I am having an issue with the router we use at out tournaments. Some background:
In the past we have only used school computers. As part of an upgrade plan we bought our own computer. We are using this computer as the main server for TM. Previously, we have had the main server plugged into the internet port on the router we use. We then use the 5 outputs on the back to branch to other things. (the first 4 for things at HQ and the last one, we use to go to a 24 port switch) and that has worked fine but we need to move away from that.
Issue:
When we plug the new computer into the, “internet” port on the router, none of the other devices can talk to it. Which makes us not able to connect to the TM server. Now if we connect those same devices (with the same cables) To the routers built in (or our stand alone 24 port) switch it works just fine. Sadly, we do need the router for the wireless access.
If anyone has any ideas on this, it would be greatly apricated.
TLDR: Don’t use the Internet port on the router (unless you disable the router settings).
A router expects that the intranet port will be on a different network (outside) and the 4 ports plus wireless are inside. Putting your TM workstation on the internet port will block its access to everything else on the network. Many routers have an option to turn off the router where it makes the Internet port part of the inside network buy you will need to check your router setup documentation.
To keep it simple, I connect my TM workstation and printer to the four ethernet ports on the router and I don’t use the internet port. Then I also connect the TM workstation to the school network over WIFI. The TM workstation is “dual home” which means that it can see the private scoring system network (Ethernet) and send scores to RobotEvents (WIFI).
My field control and score display computers (Pis) are connected via WIFI. If you want to use Ethernet cabling, you can connect your 24 port switch to one of the four ports on the router to expand capacity.
Question for you then:
Why has it worked in the past? Also, If we don’t plug into the internet port, does the router broadcast that signal even though it has nothing in the internet port?
This is 100% how to do it if you are on a school network. That way you can put whatever you want on your ad-hoc network yet it will still work with the internet. The only two devices that communicate over the school network for me are the TM server and the live streaming computer.
When we ran the state tournament this year, it was at a different school than I was used to. Their network was set up so the TM server couldn’t connect to the live streaming computer over the Wifi. So for next year, we will have to connect the ethernet between the router and the live streaming computer as well… Didn’t do it at the time last year as I didn’t bring my extra ethernet cables and the router only had 4 ports anyway. Will plug in an 8-port switch as said above.
Were all the devices on the school wifi network as well? What are the “other things” you were connecting to? You are absolutely sure the TM server was the one plugged into the internet slot?
Sorry for the… late response, didn’t realize someone responded. The other things were; a 24 port switch, another computer at HQ, a printer, and sometimes raspberry pi for testing. All of the computers had WIFI intentionally disabled during the tournaments.
In our tournament we paned on using the same PC for streaming and running the tournament. This way we could use one of those plugins for OBS that will automatically switch to the different cameras. It sounds like that isn’t very popular. Is there a reason for that?