Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion Meridian - Streaming BT homehub and Sooloos not finding MC200 - Solution!

Ronnie

If I set the MC200 with a fixed IP address in the BT HH2 can the MC200 or ControlMac allocate itself another IP address which is then different from the static address set in the BTHH2 and would it be the case that disconnecting and reconnecting the ethernet cable has the effect of cancelling the IP address the MC200/ControlMac has allocated itself thus allowing it to use the static address allocated in the BTHH2.

If this is the case would setting the same static address in the MC200 using the Sooloos Configuration Program and in the BTHH2 resolve this issue.

I'll keep my answer simple as I'm writing this on a phone

Turn off the Fixed IP Address in the HomeHub

Use the Sooloos Config Program to set the MC200 to take a Fixed IP Address

Set it as 192.168.0.100 just to keep it well away from the other devices in the house

Try that.......and then repeat the Macbook going into Sleep mode to see what happens

Are there 2 DHCP servers in your network?

Hi

Thanks for the help and advice

I have just the BT HH2 in the network. Attached to it are the MC200 and a WD NAS.

Also normally attached but at present disconnected are the 2 Comtrend ethernet powerline adapters.

I only have Mac products at the moment but I will set up my MacBook to dual boot Windows 7 to test the Sooloos Cofiguration program and report back.

Hi Tony,

Had a thought for something to try...

I presume you're setting a fixed IP for the MC200 using MAC IP Binding?
(I don't have a BT HomeHub so typing blind here)

This fixed IP address should be OUTSIDE the DHCP range of the BT HH.

So have a look at the DHCP IP range in the settings of your BT HH, at a guess 192.168.1.67 to 192.168.1.250.

You need to set the static IP of the MC200 to a number not included in this range, so lets call it 192.168.1.50 for example, I think you have it as 192.168.1.68 at the moment which is inside the DHCP range.
Otherwise the DHCP in the BT HH might assign the static IP you have already used to another item on your network as well, and then you'll get IP conflicts.

Once you've changed it to .50 then you will need to turn off your MC200, reboot your BT HH, wait for it to fully reboot, and then turn on your MC200 again.

Cheers,

Rick

I wouldn't advise doing this Rick as then other Devices will find it even more difficult to find the Sooloos Core.......as the Router won't necessarily know that it's there, especially in some situations

The MC200 will Cabled back to the Router...........and the MC200 will grab its IP Address "Early" in the Process........and the Router should be / is intelligent enough to then not give out this address to any other Device

That's why I suggested that Anthony use the "192.168.x.100" address...........he could just as easily use the "150" or "200" address to give even greater headroom

Whether starting at "192.168.x.1" or "192.168.x.67".........getting the MC200 to set its Static Address as "100" will give enough room to avoid any clashes

I've been doing this with select Wired Devices for about 15 years now.......and with the Sooloos Ensemble and ID40 for the 2 months I've had them..........all without issues or any clashes or "same IP Address" situations

Thanks guys

I think I will put windows 7 on the Macbook and try Config Sooloos.

Putting windows on the Mac means I can use it for configuring my G series processors as both have USB ports for config.

Regards

Hi Ronnie,

First paragraph, so why will devices find it more difficult to find just because it's not in the DHCP range?
I have always been taught to set static addresses outside the DHCP range?

Second paragraph
My assumption is that the router ISN'T intelligent enough here, and may be assigning the static address that it has assigned to the MC200 through MAC binding, to something else as well through DHCP. (incorrectly, and so causing IP conflicts)
I agree if it is working intelligently then there should be no problem, but it is interesting that Tony can get the unit working bu disconnecting and reconnecting the ethernet cable, which then seems to assign a new IP address to the MC200 (which it shouldn't as it should have bound it's MAC address to a static IP)

I also agree that setting to .100 would keep within the DHCP range, and prevent any DHCP conflicts, but I still would rather it be out of the DHCP range completely.

Please take these as nothing other than questions, I'm always keen to learn!

Rick

Just as a result of the day job and multiples of experiences in small, medium and very large scale IP Installations

The simplest answer to your first question is that your Router (certainly the commercially available ones aimed at home users) will really "actively manage" the Devices within it IP Address range.......more capable (therefore slightly more expensive) Routers will get around this, but the HomeHub is not one of these I suspect

It's of some consequence that Anthony has only been experiencing these problems since he updated to 2.355 on Monday

By contrast, I've used ControlMac on three Mac's without issue since Monday

Whatever BT are doing with the "different" settings on different "ethernet ports" is also of significance here I strongly suspect

Hi Ronnie,

So you're saying that the router 'manages' devices only within it's DHCP range, this range isn't simply a range of free IPs for it to assign, rather a managed range that it handles.
So if you assign a static IP outside this range then it may not route traffic (such as multicast) to it as it's out of its management (DHCP) range?
OK, understood.

It's also of consequence that I believe Monday was also the day that the BT Vision box was added, an the MAC had Lion installed.

Having talked to Meridian tech, it does appear that Tony's system is exceptional in having any problems with the 2.355 upgrade.

Well lets see what moving the static IP address way out of the bottom of the DHCP range brings. So sounds like .100 is the way to go.

Tony, perhaps you could clarify a couple of items:

1) Precisely how are you setting the static IP address for the MC200?

2) What is the DHCP range in the BT HH?

Cheers,

Rick

Not quite Rick.........I'm just trying to keep the terminology to a minimum

Under "normal" conditions, then many / most Routers (even the bargain basement Homehub ones) will see the Devices outside its DHCP Range and will manage and allow access to them

However, in some situations of high traffic or network collisions......or some other situations.......then the Router will become increasingly less capable of handling its "own" Devices, never mind those outside the DHCP range

As regards the BT Visio box, its my understanding that Anthony had tried disconnecting this........but still had the same problems with the MC200

As regards how Tony is setting the MC200 Static IP address, I believe he has only used the HomeHub GUI to assign a Static Address to the MC200

What I'm suggesting is that he cancels that at the Homehub end........and use the Windows Sooloos Config to set a Static IP Address using that