Set a Static IP on the Touchscreen

A DMX Core 100 Appliance gets its address from DHCP out of the box. For standalone operation - a show network with no router or DHCP server, or an installation where Art-Net/sACN nodes, a console and the Web UI must always find the unit at the same address - give it a static address instead. The whole job can be done on the touchscreen, with no computer attached.

Note

These steps are for an Appliance. The Network section of the settings menu only exists on the Appliance - the Windows, macOS and Linux desktop software uses the host operating system’s network configuration instead.

Before you start

Decide the three values first. Writing them on the inside of the rack door is not a bad idea either.

• IP address - the fixed address for the unit, for example 192.168.1.50. On a network that also has a DHCP server, pick an address outside the DHCP pool so nothing else is handed the same one.
• Netmask - almost always 255.255.255.0 / 24. It must match the other devices on the network.
• Gateway - the router’s address, for example 192.168.1.1. On a closed show network with no router, leave this empty.

Note the unit’s current address before you change anything, under Main Menu > About (Network Address, shown as address and netmask length, for example 192.168.1.50/24). If something goes wrong you will know what the unit used to answer on.

You need to be logged on with a user whose role is allowed to change network settings - the built-in Admin role is. If the Network header is missing from the settings menu, log on as Admin (see Admin Mode).

Set the address

1. On the touchscreen, go to Main Menu > Settings.
2. Scroll down to the Network header and tap Network Adapters….
3. The page lists every network adapter the unit has, one block per adapter, headed by the adapter name. Under each name you see read-only Interface, Status (Connected or Not connected) and Address (the current address and netmask length, or -). Find the adapter you are configuring - on a standard unit that is the wired ethernet port. A Wi-Fi adapter has Network, Connect to Network… and Forget Current Network items as well; join the wireless network first if that is the adapter you are setting up.
4. Tap Use DHCP to turn it off.
5. Tap IP Address and type the address on the keypad (digits and .), then accept it.
6. Tap Netmask and pick a value from the list. The options are labelled with both the dotted netmask and the prefix length, for example 255.255.255.0 / 24.
7. Tap Gateway and enter the router address, or leave it empty for a network with no router.
8. Tap Apply adapter Settings (the adapter’s name is in the label) and confirm. The unit writes the configuration, waits a few seconds for the network to settle, rebinds the DMX outputs to the new address, and shows Applied.

Caution

Applying the settings drops anything connected over that adapter - an open Web UI session, the API, Art-Net/sACN traffic - and a running cue is rebuilt as the outputs are rebound. Do this before the show, not during it.

Each adapter has its own Apply item, and it applies only that adapter’s IP settings. The Apply Network Changes item further down the settings menu is a different thing: it is for Override Host Name and Custom NTP Server.

Check the result

1. Go to Main Menu > About and confirm Network Address shows the address you entered.
2. On the adapter page, Address shows the new address and Status is Connected.
3. From a computer on the same network, open http://<new-address> - see Connecting to the Web UI. The Web UI shows the same configuration under Settings > Device > Network, where it is marked Static rather than DHCP.

Standalone networks

A few things to keep in mind on a unit that has no route to the internet:

• Put every device on the same subnet - the DMX Core 100, Art-Net/sACN nodes, and any computer or console you want to reach it from.
• With no gateway there is no internet access, so NTP cannot set the clock. When the clock is not NTP-synced, Main Menu > Settings grows a Date / Time header with Current Date and Current Time items - set them by hand, and check them if schedules or sunrise/sunset triggers matter. The cloud tunnel and software updates also need internet access.
• If the unit has a Wi-Fi adapter, a static wired address and a Wi-Fi connection to a network with internet can be combined - the wired adapter stays the one the DMX outputs bind to when it is connected.
• A factory reset keeps the network configuration, and a backup restore does not carry IP settings from one unit to another - each unit keeps its own address.

If the unit becomes unreachable

A wrong address, netmask or gateway can leave the unit off the network. The touchscreen still works, so the quickest fix is to go back to Main Menu > Settings > Network Adapters… and either correct the values or turn Use DHCP back on and apply again.

If you cannot reach the screen either, a USB stick can force the unit back to DHCP - see Force DHCP mode.