Ive figured out that it is possible to connect a laptop to the dimmers using ETC Net. On my Expression 3 I saw ETC Link and thought that it was the same as ETC Net. Is it possible to view dimmer status on the Expression with ETC Net?
If your laptop is seeing an ETC Network, then it's most likely an ETC Net2 system. In general, plain olde Express/Ion only runs on older Net1, and only then for simple Remote Video Interface box functions, with console DMX going direct to a Net2 node or direct to dimmers. Thus, the Expression is either running DMX direct to a Net2 node, or is a facepanel to an Emphasis server, via it's Cat5 connection.
ETC Link is either a separate cable run from rack(s) directly back to the Expression III, that reports either: Very basic rack status (pretty much just voltage issues and over temp ?), or if the dimmers are Advanced Feature dimmers, can allow a Snapshot of the load, which would then tell you if part (or all) of the load has dropped. Link status on Expression would then alert you that a dimmer has a reduced load.
If you have Emphasis attached, the Link is via the Net2 system and has better reporting, IF the dimmers are AF. Then they can show fancy status data on the WYSIWYG portion of the Emphasis - like WHERE the lamp is, IF you bothered to draw in the lighting plan into WYSIWYG.
