Network Setup Guide. For Global Communications Technology Systems

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1 Network Setup Guide For Global Communications Technology Systems This guide explains how to configure the network and settings for and with multiple Global Communications Technology products. After following this guide, your Global Communications Technology products should be able to communicate with each other over a network. Overview Summary These are the basic steps you will perform when following this guide: 1) Understand the ways the systems use the network. 2) Learn about the configuration options. 3) Learn about the G-SMU advanced networking features. 4) Configure the systems and your network. 5) Learn how to access built-in help documentation. 6) Review/Print the included checklists as installation/setup reminders. How Systems Use the Network Most of Global Communications Technology's products use a standard Ethernet IP network for communication and control. Your specific situation will dictate how the network is used and how much bandwidth is required. IP Address and Ports Global Communications Technology's products each use a single IP address for all its communication. This can greatly simplify setting up and managing the system. Depending on your needs, the system will utilize multiple network ports for different forms of communication. All ports are configurable, as is the IP address. The default IP address is Web Interface All of Global Communications Technology's systems are web-based. That is, you can access them over a network using a standard web browser. This is used for configuration, control, and monitoring of the system. While you can just connect a computer directly to the system and not use an actual network, the system and the computer most often are just put on the same network. The use of the web interface will require a single network port. The default web port is port 80. Web connections are TCP based Network 2016 GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY, LLC 1

2 Audio Streaming When multiple systems are involved, audio can be streamed from one system to another. These streams may be configured completely manually, semi-automatically, or they may be created dynamically as needed (when using a G-SMU System Management Unit). Each stream requires a single network port on each side of the stream. When ports are assigned automatically by the system, they are selected from a configurable range. The default automatic port range is 6000 to All audio streaming is UDP based (not TCP). System-to-System Connectivity When multiple systems are involved, they can be made to communicate with each other in ways other than just audio streaming. To do this, messages are sent back and forth between the systems over the network. Each system needs a single network port for this communication. The default messaging port is All messages are sent via UDP (not TCP). System Configuration Options There are several different items to consider when configuring a system to utilize the network. Which items get configured depends on your particular overall system needs. The following explains the network-focused aspects of the system. Remote Systems Remote Systems are essentially other Global Communications Technology systems that the system you're configuring will need to talk to. For example, if you have a G-408 that needs to work over the network with a G-404, the G-408 will have the G-404 in its list of remote systems and the G-404 will have the G-408 in its list of remote systems. (Note: If using a G-SMU, the rules are slightly different see below for more information.) The primary benefit of using Remote Systems is that it can help simplify the setup of audio streams between the two systems. That is, it can enable the use of automatic mode GCT Streams essentially enabling you to configure audio streams without having to worry about ports and IP addresses in the stream's configuration. (See below for more information about GCT Streams.) Remote Systems are also used when linking network based GPIO modules and interfaces. That is, when in network mode, the GPIO module/interface sends/receives its serial traffic and auxiliary signals over the network to another GPIO module/interface. It does this by pointing to one of the modules on a configured Remote System. Which Remote Systems are online is also visible from the web-based user interface of the system you're working on, which may be helpful for monitoring and diagnostic purposes. (For example, if the G-408 has a G-404 configured as a remote system, you can determine if the G-404 is online by looking Network 2016 GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY, LLC 2

3 at the G-408's user interface.) GPIO modules/interfaces aside, using the Remote Systems configuration is entirely optional. You can still create audio streams manually using IP addresses and ports and browse to each system individually. GCT Streams GCT Streams are smart audio streams between Global Communications Technology systems. In addition to audio, they also carry important real-time information about the audio so the other system can make intelligent decisions about it. The GCT Stream's audio and data originates from the single IP address of the system. (Only a single IP address is required for each Global Communications Technology system.) The specific port used by the GCT Stream varies based on the way the stream is configured. Please Note: There is a more extensive description of GCT Streams in the GCT Stream Virtual Module Guide if you need more information. The following should serve as a reminder or summary. GCT Stream Automatic Mode Automatic Mode requires adding the destination system to the list of Remote Systems. After that, all of the IP address and port selection can be done by the system. This is very helpful if the IP address may change in the future. To configure the stream, just select which remote system to use and then which module on that system to connect with. The other system must also be configured with a GCT Stream in Automatic Mode (or Automatic Mode With Manual Local Port ), and must be configured to point to the first system/module. GCT Stream Automatic Mode With Manual Local Port Automatic Mode With Manual Local Port is similar to Automatic Mode, except it allows you to manually configure a local port on the GCT Stream. (In Automatic Mode, a local port was selected for you by the system.) This mode is useful when you need very precise control over the ports that are used in the system, but do not want to manually manage IP addresses. GCT Stream Manual Mode Manual Mode does NOT require the use of Remote Systems. Instead, you must specify the IP address and ports to use yourself. This is helpful if you do not want to configure any Remote Systems and/or if it is not appropriate to create a Remote System link. The downside is that you have to manually configure and manage the IP addresses and ports. Also Note: When using Manual Mode, audio will be streamed blindly regardless of whether or not the other system is there to receive it Network 2016 GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY, LLC 3

4 GCT Stream Manual Mode With Link Validation Manual Mode With Link Validation is a slight enhancement to Manual Mode. In this case, you still specify the IP address and ports manually. However, you also specify a Remote System. Audio will only be streamed to the specified IP/port when that specified Remote System is online. The IP address being streamed to does NOT have to match the IP address of the Remote System. This mode is helpful in situations where manual IP/port management is required, but you only want audio to be streamed if there is something to receive it. Automatic Mode Setup Example: You want to share a single net's audio between a G-408 to a G-404. You can do this with a GCT Stream on each side in Automatic Mode (or any of the other modes): 1) On the G-408, configure the G-404 as a Remote System 2) On the G-404, configure the G-408 as a Remote System 3) On the G-408, create a virtual GCT Stream module. Select Automatic Mode. Select the G- 404 as the remote system. Do not select a remote module, yet. Save the stream and note the module number that was created (e.g., module #100). 4) On the G-404, create a virtual GCT Stream module. Select Automatic Mode. Select the G- 408 as the remote system. Enter the module number that you just created on the G-408 in the previous step (e.g., #100). (Alternatively, click the 'Query' button to get the G-404 to ask the G- 408 what modules are available and then select the module from the list e.g., #100). Save the stream and note the module that was created (e.g., module #103). 5) Back on the G-408, modify the previously created module (e.g., #100) and specify the module that was created on the G-404 (e.g., #103 use the 'Query' button if you want to). Save the settings. 6) The modules will now automatically link with each other audio from one GCT Stream will be sent over the network and received by the other GCT Stream, and vice-versa. 7) If desired, put each module in a net with hardware modules on each system. Those 2 nets are now effectively made into one large wide area net, using the GCT Stream as an audio transport. Other Streams In addition to GCT Streams, the system you are using may support other types of audio streams that can be used to connect to other brands/types of equipment. These streams are highly likely to use different network ports for communication. Please consult your system's built in help for more information, or contact customer support. GPIO Modules and Interfaces GPIO Modules are non-audio-centric plug-in modules for the G-408 and G-404. When in network mode, these modules pass RS-232 serial data and/or auxiliary signals over the network to another Network 2016 GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY, LLC 4

5 module. The module that receives the data will transmit out that data effectively mirroring the GPIO modules over the network. The G-202 also has a built-in GPIO interface. This interface works just like a G-408/G-404 GPIO module, and can be paired over the network with another GPIO interface or a GPIO module. The GPIO modules/interfaces use the behind-the-scenes system to system messaging feature that comes with adding a Remote System. In essence, GPIO modules are configured similarly to how an Automatic Mode GCT Stream is configured add the remote systems to each side, then point the GPIO modules at each other. Only the messaging port is used when sending GPIO data over the network. This port is defined in the Remote System configuration. Port Selection As described earlier in this guide, network ports are used for accessing the web interface, streaming audio, and system-to-system communication. The ports that are used are entirely configurable from the Port Management tool on the system. When selecting/configuring ports, it is important to keep in mind how the system will be accessed particularly if multiple systems need to be accessed through a NAT firewall. (NAT stands for Network Address Translation and is a mechanism that hides internal LAN IP addresses from the outside world which only sees a single WAN IP address.) If your systems live on different LANs (i.e., behind different NAT routers), it is important to configure the ports so that ports within a single LAN do not overlap. Otherwise, the NAT router is likely to get confused and send the traffic to the wrong system resulting in undesirable behavior. 1) Web Browser Port The port that gets used by the web browser. The default is port for HTTP is port 80, and all web browsers know this. If a different port is used, append a colon ( : ) and the port number in the address bar to access the system. For example, if the system's IP address is and the assigned web browser port is 5555, use in the browser. 2) Messaging Port The port that gets used for system to system communication that is not audio. The default port is You will need to know this port number when configuring remote systems, but it is otherwise invisible. 3) Automatic Audio Port Minimum The lowest port that will be automatically assigned by Automatic Mode GCT Streams and the talkpaths that get created by the G-SMU. 4) Automatic Audio Port Maximum The highest port that will be automatically assigned by Automatic Mode GCT Streams and the talkpaths that get created by the G-SMU. 5) Manually Assigned Ports Ports that are specified manually on GCT Streams or other streams should also be accounted for. (These ports are NOT configured in the Port Management tool, but are listed there for your reference. Instead, these ports are configured on the individual virtual module configuration pages.) Network 2016 GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY, LLC 5

6 Usually, you will NOT need to forward audio streaming ports in your NAT router. The systems tend to be smart enough to get traffic to flow without this. This is also often true for the Messaging Port (G-SMU excepted see below for more information). The web browser port only needs to be forwarded if you need access to browse to the system outside of your LAN. Wide Area Connectivity (G-SMU) If your system is part of a wide-area system (that is, if multiple systems will be working with each other), the G-SMU System Management Unit is a powerful tool that can make that communication much easier. The G-SMU itself is described in the next section. On each non-g-smu system, there is a separate configuration tool for telling the system how to connect to its G-SMU (that is, the system needs to know the G-SMU's IP address and messaging port). The tool also reports whether or not the configured G-SMU is online and/or why the system cannot talk to the G-SMU that is configured. This configuration is relatively straight forward and, like all configuration, is done from the web interface. G-SMU Advanced Networking Features The G-SMU is an advanced wide-area system that makes working with and dynamically linking multiple systems together very easy each system connects to a single G-SMU instead of having all the Remote Systems added to each other with manually created audio streams. To handle this, the G-SMU makes extensive use of the Messaging Port and Automatic Audio Port Range defined on each system. (These ports are specified in the Port Management tool of each system.) The G-SMU will create audio streams (called Talkpaths ) on an as-needed basis, based on routing configuration and the wide area connections made by the system operator. To accommodate these streams, it is important that each system's Automatic Audio Port Minimum and Automatic Audio Port Maximum provide enough ports for the number of audio streams (which may be numerous, depending on your wide area system configuration). Although the G-SMU does not have any hardware audio sources (like a radio or microphone), it does have the ability to provide locally hosted network audio streams for manual links with other systems. It can also serve as an audio hub for when systems cannot be made to connect directly to each other (effectively routing Talkpaths through itself). When using a G-SMU with NAT routing, you WILL need to configure the NAT router to forward the G-SMU's Messaging Port to the G-SMU. This enables other systems to reach and communicate with the G-SMU over the network Network 2016 GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY, LLC 6

7 The G-SMU also provides some advanced networking features to simplify installation and setup of wide area systems, as well as the capability of handling systems whose network information may change (such as DHCP-based IP addresses). 1) Wide Area Talkpaths When the G-SMU operator makes a wide-area connection (i.e., puts 2 modules from different systems in the same net ), the G-SMU will automatically create audio streams between the systems (and will route through the G-SMU itself when appropriate). This is all transparent to the operator audio just flows as they would expect it to. These talkpaths do NOT consume virtual module licenses for the system. The ports used for these audio streams will come from the Automatic Audio Port Range specified in the Port Management tool. 2) Audio Hub Based on the G-SMU's routing policy for a particular system (see below), the G- SMU may choose to route audio from one system through the G-SMU itself to help conserve bandwidth. No additional equipment is required. This audio routing may cause the G-SMU to have additional streams and thus use additional network ports. 3) Dispatch Stations The G-SMU provides a powerful Dispatch feature that allows operators to access the audio from remote systems and wide area nets. The operators access this audio by using dedicated remote systems (such as a G-120) to access the audio. These stations are typically set on a desk where the operator will work, and are configured to access the G-SMU. On the G-SMU, the remote system is flagged as being For Dispatch, enabling operators to reserve it for their own use after they log in to the G-SMU's user interface. Audio is sent over the network to/from the reserved dispatch station to the G-SMU, and then to/from the appropriate remote systems based on what audio the operator has requested to access. 4) Auto Detect Each Remote System added to a G-SMU may be put in Auto Detect mode (on the G-SMU the remote system itself is not aware of this configuration option). When the systems are set to 'Auto Detect' (on their Remote System configuration page in the G-SMU), their IP addresses, ports, and routing requirements are automatically detected each time the system connects. This both eliminates the need to manually configure these settings as well as allows systems to change their connection information (such as with a DHCP IP address) WITHOUT changing the G-SMU's configuration. 5) Auto Detect Override In the unlikely event that the G-SMU's auto detected setting is inappropriate or undesired, any or all of the network settings can be overridden. That is, when set, the setting you specify will be used instead of the auto-detected value. 6) Router Awareness When your wide area systems reside behind different NAT routers, the G- SMU can still properly route audio between them automatically. It does this using a combination of LAN IP Addresses, WAN IP Addresses, and LAN Identifiers. (See below for more information on these settings.) 7) Discovery Mode The G-SMU may be put in Discovery Mode (done in the General Settings tool). When in this mode, the G-SMU will automatically accept connections from Remote Systems even if it did not previously know about that remote system. Once the system connects, the G-SMU will store its information in its list of Remote Systems as if it had been entered manually by an administrator. For large wide area systems, this can make setup much simpler. However, after all the desired systems have been discovered, it is probably a good idea to turn Discovery Mode off to prevent any undesired systems from connecting to the G-SMU. 8) Auto Detect on Discovery When a new system is discovered by a G-SMU, the G-SMU can Network 2016 GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY, LLC 7

8 either use those settings directly as part of the system's configuration, or the system can be set in Auto Detect mode (this option is defined in the General Settings tool). Usually, Auto Detect mode works quite well and it is desirable to put the connecting systems in that mode. 9) LAN vs. WAN IP Addresses Instead of having a single IP address for a Remote System, the G-SMU can be made aware of LAN and WAN IP addresses for that system. That is, if the remote system is behind a NAT router from the G-SMU's perspective, communication to/from that system should be done using the WAN IP address. However, other systems behind that NAT router should talk directly to the system using the LAN IP address for that system (preventing the need for hairpin routing). The G-SMU is aware of this and uses the appropriate IP addresses when communicating. Note that Auto Detect should discover these IP addresses appropriately in most circumstances. 10) LAN Identifiers LAN Identifiers define which LAN the remote system resides on which may or may not be the same LAN that the G-SMU lives on. For example, if 2 systems are behind NAT router A, and 3 systems are behind NAT router B, the 2 systems behind router A could have a LAN identifier of 10 and the 3 systems behind NAT router B could have a LAN identifier of 20. (The 10 and 20 numbers are not important as long as they are configured correctly for each system.) These numbers allow the G-SMU to use the appropriate IP addresses when talking to the system and/or telling other systems to talk to each other. Note that the Auto Detect should discover and assign an appropriate LAN Identifier in most circumstances. 11) Routing Policies The G-SMU can route audio directly from system to system, or use itself as an Audio Hub (see above for more information). Which route it chooses is based on the Routing Policy for that system and the number of talkpaths already present on those systems. Always Use Hub consumes the least bandwidth but provides the least redundancy while Fully Distributed consumes the most bandwidth but provides complete redundancy. The other settings provide combinations of hub and distributed talkpaths based on the number of existing talkpaths. 12) Preferred Codec When establishing talkpaths between systems, the audio to/from those systems is digitally encoded for sending over a network. Different audio Codecs provide different audio characteristics and consume different amounts of network bandwidth. Usually, the default is fine (GSM), but this can be changed if desired. Despite the lengthy list of features, using and setting up a G-SMU is very straight forward. See a following section for some helpful suggestions when setting up the G-SMU. Configuring the Systems and Your Network The network configuration for the systems and the router configuration for your network is relatively easy with Global Communications Technology's systems. The following explains the basic steps involved. Also see the checklist at the end of this guide for a helpful reminder Network 2016 GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY, LLC 8

9 Determining the IP Address of a System On the G-408 and G-404, the IP address and web browser port will be visible on the front-panel display. Power on the system, wait for it to start up, then click (briefly push in) the control knob on the front of the device. The IP address and web browser port will be displayed. On all other systems, the IP address and web browse port can be read out through an internal speaker. To do this: Power on the system, wait for it to start up, then using a paper clip or similar tool, click (briefly push in press for less than 1 second) the recessed 'reset' button on the front panel. The IP address and web browser port will be read out on the internal speaker (in English). System Configuration The systems are all configured via their built-in web interface. No external software is required. If the web browser port is not the default (port 80), access it by appending it to the URL in your browser. For example, if the IP address is and the web browser port is 5555: After browsing to the system using any standard web browser (such as Firefox, Chrome, or Internet Explorer), the first thing to do is change the primary user's password using the Change Password or User Management tools. After that, set the IP address and port ranges using the Network Settings and Port Management tools. If the system will be connected along with other systems behind the same NAT router, it is a good idea to assign different ports and port ranges for them (particularly if using a G-SMU). NOTE: See the Quick Start guide for your product if you need help accessing the system or these tools. Next, if the system will be directly linked to other systems, next configure the Remote Systems. Add the opposing remote system to each side of the connection. (Unless using a G-SMU see below.) For this step, it is important to know the IP address and messaging port of the remote system. If the remote system is behind a NAT router from this system's perspective, make sure you enter the WAN IP address of that router as the IP address of the remote system! Otherwise, the system you are configuring will not be able to communicate with the remote system. After properly setting up the IP address, ports, and remote systems, it may be appropriate to configure the modules and/or interfaces. Doing this is not a required part of the network configuration, so this guide does not cover configuring modules. However, note that there is extensive built-in help documentation for all the settings for the different types of modules. As part of the module configuration, if you require some direct audio streams, create those GCT Streams on each side and point them to the appropriate remote system and module. Please see the GCT Stream Virtual Module Guide for extensive help in setting up these types of audio links Network 2016 GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY, LLC 9

10 Additional G-SMU Configuration The G-SMU has some additional configuration options that make wide area communication easier to set up. First, set the primary user's password, the IP address, and port ranges like you would for other types of systems (described in the previous section). The main difference for the G-SMU comes in setting up the Remote Systems. In general, when configuring a G-SMU, the following suggestions will be helpful: 1) The G-SMU will work best with a static/known IP address. Other systems will need to configured to communicate with the G-SMU, so it's helpful if the G-SMU doesn't move around. 2) If the G-SMU lives behind a NAT router (from other Remote Systems' perspective), forward the G-SMU's Messaging Port on the router to the G-SMU (UDP only). This will enable communication to the G-SMU. (This step is also covered later, but is worth repeating.) 3) Instead of manually adding each Remote System to the G-SMU, use Discovery Mode. After all the systems have connected once, turn off Discovery Mode and assign Remote System Passwords, if desired. 4) Use Auto Detect for each remote system. This greatly simplifies configuration requirements and allows their connection information to change without requiring the G-SMU's configuration to be altered. 5) In the G-SMU's configuration pages for individual Remote Systems, assign G-120's/G-110's as being For Dispatch, if the Dispatch feature is desired and those specific remote systems are to be used as operator communication endpoints. 6) Most other default settings are appropriate. Network Configuration For the most part, very little needs to be done in your network configuration (that is, you should not have to make many if any changes to your routers). The following items may be worth considering: 1) If all the systems exist within a single LAN (or VPN), no network changes should be required. 2) If the systems reside behind different NAT routers, it is usually important to make sure they are configured to use different messaging port and automatic port ranges from each other if they are within the same LAN. This prevents the router from being confused. HOWEVER note that NO changes/forwarded-ports are needed in the router for this. 3) If using a G-SMU behind a NAT router (from other Remote Systems' perspective), forward the G-SMU's Messaging Port on the router to the G-SMU (UDP only). This will enable communication to the G-SMU. 4) If you want to access the web interfaces for each system from the WAN side of a NAT router, the web ports should be different on each system and you will need to forward those web ports to each system in the router (TCP only) Network 2016 GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY, LLC 10

11 5) No other port forwarding is necessary, and hairpin routing is not required in most circumstances. Accessing Built-In Help Global Communications Technology's web-based products have built-in help documentation. This includes information on the various networking-facing features. Much of the information covered in this guide is available on the system itself. To access the built-in help, navigate to the configuration section of the system by clicking on the gear icon (if you are not already there). Hover your mouse over the Help menu. Click on All Help Topics or, if you are already on the tool you need help with, click on the first item in the menu to display help in a dialog Network 2016 GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY, LLC 11

12 Global Communications Technology Networking Setup Checklist For Non-G-SMU Systems 1) System Name: 2) System LAN IP Address: 3) System WAN IP Address: 4) System Web Browser Port: 5) System Messaging Port: 6) System Automatic Port Range: 7) Remote Systems and G-SMU: Basic Setup Steps 1) Reminder: Change the primary user's password if you have not already done so. 2) If appropriate, obtain the WAN IP address of the NAT router this system lives behind. (You will need this for configuring the other side of the Remote System link.) 3) Assign and make note of the IP address and ports used for each system using the Network Settings and Port Management tools on each system. If systems need to cross a NAT router boundary, make sure the systems within each LAN use different ports and port ranges. A system reboot may be required when changing these settings. 4) If creating system-to-system links, manually configure the Remote System on each side. Use the WAN IP address for the remote system if that remote system is behind a NAT router. Specify a password if desired the passwords must match on both sides. 5) If this system will connect to a G-SMU, enter the G-SMU's configuration settings in the Wide Area Settings tool. Specify a password if desired the passwords must match on both sides. (The password on the G-SMU side is in the remote system's configuration.) 6) Create and configure any manual GCT Streams (or other streams), if desired/appropriate. 7) No other network-related configuration should be required Network 2016 GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY, LLC 12

13 Global Communications Technology Networking Setup Checklist For G-SMU Systems 1) G-SMU LAN IP Address: 2) G-SMU WAN IP Address: 3) G-SMU Web Browser Port: 4) G-SMU Messaging Port: 5) G-SMU Automatic Port Range: 6) Remote Systems: Basic Setup Steps 1) Reminder: Change the primary user's password if you have not already done so. 2) If appropriate, obtain the WAN IP address of the NAT router the G-SMU lives behind. (You will need this for configuring the Wide Area Settings on the other systems.) 3) Assign and make note of the IP address and ports used for each system using the Network Settings and Port Management tools on each system. If systems need to cross a NAT router boundary, make sure the systems within each LAN use different ports and port ranges. A system reboot may be required when changing these settings. 4) If the G-SMU is behind a NAT router, forward the G-SMU's Messaging Port to the G-SMU in the router's configuration. 5) Put the G-SMU in Discovery Mode (in the G-SMU's General Settings ), and set Auto Detect on Discovery to Yes. 6) Configure each remote system's Wide Area Settings to point to the G-SMU. Use the G- SMU's WAN IP address if the G-SMU is behind a NAT router from the remote system's perspective. (If the system is in the same LAN as the G-SMU, use the G-SMU's actual LAN IP address.) 7) After configuring those systems and waiting a few moments, check the G-SMU's Remote Systems to verify that all of the systems connected and were created appropriately. 8) Turn off Discovery Mode for security (in the G-SMU's General Settings ). 9) Add Remote System passwords to both systems, if desired. The passwords must match. 10) Create and configure any manual GCT Streams (or other streams), if desired/appropriate. 11) Set any G-120/G-110 systems as being For Dispatch if needed/appropriate. 12) No other network-related configuration should be required Network 2016 GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY, LLC 13