Is ETC going to make an iRFR version for the Android phones?
Is ETC going to make an iRFR version for the Android phones?
Your interest in this has been noted! That's about all we are prepared to say right now.
:-)
a
Hi Anne,
Any more movement on this?
You were debugging in May, just wondering how you are getting on?
Many thanks,
J.
We are in beta. Will be going to open beta within a few weeks. If you are interested in beta testing, please drop me an email at anne (dot) valentino (at) etcconnect.com. If you do email, please be so kind as to include your user name on these forums. (Thank you!)
:-)
a
The best way that I could think of to disable iRFR would be to have a complete lockout on the console. Much like the lockout available on paradigm. They can connect to the wireless all they like but the console will refuse any commands.
^
The Eos Family consoles already have "Allow iPhone/iPod RFR" in the shell Settings RFR tab, disabled by default... as well as within the console Setup->Desk Settings->RFR Settings->"Allow RFR Connections" (which kills both Net3 RFRs and iPods).
But truly, nothing beats unplugging the wireless router from the network.
My school system will not allow my personal phone to connect to their internet. So my phone can not communicate to the console through the internal network. Also the console does not have an external ip address since it is located on the school system's internet for my phone to connect to it via 3g.
However, my school does have a guest internet account which is ONLY available through the wireless connection. I have already asked my IT department if the console could be wired directly into the guest internet, they said no.
So,... I already know the answer to this question but I must ask: Does the Element Console have wireless capabilities?
If not, is it possible to buy a USB wireless card for the Element console. And if wireless cards are supported by the Element, it is easy to install and configure within the console's interface?
Arrg
s018mes
If I'm reading this correctly, your saying that the lighting network is routed thru or part of the schools IT network. In general, ETC does not recommend this kind of setup and in almost all instances, there's no reason to setup the lighting control system thru a building backbone.
Most lighting networks, being stand-alone, are easy to add a WiFi router to and that in turn makes it easy to connect a iPhone/iPad device running the appropriate ETC App.
That's not to say that it's appropriate for students to do this or have access, without approval from those adults that manage the system.
SB
Hey s018mes,
you can take a look at here:
http://community.etcconnect.com/wikis/products/irfr-how-to-setup-your-wireless-network.aspx
even at Element you need a wireless router..
Linus
Excellent, this is EXACTLY what I needed!
No the system is not tied into the schools network in anyway.
Thankfully I have spare wireless routers at home, I mean who doesn't :)
s018mes
You're welcome! ;)
Hey Anne, just wondering when do you think open beta testing will begin?
Rick
http://community.etcconnect.com/forums/p/8208/32775.aspx#32775
:-)
a
Anything new to add in this regard?
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.etcconnect.arfr
It's out.
Love the new app! Great work.
It's awesome that you can now access the encoder sliders, though you can only see the first couple letters of each parameter, which could be tricky with lights with more advanced features.
Also, please please PLEASE allow me to boot directly into Live mode instead of ChanCheck. This was the worst thing to happen to the iPhone app...
Just to be clear, you can download the free version, but it won't actually do anything or allow you to at least see what the screen layouts are like, etc... UNLESS you actually go and setup the entire WiFi system to enable connection, configure console, etc.... in other words get the system up and operational. At that point and after all that work, the free version drops you after 10 minutes of use. Or pay the $53 for full blown off the bat, which is cheap in any event.
Seems it would be useful to at least have the demo version allow you to play a bit before deciding to set up the entire WiFi rig.
Just a thought.
Steve B.
@Gecko - Chan Check Mode vs Live Mode is a function of the console, not the RFR. The aRFR, the iRFR, and the actual hardware RFR all get their functions from the console itself. (I agree, though... it should at lease be an option in the console.)
@Steve - The RFR's (i- and a- included) will connect to a laptop running the offline software. Just put your phone and laptop on the same WiFi, fill in the fields for your laptop's info (IP, Name) in the app, and you'll at least get to page through the screens. Just like above, the RFR's get 99% of their data from the console itself. I'm sure it'll still drop you after 10 minutes, tho.
@Steve - The RFR's (i- and a- included) will connect to a laptop running the offline software. Just put your phone and laptop on the same WiFi, fill in the fields for your laptop's info (IP, Name) in the app, and you'll at least get to page through the screens. Just like above, the RFR's get 99% of their data from the console itself. I'm sure it'll still drop you after 10 minutes, tho."
Yeah,, great. My home laptop does have EOL on it, but my WiFi is MAC address filtered, as well as WAP encoded. So I have to do a re-config. to view a demo ?.
Not a useful way to see a demo.
SB
@jfuchs - That's an interesting point. I distinctly remember this change occurring during the last iRFR update... though it's possible that I updated the console software right around the same time - which could be responsible for the change. Either way, I'll try to request the change for a console option as well.
jfuchs said:@Steve - The RFR's (i- and a- included) will connect to a laptop running the offline software. Just put your phone and laptop on the same WiFi, fill in the fields for your laptop's info (IP, Name) in the app, and you'll at least get to page through the screens. Just like above, the RFR's get 99% of their data from the console itself. I'm sure it'll still drop you after 10 minutes, tho.
Any other steps I might be missing ?. I had a brain fart and realized that I had long ago setup the phone to access the home network, so I went and dug up the laptop name as well as the IP address and entered all into the Droid App.
I also realized that I might as well pay up (it's a good cause) I am now running the paid Android version.. In theory I should launch Ion in Client Mode ?, In any event, the phone app does not see the laptop as the Connect button stays greyed.
Any thoughts ?, as the connection to a laptop that is not actually a console isn't in the ETC Doc's and I'm now presuming that the laptop wants to actually be on Net3 for this to work.
Feeling stupid here...
The aRFR 'demo version' is not really intended to allow you to evaluate the software alone, but more to test the ability of your hardware to run the software and connect to the system.
ETC have not tested the app with every Android device in the marketplace, so this way you can at least make sure you can establish a connection before you fork out the money.
Steve, here 's a step by step walk-through (I am using the 1.9.8 beta, so the options might be a bit different if you are using 1.9.6):
On your laptop:
On your Android device:
If this doesn't work, you might try to ping your laptop from your Android device to see if there is network connectivity. I use a free app called "Overlook Fing" to test network connections.
Hope this helps-
-Todd
Steve, don't feel stupid. There are at least a few steps involved in getting this to work, so I'll try and outline things to look for.
You've already got the IP address and Name of your computer. When you fill in the App fields, be aware that the computer name needs to go in the Password field. the Name field is just for you to remember it as something. For Instance, mine is set up as:
Name: Laptop@Home
IP: 192.168.1.90
Password: NEO
When you start up the Offline software on your laptop, it will actually want to be Offline, not Client. Client is for hooking up to an actual console on the network, and your laptop will just sit there looking for a console to connect to. BUT! Before you click on the Ion Ofline (or your choice of console), click on Settings, then the RFR button on the right. Check the box for "Enable iPhone/iPod RFR". This is also for aRFR! (guess they'll have to update that now.) Accept, then start your Offline of choice. This checkbox is unchecked by default in all the consoles and offline, sort of a security measure.
After the offline is running, you should be able to hit refresh on the aRFR main screen and the Connect button should come up.
One other place that may disable ALL RFR connections is in the Offline, under Setup->Desk Settings->RFR Settings-> Allow RFR Connections. This is Enabled by default, I think, but check there too.
Beyond that, there's disabling the firewall on your computer and any other settings in your router...
Jonathan,
You are correct. In 1.9.8, the option has changed to "Allow WiFi remotes" (or something very similar).
I've found that in many cases, downloading a simple ping app also does wonders for troubleshooting a connection -- this lets you know if it is something with the network connectivity/wireless issues, or something to do with the RFR communication between the two devices.
Hans
Jonathan, Todd
A thanks to both, the instructions worked like a charm.
I was actually able to log on for a second last night and constantly forget to dump the friggin firewall.
SB
www.etcconnect.com
