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A.3.3 troubleshooting connectivity issues – Comtech EF Data LPOD User Manual

Page 142

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LPOD C-, X-, or Ku-Band Outdoor Amplifier / Block Up Converter (BUC)

MN-LPOD

Appendix A

Revision 10

A–6

A.3.3

Troubleshooting Connectivity Issues

Each network is unique, and network configuration and management are outside

the scope of this manual. This information is provided as a helpful troubleshooting

tool, but trained network specialists may be required to make an Ethernet-

enabled product work in a specific network. This section offers common solutions

to network connectivity issues experienced by Comtech EF Data technical support

personnel while developing or testing Ethernet-enabled products using the

Windows XP operating system.

The most common connectivity issue is neglecting to properly connect the LPOD to the external

PC Ethernet interface.

Check for link and activity LEDs to light up on the NIC or network switch where the LPOD is

connected to the Ethernet network. If the link LED is lit, validate the Ethernet connection by

pinging the LPOD at its IP address using the Windows Command-line interface:

• To access the Command-line interface, click Start Run… from the external PC’s Taskbar.

• Type "CMD" (without the quotes) into the Run dialog box, and then click OK.

• At the Command-line prompt (typically C:\> ), type "ping 192.168.1.4" (without the quotes).

If the IP address of the unit is not set to factory default (192.168.1.4), then use the unit's user-

assigned IP address. If the ping command responds with the "Request timed out." error message,

then the LPOD cannot be seen by the computer. Otherwise, if there is a time listed in milliseconds,

then the LPOD properly responded to the ping command and it is visible to the computer at the IP

address that was pinged.

Another common connection problem is due to conflicts in the Address Resolution Protocol

(ARP) table caused when a user connects two different pieces of hardware (with unique MAC

addresses) to a single Ethernet port while both pieces of hardware are configured with the same

Ethernet address.

This often happens when configuring new units set to the factory default IP address with a laptop

that has a single Ethernet port (e.g., Comtech’s LPODnet M&C Netbook Accessory product). If

there are multiple units to be configured that are all set to the factory default IP address, then turn

on one unit at a time, and reinitialize the Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) table each time a new

unit is connected to the network as follows:

• First, check the values in the Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) table on the computer. This

can be accomplished using the Windows Command-line interface:


o

To access the Command-line interface, click Start Run… from the external PC’s Taskbar.

o

Type "CMD" (without the quotes) into the Run dialog box, and then click OK.