Category: Hardware solutions

Syncbox advanced network configuration

1. Wireless LAN (WiFi)

We recommend using a wired network connection whenever available. In cases where it isn’t, but you have a WiFi network available, you can connect the Syncbox to it using a USB WiFi dongle.

Only specific types of dongles are supported, so please contact our helpdesk if you are in need of one. Configuration must be repeated for each USB dongle. If you have more than one Syncbox, you may be provided with a WiFi access point instead, to simplify the configuration and provide the best reception.

1.1. USB WiFi dongle

Connecting the Syncbox to WiFi using a USB dongle is an easy one-time process. Follow the steps below.

1. Insert the USB dongle into the front USB port that is below the Ethernet port, and startup you Syncbox.
Note: Do not use any of the 10 USB ports on the rear of the Syncbox for the WiFi dongle. The device will not be found.

Step 1: Connect the WiFi dongle

2. Wait for about 2 minutes, until the connection LED starts flashing red. This indicates that the Syncbox has started a WiFi hotspot.

3. Search for WiFi networks on you phone (or another WiFi capable device). Select the network named after the label on you Syncbox, and connect to it. The WiFi password is “podcatcher”.

4. When you are connected to the hotspot, a popup should be shown: “Sign in to network”. Click on it to open the WiFi configuration page.

5. Select your WiFi network from the drop down list. Enter the passphrase, and click “Connect”. The WiFi hotspot will be disabled, and the Syncbox will connect to your WiFi network.

To check if the connection is succesfull, observe the connection LED. The LED should be blinking orange, and become green after about one minute. If there is an error connecting to the WiFi network, the LED will return to blinking red and the hotspot will be restarted. You can then go back to step 3.

1.2. WiFi access point

Instead of using a WiFi dongle for each Syncbox, it is possible to use an access point in client mode to connect many Syncboxes to your wireless network at once. The Syncboxes connect to the access point by means of Ethernet cables, and the access point is configured to connect to your wireless network. To help plan your setup, please contact our helpdesk.

Configuration using a WiFi access point is similar to the procedure for connecting a single USB dongle. But, you will only have to configure the access point.

2. Proxy server

On some locations it is required to access the internet through a proxy server. The Syncbox supports proxy servers through automatic and manual configuration. There are however some requirements on the type of proxy server used.

2.1. Proxy server requirements

Your proxy server must meet the following requirements:

  1. Support HTTPS connections to websites. Or in technical terms: support the HTTP CONNECT method, where the proxy server sets up a direct connection between the client and the website.
    As most websites today use HTTPS, most proxy servers support this feature. Some proxy servers however require clients to install a special certificate, instead of using HTTP CONNECT. This is currently not supported by the Syncbox.
  2. If your proxy server requires entering a username and password to access the internet, this is supported by the Syncbox, but currently only through the HTTP basic authentication scheme. Other existing types (e.g. HTTP Digest, HTTP NTLM and HTTP Negotiate) are currently not supported.

2.2. Automatic configuration (WPAD)

The Syncbox supports automatic configuration of a proxy server by means of the Web Proxy Auto-Discovery Protocol (WPAD). If your network is configured to support this, proxy server configuration of the Syncbox is done automatically and will work out of the box.

For more information on WPAD follow this link.

If your proxy server requires entering a username and password to access the internet, automatic configuration will normally not provide the Syncbox with these credentials. To enter them you would need to resort to manual configuration. As an alternative you can include the credentials in the the proxy URL in the PAC file. An example PAC file in this format is shown below.

function FindProxyForURL(url, host)
{
return "PROXY username:password@192.168.1.1:8080; DIRECT";
}

Note: Including the username and password for the proxy server in the PAC file will make it available to all users on the network, unless access to the PAC file is regulated by for instance IP address. The MAC address of the Syncbox is printed on its label to allow to assigning it a specific IP address.

3. Manual configuration

Manual configuration of Syncbox network settings is possible using a USB mass storage device. Please follow the steps below.

3.1. Prepare the USB stick

  1. Format a USB stick in FAT format.
  2. Create a new text file on it named “config”. The file must not be placed within a directory.
  3. Add configuration entries to the file as specified below.

3.2. Network configuration entries

The configuration file “config” can contain a combination of the following configuration entries, each on a separate line.

3.2.1. General

Clear all network profiles
config_net_reset=1

Note: The reset can be combined with other entries and will be handled first.

3.2.2. Wireless LAN

WiFi ssid to apply settings to (if omitted, configure Ethernet)
config_net_wifi_ssid=My WiFi Network

WiFi password to install
config_net_wifi_pass=password

WiFi auth-alg:
– open: Open System
– shared: Shared Key
config_net_wifi_auth=open

WiFi key management:
– none: WEP
– ieee8021x: Dynamic WEP
– wpa-psk: infrastructure WPA-PSK
– sae: SAE
– wpa-eap: WPA-Enterprise
config_net_wifi_mgmt=wpa-psk

3.2.3. Proxy server

Note: Proxy configuration applies to wired Ethernet, unless it is combined with wireless LAN configuration entries. To manually configure a proxy server for WiFi, you must also manually configure the WiFi settings. If you have already used the hotspot method to configure WiFi, you must clear the existing profile using the reset option listed above.

Proxy server host
config_net_proxy_host=192.168.1.1

Proxy server port
config_net_proxy_port=8080

Proxy server username
config_net_proxy_user=username

Proxy server password
config_net_proxy_pass=password

3.3. Apply settings on a Syncbox

Using the following steps you can apply the configuration to a Syncbox. You can repeat these steps on multiple Syncboxes, using the same USB stick.

  1. Power off the Syncbox, by holding the “Shutdown” button 10 seconds until the system LED starts blinking orange and finally switches off.
  2. Insert the USB stick into the front USB port below the Ethernet connector.
    Note: Do not use any of the 10 USB ports on the rear of the Syncbox for the USB stick. The device will not be found.
  3. Press and hold the “Shutdown” button for 10 seconds to start it in recovery mode. The Syncbox should apply the settings, and automatically reboot to normal mode.
    Note 1: Release the button when the system LED becomes orange. If you hold it too long it becomes red and will start in a different mode.
    Note 2: If applying the settings failed or no settings were applied, the Syncbox will stay in recovery mode and the system LED will stay red. In this case check the USB device, and restart at step 1 to retry.

How can I prevent Podcatchers from going into an error state?

Podcatcher we receive for repairs often don’t include a description of what’s wrong with them, and sometimes returned players seem to work just fine. To give you a better understanding of the general meaning of the lights on the Podcatchers and the required action, we have made the Podcatcher LED Status sheet.  Combining that and the Podcatcher LED Error sheet you can determine whether or not a Podcatcher (in an error state) needs to be sent for repairs.

Although we always replace our Podcatchers (which are in an error state or need to be repaired) free of charge, we would like to prevent you from unnecessarily spending money on shipping costs.

To make optimal use of our system and prevent your Podcatchers from going into an error state it’s important to:

  • Place a Podcatcher back into the Dockingstation when returned after use, so it can charge again
  • Firmly push the Podcatcher into a slot when placing it back into the Dockingstation
  • Place all Podcatchers back into the Dockingstations at the end of the day, so they can charge and sync overnight
  • Always sync replacement Podcatchers (whether for missing or repaired players), because they do not hold the content yet
  • You can try syncing a Podcatcher with an error in a different slot to make sure the problem doesn’t lie in the Dockingstation slot
  • Make sure the Sync Console is up, running and connected to a wired internet connection 24/7

If the Podcatcher has been physically damaged, has a distorted sound or makes a rattling sound when shaken, it needs to be replaced. Hardware defects can’t be solved by syncing the player.

How long does a synchronization take?

The daily synchronization which downloads the logs data for the analytics, sends the MMV e-mails and checks the Podcatchers for errors, only take a few minutes each day. If you have made a few small changes which need to be synced, it will not take that long.

When you Sync your content for the first time and all the new content has to written on to the Podcatcher,  it can take a long time depending on the amount of content you have.

On average; it will take a Podcatcher as much time to sync as the total amount of audio (in minutes) you’ve uploaded since the last sync.

For instance, if you have an audio tour of 30 minutes in 2 languages, you have about 1 hour of content. It will then take a Podcatcher 1 hour to sync. Important: there are up to 10 Podcatchers in one Dockingstations, and they all sync one after another. So for all 10 Podcatchers to finish the Sync it will take 10x 1 hour = 10 hours in total. If you have multiple Dockingstations, all the Dockingstations start syncing simultaneously.

If you would like to add multiple languages, but you do not have enough time before the opening to Sync all the languages, we advise to upload, publish and sync one or two languages for now. You can add the rest later.

My Syncconsole will not start, even after rebooting my PC, what can I do?

If rebooting your PC does not work and you have a screen and keyboard which you can connect to the PC, check  whether the application’s settings file has been corrupted. The file is located on the C: drive > Program Files > Guide ID > Podcatcher Sync > Data > Right-click on the settings file > open it with Notepad. If it’s empty, close the file again and replace that file with the file in; https://help.guideid.com/wp-content/uploads/Settings.zip

After replacing the file, restart the Podcatcher Sync service and/or the PC.

Our Syncconsole is offline, how can I solve this?

If the Sync console is offline, the PC cannot connect to our server. Please check the following:

  • The PC has an active internet connection
  • The Dockingstations are connected to the PC and power

If that seems to be in order, you can try restarting the pc. If the PC has an internet connection but still cannot connect to our server, please check if there is a firewall active – your IT should be able to help you here. The Podcatcher Sync program needs to be able to connect to apps.podcatcher.eu on port 80.

How do I install and connect the Sync PC we have received?

The sync pc is completely installed with all the necessary software. You should take the following steps:

  • Connect the Dockingstations to the PC using the USB cables. Or, when using multiple Dockingstations, plug them into the USB Hub using the USB Cables and then connect the USB Hub to the Pc.
  • Connect the Dockingstations and PC to the power socket.
  • Insert the Podcatchers into the Dockingstations.
  • Connect the PC to a wired internet connection and turn on the PC (Note: the whole set up needs to stay connected to power and internet 24/7).
  • Check if all the lights on the Dockingstations are green and the lights on the USB Hub are lit blue.
  • When ready, log on to the Podcatcher Portal > go to Sync > press “Sync Now”.
  • The content will be synced on to the Podcatchers.
  • As soon as the Podcatchers’ green LED lights up, they are ready and the content can be tested.

How can I check the IDentfier code when I can’t see the back?

If it is not possible to read the IDentifier code from the sticker on the back (for example because it is mounted on the wall), you can read the IDentifier code with a Podcatcher.

To do this take the following steps;

  1. While the Podcatcher is still in the Dockingstation, press and hold the two left buttons (A/B) with both thumbs and take the Podcatcher out of the Dockingstation.
  2. When all three LEDs are solid, release the buttons.
  3. Now aim the Podcatcher at the IDentifier(s) and the Podcatcher will tell you the IDentifier code

This also works to read the dipswitch codes for AV-Sync Boxes.

How can I mount an IDentifier?

You can mount the IDentifier with screws using the ears at the sides of the IDentifier or using double sided tape. Note; the ears can also be removed by breaking them from front to back.