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Hardware => Lynx EtherDongle => Topic started by: mikedbom on January 08, 2012,
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So I built my EtherDongle last night and after re-flashing my Express and getting the dongle programmed I ran into a wall. I was trying to use DMX Deck but it kept crashing. The Lynx Configuration pgm would not work, and Vixen was giving me errors.
Yes I had the plugins and hex software loaded, had all the lights and indications i needed to know the hardware was intact.
I was hooked up from my laptop to the dongle via cat5 - to the wireless transmitter. could not get a response even when the data light on the express was blinking.
I hooked up straight cat5 out of laptop to the express and jumpered the wireless pins. nothing.
Finally I plugged my EtherDongle into my home router and after wrestling with Vixen and ultimately creating a new profile, I got it working over wireless.
So my question is: why wouldnt it work hardwired? I havent seen a reference to cross-over cables but do you need one for the EtherDongle?
I did have my wifi on my laptop while i was trying to test hard wired and i shut it off thinking the primary data transfer was going over the wifi and not the ethernet. Even with the wifi off and cat 5 straight to the etherdongle, DMX Deck would not load COM1 or work, neither would the Lynx Config.
It works over wireless and that is the way I'm going to use it, but for troubleshooting purposes and for my own mastery of my equipment, I would like to figure out the wired issue. I appreciate your help.
Mike B.
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i believe the dmx deck only communicated with the lynx usb dongle, programmed for dmx, sitting on a com port...
vixen should use only the etherdongle plugin, and nothing about dmx, or pixelnet.
to get my eD(EtherDongle) to work at first, i let it sit on the network for about 5 min, then i had to power cycle the eD (uplug, then plug back in)
most laptops within the past 5 years natively support the ability to plug into another device without first a switch. (MDIX)
If you have the eD plugged into your switch, and you can access that network via wired, or wireless, it shouldn't matter.
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ok, makes sense about DMX Deck.
there was plenty of soak time and power cycling going on last night but ultimately it took connecting into the router to get it to work. sure i can access wired or wireless via laptop to network. but i'm not sure if I want the ED sitting near my router when its show time. I was thinking of moving the whole operation to the garage and putting it on a standalone network. I guess I could just get another router but if I could hardwire it, that would eliminate having to use the router. hope that makes sense...
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don't need another router...
you can, run a ethernet line out to where you need it.
if you plan on running more than one device out there, then get a small (4 or 5 port) switch
or...
if you can get wireless signal out there...
a wireless ethernet bridge connected to the etherdongle
all the bridge does is has a wireless connection on it to connect to your router, then it has a small 3,4, or 5 port switch built into it.
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Thanks Chris, I am aware of those options. But I would like to see if hardwiring is an option and why is wasnt working. I plan to do some more troubleshooting today. I am happy with the wireless operations but I'm one of those guys that likes to have options, even if I dont ever use them. ;)
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ok, so you want to wire directly from the laptop right into the etherdongle...
other people might have run into this, but have you tried assignning an IP address to your NIC, for when you plug in directly?
if its setup for dchp and doesn't receive a configuration for an IP address to use, sometimes windows thinks the connection is off and doesn't use it
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I am going to try using a Powerline ethernet adapter and put it in the marine battery case with the active hub. Hopefully that will allow me to have everything together and not have to run a cat5 cable out of the house to the ED.
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ok, so you want to wire directly from the laptop right into the etherdongle...
other people might have run into this, but have you tried assignning an IP address to your NIC, for when you plug in directly?
if its setup for dchp and doesn't receive a configuration for an IP address to use, sometimes windows thinks the connection is off and doesn't use it
Chris - great point, i had forgotten about assigning a static IP. I will give that a go and see if it solves my problem.
thanks.
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Jim - I have used the etherdongle connected to a powerline ethernet adapter...it worked fine.
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I set the NIC on my laptop to a static IP and everything works wired to the ED and ED to wirelessTX to RX on Express. However, I could not get ED wired straight to Express. No biggie though, I am satisfied.
Thanks Chris again for the brain jog.
Mike B.
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Jim - I have used the etherdongle connected to a powerline ethernet adapter...it worked fine.
Thanks for that info. I just finished my ED and tested it using a wired connection. Now to try the powerline outside with my production active hub which is still setup. I still have all my SS nodes on the gutters and windows so I could play around with different chases and stuff before I put them away. Most of my DMX stuff is put away. Only he mega tree remains in the yard.
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I set the NIC on my laptop to a static IP and everything works wired to the ED and ED to wirelessTX to RX on Express. However, I could not get ED wired straight to Express. No biggie though, I am satisfied.
Thanks Chris again for the brain jog.
Mike B.
Is the eD programmed for dmx, or pixelnet. If pixelnet, you need the active hub to get dmx.
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It's set up for DMX. I plan to reflash to PixelNet once i get the SS Hub working. It works great wireless. Here are my setup issues:
Laptop-wired-ED-wired-TX-wireless-express = works
Laptop-WIFI-ED-wired-TX-wireless-express = works
Laptop-wired-ED-wired-express = does not work
Laptop-WIFI-ED-wired-express = does not work
When connected via WIFI, i mean my ED is connected to my router. Wired from either the EtherDongle or the TX to the Express would not work at all.
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Bad cat5 cable?
Between Etd and LE
Rick R.
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when you go wired to the express, did you put the jumper back on the "remove for wireless" and also, the terminator jumper?
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@rrowan - same cable i am using for the TX
@chris - I put the jumper on the "remove for wireless" but not the terminate jumper.
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You may also want to physically remove the wireless module from the LE when using the CAT5 wired option. I seem to recall having issues getting wired to work when the RX module was in place, even with the jumpers set correctly.
-Mike
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I removed my ex ex, then wired worked for me
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You may also want to physically remove the wireless module from the LE when using the CAT5 wired option. I seem to recall having issues getting wired to work when the RX module was in place, even with the jumpers set correctly.
-Mike
i'll try that on another express i have with no wireless.