PT can't comm. w/ D-FADER and/ D-MAIN. Please help

[storm-01]

I'm using PT 6.9.3 HD3, ICON D-control on a mac G4. Litterally every 10-15 seconds I get an error message saying...

"Pro Tools can't communicate with Ethernet unit 'D-FADER' (sometimes it says 'D-MAIN'). Please power cycle the units and check connections. If connected, communication will resume automatically."

I powered down the entire HD system and the mac twice, but no luck. I noticed this message a few times every now and then, but today it's been all of the time. The message will pop up and then go away before I can click "ok".

What connection/s should I check and where is it located. Is there a way to temporarily get rid of that message until I can fix the real problem? This message is bugging the heck out of me. Any help would be much appreciated.

storm-01

[SessionKat]

I'm using PT 6.9.3 HD3, ICON D-control on a mac G4. Litterally every 10-15 seconds I get an error message saying...

"Pro Tools can't communicate with Ethernet unit 'D-FADER' (sometimes it says 'D-MAIN'). Please power cycle the units and check connections. If connected, communication will resume automatically."

I powered down the entire HD system and the mac twice, but no luck. I noticed this message a few times every now and then, but today it's been all of the time. The message will pop up and then go away before I can click "ok".

What connection/s should I check and where is it located. Is there a way to temporarily get rid of that message until I can fix the real problem? This message is bugging the heck out of me. Any help would be much appreciated.

storm-01

Couple of thoughts:
This message means that the ethernet communication roundtrip is being interupted.
I notice you're on a G4....we only support G5 (dual procs) machines w/ ICON (but I doubt that is the problem, as I imagine you've had success with this config for awhile??).
Is the D-Control connected to a shared Enet hub? Or directly to the cpu? If its in a Hub, try power-cycling the hub itself, and check cable connections.

On ICON, go into Utility/Test/Ethernet....do you see error %? How many "retries" are shown?

Finally, you may want to try power-cycling the ICON units while pressing/holding the firdt channel's SEL/SOLO/MUTE switches. This will boot the units into their boot firmware, instead of the app firmware. Then go to Peripherals/Controllers and re-decalre the units. Accept the firmware download process for each unit. This could solve the problem.

(Oh, and there is no way to suppress the alerts)

Good luck!

-tv

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[storm-01]

Sessionkat,
Thanks for the quick reply. Ethernet is on a hub and I disconnected the power supply and re-plugged and that seemed to temp. "solve" the problem. I'm not in the studio at the moment, so I'll try your other suggestions later and post my results.

BTW, we are very shortly getting a new G5 and an expansion chasis. It's funny how the G4 was the top of the line for awhile and now in the next year or so, it will become a really good boat anchor! Don't you just love changing technology?

Thanks again!
storm-01