I’ll post this here, although I figure this is probably a Lite issue rather than a gSender issue.
For anyone contemplating using a USB-C to ethernet dongle to connect the Lite to your PC via Cat cable, don’t bother. I borrowed a dongle and tried it. The dongle worked fine to connect my PC to the internet. However, when I tried to connect to the Lite via gSender, gSender does not see the connection. The eeprom shows all the necessary settings - static ip address, mask, etc. However, it still will not connect.
@Chucky_ott I’m open to any ideas, CO.
The connection was not through my home network. I had added a second nic to my PC to connect to the SLB with a static ip address. I used that same connection from the PC, using the same ethernet cable that I had connected to my SLB.
The PC setting was 192.168.5.5 - again, as it had been using the SLB. The subnet mask is 255.255.255.0. In gSender, the ip address is 192.168.2.1. The subnet mask is 255.255.255.0. I played with .2, 3 and .4. It made no differenc.
To be clear, to test the dongle, I plugged it into my pc. I unplugged my home network cat from the ethernet port on the PC and plugged it into the dongle. The internet connection was immediate.
I would be grateful for any ideas you have. I am out of them. As I have already had 2 jobs disconnect using a good quality USB cable from the PC to the Lite, I thought that this may be a more secure connection until the Lite expansion board is available.
@gwilki That won’t work. Both the computer IP and the Lite IP need to be on the same subnet. Either 192.168.2.x or 192.168.5.x
Actually, now I’m confused. What is the IP of the Lite? I assume it has the same default as the SLB-EXT (192.168.5.1) but you say it has 192.168.2.1. Or is that the IP of the second NIC on the PC ?
In the past, when you had a direct connection between two identical devices (i.e. two computers), you needed a cross-over patch cable. Essentially, a cable with two crossed pairs. If you instead connected the devices to a switch, you would use a straight-through patch cable. Nowadays, devices auto-switch these pairs logically (auto MDI-X) so the cross-over cable is not required. But maybe your dongle doesn’t do this cross-over and you might need a cross-over cable. Alternatively, if you have a small dumb switch, you can connect the two devices to that.
But first thing to try is pinging the SLB from the PC. If you don’t get a reply, double-check the IP’s and/or try a cross over patch cable or use a dumb-switch.
@Chucky_ott Sorry for the delay, CO. I left the pc on .5 and the Lite on .1 and tried to ping 192.168.5.1. No returns. Then, I changed the PC t o .1 and the Lite to .5. I pinged 192.168.5.5. Again, no returns. I have a switch, but I don’t know if it is dumb. I tried connecting the PC to one port on it and the cable running to the dongle to another port. Ping failed again. I don’t have a cross over cable to try.
Thanks for your help. I believe that I will give up for now and wait until the Sienci expansion board comes up. In the meantime, I still have my Mk1 and the buyer - a friend - is in no hurry to get it. So, I can get the picture frames done using it.
@gwilki A dumb switch is essentially a switch that can’t be configured and doesn’t have an IP. Most consumer-grade 4-port switches would be dumb. A switch/router would work well too. So the switch doesn’t have to be dumb…it’s just simpler.
Assuming it should work, the only other thing I can think of is if your PC’s firewall is blocking connectivity.
@Chucky_ott OK, I guess my switch is dumb, then. If the PC’s firewall was blocking connectivity, wouldn’t that apply to its previous connection to the SLB, too? Clearly, I am out of my depth here.
For my Mk1, using the SLB, I added a nic to the pc so that I could connect to my home network and the internet from one nic and connect to the SLB using a static ip with the second one.
I have not changed that config in the PC. I am connecting the nic with the static ip to the dongle.
When I started this process, to test the dongle, I plugged it into a USB port on the PC, and connected the “internet” ethernet cable to the ethernet port on the dongle. It connected to the internet immediately. I figured that test confirmed that the dongle was OK.
@gwilki As I was contemplating what the problem could be, it finally clicked that you connected the dongle to the SLB-Lite and not to the computer. Doh! Yeah, that probably won’t work. The controller likely can’t recognize the dongle.
I assume that even without the dongle connected, when you connect via gSender over USB, you can still see the IP information on the controller even if there is no internet connection?
@Chucky_ott That’s correct. The dongle is in the USB port of the Lite. It was a failed attempt to eliminate the long USB cable from the disconnect issues that I am having. An ethernet cable runs from the PC to the dongle/Lite.
Correct again. gSender displays the IP information whether there is an ethernet cable attached or not. Since the Lite in it present configuration is incapable of an ethernet connection, that information is meaningless/useless.
Thanks again, CO. I’ve learned something new. Never a bad thing.
Can I assume that there is no device that will allow the sort of ethernet to USB connection that I need, other than whatever the Lite expansion board will enable?
Probably. The controller likely doesn’t have the drivers required to recognize the dongle. It might be possible to do by modifying the firmware or whatever OS the controller runs on, but that’s most definitely outside my area of expertise.
@Chucky_ott Thanks again, CO. It looks like I just need to be patient and wait for the expansion board. Luckily, in the meantime, I have my dusty, dependable Mk1/SLB set up.
If the PC’s firewall was blocking connectivity, wouldn’t that apply to its previous connection to the SLB, too? Clearly, I am out of my depth here.