4 - router's IP address if connections outside LAN to/from empeg are necessary

After any change sync! But you already know that of course.

I always use the following 'checklist':
1. Check IP address & subnet mask of pc with winipcfg or ipconfig/all (if running on Windows platform.)
2. Check IP address & subnet mask of empeg in the about menu.
3. Check TCP/IP functionality on pc with a local ping.
4. Check link LEDs on pc's NIC and empeg.
5. Check logical network connection with a ping from pc to empeg.

And last but not least, I prefer DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) over static addresses. Emplode will find the player anyway (broadcast discovery.)

Edwin de Vaan
mk2 rev.7 Trillian # 080000263 6+20Gb blue/red