Monitoring My Classic

[Bigboomer]

Question?

Can I monitor my classic by just plugging it into my laptop with an Ethernet cable or do I need to go thru a router and use Wi-Fi?

[TomW]

Well, yes, but....

Probably should  get a cheap ethernet hub. Preferably NOT an ethernet  switch. Otherwise set up can be a bit daunting to those without network experience with a direct cable between the 2.

Tom

[zoneblue]

If your laptop does auto negotiate yes, otherwise with a cross over cable. If you dont know what either of these is then get use a switch, or spare port in your router.

Long term, you want to be able to run the classics into your home network, either for my midnite (relys on internet connection), or local app (doesnt need one).

[Resthome]

Question?

Can I monitor my classic by just plugging it into my laptop with an Ethernet cable or do I need to go thru a router and use Wi-Fi?

The easiest way to get the LA to work is connecting your Classic to a wireless router and then you can access it wirelessly with your laptop.

For Network instructions see this link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjdTl2KfvQY

[Bigboomer]

Ok....so here where I am at, I looked at a wireless wi-fi router but here is the problem. Since we live full time in an RV we do not have hardwired internet. We rely on the campgrounds wi-fi or we use our Verizon Mi-Fi. The routers I have looked at must get a plugged in Internet using ethernet cable. I did see that you can buy a plug in wi-fi hub/ card but that is USB. RS sells a ethernet to USB connector but I did not see a USB to ethernet connector. If I could find that I am figuring I could then plug the wi-fi card into the router and give it Internet life.
Does this sound plausible or is there another way the that it can be done?

Doing some further research today I see that there are WDS and DD-WRT supported routers like the Buffalo AC1750 dual band dd-wrt. Will these provide me the ability to access a wi-fi signal?

[zoneblue]

On a RV your options are more complicated, because you have to juggle multiple networks. Theres no easy way around that.

Either:

1. buy a 10 dollar 5 port ethernet switch. Plug the classic into it, plug your laptop into it, plug any other devices you have into it. Bobs yer uncle. If you like cords...

2. if you dont have ANY other devices, you can plug the laptop into the classic via an ethernet cord. To use 1. or 2., requires static IP addressing on the ethernet ports. You can still use dhcp on your wifi for the campground and the two networks co exist.

3. if you want to use wifi to access the classic, then a wifi "access point" /router works [A]. Most brands make a wifi router with no DSL, just an ethernet WAN port. You just basically ignore the WAN port. What youre after in this case is the LAN port for teh classic, the wifi for your laptops, and the DHCP engine.  The device has 1-8 ethernet LAN ports. Handle as for 1. Except you may use DHCP on the laptops becasue the router issues addresses. Except youll have two wifi connections, one for the camp ground, one for the RV network. Not so convenient, but solving that gets complicated.

4. There are advanced setups, where you can connect a USB  3G cell service to the usb port on the router. You could also connect a second wireless bridge via the WAN port to talk to campground wifi networks, and then have a complete integrated on board netwrok system. Among other things choosing and selecting public wifi access points is not going to be as simple as clicking the tray in your laptop. And the power needs of all the gear are starting to add up. I dunno maybe someone has solved this?

[A] These are good: http://www.dx.com/p/tp-link-tl-wr703n-mini-3g-2-4ghz-802-11b-g-n-150mbps-wireless-router-blue-158552#.U_EJNfvPIdB  (1 ethernet, 1 wifi access point, 1 usb port). The upside to this particular product is that it has the lowest power consumption of any router ive come across. The down side is that the admin GUI is in chinese. But you can figure it out, and/or flash an open source GUI onto it.

[Bigboomer]

Thanks Zoneblue for the info. In doing some further searchs I found tow other wireless routers that look like the will accept Wi-Fi signals with out any plug ins via WAN. They are Cradlepoint MBR95 and Pepwave Surf SOHO. they seem reasonably priced!

[Resthome]

Ok....so here where I am at, I looked at a wireless wi-fi router but here is the problem. Since we live full time in an RV we do not have hardwired internet. We rely on the campgrounds wi-fi or we use our Verizon Mi-Fi. The routers I have looked at must get a plugged in Internet using ethernet cable. I did see that you can buy a plug in wi-fi hub/ card but that is USB. RS sells a ethernet to USB connector but I did not see a USB to ethernet connector. If I could find that I am figuring I could then plug the wi-fi card into the router and give it Internet life.
Does this sound plausible or is there another way the that it can be done?

The Wireless functions on most routers do not need an internet connections. You just leave the Wan port open and plug the Classic into one of the other ports. You can then access the Classic from a wireless laptop using the Midnite Local App. I used a Linksys WRT54G for this and I am sure any of there wireless router will work.

[dgd]

The Wireless functions on most routers do not need an internet connections. You just leave the Wan port open and plug the Classic into one of the other ports. You can then access the Classic from a wireless laptop using the Midnite Local App. I used a Linksys WRT54G for this and I am sure any of there wireless router will work.

yes, that setup works well with many wireless routers.
I have used similar setups at remote locations. Now I'm trying to get a cellphone with hotspot on a timer system that will allow internet access to a pair of Classics at specific times each day.

dgd

[TomW]

You probably can use a wireless router in Bridge Mode to connect to the WiFi at your RV park and local devices just plug in to the ports on the router.

A step further would be you add another wireless router as an access point in your RV. This would just plug in like any other ethernet device so you could use your laptop or other wireless devices.

Many ways to defur  this feline. None of it "hard" but requires attention to details and some unusual configuration.

Tom

[Bigboomer]

Well folks here is where I am at....

I have installed the Cradlepoint MBR95 and it is working good. I have it configured as Wi-Fi as WAN and it is grabbing the campgrounds Wi-Fi....I am actually using my laptop thru it to transmit this....Now I went to the Youtube instructions where Ryan was using a router and I did everything he noted. I set my Classic to the DHCP and then plugged it into the router.

Nothing happened. The router did not change the IP address as he noted it would do and I do not see it on the routers dashboard within the network. The Local App does not see it as well.

I am perplexed to say the least.....I was hoping this would have really just connected and hooked up....

Any suggestions?

[TomW]

Boomer;

I don't know that particular device. You may need to enable DHCP server in the router's configuration. It may not be enabled by default. Consult your documentation.

Tom

[Bigboomer]

Tom,

I checked and the dhcp is enabled. Still not sure why the router does not see the Classic.

[TomW]

Tom,

I checked and the dhcp is enabled. Still not sure why the router does not see the Classic.

You have a Classic 150 not a Classic lite?

Make sure it is plugged into the right port on the router?

Maybe try swapping which port the laptop is on with the Classic?

Most have LAN and WAN ports. Local stuff should be plugged into a LAN port.

"NEW" does NOT mean "works", either.

Other than that I am just guessing.

Tom

[Resthome]

Well folks here is where I am at....

I have installed the Cradlepoint MBR95 and it is working good. I have it configured as Wi-Fi as WAN and it is grabbing the campgrounds Wi-Fi....I am actually using my laptop thru it to transmit this....Now I went to the Youtube instructions where Ryan was using a router and I did everything he noted. I set my Classic to the DHCP and then plugged it into the router.

Nothing happened. The router did not change the IP address as he noted it would do and I do not see it on the routers dashboard within the network. The Local App does not see it as well.

I am perplexed to say the least.....I was hoping this would have really just connected and hooked up....

Any suggestions?

I assume you have the Classic 150 with the MNGP and not a Classic Lite. Also assume you have the Classic network tab set to DHCP. What IP is the Classic showing? Try cycling the power on the Classic. If this all fails then you need to go into the router LOCAL AREA NETWORK configuration and make sure the LAN is set to DHCP (this is different from the WAN). Also verify that the IP set up for the LAN is different that what you see on the WAN. You will have to connect you computer to the LAN. You can try an Ethernet cable between your computer and the router LAN port (yellow ports) and turn off your computer WiFi while trying to see if you can see the Classic with the Local App. You may have to set the LA to Auto Dect (Click on the Application Button then Configuration) for the Classic.

BTW this only applies to the Local App program and not MyMidnite, just for clarification.