Assistance with wireless connection of P3e

[tonyf]

I have trawled the forums and purchased a Netgear WiFi adaptor and WiFi router as recommended for wireless connection of the P3e LAN.

The physical connections look like this:

== cable
>> wifi

P3e LAN == WiFi Adaptor
WiFi Adaptor >> WiFi Router
WiFi Router == modem
WiFi Router == laptop

The WiFi router recognises the adaptor.
PLC5 software will not connect to the LAN.
PLC5 software will connect using the USB cable.

IP address has been set in the P3e as directed in Profilux WLAN instructions.

I have spent a significant amount of time going through support webpage ... constantly translating pages from German to English ... all to no avail.

I would be much obliged if one of the sharp minds would give an old bloke some detailed step-by-step instruction in how to motivate the LAN to work on a wireless system for me.

Tone

 

[mikeande]

I have also asked for help to connect wireless and didn't receive much input. Someone else also asked in this sticky for help (bottom first page) http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1820118
I don't have the same router, it's a Broadband router made by Microsoft. Hopefully someone will step up with some guidance.

 

[boboxx]

you guys should b asking these question in the Netgear/dlink/etc support forum, these are standard networking question.

 

[AQD_ottawa]

Although we would love to have the mass knowledge required to provide technical support for every type of router and bridge combination out there, this is simpy impossible if you have router set up questions you need to be referring to the manufacturer tech support desk.

I know it sounds a bit rough but Chris is right, GHL is the input but thats where it stops we simply can not support every manufacturer type of router/bridge arrangement. Each type is different and profiLux has zero effect on how these hook up.

When turning the Profilux wireless it is no different than turning an X box wireless or your Wii so the support for this is provided by the make of connection you have chosen.

 

[tonyf]

Fantastic answers guys ... Sorry but I expect a hellava lot more in support having shelled out big bucks for the "worlds best aquarium controller". Forgive my lack of IT savvy but this is not good enough!

The Netgear equipment works A1 ... the Profilux equipment is not working!

Hope that you never have to come my way in property matters because I know what I'll be telling you.

 

[boboxx]

So your saying that your bridge is already configured and working?

Then it's just LOg into the main router and create a lease reservation. (connect to the P3 via USB to find the mac address, it is located under System>LAN). Then it's just a mather of pluging the networcable from then bridge router to the P3. Power the P3 and the lease will be assign to the Profilux.

In PLC do a new connection and enter the IP that you used for the lease reservation.

 

[AQD_ottawa]

Fantastic answers guys ... Sorry but I expect a hellava lot more in support having shelled out big bucks for the "worlds best aquarium controller". Forgive my lack of IT savvy but this is not good enough!

The Netgear equipment works A1 ... the Profilux equipment is not working!

Hope that you never have to come my way in property matters because I know what I'll be telling you.

Tony, without getting involved in some silly spat, (where I will only be forced to bring up the ASHES or Shane Warn :celeb2: )

As soon as you have the basics sorted out and have your bridge communicating with your router then we can take over and help get the ProfiLux online, and I think this is what Chris is now assisting you with. Hopefully Chirs will be able to guide you from here.

Its not that they dont want to help, its just down to the vast array of connectivity options that are available, we simply (as the distributors, not the manufacturers) can not know or support all types of third party products there has to be an understanded seperation, we ask kindly for our respected users to be somewhat reasonable in what can and can not be offered in regards to support of third party products.

I also urge people to use the correct support forum, this is not the GHL support forum www.aquariumcomputer.com is where that is located. RC forum is paid for by GHL for global promotion and where all users can hang out and chew over all things ProfiLux, there is then a well documented forum for support.

I am sorry you feel our support is lacking in this, but we kindly ask for your understanding in what physically is possible with third party application support especially when so many variables are present.

 

[tonyf]

So your saying that your bridge is already configured and working?

Then it's just LOg into the main router and create a lease reservation. (connect to the P3 via USB to find the mac address, it is located under System>LAN). Then it's just a mather of pluging the networcable from then bridge router to the P3. Power the P3 and the lease will be assign to the Profilux.

In PLC do a new connection and enter the IP that you used for the lease reservation.

Thanks Boboxx, much appreciated.

 

[tonyf]

Me again.

So now I have consumed my entire Sunday morning attempting to coax the P3e to connect wirelessly to PLC 5.0.4.2. I am not kidding when I tell you that I have been through the process 10 times, repeating it slavishly as set out in GHL’s instructions (W)LAN instructions and Boboxx’s notes in his post above.

Just to run through the network hardware again:
(1) Wireless router – Netgear N300 Model WNR200v2
(2) Wireless adaptor – Netgear Universal WiFi Internet Adaptor WNCE2001

The network hardware connects and results in the following information from the router log-in:
WiFi adaptor
IP Address: 192.168.1.4

The IP for the LAN in the P3e is set to 192.168.0.070 … this matches with the PLC setting. [Note please – I have used GHL’s IP from its instructions to ensure that nothing is stuffed up. The IP address has not been reserved by any other device.]

From Boboxx’s instructions “connect to the P3 via USB to find the MAC address …” Note the MAC address of the P3e – this is greyed out and fixed.

This is where the fun and games starts because GHL and Bobox are in apparent conflict. Boboxx jumped a very important step which he did not differentiate from GHL.

See the wifi adapter address, 192.168.1.4 … notice the “1” ? Any device connecting via the adapter must be 192.168.1.xxx not 192.168.0.xxx.

So in the P3e must be identified as 192.168.1.xxx … in my case I have now allocated the Profilux the address 192.168.1.7 and reserved this address along with its corresponding MAC address in the router.

The offending bit of information that all of the correspondents failed to identify is that the P3e being a client of the wifi adaptor must have the IP 192.168.1.xxx and not 192.168.0.xxx as is contained in the GHL instruction and advices offered.

There is a lesson in this for GHL … It is not difficult to look after your customers if you look beyond the geek-speak. It is quite simple to develop a set of succinct instructions to assist your customers without having to cloud simple issues. The simple instruction is easily capable of being applied to whatever networking hardware that your customer chooses to use.

Quite simple to achieve the necessary outcomes if the instructions are aimed at the non-geek-speak logic. :wavehand:

Just to run through the basic instructions:

(1) Set up your connection of the wifi adapter to the wireless router ... this is made very easy with Netgear using their WPS facility; just push a button on each piece of hardware and the hardware sorts out its relationship automatically ... true P'nP. Otherwise log into your router and make a manual connection.
(2) Log into the P3e and surf to [SYSTEM] > [LAN] and note the Media Access Control address (MAC) of the P3e LAN card.
(3) Log into the router and note the IP address of the wifi adaptor. It will be something like 192.168.1.xxx [emphasis added to the 1 as this is important]
(4) Go to the LAN menu on the router software to create a reserved address for the P3e LAN card. Enter the MAC address for the P3e LAN card and assign the P3e LAN card an IP address 192.168.1.xxx [your IP address must be unique to your network, I have used 192.168.1.7]
(5) log back into the P3e and go to [SYSTEM] > [LAN]. Under LAN Properties insert the unique P3e LAN card IP address and complete the subnet mask, default gateway, and DNS addresses.

subnet mask will more than likely be 255.255.255.000
the default gateway and DNS addresses will be obtainable from the router's network settings information page or from querying your computer.