New Flex User Unable to Connect

W5JWP

Hey everyone! New to Flex and this community, hoping the brain trust can help to figure out what I am doing wrong. Sorry for the long post, but I am staring at a Flex-6600 that I purchased about 5 weeks ago and haven't been able to use once (transmit or receive) due to these networking issues.

This is a pretty simple setup, in my opinion:
- Standard Ubiquiti LAN (UXG-Pro, 24-port USW, and 5-port USW-Flex)
- One unmanaged NetGear switch in the cabinet with the Flex
- Separate VLAN for FlexRadio with a 192.168.204.0/23 subnet
- DHCP reservations set and working for Flex-6600 and TunerGenius XL
- Flex-6600 and TunerGenius XL are hardwired
- Mac mini running Ventura 13.4.1 is hardwired
- Dell Laptop running Windows 11 is hardwired
- For simplicity's sake, I have not assigned a wireless SSID

The goal here is to allow access to the Flex (upstairs in our Guest Room) from the rest of the house (primarily, downstairs in the Office).

I can ping the Flex-6600 and TunerGenius XL from the Mac mini and Dell laptop, and SmartSDR can "see" the Flex-6600 and TunerGenius XL (I am able to make control changes and the relays seem to respond). However, I have not been able to get anything to appear on the Panadapter or waterfall. On the Mac side, the waterfall is black and the upper section is blue, green, and red. On the Dell Laptop, the waterfall is black, and the upper section is blue.

Through my research here in this community, it seems these symptoms almost certainly call out a firewall issue - but I've confirmed that the Defender firewall is disabled on the Dell laptop and the MacOS firewall is disabled on the Mac mini. I've rebooted both systems after making these changes. And I'm not going through the local firewall here - this is just a VLAN stretched across a few switches. I have even upgraded the Flex-6600 to the latest release (3.4.24), taking care to follow the recommended procedure (power down, let the system sit with the power cable disconnected, and then perform a factory reset). Same issues.

I have worked with Flex once to date and no issues could be found with Windows or SmartSDR (on the Dell Laptop) - I was directed to try and connect directly to the Flex-6600 with the Dell laptop. I did this and was successful.... once. I came back later and tried again and have never been able to make this work again.

Pulling my hair out here... anyone have any thoughts or suggestions? I'm opening a new case to hopefully find some way to make this work!

Thanks!

John KB4DU

well, to start debugging, start with the simplest installation. Connect the flex directly with an Ethernet cable. No switch, no router, no WiFi, using the flex provided SmartSDR under windoze. If this doesn’t work, it’s help desk time.

W5JWP

Wanted to circle back on this in the event anyone else runs into similar issues.

Turns out, common mode current was giving the Flex a run for its money. I did not put all of the variables together until testing with a dummy load - ultimately, each time I would key the Flex, the radio would go into a state that only a power off (pull the cable) could fix.

Nothing was changed with the radio or networking - simply adding a couple of filters and a few antenna adjustments and I haven't had a single lockup or crash. Been running for almost 2 weeks now without a single reboot. Oddly enough, the 7610 never had an issue with the configuration as it was.

KD0RC

I find that it is my computer and network that are sensitive to RF. I have had RF get into the rig from the speaker wires, but a ground loop isolator (1:1 audio transformer) and some mix 31 ferrites solved that problem. Since then, I replaced the speakers with Creative T10 speakers and had no RF issues. I put the isolator and ferrites back on anyway just to be sure.

To fix the computer, I just put mix 31 ferrite beads on all wires connected to it. To fix the network, I put ferrites on all of the Ethernet and power cables.

Now I can run 500 W CW without disturbing anything in the shack.

W5JWP

> @KD0RC said:
> I find that it is my computer and network that are sensitive to RF. I have had RF get into the rig from the speaker wires, but a ground loop isolator (1:1 audio transformer) and some mix 31 ferrites solved that problem. Since then, I replaced the speakers with Creative T10 speakers and had no RF issues. I put the isolator and ferrites back on anyway just to be sure.
> To fix the computer, I just put mix 31 ferrite beads on all wires connected to it. To fix the network, I put ferrites on all of the Ethernet and power cables.
> Now I can run 500 W CW without disturbing anything in the shack.

That's what I have now, just in case. I found the trick here was to install a Palomar Engineering "****-CHOKER" on each feed line.

W5JWP

Good points. I've done that now - every network cable, power cable, keying cable, etc. have ferrites on them. I have also installed a Palomar Engineering "****-CHOKER" on each feed line - this initially led me to finding the problem.

KD0RC

Very good. It is amazing how well various wiring will act as an antenna!

Gord-VA7GP

Len, @KD0RC wrote:

"amazing how well various wiring will act as an antenna!"

...except when you want it to 🤣

then, it won't.

Here's a view of the extensive ferrite choking I use on all my cables (FT240-31); no "prayer beads" for me:

Mike-VA3MW

I just saw this post for the first time. This is not a simple network configuration. :) Most homes / hams don't use a VLAN.

Keep in mind that in order to have SmartSDR access the radio, the radio and all the clients must be on the same subnet. As the radio broadcasts that it is available via UDP none routable packets, those don't make it to other subnets in your same house.

Good luck.

W5JWP

I just saw this post for the first time. This is not a simple network configuration. :) Most homes / hams don't use a VLAN.

Oh I understand! As a cybersecurity engineer by day, I often find those foundational principles (e.g., segmentation, firewall rules, asset management) making their way into the home network. In fact, I have 5 VLANs built-out across the network :)

Keep in mind that in order to have SmartSDR access the radio, the radio and all the clients must be on the same subnet. As the radio broadcasts that it is available via UDP none routable packets, those don't make it to other subnets in your same house.

Interesting... but not my experience. Wonder if we're talking the same thing?

• (Home Subnet) 192.168.100.0/23
• (Flex Subnet) 192.168.104.0/24

I have no issues accessing the 6600 from anywhere in the home. In fact, last night I was sitting on the patio with the iPad Pro wirelessly on the (Home Subnet), accessing the 6600 in the (Flex Subnet). Obviously discovery doesn't work, but once I configured the IP address in the iPad version of SmartSDR, I am able to receive and transmit without issue.

Mike-VA3MW

Yes, direct IP addressing will work.