Completely Baffled

[micheallsmith]

Okay, so after several days (weeks even) of trying to connect multiple Avid Artist consoles (Control, Mix and Transport) via an ethernet switch (NETGEAR ProSAFE GS105 5-port gigabit desktop switch), I was finally successful. I set each unit up on a static IP address and only 2 of them are showing up (The Mix and the Transport). The Control initially showed up when I connected it directly to the computer without the ethernet switch, but it isn't now. I tried changing the static IP address and it didn't work (The switch is at 10.0.0.2, the control is at 10.0.0.3, the transport is at 10.0.0.4 and the mix is at 10.0.0.5). I am officially baffled and confused. I simply don't know what to try next. Any help or advice would be GREATLY appreciated.

[Darryl Ramm]

"The switch is at 10.0.0.2" -?? This is an unmanaged switch right? Why does it have an IP address? Or do you have the Plus version?

I have zero input on use with an Artist series product but these switches (especially the Plus) are not well regarded in general. Make sure you've got the latest firmware installed. Pray. Try a different vendor's switch.

[micheallsmith]

It is unmanaged, but admittedly, I am a complete and utter novice when it comes to ethernet stuff. It's gotta be something about the settings because the other two units work on the switch. Thanks for your help though

[micheallsmith]

Not that there were a ton of replies, but I figured it out. Thanks for your help

[Darryl Ramm]

In case others run into the problem can you say what fixed it?

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And as that switch is unmanaged it definitely should not have an IP address, and it can't have as there is just nothing in the box to know/remember/use it's own IP address, the switch just operates at the Ethernet layer (aka data link/MAC/Layer 2) and does not know or care about TCP/IP, but it would be possible to get your host computer confused for example (it would take some work) if they thought the switch was a router and tried to route via it... but just erroneously assigning an IP address to the switch should not cause any problems itself.... but it just raises the suspension that maybe other things were set up wrong.

[laki]

Yes Michael, could you please share your findings. I just had something similar happen.

[micheallsmith]

I don't think the findings are all that advanced, and definitely as not well detailed and thought out as some of the responses. As stated before, I am a complete novice at ethernet stuff. I set a static IP on the ethernet port of the computer 10.0.0.2 subnet 255.255.0.0. I set static IP addresses on each of the Artist control surfaces 10.0.03, 10.0.0.4 and 10.0.0.5 respectively and plugged them up using an unmanaged switch. After several minutes of sitting with not results, the computer discovered each of the units. I did discover that one of the ports on my switch was bad and that is why the Artist Control was not being discovered and the others were. Once I plugged the Control into another available switch, it started working.

Note - setting the static IP for the switch on my computer was a step taken directly from the Avid how to guide on setting up static IP addresses. It should also be noted that I have very little faith in their support because I went to them first and it has been a chore to get a response, let alone a helpful one.

I don't know if any of that helps, but I hope it does.

[Darryl Ramm]

Well it sounds like just a hardware problem, but I also don't know where you were looking that Avid said to configure an IP address for a switch. Do you have a link to that documentation.

[micheallsmith]

I misspoke on my last response. One of the ports on the switch wasn't working, not the entire switch. Either way, here is the link on setting up a static IP address that I referenced.

http://avid.force.com/pkb/articles/e...ow_To/en431671

[Darryl Ramm]

OK but again nothing I see there talks about configuring an IP address for a switch. Just the host and Artist control surfaces. I was just curious if there was some bizarre bad documentation floating around.