More robust ethernet communication

[thooker]

Well, It happened again.  I am super frustrated.  After the successful midnight reset, I used the local app a couple of times in quick succession, and it locked up.  I then logged into mymidnite ,and it stopped updating.

I REALLY need this to work.  I wanted good telemetry from the system remotely.  I am not getting it.

I purchased the Classic because at the time, it was about the only game in town with a native ethernet port.   They may still be about the only ones with a native port, but now there are several that have add on boxes.  I am going to start looking into that.

You mentioned the Blackbox solution, I will do a search on it too.

Frustrated,
Tracy

[Vic]

Tracy,

Blackbox project on this site,  here:

http://midniteforum.com/index.php?board=47.0

Good Luck,   Vic

[Halfcrazy]

Well, It happened again.  I am super frustrated.  After the successful midnight reset, I used the local app a couple of times in quick succession, and it locked up.  I then logged into mymidnite ,and it stopped updating.

I REALLY need this to work.  I wanted good telemetry from the system remotely.  I am not getting it.

I purchased the Classic because at the time, it was about the only game in town with a native ethernet port.   They may still be about the only ones with a native port, but now there are several that have add on boxes.  I am going to start looking into that.

You mentioned the Blackbox solution, I will do a search on it too.

Frustrated,
Tracy

Tracy
In an act to find the trigger. You mentioned you used the Local App a couple of times in quick succession? Can you email me so we can get as much info as possible. Ethernet has just become Andrews ONLY project and he will get to the bottom of this. The problem is we can not reliably recreate your issue so more info via Email will help tons ryan@midnitesolar.com

Thank you
Ryan

[Halfcrazy]

also I should ask are you using the Local App for Android, iPhone or the PC?

[2twisty]

FWIW, my Ethernet connection crashes almost every day.  My midnight reset fixes it (and thanks to the new firmware, I can do this without starting my generator - THANKS).

How can I help with tracking this down?

[boB]

FWIW, my Ethernet connection crashes almost every day.  My midnight reset fixes it (and thanks to the new firmware, I can do this without starting my generator - THANKS).

How can I help with tracking this down?

Thanks 2twisty.
Crashing every day is unusual nowadays except for certain systems evidently.

  What does the rest of your system consist of ?  What kind of Routers, bridges, etc.

[2twisty]

Classic is connected to an 8-port TrendNet gigabit switch.

Switch is connected to an Amped Wireless wireless extender.

The Extender connects over Wifi to an Apple Time Capsule (this is the internet router and DHCP server)

Classic is set via Static IP.

Laptop connects to wireless extender via WiFi, and gets its IP via DHCP.

It is important to note that the Classic is the only device on my network that has any network performance issues at all.

[Halfcrazy]

I would ask anyone with classics that lose coms email me. A description of the network would be helpful also if you can ping it or not.

What I know for a fact is there is a bug int he Classic where the Modbus watches and if it sees no activity for say 30 seconds it closes the connection. The issue is the TCP?IP stack never gets the message and leaves that connection open.

So in conclusion what I suspect is on networks that are slightly busy or maybe have packet losses do to wireless extenders etc that they end up having that 30 seconds of quiet needed to cause this.

So 2 solutions I see
1- Raise the time out to say 2 minutes this way it will ignore a few lost packets
2- Fix the bug

Andrew's only project is to fix this so any and all info you want to email me would be super helpful

[2twisty]

Email sent.

For my vote, I say do both fixes.  Do #1 as a bandaid while you track down the real bug.

[Tons001]

My local app is now losing communication with the Classic about 20+ times a day and about every 3 days I have to power cycle it because it disappears altogether. Nothing changed with my setup or the network in my house. Kind of stinks.

[boB]

My local app is now losing communication with the Classic about 20+ times a day and about every 3 days I have to power cycle it because it disappears altogether. Nothing changed with my setup or the network in my house. Kind of stinks.

What does your system consist of for routers, etc ?

Getting this information will be somewhat important.

boB

[Resthome]

This is the equipment I am currently using with my Classic 150.

http://www.radiolabs.com/products/wireless/USB-Omni-Repeater-client.php

The Classic 150 is hardwired to the WiJacker - USB Wifi Router Repeater with a 6 ft Cat5 cable. The CaptiFi Wi-Fi antenna is mounted outside and connects to the router with a 30ft USB cable and is not currently connecting to any Wi-Fi Hotspots due to low lake levels. So there is no Internet activity on this router. The latest Local App V 0.3.61 is on a Lenovo T540 Thinkpad Laptop running Win 8.1 and accesses the Classic by wireless G or N using the internal Intel Dual band Wireless AC-7260 Network Adapter. I have also run the LA on a Thinkpad T61 running Win 7 with the same results.  The Laptop wireless distance from router is approx. 35-40ft. with almost straight line of sight. There are no other hardwired or wireless device on the local network.  The Classic is set to Static IP. It is about the simplest network you can have.

I have also used a Linksys WRT54G for the router with the same disconnects. In reality the network disconnects with the Local App have existed since I purchased the original Classic 150 in early 2012. I have been waiting for MidNite to resolve it since then. Hopefully, we see some results from this effort.

The Local App will usually disconnect when dumping the OFFLINE Data. It is not 100% repeatable but this function seems to cause the most disconnects. You cannot get 10 consecutive dumps of the Offline Data without a disconnect occurring.  It will at other time disconnect just monitoring the Live Data with the Local App.  Most of the time the LA will generate the Reconnect and I can click the reconnect message and be back on line. I’ve had a few times that it required a reboot of the Classic.

My current Classic is using the latest firmware and is serial number CL11612.

•   Classic  1849
•   MNGP  1821
•   NET      1839

Let me know if I can provide any additional information to help resolve this issue.

[boB]

This is the equipment I am currently using with my Classic 150.

•   Classic  1849
•   MNGP  1821
•   NET      1839

Let me know if I can provide any additional information to help resolve this issue.

Well dang !  YOU are using the latest and greatest firmware !

And the rest of your network is probably OK...  But, as far as
the drops when you are downloading the daily logs data could
possibly be resetting the Classic at times...

We do know that the Classic will reset if more than one thing is reading
the logs data (graphics) at the same time... for instance, if you have two
MNGPs both graphing the daily or recent (minutely/hourly) history logs
OR a MNGP graphing those AND the Local App downloading the data
at the same time.  This is due to multiple accesses of the internal EEprom
which stores the logging data and the way that it is being read.

The MNGP text data doesn't seem to mind multiple accesses AFAIK.

So, if that MNGP is not sitting on one of those graphing screens when your
LA stops/disconnects, then I"m not sure what that is exactly.

Next time you are up there, you might try unplugging the MNGP and see
then if you can dump the daily logs 10 times in a row without things
disconnecting.

Still, the problem is being worked on as we sleep.

boB

[Resthome]

This is the equipment I am currently using with my Classic 150.

•   Classic  1849
•   MNGP  1821
•   NET      1839

Let me know if I can provide any additional information to help resolve this issue.

So, if that MNGP is not sitting on one of those graphing screens when your
LA stops/disconnects, then I"m not sure what that is exactly.

Next time you are up there, you might try unplugging the MNGP and see
then if you can dump the daily logs 10 times in a row without things
disconnecting.

Still, the problem is being worked on as we sleep.

boB

Yeah, I'm well aware of that reset problem and the MNGP in the Daily Log window. My MNGP is always left in the main status window or the WBjr screen. You and I verified that repeatable bug earlier this year. So no these are NOT 104 RFR Watchdog Timer resets. They are straight network disconnects. The Classic is up and running during these disconnects. I'm pretty sure that Andrew uses the FTP transfer function for the OFFLINE data Transfer. So just another piece of the puzzle.

[offgridQLD]

The Local App will usually disconnect when dumping the OFFLINE Data. It is not 100% repeatable but this function seems to cause the most disconnects. You cannot get 10 consecutive dumps of the Offline Data without a disconnect occurring.  It will at other time disconnect just monitoring the Live Data with the Local App.  Most of the time the LA will generate the Reconnect and I can click the reconnect message and be back on line. I’ve had a few times that it required a reboot of the Classic

I couldn't have said it better myself. I actually avoid going to the offline Data section of the local app now as I know there is always a risk if I do so I will trigger a disconnect. The worst part about it is after the event the daily KWH count resets back to 0kwh and you can see it plan as day in the my midnight logs your at 12kwh then all of a sudden 0kwh in the middle of the day.

I'm running the latest firmware to and my network is very simple to. just a TPLink - modem / 4 port ADSL  wifi router combo unit. I have cat 5 cable connected to one the routers ports going 30m to a simple Tplink 4 port switch in the power room with my two classic 150's connected to the that 4 port switch with 3 foot of cat 5  lan cable. So its all hard wired.

Just the same I have lots of other devises, weather stations, security camera's, inverters and PC's, laptops , tablets no other device or gadget has any issues with that network locally or remotely it's rock solid.

With the latest firmware I'm not getting the  issues  of the past where I loose all connection and cant reconnect. That's improved a lot and it always reconnects again reasonably fast if not strait away

Just this one little niggle / bug with the classic .... the resets has been around for a while . I have just learned what things to avoid doing on the local app to avoid triggering it . usually just let the app run in the main screen and don't mess about with changing tabs or downloading offline data .

Kurt