PhotoVu Troubleshooting FAQ Wireless Networking In order to use this FAQ successfully, you need to have an understanding of basic networking technology and your specific network configuration. This includes: 1. Logging in and administering the applicable devices on your network: Internet Gateway, Router/Switch, and/or Wireless Access Point. 2. Enabling networking on your computer. 3. Sharing a folder on your computer. 4. Configuring your firewall, anti-virus, and protection software. If you do not know how to do the above or feel uncomfortable with those terms, please find an experienced computer person to help you with the initial installation. Since each home or office network is unique and can be configured in many different ways, PhotoVu does not provide Technical Support on setting up your internal network. For the initial configuration, you must turn off all firewalls, anti-virus, protection software, or other programs that monitor your internal network. In most cases, these programs are located on your computer Many of these network monitoring or protection programs will automatically turn back on in a few minutes after you disable them. Please ensure these programs are completely off as you go through this FAQ. Once you have the PhotoVu configured correctly, please consult the user manuals for the protection software products to setup a rule or permission to allow the PhotoVu to communicate with your computer. Wireless Networking FAQ When working with wireless networking and the PhotoVu, there are many situations during your initial setup or after continued use where you could run into issues. Usually, this falls into several categories: 1. The PhotoVu works fine on Ethernet but it will not connect to your wireless network. 2. After a power failure, you are unable to access the PhotoVu. 3. Intermittent issues and some times, it looks like you have stuck photos. Even though your problem might not be listed above, please follow the instructions in this document. It is designed to address all common issues when using the PhotoVu with wireless networking during and after the initial configuration. The Basics Log into your wireless router and confirm you have all security turned off. This includes both WEP and access control using the MAC addresses of your wireless devices. Also double check your DHCP server and make sure it is on and has a wide enough IP address range to cover all devices 8.10.2007, v2 PhotoVu Troubleshooting FAQ Wireless Networking Page 1 of 5
on your network. It is also a good idea to check your wireless network settings and compare them to what you are trying to use with the PhotoVu. At this point, the PhotoVu should be able to successfully connect to your network using an Ethernet cable. If this is not the case, please see the Additional Troubleshooting Topics later in this document. ESSID, SSID, or Apple Network Name The number one issue we find with wireless networking is an incorrect ESSID, SSID, or Apple Network Name. We will use the term ESSID to collectively refer to this group of names. The ESSID is the name of your wireless network and is both CASE and SPACE sensitive. This means, if you capitalize just one letter on your wireless router and don t do the same on the PhotoVu, you will not find your wireless network! If you add a space between two characters in your ESSID and don t do the same on the PhotoVu, you will not find your wireless network! Please triple check these settings. For Apple Airport users, please do not confuse the name of your Airport with the name of your wireless network. This is very common. Blinking Light on the USB Wireless Card If the light on the USB Wireless Card is blinking, the PhotoVu has not found your network. First, make sure that you have the USB Wireless Card operating correctly. 1. Shutdown the PhotoVu and wait for the power to go off. 2. Plug the wireless card into the top USB port. 3. Turn on the PhotoVu. The USB Wireless Card is not hot plug meaning you cannot remove it when the PhotoVu is running so, if you do remove the card, you will need to restart the PhotoVu. As the PhotoVu starts up, the light on the USB Wireless Card will blink several times. Half way through this process, the light should turn and remain solid. If not, please do the following: 1. Check your ESSID once again. 2. Check the security on your wireless router to ensure both WEP and access control is turned off. 3. Make sure the wireless router is within a reasonable distance from the PhotoVu. Typically, if you are in the same room, you are close enough. 4. Restart the PhotoVu again if you change any settings. If your light continues to blink, please read the next sections of this document. USB Wireless Card and USB Ports Many PhotoVu models have up to three USB ports: left side, top, and inside the top recessed pocket. It is important that you do not use the USB port in the top recessed pocket. The PhotoVu s enclosure is made of light-weight aluminum and metal is an insulator of wireless signals. Since the antenna of the USB Wireless Card is built into the card, you will significantly reduce your signal strength by using the USB port in the recessed pocket. The USB port on the top of the PhotoVu is 8.10.2007, v2 PhotoVu Troubleshooting FAQ Wireless Networking Page 2 of 5
designed for the USB Wireless Card. If you have a USB port on the left side of the PhotoVu, please use this port for troubleshooting if needed. Ethernet Cable The PhotoVu will default to the Ethernet cable when it is plugged in to your switch/wireless router and it senses a connection. Only when you unplug the Ethernet cable and restart the PhotoVu with your USB Wireless Card plugged in will the wireless networking be activated. USB Wireless Card Signal Strength At times, you might be able to connect to your network and access the signal strength of the wireless card. When you push the power button one time, a status window will be displayed. Look for the Wireless Strength on the menu. If your number is closer to -50 to -40dbm, you have an excellent signal strength. If you are in the -60dbm+ range, you will experience anything from a permanent loss of connectivity to a variety of intermittent issues. Low signal strength (-60dbm to -90dbm) can be due to distance and/or interference issues. Please read the Interference and Distance section below. Interference and Distance Issues Both interference and distance issues are very common due to the uniqueness of each customer s environment. Distance issues are relatively easy to diagnose since you do this by moving the PhotoVu closer your wireless router. Interference issues are a bit more difficult. 1. Once you have your PhotoVu close to your wireless router, start to look for ANY wireless device in your home or business. This includes wireless phones, weather stations, mobile phones, and all 2.4/5.8 GHz devices. Only a select set of 5.8 GHz phones do not interfere with wireless networks. 2. If you run your microwave oven, watch the PhotoVu to see if the photo appears to stick. This is very common since microwaves can completely block wireless signals. In most cases, you should recover. In the event that you do not, restart the PhotoVu. 3. Do you live in a house or apartment with non-wood construction? Some structures today have a large amount of metals and other wireless blocking materials in them. 4. How close are your neighbors? In many homes, apartments, and town homes, your neighbors can cause interference on your network! You might consider this option when everything else fails. 5. Please remember, all values with signal strength, distance, and interference are specific to each wireless device. While your laptop might be able to connect to your wireless network, this does not mean the PhotoVu will operate the same way. Wireless Security Issues Some times, you can configure the PhotoVu with your wireless network but once you turn on your security, the PhotoVu can not connect. 8.10.2007, v2 PhotoVu Troubleshooting FAQ Wireless Networking Page 3 of 5
1. Many wireless routers have the ability to add up to four WEP keys. With these types of devices, you must use the first WEP key with the PhotoVu. 2. WEP keys are made up of hexadecimal digits. These are 0 through 9 and A through F. Since these are strange to begin with, triple check that you are entering the right combination of digits. It is very common to transpose one in the process. 3. On wireless routers with passphrase support, you will need to use the hexadecimal equivalent value for your passphrase. This applies to the Apple Airport. 4. Some wireless routers only support one of the WEP security options: Open System or Shared Key. When in doubt, try the Shared Key option. 5. If you use access control which filters wireless devices by their MAC address, ensure that you have entered the correct hexadecimal digital on your USB Wireless Card. This number is on the label of the card. Wireless Router Issues Occasionally, we see issues with the wireless router. Again, just because it works with your other devices does not mean the PhotoVu will connect. 1. Mixed Mode Wireless Networks Some routers had issues with mixed mode wireless networking meaning, running both 802.11b and 802.11g at the same time. Try switching your network to B-only to see if the PhotoVu can connect. 2. Always make sure you are running the latest firmware on wireless router. When nothing else seems to work, this can be a good troubleshooting step. Power Failures When your power cycles due to a failure, your wireless network can reconfigure itself when it restarts. Depending upon how fast each device starts, you might be left with the PhotoVu at a different IP address. This is feature of DHCP and not the PhotoVu. If this happens often, you might look at setting the PhotoVu to a static IP address. Please see the online help manual for details. Remember, if your PhotoVu s IP address changes just push the power button one time to access the status window and the new IP address. Other Issues 1. If we have replaced your USB Wireless Card, you might need a software update to download the compatible drivers. Please contact PhotoVu Technical Support for details. 2. Complex Networks This document assumes the basic wireless network configuration of an Internet router, wireless router, and/or switch. If your network configuration is more complex and has technology like repeaters, bridges, extenders, VPNs, etc., it is recommended that you hire a networking professional to troubleshoot your installation. 8.10.2007, v2 PhotoVu Troubleshooting FAQ Wireless Networking Page 4 of 5
Additional Troubleshooting Topics If you cannot get your PhotoVu on the network using an Ethernet cable, please read this section. 1. Log into your DHCP server and ensure it is on. Your DHCP server is typically on your Internet or wireless router. Also, make sure the range of IP addresses is wide enough to cover all devices on your network. Only one DHCP server can be on at a time. Most networking devices come with a DHCP server built-in and ON by default! 2. Make sure you are not using a crossover cable. These are typically well marked but not in all cases. When in doubt, replace your Ethernet cable with a known, straight-through cable. 3. There are typically several Ethernet ports on a switch or wireless router. Make sure you are using a LAN port (not WAN). The ports should be clearly marked on your device. 4. Plug one end of the Ethernet cable into the PhotoVu using the supplied Ethernet coupler. Next, plug the other end into a LAN port on your switch/wireless router. Note the number of the LAN port you are using. When the PhotoVu powers up, the light on the LAN port should blink. It should not stay solid the entire time the PhotoVu starts up. 5. If you don t get a light on the LAN port, wiggle the cable that goes into the Ethernet coupler and switch/router. It is possible that you have a loose cable, a connector is broken off, a LAN port could be dead, or your Ethernet coupler could be bad. 6. If you do not have a device with an available Ethernet LAN port, you will need to purchase a small Ethernet switch or setup the PhotoVu using the wireless setup as listed in the PhotoVu Quick Start Guide. Additional Information For a complete listing of PhotoVu support options and documents, please visit www.photovu.com/support. Disclaimer This PhotoVu Technical Support FAQ is provided as information only. PhotoVu does not recommend or give advice on any network or security settings. If you decide to use this information, you do so at your own discretion. By changing ANY network setting, you can introduce security risks. Please understand what these are within your own environment before making any changes. PHOTOVU, LLC ASSUMES NO LIABILITY FOR THE PROPER, IMPROPER, MISINFORMED, OR UNEDUCATED USE OF THIS INFORMATION. 8.10.2007, v2 PhotoVu Troubleshooting FAQ Wireless Networking Page 5 of 5