Enttec ethergate artnet connection issue

Ive got a simple set up.

Lighting desk connect via DMX to an Enttec Ethergate Mk2 connected via ethernet (cross over cable) to a PowerMac running Catalyst. (Dongle in transit - due before client will see blue and red bars)

The Enttec documents say use cross-over cables, the High End ones say don't use cross over. A few simple experiments (http: to ethergate config server) show that a cross over is necessary for IP traffic.

Well Catalyst is not working properly. :(

If I plug a Piece-of-Crap laptop with some diagnostic software into the cross-over cable instead of the Mac it shows DMX changes from my lighting desk.

If I plug mac in - then safari will show ethergate www config pages, but catalyst does not seem happy. (simple cable connectivity and IP addressing test)

If I bring up diagnostic window for DMX it shows that it sees the dmx ethergate, but I don't get any useful art-net traffic.

The Ethergate Mk2 dip switches are : off-on-off-off (normal inoput mode with no universe setting).

IP info:
Mac: 2.0.0.2 Mask: 255/24
Ethergate: 2.0.0.1 Mask: 255/24

Possible problems that have occured to me so far include:
a) MacOS networking is more finnicky and I have some basic IP address issue
b) Catalyst is more finnicky than PC diagnostic software and there is some Art-net error
c) there is some sofware install config error on Mac
d) despite the fact that HE docs say only read/blue bars result from no dongle there are some artnet issues as well

Does anybody have any suggestions ?

Does anybody know of some simple artnet diagnostic tools for MacOS ?

Im a geek from way back so don't worry about deluging me with computing or networking info.

TIA
- JonT

Enttec ethergate?
Something like this?
http://www.pro-design.com.au/product...product_id=229

I have never tested an Enttec ethergate so i do not know whether there are any protocol incompatibilities.

If you are seeing the config pages in safari- then you have a connection.

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If I bring up diagnostic window for DMX it shows that it sees the dmx ethergate, but I don't get any useful art-net traffic.

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which diagnostic window?

what do you see if you change a single dmx channel?

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additionally-
but:
1. Macs auto sense both speed and sex of ethernet.
So they will try and determine whether you plugged in a crossover - or not
But they generally do this at restart.


2. You can set the ethernet connection manually to 10bt, -see pdf with this posting - in the system preferences->network,
Then connect up your ethergate using your cable - then restart your mac with the cable plugged in.

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The Ethergate Mk2 dip switches are : off-on-off-off (normal inoput mode with no universe setting).

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Just read the manual, and i think if you use the device in 'input' mode - it defaults to using the ESP protocol. page 8.

So you have to run it in web configured mode off-off-off-off with artnet?
And configure it to use artnet using the web browser?

Thanks Richard for your quick responses.

Unfortunately I did not manage to get ethergate to work with catalyst and had to sub-hire a Catalyst CIB (which worked fine). :(

However I did manage to run "tcpdump udp" on the PowerMac:
it showed a steady stream of packets to port 6454 (artnet) and none to 333 (proprietry procotol).
Unfortunately tcpdump (unlike ethereal) does not understand artnet and all I saw was strings of (non-zero) hex data.

I hope in the next weeks to get enough time (hah !) to install ethereal for MacOS and see what traffic is really there.

The thing is that bringing up the information window ('w') and stepping through to the page showing DMX details listed the ethergate as having universe 0, and it was sensitive cables disconnecting (so it wasn't historical "memory" of the ethergate).

thanks again.
- JonT

i dont have one of these devices.
So i dont know what happens in the various modes.

There are many possible problems, from the box using a different ip universe, to it outputting wierd artnet.

You might like to try sending me the hex and ascii dump of a packet sent by the device - if you can get such a thing.

I think the shareware program' interarchy' does udp packet dumps?

http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/259

Interarchy does indeed give you a dump of network traffic

It can give a text or binary display of udp or tcpip packets

I believe the Art-Net settings for this device are set onboard and not using the web-interface as this is not finished yet.

The Enttec box IS ArtNet compatible

The correct ethernet settings for artnet are:
2.0.0.x, subnet mask 255.0.0.y

or if you do not want your Artnet to be routable:
10.0.0.x, subnet mask 255.0.0.y

Hugh

subnet mask should be 255.0.0.0

the manual said that artnet mode could only be enabled from the web interface. so its all a little confusing.

Havent received any kindof response as to whether this box even does artnet correctly yet!

Guys,

I just got off the phone with Jon in Australia.

He is having another go at getting this box working.

From what he described he is seeing non-zero values from the Hog 3 on his PC but the Catalyst is "seeing" the artnet universe (IP address is shown in the artnet status window and Artnet 0 is highlighted blue) but all values are at 0 in the window itself.

It sounds a bit like a problem I was having with the Ether-Lynx box itself recently.

On that occasion I had connection between the box and the Mac itself and PixelMad was outputting DMX. I could modify the image on PixelMad and output DMX to fixtures accordingly but it would not respond to an incoming DMX signal.

It seemed really odd it could "speak" art-net to the Lynx but not "hear" it as it obviously had a good TCP/IP connection.

I could also control PixelMad by connecting a CIB and then use the Lynx to output the DMX to the PixelLines as a workaround.

After trouble shooting with the ArtNet monitor software connected to an ethernet switch on the same network, it turned out to be because I had old firmware on the Ether Lynx box and once upgraded it worked fine.

It was Wayne I spoke to at Artistic so if he recalls the incident he may be able to suggest what differed between the builds.

Richard,

Do you have any ideas what this could have been?

Perhaps it is something that hasn't been implemented on the EtherGate which allows normal Artnet traffic but doesn't talk to Catalyst.

I've suggested Jon post back here with as much info as possible as many heads are better than one.

Rob

Guys,

I've just spoken to Simon Hobday at AL. He mentioned that in one of the firmware builds they tightened up on the sequence count of DMX in the way the Art Net boxes output DMX.

This is field 5 on page 35 of the artistic license DMX spec.

Simon mentioned that before this was tightened up in the spec the DMX Workshop monitoring software was capable of reading Art-Net info which was not correctly picked up by other units.

It is possible it was this firmware change which fixed the way the Ether Lynx "talked" DMX to the PixelMad Mac when I upgraded my firmaware (see previous post).

Perhaps the ethergate guys have a similar issue.

Simon suggested they check all of the other restrictions of the specifcation on page 35 as it may be something like this.

Hope this helps,

Rob

normally incorrect subnet mask set in ethernet settings.

needs to be 255.0.0.0 as far as i remember

just did a gig with an etherlynx box. worked first time.

dont think i pay any attention to the sequence count.

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Originally Posted by samsc

normally incorrect subnet mask set in ethernet settings.

needs to be 255.0.0.0 as far as i remember

just did a gig with an etherlynx box. worked first time.

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;o)

Definitely wasn't the subnet mask on this occasion!

But you are right (once you have the correct firmware) the ether-lynx boxes work just fine.

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Originally Posted by RobF

;o)
But you are right (once you have the correct firmware) the ether-lynx boxes work just fine.

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i never upgraded any firmware.

i didnt change anything from when i bought my boxes.

I have a mac network location i use for artnet, i turn it on and it just works.