Rane NM 84 - Manual (Page 15)

Manual-15
Computer IP Setup
If you’re using a computer with the NM 84, it must be set
for network operation to allow it to speak using TCP/IP
protocol. (TCP stands for Transmission Control Protocol.) If
your computer is already set up for network operation you can
move on in your life and skip this section.
Windows 95/98 PC Network Communications Setup
As you go through the following procedure your computer
tells you (on more than one occasion) that it needs to reboot
before changes take effect. Just go along with it when this
happens. Yeah, it’s a big waste of time but this is an owner’s
manual, not an editorial page – so just do it, OK?
1. Insure you have a functional Ethernet adapter (NIC or
Network Interface Card) installed in the PC. If installed, its
operation may be checked by right clicking on ‘My Com-
puter’ followed by a left-click on the selection ‘Properties’
and again a left-click on the ‘Device Manager’ tab of the
‘System Properties’ dialog box. Click on the plus (+) sign
to the left of ‘Network Adapters’ to view the configured
adapters. A malfunctioning adapter is indicated by either a
yellow question mark or a red ‘X’. There are several
troubleshooting aids available in Win-dows Help to assist
you in making the network adapter functional.
2. Once you have a correctly operating Ethernet adapter, TCP/
IP is easy to configure. To begin, open ‘My Computer’ or
‘Start > Settings,’ then ‘Control Panel > Network’. The
‘Configuration’ tab shows a list of configured devices,
such as your network card and possibly dial-up networking.
Below these is a list of network protocols previously
configured for the system. If TCP/IP has been configured
and bound to the Ethernet adapter, you will see an entry
resembling ‘TCP/IP -> NameOfAdapter Pnp LAN
Adapter.’ If this shows on the list, skip to step 4. If it’s not
there, go through step 3 first.
3. To add TCP/IP to the LAN Adapter, click the ‘Add’ button
in the Network dialog. A list of network component types
displays. Choose ‘Protocol,’ then ‘Add’. A list of manufac-
turers displays. Click on ‘Microsoft’, then ‘TCP/IP’ in the
right-hand window, then ‘OK’.
4. To be a part of a TCP/IP network, your computer (and each
network device including the NM 84) needs a unique IP
address of its own. If not already open, open ‘Settings >
Control Panels > Network.’ Highlight the ‘TCP/IP ->
NameOfAdapter PnP LAN Adapter’ by clicking on it.
Then choose ‘Properties > IP Address.’ Click on the
‘Specify an IP address’ option. If your computer is part of
an existing network, you must now obtain a valid address
from the network administrator—if you have one. If not,
you may use an address out of the internationally accepted
private network block of addresses, which is
192.168.nnn.nnn where nnn represents any number
between 0 and 255. A good choice might be
192.168.100.100 just because it’s easy to remember if you
ever need to know it again. Set the ‘Subnet Mask’ to
255.255.0.0 for most installations. These two settings allow
a network with addresses in the range of 192.168.0.0
through 192.168.255.255. Click the ‘OK’ buttons as many
times as they appear to extinguish all the network setup
dialog boxes.
Once you’ve set networking on a Win95/98 computer, you’ll
notice it wants a user name and optional password each time
it boots. To eliminate this nuisance, go back in to Control
Panel > Network and change the ‘Primary Network Logon’
selection from ‘Client for Microsoft Networks’ to ‘Windows
Logon’ then click ‘OK’ again. Oh, and guess what? Your
computer will want to be rebooted again for the change to
take effect. Good news, though, it won’t ask for a user name
and password this time.
Glossary of Terms
As with any technology, new terms are thrown about like a
hot Mr. Potatohead at a 5 year old’s birthday party. The
CobraNet website (www.peakaudio.com/cobranet) is a
valuable resource for such jargon and includes a Terminology
page for CobraNet terms. Here are a few just to keep things
going.
Asynchronous – Not synchronized by a shared signal such as
a clock or semaphore, proceeding independently. Email and
computer file transfers are examples of asynchronous data
streams.
Audio Channel – This is an ambiguous term, but defines a
single channel of audio in a CobraNet network; the capital
letters. (The term formerly known as Sub-channel.)
Broadcast – See Broadcast addressing.
Broadcast addressing – A special case of Multicast address-
ing. Whereas it is possible, in some cases, to indicate
intended recipients of multicast data, broadcast data is
unconditionally received by all devices within a network.
Bundle – A group of up to 8 Audio Channels. To transport
audio over an Ethernet network, CobraNet places up to 8
Audio Channels in Bundles. (The term formerly known as
Network Channel.)
Concentrator – A Repeater Hub, Switching Hub or passive
interconnect such as a Patch Panel. Concentrator is less
technically concise than Hub.
CobraNet – A Peak Audio technology, CobraNet is a
combination of hardware, software and protocol which
distributes many channels of digital audio over Fast
Ethernet. CobraNet supports switched and repeater Ethernet
networks. On a repeater network, CobraNet eliminates
collisions and allows full bandwidth utilization of the
network. CobraNet uses standard Ethernet packets and
network infrastructure.
CobraNet node – Any network device which is in compli-
ance with the CobraNet specification for transmission and/
or reception of digital audio and associated sample clock.
CobraNet port – The same as CobraNet node, but more
specifically, the RJ-45 connector on a CobraNet device.