The ethernet port of my FLEX-6300 does not respond in the initial install step

Koji Oyama

Hi

I am trying to install my FLEX-6300 according to the quick start guide. however, the SmartSDR never detect the FLEX-6300 which is connected peer-to-peer with my host PC by the bundled CAT-5 ethernet cable. I also tried to connect them with a router, but the situation was same.

What is the problem ? What should I check or try next ?

I collect ethernet packet information by using WireShark. The FLEX-6300 seems not to respond/send any packets.

Advise me.

Regards,

-- Koji Oyama / JP1HUJ

[Step1] Power On --> Blinking the green LED

[Step2]: A several munites later --> Changed the LED color to red blinking

[Step3]: SmartSDR did not recognize the FLEX-6300.

dan martin

If your peer to peer without a router you will need the PC to be running a DHCP package to supply the radio an IP address. As I recall there is an open DHCP software on the supplied CD under utilities. 
Regards 
Dan

Tim - W4TME

I have converted this topic to a support HelpDesk ticket (http://helpdesk.flexradio.com) for expedited issue resolution.  If anyone else is experiencing an issue similar to this one, please submit a HelpDesk support ticket for issue resolution.

Al K0VM

Koji,
   I think there may be a hardware problem as the the LED should never go flashing red in a normal power up sequence..    You could try again to remove power for a couple of minutes followed by a reset to factory defaults startup..   If that does not work, then its time for a helpdesk ticket..

AL, K0VM

Koji Oyama

Hi Tim,

Thanks for your great support.

Okay, I will move to the Helpdesk

-- Koji / JP1HUJ

George KF2T

Could the CAT cable be defective?

Koji Oyama

Hi Dan,

Thanks for your prompt relay.

To say the result first, the situation was not changed whichever the Open DHCP server was installed.

According to the following page, I thought we don't need to install the DHCP server on my computer. ( I don't know how it works )

http://helpdesk.flexradio.com/hc/en-us/articles/202118558

"In this configuration both the PC and the FLEX-6000 will self allocate a "link local" IP address automatically allowing for them to communicate properly, therefore DHCP is not used for IP address allocation."

Then, I tried the DHCP server installation next.

Anyway, I think it could be an initial failure of the hardware because of the international shipping.

Thanks again,

-- Koji Oyama / JP1HUJ

Koji Oyama

Hi Al,

Thanks for your reply.

Okay, I think it could be the harware issue at this moment.

Tim has already follow me up.

-- Koji / JP1HUJ

Koji Oyama

Hi George,

Thanks for your advice.

I have already tried to change the cable, however the situation was not improved unfortunately

-- Koji / JP1HUJ

Mike va3mw

I had this problem where the 6300 would not get an IP address from the DHCP server.   I had over 25 devices on my home network, and this was the only device that would not get an address.  I was able to support up to 50, so I had not run out of DHCP assignments.

What I had to do was to change the IP address on my PC to 169.254.157.**** so that the PC and the Radio were on a default Subnet.  In my example, make sure that the **** is not the same address as the radio.

This happened so often, the I eventually just added that IP range to the PC as a secondary IP address.

I think if you click on the radio tab (in your example), you'll see the IP address of the radio.  Also, in a peer to peer case as you state, you will require either a DHCP server on your PC or hard code an IP address on your PC on the same subnet.  

Since you said it also failed on a router, is there a DHCP server on your network?

Mike va3mw

Brent Parker

When I first got my flex, I had the power supply on, before the ethernet cable was installed. The radio tried to get an IP address, as soon as the power supply is on! Not when you actually power the radio on. Without the cable there, the radio defaulted to the 169. 254.157.****  and my computer was on 10.1.10.x and they would not connect.

So the power supply turning on, controls when the radion picks up it's address. When you apply the power, ther green light comes on for a moment on the radio, and I think that is when the radio gets (and keeps) it's address.

If you try a single ethernet cable, just from the radio to the computer, 1) make sure the computer is up first 2) make sure the computer's ethernet settings are set to automatically optain an IP address. You won't have a dhcp server in that config, but the computer and radio will find each other.

I did some testing with just a laptop, a ethernet cable and the radio configured just like that, and it worked fine. The laptop was initially at a fixed ip address, and it didn't work. With the laptop set to automatically obtain an ip, and turned on first, it worked fine, even thought there is no dhcp server on that setup.

Look at the little ethernet lights on the radio and computer too, to see if there is a connection. Finally the blinking red light is troubling. Don't know if that means the radio is properly booting or what?

However the simple setup above, eliminates network, switches, dhcp servers, etc. It's either the computer, the cable or the radio.

Good Luck.    Brent   NB4AP

Mike va3mw

Brent

If you didn't have a DHCP server hooked up, what was the IP address of the computer that you used?  Or, did you just let it default to something in 169.254.0.0/16?  I just want to confirm that that is what you did with your laptop test.

I don't believe your method will work if you IP address is hard coded on your computer.  

Again, somehow, both the radio and the computer have to be within the same mask or the computer won't hear the radio.


Mike va3mw

Brent Parker

Mike,

Just repeated the test.

Radio and power supply off. Laptop off. ethernet cable installed from radio to laptop.

Booted laptop. It was only at 127.0.0.1. As soon as power supply was turned on, the laptop got an address of 167.254.49.54. DHCP from the radio??  The net mask is 255.255.0.0.

Powered on the radio. When you "touch" the radio the address shows up. It's at 169.154.12.30, but with the netmask of 255.255.0.0 it sees the "larger" address" and works fine.

Yes, in the earlier test the address in the laptop was static and that won't work with a direct connection.

This direct connection "proof" seems useful to test a computer, cable and radio without all the other stuff "in the way", to prove it's working. It leaves less to track down, as to what is wrong.

Brent NB4AP

Tim - W4TME

This issue has been resolved. The radio was not booting due to a misalignment of the SD memory card most likely due to the radio be jarred during international shipping.