How to troubleshoot Communication Issues

Troubleshooting communication issues with Controllers can be a daunting task but several steps can be taken before contacting Support on this.  For this troubleshooting article, we will assume that power has been confirmed to be connected to the Controller. 

Ethernet

• Confirm that the network port indicator lights on the Controller are lit when the cable is plugged in.
  • If the Controller experiencing communications difficulties is a Legacy controller (SingleIO/SIO, EightIO/EIO), first remove power from the controller and then ensure the Lantronix Ethernet module is seated properly and is in the correct orientation.
• Confirm that the network cable and port on the router/switch/hub are functioning properly. This can be done by connecting a different network device (such as a laptop) using the cable or network port in question.
• Confirm the Controller was added to the Customer Account properly. If the Controller is a Legacy Controller, the Connection Type must be set to Lantronix, while Red-series Controllers must be set to PDK.
• Confirm that the IP address configured is in the same range as the Cloud Node and other devices on the network.
• Confirm if the Controller's IP address can be pinged from another device on the same network.

Wireless

Troubleshooting a wireless communication issue can be more difficult compared to troubleshooting an Ethernet communication issue.

• Confirm that the antenna is completely installed and that the antenna whip-cable on Legacy Controllers is connected securely to the WiMac module on the Controller.
• A Dealer-Partner or User with Integrator Permissions can go to the Configuration section, select the installed Cloud Node, and then the Diagnostic tab to review the wireless signal statistics. The lower the value shown for each of these items, the better the connection is.
  • Average RTT - The 'Average RTT' or Round-Trip Time is the time in milliseconds for a communication request to be sent from a selected WIMAC device to the Cloud Node/Gateway or next WIMAC device on the path to the Coordinator and then back to the selected Controller. 
  • Average Retries - This is the number of retries required to establish communication from the Controller to the Cloud Node or next Controller in the mest network connection to the Cloud Node.
  • Failure Rate - The percentage of failed communication attempts for the selected Controller recently. 0 indicates no failure; 1 is 100% failure.
• Mousing over the center point of a connecting line between wireless devices will show a Link Quality indicator, with a value between 0-255. The higher this valuer is, the better the connection quality is.
• Determine if environmental conditions (competing wireless signals, building structure, or other conditions) are interfering with the wireless signal.
• If all else fails, to confirm that the controller can communicate properly, place the Controller at a short, unobstructed distance from the Cloud Node, it is recommended to place the Controller 5 feet from the Cloud Node, and see if the Controller still experiences difficulties communicating with the Cloud Node.

Conclusion

If communication difficulties still occur after reviewing the items above, reach out to our Support team for additional troubleshooting steps.