GC100 v3.0 not working

[PeteK]

Hi--

I got a new GC100 the other day, with firmware version 3.0.  I plugged the unit in, verified that it got an IP via DHCP, but when I reset it to factory defaults and press "Add GC100," I get a failure message.  Something must have changed in the new firmware version.  My prime suspect is that the default is now to enable DHCP.  This is the mode it reverts to when it's factory reset (I'm guessing, as that is how it's shipped from the factory).  Does anyone know how the detection script works?

Zaerc?

Thanks,
-Pete

[Zaerc]

That button only ever worked after hacking the perl script as described in the wiki.  Try the manual setup as described in the pluto wiki (the lmce wiki page links to it). 

With DHCP I suppose it could finally be made plug-n-prey, but considering the abominal level of "support" we're getting for development...

[cbynaker]

I too have been struggling with the GC-100. I am waiting for the next linuxMCE release to start fresh.

Since I do not have any I/R capable units that are supported in the database I am hindered by other issues I have discovered while trying to add my NAD receiver and DVD player. I have a serial aware Sharp LC-45.

The first thing I am going to do is make eth0 my internal network and eth1 my internet feed. I have seen some unexpected behavior with the script on what interface it sets the ':100' sub interface on.

I am using a 192.168.1.0/24 on my home network which is to be connected to eth1 on the next install.

I am trying to approach this from the standpoint that if a prerequisite will help with 99% of the issue then it could work for everyone.

We have all struggled with getting a good reference platform in the plutohome track but with linuxMCE we were told what the developers were using and that worked well. Finding a motherboard that would netboot to a media-director was like diving for apples until now. The ASUS M2NPV-VM has been great except I have not been able to get more than 720P out of it. The next upgrade does mention 1080 support on nVidia though.

I just RMA'd my GC-100-12 for the firmware upgrade.

[PeteK]

Looking at the Wiki, the script looks for the GC100 at the non-DHCP default address.  (Caution:  I haven't gotten a chance to go through the actual script yet). A default factory reset for the GC100 with the new firmware puts it in DHCP mode.  It will get a valid DHCP IP address from the server, which almost definitely will not be the address where the script is looking for it.  I see two options here:

1)
a)Manually (through the GC100 web page)  configure the GC100 to the static IP that the LMCE script expects the unit to posess or
b)Power the unit up without it connected to a DHCP server.  After some time out, it's supposed to revert to the static IP address that the script tries to find.  I haven't tested it yet, so I don't know if you can simply power it up with the ethernet cable unplugged, or whether the timeout period starts when a link is established.  If it's the latter, option 1.a becomes the preferred choice

2)The new firmware also includes a tcp beacon that announces the GC100's presence on the LAN.  It includes MAC address and GC100 type, as well.  If LMCE opened a socket to look for that beacon message, it could autodect a GC100 and announce without having to press the button on the orbiter and go through the contortions of the current script.

I like 2) but that means someone has to do it.

[Zaerc]

Errmmm, why not just let LMCE's DHCP assign it an IP adress?  Then configure the GC100 manually through its web interface on that adress.  Next configure/add it manually in the pluto web-admin and you should be done.

AFACT that "Add GC100" button and its script(s) were just a work around for the GC100 not having DHCP.  I would have taken a closer look at the script, but unfortunately it's written in perl. 

[PeteK]

Zaerc--

You're right.  That's the way to go for now.  Eventually. we should tie it in to the same MAC-based PNP system as everything else.

I'll verify when I get home and update the wiki

[cbynaker]

It is my understanding that the perl scripts purpose in life is to find the factory defaulted GC100 and set its IP address to the Internal IP address and communicate that to the core with the MessageSend command which assigns a 'device ID'. The dhcp file gets updated along the way so we have a MAC address mapped to an IP address. And the GC100 config gets locked.

So is this where we can use the mac address range trick like we do for Cisco 79xx phones to make lmce fingerprint a GC100

[PeteK]

Yup.  That seems like the best way to go.  I talked with the Pluto guys about it today, and they're going to get back to me with a plan.  Hopefully they'll pick this one up.  They asked if it were possible to borrow my GC100 which is fine with me.

[Zaerc]

PeteK: I hope they can get the GC100 support back on track and plug-n-prey would be great improvement.  I'm thinking if I have to ship my GC100-06 overseas for an update anyway, I could just ship it to them instead and they can borrow mine.  I was planning to get another GC100-12 anyway, so I won't really miss it and you wouldn't be left without your new toy.  It's just a thought.


cbynaker: That is my understanding as well.  This was already broken in the previous GC100 firmware, and since the new one (apparently) has DHCP as it's default factory settings, it should require a few less tricks to get it going.

[PeteK]

Thanks for the offer.  I'll post back when I get a reply.

[ddamron]

PeteK, did you see the new announcement simplehomenet made?  Looks like a great useable piece of kit...
INSTEON EZUIRC
Guess what it is!  hehe check it out in the forums on www.simplehomenet.com

Dan

[PeteK]

Yeah, it looks good.  That means we've got some work to do to support it.  Goodbye sleep.

[Tuxan1]

Hi gents,

I actually was able to get the gc100 manually configured and recognizing the serial port. Then, the next time I rebooted the system, it "unregistered" itself. Now, I can't get the gc100 to work. Has anyone gotten one of these new ones working? I am using the serial port with a SmartHome PowerLinc II to send ascii commands in X10 format to the modules in the house.

tnx,
phil

[PeteK]

Phil--

I plugged gc100 in and let it get an IP address through DHCP.  then I just hardcoded the IP address and MAC address in the gc100-conf.pl script.  Running that script from the command line prints out the IP address that the DHCP server assigned to it.  Then I went into the gc100 configuration web settings and changed it to use that IP as a static assignment.

I tried setting the MAC detection parameters in the device template to the correct ones, and the device was detected and installed, but for some reason, it didn't seem to be configured correctly.  I didn't investigate why not, but I'll do so in a little further detail if the Pluto guys don't want to handle this one.

-Pete