Lesson 2: Packet Addressing (Continued)
To better understand what takes place when RHAON tells a loudspeaker “Set Gain to -10dB”, think of Russian nested dolls. Your computer
will send out the whole doll, which contains an IP doll, which contains a UDP doll, which contains an SNMP doll, which contains the mes-
sage “Set Gain to -10dB”. When a device sends out a piece of CobraNet audio, it sends out a whole doll, which contains a CobraNet doll,
which contains the piece of audio.
With CobraNet, since both devices have a ‘burnt-in’ MAC address, communication can happen right away. For SNMP communication
between the computer and RHAON loudspeaker to happen, both devices must have a valid IP address. In most home or office networks,
there is a device called a ‘router’ that not only contains a network switch, but can also handle the assignment of IP addresses within its net-
work through a protocol called DHCP. CobraNet (and, by extension, RHAON) uses a different protocol for requesting / assigning IP
addresses, but the end result is still the same. Your router has a static IP address assigned to it, devices ask it for an IP, and the router
obliges. For this same reason you must assign a static IP address to your computer.
FAQ and RHAON Network Troubleshooting Tips
RHAON relies on standard networking communication and CobraNet, so general networking and CobraNet troubleshooting documents can
be consulted in addition to this guide. Keep all documentation related to your network switches handy.
Before getting into in-depth troubleshooting, verify the correctness of all wiring and the network topology.
• Verify that no network cables are defective and that they are all properly inserted into their connectors.
Hint: The orange LED associated with the Primary Ethernet connector will be flashing orange when it senses a con-
nection to an Ethernet device. On an array, if both orange LEDs flash, it means there is no signal on the
Primary input and the DSP is connected to the Secondary input.
The green LEDs flash to indicate a connection, glow when data is flowing.
Connectivity Issues
Problem:
I click “Scan Network” and no devices show up.
Solution:
• Verify you have selected the correct network adapter in the RHAON preferences.
• Verify the IP address for that network adapter is static.
• Verify the IP range you have selected for RHAON to hand out is in the same subnet as the IP address of your net
work adapter (i.e. that the first 3 [of 4] numbers of the addresses are the same).
• Verify the Windows Firewall for the selected network adapter is turned OFF.
• Open CobraNet Discovery -- using the same settings you use in RHAON -- to see if your loudspeaker shows up.
Cobranet Discovery is a Cirrus Logic software tool that identifies and displays all CobraNet devices on a network. It
is helpful in diagnosing and correcting any misconfigured equipment. CobraNet Discovery was included on your RHAON CD
and can easily be installed from it. It can also be downloaded free of charge from:
ftp://ftp.renkus-heinz.com/Software/CNDisco342.exe or
http://www.cirrus.com/dispatch/forms/sup/boardreg/breg/agree.jsp?agid=TB237&fp=/en/pubs/software/CNDisco345.exe
Problem:
I am attempting to do anything RHAON-related over a Wireless Access Point, or I am attempting to either control a RHAON net-
work or pass audio over a WiFi link with no results
Solution:
Because of CobraNet bandwidth and latency concerns, RHAON (and CobraNet) will not work effectively over an 802.11a/b/g/n
WiFi link.
Networking and RHAON Systems
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Users Manual
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