Remote Rig
RRC 1258 Support in English => General discussion forum => Topic started by: K9IR on 2019-02-01, 02:23:58
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Apparently my laptop did a reboot while I had the Control unit connected via a network bridge on the laptop and the remote radio was on. After getting nowhere reconnecting the Control box to the network bridge, I tried the following steps to get the system back up, but was unsuccessful:
1. Connected the Control box directly to my home router. I just hear the 3-tone signal from the TS-480 control head.
2. Reset power to the Control box.
3. Reset the Control box via the MicroBit setup manager.
4. Verified I can access the Radio box remotely - it is still running.
I did not yet try a remote reset of the radio box.
Are there other steps I can take to get the system back up and running? Thanks for any help.
Paula k9ir
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Paula,
The easiest method that takes a few seconds would be to go to the web page of your radio RRC,
then use the "restart device" on the bottom left to restart it.
Not sure why it didn't disconnect, but normally it will not do this if the internet connection to the
control RRC was lost. For some reason, it thinks the connection is still alive.
73,
Mitch DJ0QN / K7DX
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Mitch, thank you for the quick reply.
I did click Restart (tried twice) for the Radio unit via the web interface, but the radio still does not turn on. I am hearing the 3 sets of three tones from the control head of the TS-480.
Anything else to try, whether remotely or at the remote site?
When you say "it thinks the connection is still alive," do you mean the radio unit? If the radio unit, is this a situation where a remote switch to cycle power to the TS-480 itself would be helpful to reset the system?
Paula k9ir
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Hi Paula,
I was assuming that the tones you heard were the busy tone, but now I think it was the "I
can't reach the other RRC" tone. I am tone deaf trying to read this on the Forum ;)
Look at the radio RRC's status page. If all is showing well, then the problem is on the control side.
Most likely the PC reboot screwed-up the bridge that you had set up. Either way, I would focus there
on finding the problem. Looking at the control RRC's status page when you try a connect would
help verify that.
I also suggest that you get off of the buggy ICS type of bridging and buy an el cheapo WiFi extender
for $20 with an ethernet port. This would allow you to operate the RRC independently of the PC and
still work in hot spot locations after setting it up there.
73,
Mitch DJ0QN / K7DX
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Thanks again, Mitch. FYI I went back to using a direct wired ethernet connection to my home router when I couldn't initially re-establish connectivity via the network bridge. So all my earlier t-shooting efforts were done without the network bridge. I do have a cheapo wi-fi extender (IOGear GWU627) that used to work with a blu-ray player; unfortunately, like so many of these extenders, it has failed and no longer works ;-). They all seem to get mediocre reviews but I'll give try another brand and hope for the best.
The tones I hear are the 3 note sequence that repeats 3 times; it is not a busy signal.
For the avoidance of any doubt, here are the status pages for both units (including the Control unit before and after a connect attempt). I admit the details are beyond my current knowledge level, so there could be something below that I didn't recognize as incorrect, or that flags the cause of the problem.
RADIO:
Status
Radio ON
Connection status Disconnected
SIP status Idle
Last SIP error None
RTP/UDP audio status Disconnected
UDP cmd status Disconnected
SIP command timeout 0
Rx Jitter buffer size 12
Rx Jitter delay 10
Dual Rx 0
External IP 206.146.83.22
SIP Out port 13000
SIP In port 13000
Audio Out port 0
Audio In port 0
Command Out port 0
Command In port 13002
External SIP In port 13000
External Audio In port 13001
External Cmd In port 13002
Other party 0.0.0.0
Input 1 High
Input 2 High
Output 0 Low
Output 1 Low
Output 2 Low
Dynamic DNS status
OK
Ping status (watchdog) Off
DNS status OK, remoterig.com = 213.180.92.125
Active profile Default
PTT status OFF
Antenna-Switch (IP) not connected
Common network settings No
CONTROL before connect attempt:
Status
Control panel ON
Radio OFF
Connection status Disconnected
SIP status Idle
Last SIP error None
RTP/UDP audio status Disconnected
UDP cmd status Disconnected
SIP command timeout 0
Rx Jitter buffer size 12
Rx Jitter delay 10
Dual Rx 0
SIP Out port 13000
SIP In port 13000
Audio Out port 0
Audio In port 0
Command Out port 0
Command In port 13002
External SIP In port 13000
External Audio In port 13001
External Cmd In port 13002
Other party 0.0.0.0
Input 0 High
Input 1 High
Input 2 High
Output 0 Low
Output 1 Low
Output 2 Low
DNS status OK, rkfe6qsh.ddns.remoterig.com = 206.146.83.22
Active profile: Default
PTT status:
CONTROL after start attempt (status page didn't dynamically refresh. I went to another page and then back to Status):
Status
Control panel ON
Radio OFF
Connection status Disconnected
SIP status Error
Last SIP error SIP Error
RTP/UDP audio status Disconnected
UDP cmd status Disconnected
SIP command timeout 0
Rx Jitter buffer size 12
Rx Jitter delay 10
Dual Rx 0
SIP Out port 13000
SIP In port 13000
Audio Out port 0
Audio In port 0
Command Out port 0
Command In port 13002
External SIP In port 13000
External Audio In port 13001
External Cmd In port 13002
Other party 206.146.83.22
Input 0 High
Input 1 High
Input 2 High
Output 0 Low
Output 1 Low
Output 2 Low
DNS status OK, rkfe6qsh.ddns.remoterig.com = 206.146.83.22
Active profile: Default
PTT status: OFF
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Paula,
The control RRC is showing its IP address as 206.146.83.22, but that is also the other party. This means
that you are within the same network. Are you using the internal IP number as the SIP contact for these
tests? Any decent router will block a connect attempt using the external IP number (or dynamic DNS address).
73,
Mitch DJ0QN / K7DX
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Mitch, the IP address you noted is the external address for the Radio box only. The two boxes are on totally different networks. The IP address confusion may be from the fact that I sent you 2 Status screens for the Control box. The order of the Status screens I sent is
1. Status for Radio unit
2. Status for Control unit before attempting a connection, and
3. Status of Control unit after the attempt
The Control box is configured for DHCP and receives an IP address assigned by my home network router. On its Radio settings page the DDNS address/own host name is entered for the SIP contact.
The Radio box has a fixed internal IP address consistent with the network it is on.
Hope this clears things up ;-).
73, Paula k9ir
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Hi Paula,
OK, I thought all three were the control RRC and didn't see the labeling so late at night. It looked as
if the status was showing the same IP address to me.
Either way, the tones you are receiving indicate that there is no internet connection to the radio RRC.
Unfortunately, this can be caused by many things on either side and needs to be found by using the
process of elimination.
The place to start would be to let someone you trust test the radio side from their location. If they get in,
then it is clear that the problem is on the control side. If not, then concentrate on the radio side. I can help
test it for you if you don't have anyone else.
If it is on the control side, then try taking the RRC to another location and see if it works from there. Then you
will know if it is a network issue at your QTH or some setting problem on the RRC.
Once you determine where the problem lies, you will be able to more easily locate and solve it.
73,
Mitch DJ0QN / K7DX
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Tnx agn, Mitch. No problem, I realized the multiple screens probably caused the confusion.
What's odd is that I can access the remote radio box over the internet. So there is an internet connection to the radio RRC, but no meaningful communication to make it do anything (other than a reset).
I am going up to the remote site tomorrow. I don't know of anyone in my home area using RR that I could ask to try accessing the remote site. So I may just try a hard power down/up on the remote hardware to see if that clears things up. I may try testing the control unit at another location tonight; assuming I can just plug into an ethernet port on that router, fire up the box and see what happens.
I may post an update if I run out of t-shooting ideas to resolve the problem ;-).
73 Paula k9ir
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Paula,
If you were to send me the BIN for the control RRC through email, I can test from here. Then you
can save the trip to the radio site if it works.
I suspect it is on your end, but it will only take a minute to find out for sure.
73,
Mitch DJ0QN / K7DX
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Thanks very much, Mitch. I just finished packing everything up to go to my brother's and try connecting from there. Once I am set up there, I will export the CONTROL settings and email those for you to try access from your location. I'll also update you on whether I have any success connecting from there.
73 Paula k9ir
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So I tried accessing my remote station from my brother's house -- success!
I returned home and tried the exact same setup (same cables) and -- failure.
I rebooted our router, but no joy once again. The symptoms remain the same, though I think we've narrowed down the issue to something that--just--happened with the home network yesterday.
I have come to the end of next steps I can think of, though I presume I will be rummaging around router settings and such. If there's a thread or doc I should reference, just point me and I'll get on it.
Tnx again for the direction to try access elsewhere; that just saved me a 12 hour round trip ;-).
73 Paula k9ir
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Glad you narrowed down the problem, Paula.
It is usually not a problem on the control side, but obvious that is the location. Here are possible places to look:
- A network cable or swich could have gone bad (I have seen that often)
- Make sure SIP ALG is turned off in the router
- Try turning off the router's firewall
Good luck and let me know if I can help.
73,
Mitch DJ0QN / K7DX
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I tried all 4 ports on the Xfinity router, including the one that worked just fine for my laptop -- no joy.
I disabled the firewall -- no joy.
I have tried two different ethernet cables that were working before, one of which worked at my brother's location earlier today (he uses AT&T ;-)).
We don't use any switch; everything comes through the wireless router. RR marks one of the few times we've ever needed to use one of the ethernet ports.
I'm researching now whether SIP ALG can be disabled on an Xfinity router. I found no such parameter in any section of the router. Info from 2015 suggests I am SOL, but I'm looking for guidance in more recent info.
If anyone has figured a way to disable SIP ALG on an Xfinity/Comcast router, please let me know what the magic is!
73 Paula k9ir
73 Paula k9ir
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Paula,
Does your brother also use Xfinity?
I never took their router and pay their rent. I bought a modem and router myself and have always been satisfied.
I am not sure if they even have an SIP ALG setting; not all routers do.
Bottom line is that something changed somewhere, it is most likely in the network or router. If you are using
an ethernet cable directly to the router, than you have bypassed any other possible problem causes.
Now to fix it, I only see two possibilities:
a) Replace the router (or have Xfinity replace theirs)
b) Try changing the ports from 13000-13002 to something else. Could be that there is a port conflict somewhere
What you can also try is something that makes no sense: place the control RRC in the DMZ to see if that makes
a difference. If that makes a difference, which it shouldn't, then you know you have a firewall problem.
73,
Mitch DJ0QN / K7DX
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Mitch, tnx very much for the additional ideas, as I have run out of them ;-). My brother uses AT&T. He has a TPLink router. I just plugged an ethernet cable into an available port on the back of that router, fired up the Control box after plugging the TS-480 remote head in, and voila - connection established.
The Arris routers used by Comcast do not have a SIP ALG parameter to configure.
I will try to figure out what I need to do to change the SIP ports and see if that works. I'll also try the DMZ solution (although totally disabling the FW had no impact).
However, I'm not inclined to start buying and testing replacement network hardware just yet. I continue to be puzzled as to what could have changed with the home network, as we certainly did nothing to (re)configure the network or router in any way. I'm also struck by the fact that nobody else using RR with Xfinity seems to be facing these issues--there's very little info posted to the forum regarding Xfinity networks and routers.
As a result, I'm reluctant to start buying all sorts of replacement gear without knowing whether that even addresses whatever the problem is. I could end up with lots of devices, none of which resolve the problem. Worse, I could end up with gear that has the same problems as what I have now!
73 Paula k9ir
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Paula,
My personal opinion is that Comcast is ripping off their customers. If you plan on keeping them a few
years (at least the internet part), then the ROI is about one year if you buy your own router/modem.
They charge $12/month rental and a new set should be in the $150 range, depending upon your needs.
So it is also a long-term financial decision and will hopefully solve any technical issues.
Note that you can borrow a router from someone else and try it out. You need to go through the process
of having it enabled, but they now make it easy with a web page and text message. Switching back and
forth is only a few minutes.
Changing the ports is easy if you have remote access to the radio RRC and its router. Just change the three
ports to something else, then go into the router port forwarding an change them there. Then locally change the
control RRC's ports and it will be fine. If you don't have remote access to the radio RRC and router - and you
should always have both - then you would not be able to make the change without traveling to the radio site.
Since this is an experiment and may not have any effect, I would not make an extra trip there. You also would
possibly need to try various port numbers to see if one works, so definitely it only makes sense to make these
tests from the control location. I recently solved a guy's problem by changing one port, so you never know.
The whole thing is about eliminating each possibility until you find the problem, and it can be complicated. I did
not learn this in either law or in business school, so believe me it is something we can all learn if I can ;)
73,
Mitch DJ0QN / K7DX
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Tnx once again, Mitch. This blind dog finally found a bone. I figured out how to change the ports - of course, all as you described - and made the changes to the Radio unit, the remote router's port forwarding, and the Control unit. Connected!
I couldn't set up the Control box in the DMZ, as my Arris Comcast router requires me to enter both an IP4 and IP6 address for the "computer" placed in the DMZ. The Belkin router at my remote site is not so picky. The Arris assigns both addresses to PCs, laptops, etc. However, my networked printers and, alas, the Control box, only get IP4 addresses. So the change wouldn't save.
Under the Triple Play services package we have, I don't think I can replace the Comcast router with anything that wouldn't have the same issues. I believe the Comcast voice service requires either the rented router or one of the other routers Comcast lists on its website as compatible, for example, the Moto MT7711. We could buy the Moto, but I suspect it will have the same issues re: SIP.
I agree with you that Comcast is ripping us all off. It's not just the rented equipment, I suspect it's also mucking with SIP in favor of its own services. My system worked fine with the default ports of 13000-01-02 until yesterday. Did it detect the use of those ports for SIP and start blocking me? We will see how long it works with the new ports; at least I'll know what my first step should be in that event.
Our Comcast contract is up before the end of this year. It's likely we'll just use Comcast for internet access thereafter. That should give us a wider range of modems/routers from which to choose, as we no longer would need voice.
Yeah, they didn't cover this topic in law school with me either ;-). A large part of the frustration is simply not understanding how everything works, which makes t-shooting that much more difficult. My knowledge of networking fundamentals was rapidly exhausted during this endeavor. I still don't know exactly what SIP is, but that's another topic for me to tackle ;-).
Many thanks for your ongoing support and patience. You saved me a huge trip, and pointed me to the steps that I was too inexperienced to recognize as the right way to go about this.
73 Paula k9ir
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Hi Paula,
Glad that changing the ports solved the problem. There is no real reason to understand why; it could
have been a change in Comcast somewhere, or maybe something local started using a port in that series.
Changing the router may or may not have solved the problem, depending upon where the port was used.
Not sure why they would not have anything against SIP, as long as it doesn't conflict with their own SIP
implementation for your home phone (which usually uses port 5060).
There are indeed routers on the market with phone ports that are certified for Xfinity use, since I just helped
someone here in Naples make the switch. I personally "cut the cord" last year and only have internet. I use a
TV streaming service for the handful of U.S. channels we watch. I have always had my U.S. phone on a Magic
Jack device, which you can port your number to and have a much cheaper and more flexible long-term solution.
So hopefully your problems and solution will help someone else that experiences similar problems find a solution.
Hope to see you in Dayton in May or Orlando next week.
73,
Mitch DJ0QN / K7DX
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Tnx, Mitch. Yes, hope this thread will help anyone else experiencing an out of the blue cessation of connectivity.
I think we'll be following in your footsteps with cutting the cord. I've heard of Magic Jack and it sounds like we should seriously consider it.
As we emerge from the infamous polar vortex here I would love to be at Orlando, but it's not in the cards this year. However, we will be at Dayton and I look forward to meeting you there.
73 Paula k9ir