Is IP Address Modification Possible

[jbailey268]

I reviewed some old posts like these 3
FAQ184-3356 and FAQ184-3854 and FAQ184-3479, they look like only limited help.

My current situation is that there is an external sign for this business from which the text displayed on the sign can be controlled by one local computer (PC.) It is a new computer. Problem: The IP address of the sign conflicts with the IP Address of accessing the internet. Every time they want to change the text message on the sign one has to go into the computers control panel and drill down to change the IP address to 198.168 etc.. Then messages can be sent to the sign. Very user unfriendly to the capabilities of the typical user at this place. When sign connection is establised the Internet is down. The sign will continue to display the text even as you change back to the original IP Address - which allows connection to the internet. Even for me, it is a pain. This is not an old computer, has Windows 7. Verizon set up the Internet Connections - The sign company set up their IP connection and their help guy said you CANNOT change the IP Address of the sign because it must handshake with the internal chip inside the sign some 150 feet away. The sign company suggested we call Verizon and have them change their IP Address for the internet to match the sign. Verizon was unwilling or unable to do that - after a significant runaround. Does this make any sense to anyone. This has me perplexed. Is a VFP solution viable? Is there a command to modify (toggle) between the two separate IP Addresses? If so I could wrap it around a simple user friendly program. My many thanks to anyone who may have had a similar issue or could make a reasonable suggestion.

 

[GriffMG]

This isn't REALLY a VFP question, it's a TCP/IP question.

That said, I like IP questions, so...
Can you specify the addresses for the sign, the router (that would be the PCs gateway address), the PCs normal address and the one that you use when you want to communicate with the sign.

You MIGHT be able to use a multi-home approach, whereby you add a second IP address to the PC and it can then talk to both the internet and the sign. But, this will only work if the IP ranges are appropriate...

Regards

Griff
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[Olaf Doschke]

192.168 is te begin of the typical NON internet range of local IP adresses, so that actually should have no effect on the internet connection, unless the adress of the sign is the same as your gateway/router address.

Then change your gateway/router to a different address and you will have no further problem.

Eg if the sign insist on being 192.168.1.1 and it's not configurable, and that also is the gateway adress of your verizon router, there should be a way to change the router address to 192.168.2.1, eg. Typically a router has an administration page on 192.168.1.1, and that should also allow to change that adress to something else. Google for instructions of the router device you have.

Bye, Olaf.

 

[GriffMG]

Hi Olaf,

I don't think that can be the case, because the OP says that he can talk to the sign if he changes his IP address, so presumably they are in different subnets...

He just wants it easier to do.

Regards

Griff
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[Olaf Doschke]

I can't imagine a sign to be preconfigured and hardwired to be in a subnet, I would expect it to be on a special port, instead, eg 192.168.1.1:88 or whatever other port. But that would need no reconfiguration of a client to adress the sign.

We'll see. If you're right, the sign vendor should be asked for his reasoning.

Bye, Olaf.

 

[stanlyn]

Hi jbailey268,

OK, here is whats going on...

Your Verizon (or any) router has 2 sides to it, the LAN (local area network made up of your local in the building computers and devices), and the WAN (which is the internet and outside the building devices). Please note that even though the sign is actually outside the building, it is still attached to your LAN (local network). In other words, the sign is not on the WAN, but on a LAN subnet that is different from your computers subnet.

Assuming the routers LAN setting is something like 192.168.0.1 and if the subnet mask is 255.255.255.0 (which is normal), then we would say that it is on the .0 network which would allow all devices with ip addresses from 192.168.0.1 thru 192.168.0.254 to communicate with each other.

Your problem is the sign is on a different subnet than what your local LAN is... The sign is using something different like 192.168.1.x, so remember, if the subnet mask is 255.255.255.0, then a device using 192.168.0.xxx cannot communicate with a device using 192.168.1.xxx as they are on a different subnet.

So, your Verizon tech configured their router to match your local computers and lets say that was 192.168.0.xxx. The sign is actually on a different subnet, and when you change your computer's ip to match the same subnet as the sign, you will break the connection to the internet because your computer cannot find the gateway (which is the Verizon router) because it is configured to your local subnet and not the signs subnet.

Remember that in order to get to the internet, you must be able to talk to your router which must be on the same subnet as the computer that you are using to talk to it. Then the router will provide the proper gateway and dns info so internet connectivity can be established.

Now, the sign tech is asking you to reconfigure all of the devices on your local LAN to match that of the sign, which is crazy, and I would refuse to do so. I would demand the sign people to supply the necessary info so that the sign can be configured to be part of the company's LAN, or return the sign.

I am against this, however if your client's company only has a couple devices to configure, then you could change your company's lan config to match that of the sign and be done with it. Because the Verizon router is part of your company's LAN, its Lan side would also need to be reconfigured.


Good luck,
Stanley

 

[Olaf Doschke]

Nicely explained, stanlyn.

I also revert my assumption 192.168.1.1 is the normal router IP address, 192.168.0.1 is widely used.

You can expnd your LAN with the subnet mask, too. Which would need to be done on every PC in your LAN, but only once.

The least effort may still be to put one PC into both subents via assigning two IPs as Griff suggests.

Bye, Olaf.

 

[GriffMG]

Of course, if the OP doesn't get back to us, we're just whistling in the wind!

Regards

Griff
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[stanlyn]

>> my assumption 192.168.1.1 is the normal router IP address, 192.168.0.1 is widely used.

Actually, they are both very popular, depending on the manufacturer.


>> ou can expnd your LAN with the subnet mask, too. Which would need to be done on every PC in your LAN, but only once.

Yes, and thats why I injected the netmask into the conversation.


>> The least effort may still be to put one PC into both subents via assigning two IPs as Griff suggests.

Yes, but that will only let that specific computer access to the sign, or they could do it to all their computers... I still say that the best solution is get the config info from the sign people and configure it now, and in the future...


>> Of course, if the OP doesn't get back to us, we're just whistling in the wind!

1. What does OP stand for?

2. Did they move it to the IP section and not looking back?


Now, if I can just get a handle on this sql and CA stuff, I'd be doing good... Many thanks to you Olaf for helping me in this...


Thanks,
Stanley

 

[GriffMG]

OP = Original Poster - I couldn't be bovvered to look at the top of the thread B-)

Suspect he has gone elsewhere

Regards

Griff
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[stanlyn]

Thanks, and yes, I'd suspect they moved on...

Stanley

 

[jbailey268]

I reviewed some of the informational instruction I have. It is explained her for clarity. Again, I'm aiming at (if possible) a VFP prgram that can be run to toggle between the sign and the internet. The signs physical IP Address 192.168.0.218

Pseudo drill down instructions:

Control Panel ....Local Area Connect...Properties.
Then hi-lite Internet Protocol v4 TPPIPv4...Properties. Then, if you select the option button "Use the Following IP Address", then for the SIGN you enter 192.168.0.100 and sub-net mask 255.255.0
If you want the internet you just click the button Obtain IP Address Automatically. That's pretty much it. Maybe this isn't the right forum. I am a VFP Programmer and searching for a way to do this via Foxpro.

 

[GriffMG]

Hello Jbailey268 - thank you for coming back to us.

What we need to know is the IP set up that you get when you let the router do the work for you (by selecting the 'Obtain IP Address Automatically'.

You can get this information by getting the command prompt up and typing IPCONFIG

We will need to know the address that is assigned, the default gateway and the subnet mask. It is then quite likely that we can recommend that you set both IP addresses up manually and you will be able to google and manage your sign with no further changes.


Regards

Griff
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[Olaf Doschke]

Take it from Griff, we already agreed its possible to have a setup not needing to switch.

Permanently setting Subnetmask 255.255.254.0 might be sufficient, even, so you cn adress both 192.168.0.218 (sign) and 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1 (most probably your standard gateway address to internet).

Bye, Olaf.

 

[GriffMG]

I think he has gone again, shame - it was a nice technical question, even if it wasn't exactly VFP related.

Regards

Griff
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[jbailey268]

I have more config information that might help in this regard.
Since I couldn't attach a file (print screens) here is the info in a nutshell. This is the default setting.

IPv4 Address 192.168.1.47
Subnet Mask 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway 192.168.1.1

Thank you ever so much for your consideration. It would great to get them both (internet and sign) to be utilized without toggling between every time you want to update the sign.

The sign setting is 192.168.0.100 subnet reads like 255.255.0.0

 

[GriffMG]

Hi J Bailey

You can indeed set this up with two IP addresses,

The only detail we don't have now is your DNS addresses, for most home and small business routers this can be replaced with the address of the gateway - but not all, so you are going to need to use the command prompt, then type in IPCONFIG /ALL and look for the DNS Servers line for that.

Now, go to where you input your address manually for the sign, change the entry to 'Use the following address' ane put in the three entries you have given above for the 192.168.1.47 address.

Next use the address for the DNS you found using IPCONFIG /ALL above and put that in the DNS Servers section and then click on the 'Advanced...' button and then the 'Add' button in the IP address section. Put your signs IP details in the two boxes presented, when you have done that click on the 'Add' button, then 'Ok' and the 'Ok' again...

You should now be able to talk to both your sign and your router for the internet.

It's called 'multi-homing', very simple and very useful.

Regards

Griff
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There are 10 kinds of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.

 

[jbailey268]

To GriggMG

Here is the info on DNS

When I typed IPCONFIG /ALL

DNS Servers 192.168.1.1 and 192.168.1.1

Other stuff
Physical Address 00-26-2D-18-0C-DB
IPv4 Address 192.168.1.47(Preferred)

DHCP Server (same)

Hope this will help you help me.

Thanks

 

[GriffMG]

Hi J Bailey

You can indeed set this up with two IP addresses,

Go to where you input your address manually for the sign, change the entry to 'Use the following address' ane put in the three entries you have given above for the 192.168.1.47 address.

Next use the address for the DNS you found using IPCONFIG /ALL above and put that in the DNS Servers section and then click on the 'Advanced...' button and then the 'Add' button in the IP address section. Put your signs IP details in the two boxes presented, when you have done that click on the 'Add' button, then 'Ok' and the 'Ok' again...

You should now be able to talk to both your sign and your router for the internet.

It's called 'multi-homing', very simple and very useful.

Regards

Griff
Keep [Smile]ing

There are 10 kinds of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.