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Of course, you are in complete control over how your Z/IP ONE appears in the directory. You may list your Z/IP
ONE as visible to all, or hidden. While in hidden mode, your Z/IP ONE does not appear in the directory, but it is
still reachable by people that know your codec’s name and group. Think of it as having an unlisted phone number –
anyone who knows your number can still call you, you’re just not listed in the phone book.
Groups
Groups are useful because they allow you to keep your Z/IP ONEs listed together. They make it easier for others
to find you, and simplify the task of selecting a name for the device. A device name needs to be unique only within
your group; it does not have to be unique among all the other Z/IPs in the world. We’ve all been frustrated when
trying to select a login name, only to find that the most obvious names have already been taken by others!
Every Z/IP ONE is initially configured to be a member of the “public” group. This is a special group that exists by
default on the server. Everyone has access to it (the group password is also “public”). It will always be there, and
will never be deleted. When you first connect to the server, your Z/IP ONE will join the public group. You may use
any device name you like, but if the name is already in use the server will assign you a unique name. You can then
keep this, choose another, or join a group.
Groups can be created at any time, and you may create as many groups as you need. Groups are created by going to
the
Setup->ZIP Server
configuration on the Setup menu of the front panel. A dialog will prompt you for the desired
group name, group password, and administrative password. The group password is needed to either join or browse
the group. You should give your group password to people that you want to have as members of your group. Those
outside your organization should use the public group, or their own groups. The administrative password is used to
change the group passwords later if needed, and should never be given to anyone.
Click the
Create Group
button to create the group. A message will indicate if the operation succeeded or failed. If
the group creation failed due to a duplicate name, you will need to change the name and try again. Using the name
of your organization, possibly followed by the city name for a large organization, may be more likely to succeed.
Groups remain active on the server as long as they have at least one Z/IP ONE that belongs to that group. If a group
has no members, the server will delete the group after 24 hours.
Device Names
The server does not allow two Zephyr/IP devices in the same group to use the same device name. If you choose a
name already in use in the public group, the server will append a number to the end of the name you selected. You
can either keep this new name, or try again. Custom groups are different, see below.
Names remain valid on the ZIP Server for six months. During this time, your name is protected, so that someone
cannot take it while your Z/IP ONE is offline. After six months of inactivity, the name is removed from the server
directory. In most cases, this is not a problem: even if the name was removed from the server, when your Z/IP ONE
connects again it can reuse its own name so long as no other device has taken it in the meantime.
If there is a time when you need to use the same device name on a different Z/IP ONE, you can reassign the name –
but only if you are using your own group. In this case, simply join the group, and then configure the new Zephyr/IP
with the same name as the old device. You will get a warning telling you that the name has been previously used by
another device, and given a choice to select another name or take over this name. Since no two devices can have the
same name at the same time, you should make sure there is no other device connected to the server that is using the
same name. Please use this feature cautiously! Taking over the name of a unit that is currently online could cause
the units to fight over the name, potentially resulting in a loss of service to both Zephyr/IPs.
