Version 3 - Network bridge & switch

AC9S

I am about to upgrade to Version 3.  Unfortunately my DSL modem/router is upstairs and my shack is in the basement - no way to get a physical CAT connection from my radio switch, a GS108, to the router.  In reading Tim's instructions on Network Bridging I wonder if I can simply bridge to the GS108 or do I need to connect directly to the 6700, that is a CAT connection directly from computer to 6700?

Thanks for any input.

Keith - AC9S

Mike-VA3MW

The easiest way would be to connect the LAN cable to  a laptop with a NetWork adapter, then turn on Internet Connection Sharing on the laptop, assuming the laptop has a WiFi connection.

Or, you could do all the licensing on the PC - get paid up, take the radio and a power supply to the modem, plug in the power supply and the LAN cable into Router and the Radio.  Turn on the radio.  Wait 5 minutes for it to call home, power it down and you should be done.  

The actual licensing process is handled by the radio connection to the Internet.

Mike

AC9S

I think I'll do the latter.  Thanks so much for the prompt input.

Keith - AC9S

K1DLM

Keith - Do you run a Wi-Fi network in your home?  I think the easiest thing would be to use a Wi-Fi to ethernet bridge to connect the radio into your home network.  This would offer more functionality to you over time, such as the ability to operate your radio from anywhere in the house or even remotely.  If you don't already have Wi-Fi, a number of the new Wi-Fi mesh solutions (like Eero, for example) also offer bridging as part of the package.

Ted VE3TRQ

If I understand you correctly, you have WiFi on your PC for Internet access, and your PC and your radio are both connected to a GS108. If that is the case, it should be adequate to set up the PC WiFi connection to do internet sharing - that should allow your radio, connected to the PC thru your switch, to pass thru the PC via its WiFi and get to the Internet. You will need to reboot (restart the network on) your radio so it wil get the appropriate gateway information from the PC AFTER it has had Internet sharing enabled. That is the way it works with Linux Internet sharing anyway - I’d need to verify that Windows does the same thing (i.e. passes gateway information to devices on the network interface it is sharing to the Internet), but I can’t imagine it working any other way. I’ll do some verification that Windows truly does work that way. (Yup - works a treat!)

Ken Hansen

At my shack I have a small device that was designed to connect a wired network connection on a device (PC, ROKU, XBOX, etc.) to your Wi-Fi network. This device is popular, about $40, just put it in "bridge mode" and your radio room will be a peer on your home network, just as if you ran a Cat5e cable from your radio to the router: https://www.microcenter.com/product/446256/tl-wr802n-n300-nano-wireless-n-router

Geoff AB6BT

In Windows, besides Internet Connection Sharing,  you can also set up a bridged mode connection and use the existing network structure.

Eric-KE5DTO

This link may help: https://helpdesk.flexradio.com/hc/en-us/articles/115003741486-Enabling-Network-Bridging-for-Link-Local-direct-connected-FLEX-6000s

Dale LeStourgeon

I also have a shack upstairs and impossible to run a cat5 cablle. I use a ASUS wireless ethernet adapter. just plug my 6400m into it with short ethernet cable and it works over home wiifi and so fast that I can run remotely from anywhere.

AC9S

Thanks for all the input guys - what a great group.  My final solution (ominous sound) was to dig out an old wireless over the house wiring solution from a couple of years ago.  It is a pair of Netgear devices from Buy, maybe $40, one was plugged into my router upstairs and the other into my GS108 in the shack.  The upgrade was extremely smooth, especially when I remembered to power cycle everything. 

 I can't say Version 3 is going to do much for me initially, but once the Maestro can operate as a control surface for SSDR it will.  The transmit interlock between Maestro and SSDR, in my case, is pretty cool.


Keith - AC9S

John KB4DU

Thanks for the idea. I've been mulling over some network configuration changes, partly due to moving some antiquated equipment that needs wired  Ethernet. I'm going to try the power wiring approach first, before I start drilling/cutting/climbing in the attic to run more cat5.