Commissioning a CNI without IP Utility

Discussion in 'C-Bus Wired Hardware' started by more-solutions, May 20, 2019.

  1. more-solutions

    more-solutions

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    Can I commission a CNI (5500CN2) (by which I mean set its IP address from factory settings) from a Linux terminal?

    I know how to do the Mk1 CNIs via arp/telnet but I know that won't work on Mk2. But I need to set up a new CNI remotely without access to a Windows PC on site to run IP Utility.
     
    more-solutions, May 20, 2019
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  2. more-solutions

    NickD Moderator

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    I don't think so. The IP Utility might work under Wine if that's an option..

    Nick
     
    NickD, May 25, 2019
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  3. more-solutions

    more-solutions

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    Not an option, unfortunately; the server has no GUI to run wine on.

    I have SSH access and can tunnel ports across that connection, so (for example) I can remotely access the CNI's web interface from my own desktop. If I can tunnel the right ports across maybe IP Utility will then work? (The problem there being that I would probably need to tell IP Utility to scan localhost, which as far as I can tell isn't an option either.)

    If I knew what ports were used I could experiment? (My guess is that it starts with a broadcast step that I won't be able to mimic over SSH.)
     
    more-solutions, May 26, 2019
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    ashleigh Moderator

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    Mark, there are several versions of the CNI. In both cases the *only* solution for setup is a GUI based program. The newer ones: IP utility, the older ones, Lantronics DeviceInstaller. You need a PC and a GUI. There aint no other way.
     
    ashleigh, Jun 1, 2019
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  5. more-solutions

    more-solutions

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    Actually the old ones could be set by using arp to tell your pc the desired IP address for its MAC (if you didn't know it or couldn't route to it), then using telnet to change the IP. Did that far more often than with DeviceInstaller.

    Whatever the mechanism used by the software it should be possible to replicate it without the software if you know the protocol the software is using, which comes down to whether it's documented or easy to reverse engineer. The old ones it was documented.

    Because the "new" ones have a web interface I was hoping that there was a URL that would get to a settings page but it seems not. I'll ask the customer to ship the unit to me and I'll address it in the office and ship it back.
     
    more-solutions, Jun 1, 2019
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  6. more-solutions

    ashleigh Moderator

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    yes you could use the ARP method a long time ago. Maybe on the Lantronix devices that still works. Its horribly hacky and if you know the gory details of how IP works it makes sense. That's not the "modern" way of Lantronix.

    The other type of CNI uses a completely different method, and the ARP approach most definitely will not cut any kind of mustard.

    In both cases though, the underlying protocols are both proprietary and only available under NDA (if that). In both cases you then need to write software to make it work. And in both cases if you get it wrong you screw up the devices big time (thus speaketh the voice of bitter experience).

    Doing it "quick n dirty" won't get the outcome you want. Using the GUI programs will.

    Whether all this is good or bad is for someone else to debate.

    Your approach of ship it/program it / return it is a pain but 99% foolproof.
     
    ashleigh, Jun 5, 2019
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