Can't find BCS after updating to 4.0

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wattsbrewing
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Can't find BCS after updating to 4.0

Post by wattsbrewing »

I just tried to update my BCS to 4.0 and now I can't see it with the BCS finder. I waited half an hour and tried powering it off and on again, then tried doing a hard reset (each of the 15, 25, and 35 sec versions) but I still can't connect. Seems my BCS has gone to a nether world of the force. Any ideas how to bring it back?

Some maybe important details:
[*]I've been using the BCS Finder from the wiki: http://wiki.embeddedcc.com/index.php/BCSfinder_Utility I tried using the one from the new BCS 4.0 manual, but it couldn't find this BCS or the other one I have on my network (BCS-462 3.7.1).
[*]I used OpenTFTP since the link to HS TFTP doesn't work.
[*]I tried putting it in firmware update mode a couple times before but when I had problems with the OpenTFTP server I was able to exit by switching the power off, no problem. This time the packaged was successfully delivered (according to the OpenTFTP logs), so I gave it plenty of time, but it never came back online.
[*]EDIT: I am connecting to my BCS units over wifi using tp-link access points in client mode. However I also cannot find the BCS when connected directly with an ethernet cable.

Any idea what went wrong and how I can get this working again?

Thanks.
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Broph
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Re: Can't find BCS after updating to 4.0

Post by Broph »

Have you also tried to find your BCS using your router to locate the IP address that has the same MAC address as BCS box, or created a DHCP reservation?

from:http://docs.embeddedcc.com/#accessing-the-bcs

"Depending on your router, you may also be able to locate the IP address given to your BCS in your router interface. It may be helpful the know the MAC address of your BCS which is printed on the BCS case.

It is highly recommended to create a DHCP reservation on your router so the BCS will always have the same IP address. This setup is specific to each individual router, please check the manual for your router to learn how to set up a DHCP reservation. If the BCS is unable to lease a DHCP address, it will default to the 169.254.0.63 IP address. "
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JonW
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Re: Can't find BCS after updating to 4.0

Post by JonW »

When running the finder utilities, the old version only works with the 3.x series firmware and the new finder only works with the 4.x series.

Prior to the update, was your BCS using DHCP or was it a static address? You mention doing a direct connect as well as the trying the TP Link. I would suggest plugging it straight into your router so that it can pull a DHCP address from there and then assign a static reservation. Additionally, as broph mentioned, look at your routers DHCP lease table and see if you can identify the BCS there.

It is highly unlikely anything went wrong with the update and this is probably just a networking issue with the BCS getting a DHCP address.
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Re: Can't find BCS after updating to 4.0

Post by wattsbrewing »

Oh DHCP reservation is a good idea. It would have been nice to unplug the BCS and plug it straight into the main router, but I would have had to unwire all 30 or so inputs and outputs and i was worried about getting it all back together right, so i tried to troubleshoot in place.

I was eventually able to get it to work though. It turns out the cheap TP-Link access point I have (TL-WR710N) was the problem. After resetting the BCS, it of course cleared the static IP I was using, but the TP-Link has its own DHCP server--even in client mode where it's just supposed to link its ethernet port to the wifi netork--which hid the assigned IP from the DHCP table on the main router. I ended up creating a DHCP reservation on the TP-Link router, switching to repeater mode with a new name for the network so I could plug in the BCS and still configure the TP-link unit (it's tempremental when accessed from the main network), logging into the BCS through the reserved IP and switching it to a static IP that is accessible from the main network, then deleting the DHCP reservation and switching the TP-link back to client mode. After all that I can finally see it in the 4.0 finder.

Short story long, it works now, as long as I don't touch it ha. I definitely do not recommend the TP-link router, yes it's cheap, but on my other BCS I'm using a similar product from Netgear (N300 I think) that is much easier to work with, more reliable, stronger antennae, and better documentation.

Thanks for the help. Excited to have the 4.0 update!
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Re: Can't find BCS after updating to 4.0

Post by JonW »

wattsbrewing wrote:It would have been nice to unplug the BCS and plug it straight into the main router, but I would have had to unwire all 30 or so inputs and outputs and i was worried about getting it all back together right, so i tried to troubleshoot in place.
Just so you know, the green screw terminals unplug from the BCS. You can remove the BCS without disturbing any wiring.

Glad you got it working. BCS connection issues usually come down to underlying networking problems.
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Re: Can't find BCS after updating to 4.0

Post by wattsbrewing »

Ah yes, disconnecting the green terminals would have made that easy. Oh well, next time...
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Re: Can't find BCS after updating to 4.0

Post by oakbarn »

I also find it easy to bring the Router to the BCS. My Main Router was in my house. I would unplug it from its Modem and any RJ 45s off the back (after taking a phone pix of the connections) and take the Router out to the barn and use a 5 foot CAT5 patch cable. That way, I took out a lot of the network variables. After I confirmed the IP Address and conectivity, I would put the Router back in my house and reconnect all the wires. I also found that the direct connect {NOT TO A COMPUTER} to a router that my BCS Finder works when it does not always via a "Network".
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Re: Can't find BCS after updating to 4.0

Post by JonW »

oakbarn wrote: I also found that the direct connect {NOT TO A COMPUTER} to a router that my BCS Finder works when it does not always via a "Network".
The finder utilities use a UDP broadcast and some routers/repeaters will block the forwarding of UDP broadcasts. Just as you noted - it always best to plug the BCS directly into your router. When doing so, let it get an address, then create a reservation for that address so it doesn't change in the future.
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