No Home Network - How To Use CF

[everthewatcher]

I can't say, I don't know Win10. I can say I am unable to offer any help. It is however definitely the case that the more recent the version of Windows, the more hoops one has to go through (in general) and the more hidden things are from the non-admin user.

No different to any other operating system. Select DHCP, go to the router, make sure DHCP is enabled and set an address reservation of that device/MAC address. We've done this before.

 

[Black Hole]

No different to any other operating system. Select DHCP, go to the router, make sure DHCP is enabled and set an address reservation of that device/MAC address. We've done this before.

You're missing the point. We're talking about a point-to-point connection with no router involved, no DHCP server (unless you set up the PC to provide it). Hence the title "No Home Network".

 

[/df]

Plausible instructions for connecting and setting up a W10 wired connection are here.

With the aid of a WiFi dongle, the best solution for OP might be to set up the personal hotspot on the iPad and connect the laptop and Humax using the hotspot. But as Apple is involved, there's probably some catch.

 

[Black Hole]

But as Apple is involved, there's probably some catch.

No, that's exactly what I (used to) do to manage the HDR-FOX at my supported user's flat, using my (Android) phone hot spot as an Internet connection and router, and my iPad as the terminal.

Plausible instructions for connecting and setting up a W10 wired connection are here.

Need testing.

 

[Arthur Penney]

Thanks for more fascinating comments. I have done a little.
Removed dust, tested the fan with a 9v battery which gave a gentle flow of air out, installed the Custom Firmware. Twice, I should have copied the instructions, forgot to remove the memory stick. I did remember to empty the stick but forgot to format it. It all worked smoothly anyway. The recorder has survived and recorded Fireman Sam this morning ok. Ordered an Ethernet cable. I may be able to borrow a Windows 7 laptop that has been unused for several years.
I have ordered a wifi dongle on eBay but I confess that this aspect of this project is the bit that really bothers me. I will not be at all surprised to find that it does not work with the recorder.
I could not find on the Vodafone/Huawei account site the AP Isolation topic. But since it is mostly meaningless to me that doesn’t mean a lot. I suppose it might be possible to take screen shots of the site if that would be of any interest to you. I suppose I would attach them by the ‘attach files’ near this posting form.

 

[rpb424]

Thanks for more fascinating comments. I have done a little.
Removed dust, tested the fan with a 9v battery which gave a gentle flow of air out, installed the Custom Firmware. Twice, I should have copied the instructions, forgot to remove the memory stick. I did remember to empty the stick but forgot to format it. It all worked smoothly anyway. The recorder has survived and recorded Fireman Sam this morning ok. Ordered an Ethernet cable. I may be able to borrow a Windows 7 laptop that has been unused for several years.
I have ordered a wifi dongle on eBay but I confess that this aspect of this project is the bit that really bothers me. I will not be at all surprised to find that it does not work with the recorder.
I could not find on the Vodafone/Huawei account site the AP Isolation topic. But since it is mostly meaningless to me that doesn’t mean a lot. I suppose it might be possible to take screen shots of the site if that would be of any interest to you. I suppose I would attach them by the ‘attach files’ near this posting form.

When you say 'Vodafone/Huawei account site' do you mean that you actually logged in to the web interface on the Huawei box itself and saw nothing useful in terms of AP isolation, or are you talking about your Vodafone online account (where your account and billing details are)? You need to be logged into the Huawei box, but if the setting is not there then it doesn't necessarily mean that communication between devices won't work by default, but a changeable setting would confirm that the capability at least exists. If it is there then you'd probably find it under something like 'Advanced wifi settings' or maybe 'wifi security'. Sadly we can't find a specific user manual for your box to be able to say exactly.

Just to clarify what we mean here. AP (Access Point) Isolation is a wifi security setting that (as its name suggests) isolates devices connected to the wifi network from each other, meaning that all they can do is see out to the internet rather than being able to pass stuff around between them internally on the network. This is useful if, say, you allow a house guest to log in to your wifi to be able to access the internet, but you don't want them to also be able to snoop across any of the other devices you might also have connected to your network. Setting up a locked down 'guest network' is a better way of doing this if a router supports it though.

 

[Arthur Penney]

Regarding looking for AP Isolation. I am sure that I was looking at stuff concerning the Huawei box. Although there was Vodafone red at the top there was Huawei at the bottom. Anyway, when I was given the iPad and box, I wasn’t told to get an actual Vodafone account proper so I never did. The grace period will expire soon and the charity is supposed to advise people on the scheme what sort of package to buy. Presumably that will require a proper account. The charity would like the iPad returned if no longer wanted. Of course I would even though strictly it belongs to me. I don’t know about my sister after she has cremated me.

 

[Black Hole]

I have ordered a wifi dongle on eBay but I confess that this aspect of this project is the bit that really bothers me. I will not be at all surprised to find that it does not work with the recorder.

Well, you've done it now but maybe you could have referred us to the eBay item to see what we thought. So long as it says "RT3070" you should be OK.

As for the rest: don't fret, just try it and see.

 

[Arthur Penney]

An unexpected gift popped through the letter box this afternoon from a neighbour, an Ethernet cable. By trying to follow the instructions in the Samsung link, I got a Telnet list. I only dared try the reboot and x options. I am now much more confident that this project is going to reach a satisfactory conclusion. I understood that I had to get the IP address from the Humax settings and put it into the address bar of Chrome. I am rather puzzled by why the numbers were different the second time I tried. I don’t see where the Humax gets the numbers from if it is not connected to the Internet.
The next things to do are check that I will be able to access fixdisk when I need it, and to be able to experiment with the fan setting.
I can’t thank you enough for getting me this far so quickly.

 

[Black Hole]

By trying to follow the instructions in the Samsung link

What? Oh, those. If you can follow that you are more capable than I was expecting for somebody with no real knowledge of computing.

I am rather puzzled by why the numbers were different the second time I tried. I don’t see where the Humax gets the numbers from if it is not connected to the Internet.

The HDR-FOX (or anything else on a network) gets allocated an IP Address (and the other parameters) by a DHCP server (see Glossary). Normally the DHCP service is running on a router (which "controls" home network) - the Internet is not involved.

In order for the HDR-FOX to acquire sensible parameters, the PC must have been providing that service. Unless you take measures, the address might change each time (but under normal circumstances remains pretty static - yours are not normal circumstances). Now you have sensible parameters, you might be able to fix the address by Menu >> Settings >> System >> internet Setting >> Configure LAN >> Configure IP = Manual. Be aware that if you then cannot make contact, you will have to go back to Configure IP = DHCP.

The next things to do are check that I will be able to access fixdisk when I need it,

Simple enough: just use the Maintenance Mode menu option.

and to be able to experiment with the fan setting.

To do that you will have to link the HDR-FOX through to the Internet, so you can install the WebIF and then the fan package. That means routing it through the PC or using my dongle WiFi option.

 

[Arthur Penney]

I am reporting that, after guesswork, trial and error, and a little thinking, on Tuesday afternoon the Humax connected to the Internet via the Ethernet cable to the Acer. I delayed this comment as I wanted to check that it was not just a fluke.
Incidentally, MartinLiddle is spot on with assessment of the performance of Acer. Fortunately it is not too awful when it is being used for one thing at a time.
I feel that I owe Black Hole an apology regarding post 26. It did not occur to me to ask for specific help regarding a wifi dongle.

 

[Black Hole]

I feel that I owe Black Hole an apology regarding post 26. It did not occur to me to ask for specific help regarding a wifi dongle.

No matter - it's your money!

Actually, it's quite a relief you're prepared to give it a go instead of (as some do) ask interminable questions which would become clear if only they rolled up their sleeves.

I hope you'll give the dongle+MiFi a try.

 

[Arthur Penney]

A WiFi dongle arrived today from China, looking like a slightly fat memory stick. I got it from an eBay seller called foryougood. Well, it was goodforme. Plugged it into the running recorder and in a few minutes was looking at the web-if page on the iPad. No guesswork, no trial and error, no thinking. I did have to move the Mifi box closer for the Vodafone signal to be recognised. I could not work out how to make the fan package run from the iPad. It is comforting to know that I have two options for the deleting problem, dongle and Ethernet. You are so right in diagnosing me as being a non-techie. It has become apparent that I am just about the only person I have spoken to recently who knew the word Ethernet but had no idea what it is. They had all got cables; some had even thrown them away.
Again, thanks for all your help in reaching such a satisfactory conclusion.

 

[Black Hole]

Plugged it into the running recorder and in a few minutes was looking at the web-if page on the iPad. No guesswork, no trial and error, no thinking.

Good. So much easier than faffing about with a cable + configuring a PC to "go routerless".

I could not work out how to make the fan package run from the iPad

1. WebIF >> Package Management >> Available >> fan >> Install
   
   
2. WebIF >> Diagnostics >> Reboot System >> Restart
   
   
3. WebIF >> Settings >> Settings for fan package

It shouldn't matter whether you're using the iPad or any other web browser.

For information: the fan setting (in Settings for fan package) establishes a minimum speed for the fan, which otherwise varies between max and zero under normal circumstances. Setting, say, 40% ensures there is a continuous airflow through the enclosure (with very little noise) while the standard firmware is still allowed to boost that if it becomes necessary.

 

[Black Hole]

Plausible instructions for connecting and setting up a W10 wired connection are here.

I've come back to this because it has become topical again.

The link (see attached PDF grab) seems to give instructions for connecting a PC to a router by cable instead of WiFi, it does not (at least it appears to me) provide instructions how to provide a point-to-point link. Is it the case that if the subnet mask is set to match the subnet mask in the HDR-FOX, and an appropriate (different) IP address is configured, that's all that is necessary for the PC web browser to access the HDR-FOX CF?

 

[/df]

I believe that should work.