Help connecting iMac to elk

D

dchassay

New Member
I purchased the elkM1 for our first home construction and never had security or automation before. I hired a company to install the elk, but they have been less than professional taking months to complete the job because of overcommitments. It still is incomplete because we cannot get the elk to communicate with my imac.

I purchased parallels desktop and windows so that I can run Elk RP-2 software, but it is unable to "see" my M1XEP card. The installation company has never connected a macintosh to the elk before, and still has not succeeded.

Can anyone help?

Thanks,
dchassay
 
dchassay said:
I purchased the elkM1 for our first home construction and never had security or automation before. I hired a company to install the elk, but they have been less than professional taking months to complete the job because of overcommitments. It still is incomplete because we cannot get the elk to communicate with my imac.

I purchased parallels desktop and windows so that I can run Elk RP-2 software, but it is unable to "see" my M1XEP card. The installation company has never connected a macintosh to the elk before, and still has not succeeded.

Can anyone help?

Thanks,
dchassay
Click to expand...

Hi,
I run everything mac in my house, but have an Omni Pro II. From what I found after a google search on the M1EXP card it is basically a self contained web server that lives on the network. I would set you data connection to bridged on the mac side in parallels. Does the M1EXP have to direct connect to the mac? Is the web browser on the M1EXP Active x or java? Perhaps I could do a log me in session or you can setup your mac as a dmz so I can hop on your network with ard.

Thanks
 
Here's a couple of tips:

1. as fabriziojoe mentioned, be sure you set the network mode in parallels to Bridged, not NAT. You want your windows version to have an IP in the same network as your normal house network.

2. My Find never worked - intial setup was a PITA. By default, the xep is supposed to grab an IP address via DHCP. Check your home router for the Attached Devices page in the setup. If your router doesn't have that, an IP scanner can scan your network (I love "Advanced IP Scanner" for the PC, or "Angry IP Scanner" for the Mac).

I had to reset the XEP a few times and do the reset to defaults I believe a few times before I finally got the thing to show up correctly; so just keep trying till it gets an IP, then scan your network manually to find it if the "Find" button doesn't work.
 
You're over my head:
I can't figure out how to set the network mode to Bridged. I tried the apple system network, and the parallels network, and the M1XEP TCP/IP settings and saw no Bridged vs. NAT options.

I believe that windows was giving a different IP address for the windows OS than for the iMac which seemed problematic to the installer.

Don't understand, "PITA", and my home router is an apple product called "airport extreme" which doesn't show up as an icon on the mac. I'm not sure how to search for attached devices.

My connection at this moment is direct through ethernet cable (not a crossover cable), but the installer seemed to think that I needed to go through my router. Since we tried it several times and it didn't work, I put my router back in its separate closet. It also serves as by remote (LAN WiFi) HD backup. We've not tried a cross-over cable. I'm not sure why that might work.

I guess you can tell, to be helpful (which I'd appreciate), you're gonna have to dumb it down.
dchassay


Work2Play said:
Here's a couple of tips:

1. as fabriziojoe mentioned, be sure you set the network mode in parallels to Bridged, not NAT. You want your windows version to have an IP in the same network as your normal house network.

2. My Find never worked - intial setup was a PITA. By default, the xep is supposed to grab an IP address via DHCP. Check your home router for the Attached Devices page in the setup. If your router doesn't have that, an IP scanner can scan your network (I love "Advanced IP Scanner" for the PC, or "Angry IP Scanner" for the Mac).

I had to reset the XEP a few times and do the reset to defaults I believe a few times before I finally got the thing to show up correctly; so just keep trying till it gets an IP, then scan your network manually to find it if the "Find" button doesn't work.
Click to expand...
 
Ok, I found Bridge mode vs. NAT for the airport and I found "Shared networking" vs. "host only networking" in the parallels app. Is the host only network option what you were suggesting or is it the bridge mode for my airport router?

Next I think I probably should attempt the "find" after connecting the router to the M1XEP like we had tried before because my installer seemed to think I should go that route AND my current connection is a straight ethernet cable rather than a crossover wire which seems to be one of the other possibilities.

What do you think?
dchassay
 
In Parallels you will find 3 networking modes to choose from:

Shared Networking: This uses a built in NAT in Parallels so your VM will share its network connection. Parallels runs a special internal DHCP server to provide your VM with a private IP Address. An external router will only see traffic coming from a single machine, your Mac.

Host-Only Network: This uses a virtual network that only allows your VM to see your Mac and any other VMs you are running in this instance of Parallels. THere is no NAT capability and your VM will not be able to access your home network or the internet.

Bridged Network: This makes your VM visible on your home network. An external router will see both your Mac and your VM on the network and they will act as if they were separate computers on the network. Both the Mac and the VM will have their own IP address on your home network. This means that your router will either provide your VM with a dynamic IP Address or you will have to give it a static IP Address valid on your home network.

To make your Elk-RP work in Parallels you will want to use Bridged Mode. In this mode the Find function will be able to find your XEP. If it does not find the XEP the issue is almost certainly not with the Parallels setup.
 
I'm glad Jayson was able to chime in on Parallels (he's probably one of the most advanced Mac users around here) - I use VMWare Fusion, which is the same basic concept, just with different settings/options. ** If you don't get this part figured out, don't bother going further. Your Mac OS and Windows should have IP's on the same range (same first 3 sections - eg: 192.168.75.x) - they won't be the same IP - but only the last set of numbers should be different.

For the record, PITA stands for Pain In The A**. :)

You want to have your computer connected through the router, and the XEP connected through the router. The crossover cable direct to the XEP is an option if you're more comfortable with manual networking; if you're not, it'll never work - you need the router to give the XEP an IP address.

Once you've hooked it all up correctly, boot the XEP up fresh; either disconnect the power while you fix the cabling, or pull the power after and wait a few seconds - either way, boot it up fresh once it's hooked to the router.

Hopefully just straightening out the network hookups will make it start working. If not, you may have the same problem I did... I had to do the steps below to flip from dhcp to manual and back to dhcp before mine would start working... These are from the XEP manual in the troubleshooting section:

Forcing the DHCP/IP Address Settings to Known Values:
An M1XEP with bootware version 1.1.0 or later supports an easy method for forcing the M1XEP from a static IP address to DHCP mode or vice versa. This is accomplished with the use of Jumper JP2 located beside the metal housing of the RJ45 connector.
  1. Power down the M1XEP. Place a shorting jumper across the two pins of JP2. Power the M1XEP back up.
  2. After a few seconds, the green LED on the RJ45 connector will blink five times. About 30 seconds later, the green LED will blink and repeat in a “coded†fashion, indicating either DHCP or STATIC modes. If set for DHCP mode there will be 1 quick blink. If set for STATIC mode there will be 2 quick blinks. When the M1XEP is forced to STATIC mode its address will become 192.168.0.251.
  3. If the blink indicates the wrong mode, power the unit down and back up to force it to the opposite setting. 4. When the green LED indicates that the M1XEP is at the desired setting, remove the shorting jumper from JP2 and allow the M1XEP to continue booting up. This may take another minute.
Click to expand...

And don't worry about the other steps for finding it on the network just yet - we'll come back to that if this stuff doesn't work.
 
Wow! You guys Rock!
My free time to tackle this is very limited, so I just now got back to these responses. I haven't tried any of them yet, but I think I'm armed and ready. I really appreciate the help.
We moved into our house four months ago after building for ten months, and still don't have control on my computer. My installer was involved from the start of construction but isn't familiar with Macs at all, and he's way over committed. He tries about once a month to resolve my issues accomplishing a few of them each visit, but that's all. I won't be able to recommend him to anyone although he is a nice guy.
I am thrilled to have all your help. THANKS! :D

Work2Play said:
I'm glad Jayson was able to chime in on Parallels (he's probably one of the most advanced Mac users around here) - I use VMWare Fusion, which is the same basic concept, just with different settings/options. ** If you don't get this part figured out, don't bother going further. Your Mac OS and Windows should have IP's on the same range (same first 3 sections - eg: 192.168.75.x) - they won't be the same IP - but only the last set of numbers should be different.

For the record, PITA stands for Pain In The A**. :)

You want to have your computer connected through the router, and the XEP connected through the router. The crossover cable direct to the XEP is an option if you're more comfortable with manual networking; if you're not, it'll never work - you need the router to give the XEP an IP address.

Once you've hooked it all up correctly, boot the XEP up fresh; either disconnect the power while you fix the cabling, or pull the power after and wait a few seconds - either way, boot it up fresh once it's hooked to the router.

Hopefully just straightening out the network hookups will make it start working. If not, you may have the same problem I did... I had to do the steps below to flip from dhcp to manual and back to dhcp before mine would start working... These are from the XEP manual in the troubleshooting section:

Forcing the DHCP/IP Address Settings to Known Values:
An M1XEP with bootware version 1.1.0 or later supports an easy method for forcing the M1XEP from a static IP address to DHCP mode or vice versa. This is accomplished with the use of Jumper JP2 located beside the metal housing of the RJ45 connector.
  1. Power down the M1XEP. Place a shorting jumper across the two pins of JP2. Power the M1XEP back up.
  2. After a few seconds, the green LED on the RJ45 connector will blink five times. About 30 seconds later, the green LED will blink and repeat in a “coded†fashion, indicating either DHCP or STATIC modes. If set for DHCP mode there will be 1 quick blink. If set for STATIC mode there will be 2 quick blinks. When the M1XEP is forced to STATIC mode its address will become 192.168.0.251.
  3. If the blink indicates the wrong mode, power the unit down and back up to force it to the opposite setting. 4. When the green LED indicates that the M1XEP is at the desired setting, remove the shorting jumper from JP2 and allow the M1XEP to continue booting up. This may take another minute.
Click to expand...

And don't worry about the other steps for finding it on the network just yet - we'll come back to that if this stuff doesn't work.
Click to expand...
 
Outstanding!!!
I figured out how to change to bridged using the help window and switched to bridged using "AirPort" and the find function worked! The XEP showed up! The "Connection" menu then "Network" command failed, but I suspect the installer will be able to help with that. I've already gotten farther than he was able thanks to your help. If you have suggestions on this step, please share.

Thanks a bunch! :)
dchassay

jaysonc said:
In Parallels you will find 3 networking modes to choose from:

Shared Networking: This uses a built in NAT in Parallels so your VM will share its network connection. Parallels runs a special internal DHCP server to provide your VM with a private IP Address. An external router will only see traffic coming from a single machine, your Mac.

Host-Only Network: This uses a virtual network that only allows your VM to see your Mac and any other VMs you are running in this instance of Parallels. THere is no NAT capability and your VM will not be able to access your home network or the internet.

Bridged Network: This makes your VM visible on your home network. An external router will see both your Mac and your VM on the network and they will act as if they were separate computers on the network. Both the Mac and the VM will have their own IP address on your home network. This means that your router will either provide your VM with a dynamic IP Address or you will have to give it a static IP Address valid on your home network.

To make your Elk-RP work in Parallels you will want to use Bridged Mode. In this mode the Find function will be able to find your XEP. If it does not find the XEP the issue is almost certainly not with the Parallels setup.
Click to expand...
 
It's been a long time since I've done the Find (My system is offline at the moment) - but once you find it, there's a Copy button to copy the IP address and port to the Details page; it doesn't auto-fill just because you found it. Do that copy, and make sure the serial number is in there, and the RP Access code (246801 is the default) - then try connecting again.

If all else fails, your installer should be able to take it from here - but unless he's put an installer code on there that he won't tell you, there isn't a reason in the world you need to wait for him.

Do you have the manual? If not, we can help you get it.
 
Thanks again!
I'll try those steps this afternoon.
I don't have the manual, although I plan to ask the installer for it. If it exists in digital form like a pdf file, I'd love to have it.
Thanks,
dchassay

Work2Play said:
It's been a long time since I've done the Find (My system is offline at the moment) - but once you find it, there's a Copy button to copy the IP address and port to the Details page; it doesn't auto-fill just because you found it. Do that copy, and make sure the serial number is in there, and the RP Access code (246801 is the default) - then try connecting again.

If all else fails, your installer should be able to take it from here - but unless he's put an installer code on there that he won't tell you, there isn't a reason in the world you need to wait for him.

Do you have the manual? If not, we can help you get it.
Click to expand...
 
Hello everyone!

I am in the same boat. I have an Elk, and a M1XEP, and mac with parallels.

I have spent night after night trying to make the ElkRP software talk to the elk. Finally last night I got the bridged networking settings to work, and now I can successfully find the M1XEP.

When I attempt to connect to it via "Network" I get the "Failed to connect to Server" message INSTANTLY.

I have copied the address from the find, I've tried both 2101 and 2601 ports, rebooted the XEP in and out of DHCP mode, waited 45 minutes, and always the same result. Instant failure message.
Anybody have any hints on what's next?

Thanks.
 
saladman,

is this a brand new install (where the dealer supports you) or an existing system you're just now trying to tap into?

I ask because it's possible that the dealer set the installer code and/or changed the default ports. It's easy enough to find the port (if you're comfortable in Terminal, you can attempt to telnet into the Elk under ports 2101 or 2601 - or use Angry IP Scanner (free) to scan all ports on the XEP's IP to see if you can find others.

You can also confirm that the IP is reachable by just opening Internet Explorer in the virtual machine, and put the XEP's IP in the Address line - if it's right and you can reach it, you'll get the built-in web page for using the XEP.

Try those and report back with your answers and the results and we'll figure out next steps.
 
Hi Guys,

Sorry for the delay, with the holidays, it's been a while since I could work on this problem.

Here's the updates so far:

1. I have the VMware machine running in briged mode, so both the mac and the Virtual PC have their own IP address.

2. I have the Airport Extreme switched over to the 192.168 range, so all machines start in 192.168

3. I have the m1xep configured for a static ip address to eliminate that confusion.

4. I can connect to the m1xep successfully using a crossover cable.

5. As soon as I plug both the computer and the m1xep into the airport extreme, find no longer works, and manually entering the data no longer works.

It is a fresh install, with no dealer support.

Help is wildly appreciated, I'm beyond confused at this point.

Work2Play said:
saladman,

is this a brand new install (where the dealer supports you) or an existing system you're just now trying to tap into?

I ask because it's possible that the dealer set the installer code and/or changed the default ports. It's easy enough to find the port (if you're comfortable in Terminal, you can attempt to telnet into the Elk under ports 2101 or 2601 - or use Angry IP Scanner (free) to scan all ports on the XEP's IP to see if you can find others.

You can also confirm that the IP is reachable by just opening Internet Explorer in the virtual machine, and put the XEP's IP in the Address line - if it's right and you can reach it, you'll get the built-in web page for using the XEP.

Try those and report back with your answers and the results and we'll figure out next steps.
Click to expand...
 
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