Set static IP (not by DHCP reservation) to Maestro and 6500

Gastonet

How do I set a static IP for Maestro and 6500.

Thanks

Jim Gilliam

You need the MAC number of each of the devices. Each router is different, but there is usually a way of entering those mac numbers to reserve a static I/P address for both of the units. Most routers indicate the MAC numbers of each DHCP subscriber. But, again, that depends on the router you are using.

Jim, K6QE

EA4GLI

Not possible today on the radio with SmartSDR for Windows. Doable on your router as indicated by Jim.

Gastonet

Such a flaw! So, if there's no DHCP on the network it's imposible to operate the rig?
What about an UTP cable P2P from Maestro to the 6500?
Should I bring a router with me at a field day?

Mike va3mw

You can use UTP cable as it will pick up the default Microsoft IP address (169......).  

Having a spare router is always a good idea.  

Mike va3mw

KY6LA_Howard

For direct connect the Maestro and 6500 with self designate a non externally routable IP which means that they will connect together OK without a router

Gastonet

Howard: using a switch, direct connect, or anything without a DHCP server 6500 gets an APIPA address (I wonder), althoug Maestro can find it when tries to connects, the app becomes unresponsive (it freeze). This can be solved using fixed IP for both things. It can be used in my home network or with a direct connect on a field day. Quite simple.

Stu Phillips - K6TU

And you of course are flawless?

The absence of static IP support for the radio is well documented.  Some simple research would have made this apparent and highlighted the need for something to provide DHCP and avoiding consuming people's time with a well-retrod question.

Even a search on this community would have yielded an answer.  So LOL, I guess you have at least one flaw yourself.

All in good jest and pulling your leg.
No need to take everything so seriously.
Stu K6TU

KY6LA_Howard

I definitely agree that a Static IP would greatly simplify things and they are likely a must have when V2 WAN is implemented. But currently there is no way to set a static IP. So until Flex gets around To creating that facility you need to use workarounds.

Gastonet

Stu, I think you are assuming that I didn't made a research before open a new thread. That's a flaw. Anyway, maybe the impossibility to setup a fixed IP is not a flaw, but at least unbelievable.
“I myself am made entirely of flaws, stitched together with good intentions.” ― Augusten Burroughs
73

EA4GLI

well... with the Maestro, static ip approach will work if you can also modify the IP address of the Maestro itself. Say you don't have access to a PC but have a Maestro and a 6000 series radio... doesn't it make sense that at the very least through APIPA they can see each other when connected directly or through a switch with no DHCP available?

I am all for being able to set static IPs but I do think the current setup is simpler than static IPs.

If you are having unresponsive connectivity, how will a fixed IP solve that? I am genuinely curious, not bashing or anything.

Martin AA6E

If you don't have a PC on your network, you can use direct connection as mentioned above, or you can install a router (or other device like a Raspberry Pi with a switch) that runs a DHCP server.  You don't need an Internet / ISP connection.  I see a TP-LINK TL-R860 for under $30 that would probably work.  You'd need a PC to configure it if you really want static IP addresses, most likely. 

But I don't see why anyone needs static address assignments, since SSDR and Maestro have their own radio discovery methods.

Gastonet

I see you point Salvador, I'm sure you are being genuine. I don't know how Maestro finds the 6000, maybe a Layer 2 (by MAC) but tries to connect over Layer 3 (since packets moves over IP) but (again I'm just guessing) when Maestro doesn't find an IP to connect to the 6000 then just freezes. Again, just trying to get a better way to use the radio.

Gastonet

Thanks Martin, maybe my question is not well explained or its wrong. I just want to use Maestro and 6000 with no other device in the middle. It just doesn't work. That's my main problem. I wonder if using a fixed IP can be a solution, since altough the discovery method works really fine the Maestro can't connect to the 6000 if no DHCP is present.

Walt - KZ1F

I believe the answer to your question is, it depends on the router. Routers are given a range of addresses to manage, 192.168.0.2-192.168.0.200. Within that range it is responsible for assigning addresses. The DHCP protocol is a leased based protocol. If you say, tried to give your flex 192.168.0.201, your router doesn't know that address, as it is not managed. Reserved addresses is, for all intents and purposes, static.. Where I've seen routers offer to set a static address it is in the context of it's ip addressed assigned by the ISP.

NOTE: It is important to understand that using DHCP reservations has no basic functional difference from statically assigning a client an IP address. A client will not function any differently with basic WINS configurations (that is, expiration, release, re-registration, and so on), but will only be capable of re-registering itself on the fly when configured though DHCP (that is, ipconfig /renew). Hence, if you statically assign a server an IP address and need to refresh its WINS registration, you will need to execute a restart.  <- https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/170062

Martin AA6E

If the direct connection doesn't work for you, then there is something wrong. It will try to set up a 1Gb/s connection, most likely.  That means you have to have a good quality cable, preferably CAT-5e or CAT-6.  Try swapping cables.

This is actually a problem sometimes.  The radio does not need more than 6-8 Mb/s so 1000Mb/s is overkill and can be unreliable.  It would be nice to be able to force a 100 Mb/s connection, but Flex does not support that.  (I inserted a 100 Mb/s switch in my system just for this purpose. It reduced my error rate.)

KY6LA_Howard

Gaston

I suspect we are all viewing your question wrongly.

You seem to indicate that when you do a direct connection using a CAT 5 or CAT 6 UTP between the Maestro and the 6500, the Maestro finds the 6500 OK during the discovery process but does not actually connect the Maestro to the 6500

It is supposed to connect directly like that OK and work (mine does).. so clearly something is wrong with your Maestro and/or Cable and/or 6500

In which case, perhaps it would be best to open a HelpDesk ticket rather than all of us speculating incorrectly what might be the issue.

Walt - KZ1F

If SSDRfW is running it won't connect. Do you, if only inadvertently, have SSDRfW running?

EA4GLI

That is actually not the case Walt. Having SmartSDR for Windows running or not has no effect on the Maestro.

EA4GLI

I am more incline to think it is a version issue. If he is not connecting the Maestro to a network with Internet he might be in a different version of Maestro unsuitable for the version he might have on his flex radio. Can you provide this info Gaston?

km9r.mike

So in that case your OP was a rhetorical question which can been seen as a flaw in polite circles.

Chris DL5NAM

>>  must have when V2 WAN is implemented <<

Why? If WAN access work then all goes via DYNDNS and ports - never over your home IP in your home network. Maybe i see some wrong but still i dont need any IP for access any of my home devices (server, Cam, Power Amp ... ) via WAN.

What  should be different for a further tablet pc (called Maestro).

Most router you can configure  he should use always same IP for this device  - they store a virtual connection and give always this MAC address the same IP.

Maybe i can learn some new .... :-)

Martin AA6E

Having SSDR Windows *running* doesn't hurt, as long as it is not *connected* to the radio.  If it is connected, then Maestro can't connect - but you should still see the radio in the Maestro's startup menu. Could that be the problem?

Mike va3mw

SSDR is not required to have a Maestro connect to the radio.  All that is required under the covers is for the Maestro to see the Layer 2 packets being broadcast by the radio.  

A Windows-based computer that is configured to use DHCP can automatically assign itself an Internet Protocol (IP) address if a DHCP server is not available. For example, this could occur on a network without a DHCP server, or on a network if a DHCP server is temporarily down for maintenance. 

The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) has reserved 169.254.0.0-169.254.255.255 for Automatic Private IP Addressing. As a result, APIPA provides an address that is guaranteed not to conflict with routable addresses.

The radio conforms to this standard as does the Maestro is a LAN cable is connected.  

All that aside, the Maestro was designed to require a DHCP server.  In 99.99% of the world, this is what we do today.  It is much easier to accept that as the current design with the work around to have a DHCP Server auto assign an IP address based on MAC address. 

You may not like that, however, today, the product is working as designed and is not busted by any means.  My guess is that Flex has gone down this path to eliminate support calls as support calls cost money and will also drive up the cost of your radio.

You have to look at the bigger picture.  We are a plug and play world.  Spin up a DHCP server and your world is good.

Mike va3mw

Tim - W4TME

Gaston - to answer your question, a fixed IP would not solve your problem.  We operate many Maestros using direct connections to the radio using APIPA (link-local) IP addresses (we did this with 12 Maestros at Dayton and it worked flawlessly).  

So if you are having connection issues, something else is going on rather than IP addressing.  I recommend you submit a support ticket via our HelpDesk (http://helpdesk.flexradio.com) so we can assign you a case number.  For details on how to submit a HelpDesk support ticket, please refer to the following URL: http://helpdesk.flexradio.com/hc/en-us/articles/202118688-How-to-Submit-a-Request-for-Technical-Supp...   Once the support ticket is submitted, a support engineer will be in contact so we can work on the issue.  Make sure to include your product's serial number (if applicable).

EA4GLI

I was one of the lucky "few?" that was able to upgrade both Maestro and SmartSDR to 1.8 so I can disconnect the PC or a Maestro connected to the Flex from either one.

Stan VA7NF

On the subject of DHCP servers - A year back (isn't 20-20 hindsight great) a firmware change on multiple Netgear switches turned on a "DHCP Filter" feature.  This feature stopped DHCP traffic from reaching the server and auto assign came alive on the Flex.

As most of my network is static addresses, only the Flex stopped working.  (Tim/Dudley take note)

Walt - KZ1F

Yes, what Martin said is what I was referring to. Currently, you can not have two SSDRfX (where X is W or M) running as they both want to open a panadapter meaning they specify ClientGUI upon initialization. While, yes, it will (based on what I saw with XPSSDR) 'run', it will not run correctly.

KC9NRN

Going over WAN still goes over the local LAN as well, it has to pass through your router to get to the radio.

KC9NRN

Gigabit is never overkill, it's backwards compatible and if people are having issues it's not because Gigabit is overkill and or unreliable. I have plenty of Fast Ethernet devices on my LAN at work, at home and well, lots of places and have no dropped packets. Using a good quality switch will solve many issues people have with their networks.

Maximo

You can always place a router and do the job.
The Flex gets the IP available from that router, at LAN side (using DHCP), At the WAN side you can set the IP you want.
Any cheap router running DD-WRT will do the job easily.

73, Maximo - EA1DDO