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Once a password has been assigned, both TCP ports are pro-
tected.
When network ports are password-protected, a user will be
prompted to enter the password at the beginning of each ses-
sion when attempting to
READ
from or
WRITE
to that port.
This is the case when using either the Windows® software or a
Terminal utility with at TCP connection. For greatest security
the password should be uploaded to the 730 Encoder using a
USB or serial connection to the computer. The password may
also be set using the Terminal utility with a
NETPASS=
com-
mand.
To change the password over a TCP port that is already pass-
word-protected, you must first establish communication using
the existing password to gain access to the encoder. Then click:
Tools/TCP Password
, clear the password field, enter a new pass-
word, check the
Set NETPASS on next Write
box, click:
OK
, and
then execute a
WRITE
command
to upload the new password
to the encoder. A USB or serial connection, or the unprotected
UDP port, may be used to clear an existing password and enter
another if the existing password has been lost.
Automation and
Passwords
As of this writing, no known automation systems support re-
mote passwords. Playout system commands will thus be de-
nied if attempting to use a password-protected network con-
nection. When automation must connect over an open net-
work, the unused TCP and/or UDP port may be turned off by
setting their port addresses to zero. As station automation is
then directed to the single unprotected port, outside access to
that port will be somewhat more restricted simply through its
being busy much of the time. A direct serial connection with
the encoder is always recommended when network security is
an issue.
DYNAMIC DNS
The 730 Encoder features a utility that will maintain a constant
network connection when the encoder has been assigned a ‘dy-
namic’ IP address.
Dynamic DNS
Defined
Dynamic IP addresses allow multiple networked devices to
share limited address possibilities, thus obviating the need to
assign fixed (static) IP addresses to each network device. Dy-
namic IPs are common on LANs and broadband networks. Dy-
namic IPs are usually assigned by DHCP servers. With respect
to the Internet, most DSL connections have dynamic IP ad-
dresses that may change daily or even more frequently.
It would not be possible to address an encoder with a changing
IP address if it were not for IP-forwarding providers available
on the Internet. This service, generally free of charge, allows
the 730 Encoder to keep the provider apprised of its reassigned
IP address whenever the address changes. Instead of address-
