FAQs

If you only need to tell time, show date, and a logo, then the device will work without software (it displays the time automatically, and you can configure the date and logo via the web server interface). If you wish to send text or audio to it, or wish to inter-operate with your paging or phone system, then you will need some more control to device functionality via IPClockWise or other third-party software. AND IPClockWise applies well for smaller scale networks and simpler operations. Large scale operations and thorough phone system integration typically require third-party software.

If using IPClockWise, double-click on any device listed to access its web server (or right-mouse-click and select View Devices Webpage).

If you have Apple’s Bonjour Services installed, you may use a URL with the name of the speaker (based on its serial number), such as http://ipspeaker2046f9001234.local. Find the serial number imprinted on a sticker attached to the board.

If using third-party VoIP software, contact them directly. Some disallow this functionality this for security reasons.

If using no software, you can find the IP address for the device in your router’s address table, and then type that into your browser address bar (for example: http://192.168.1.203/). You can also use Apple’s Bonjour or other general application to find the IP address of a given device.

If using no software, you can also use the device’s link local IPv6 address. Type the IPv6 address of the device into your browser address bar using the following syntax, where xx:xxxx is the last 6 digits of the device’s MAC address: http://[fe80::2246:f9ff:fexx:xxxx]

• Small IP display devices – 40 feet
• Large IP display devices – 150 feet
• Large IP display device (white LEDs) – 300 feet
• Outdoor IP Sign (IPSIGN-O) – 400 feet

**orange text appears the brightest for reading

The maximum length for a cable segment is 100 meters (328 feet). If you require longer runs, you must use active hardware, such as a repeater, or a switch, or other standard means to extend networks. Keep in mind that PoE (Power Over Ethernet) will impose some obstacles for greatly extending the network. You should look into solutions that accommodate PoE. Or, only use PoE at the endpoint by supplying power to an injector at the endpoint (AND IP devices only accept PoE power).

You can go to Device Settings → SIP settings page to use the Push-to-Talk 1 and Push-to-Talk 2 fields to program the device to dial out either directly unit-to-unit, or via a registered SIP server.

When not using a SIP server, units can contact one another via their MAC addresses, or units can contact one another or SIP phones by use of a direct IPv4 address (consider an intercom connection).

When using a SIP server, you can program the device to dial to any available SIP extension or a valid number reachable by the SIP PBX. Generally speaking the SIP server/PBX must reside on the same side of any firewalls as the device in question in order for the registration process to take place.

Yes, each device has a log, and IPClockWise has logs, too. When getting support, you may need to refer to information in these logs. Accessing Device Logs

See how to access the device’s web page (link).

From the device’s web page, you can select Device Status to get access to General Status, Configuration Information, Non-Volatile Log, and Audio Packet Log. Alternately, you can access the device’s IP address as follows (replace the example IP address of 10.10.6.100 with your IP address): http://10.10.6.100/status http://10.10.6.100/config http://10.10.6.100/log http://10.10.6.100/packetinfo Accessing IPClockWise Logs

In IPClockWise, click the “Log” button near the bottom left, and you will have access to errors, warnings, and event logs as reported or discovered by IPClockWise. Do not confuse these logs with the device logs mentioned above. Those device logs correspond to each endpoint, and this IPClockWise log corresponds to IPClockWise, as it tries to operate and talk to devices.

Make sure you have a PoE-enabled switch. Even PoE-enabled switches will often only include a combination of some ports for PoE, and other ports not.

Ensure your device connects to a PoE-enabled port. Ensure the cable connects fully to the port. You will generally hear the AND jingle within a few seconds of applying power (i.e. connecting the CAT5 cable, or applying power to your switch or injector). If you do not hear this sound, the device most likely is not getting any power. Check into your cable, and switch/router. On switches that support it, make sure to enable LLDP, which will allow the connected devices to negotiate for PoE or PoE+ power.

Some Cisco switches can benefit by configuring the power management on the port to “2x-mode” to handle the inrush current. Set this mode on each switch interface using the command “power inline port 2x-mode”. Also, try a different known-working PoE port (PoE ports often go bad over time on some vendors’ equipment).

In most cases, this results from a possible bad switch port (an occasional reality), or an overloaded switch (even though a given switch might have 4 PoE ports, not all 4 can provide full power consistently in many brands). Try a different PoE-enabled port or a different switch. Lower port numbers generally work better. Higher port numbers provide less power in some brands, if other PoE devices draw power from the lower ports. Choose a reputable switch, and understand its power delivery capabilities. We designed our units to have available the full PoE or PoE+ power per the respective IEEE standard.

Another possible cause results from a unit configured to register to a particular server, but it cannot connect to that server. Check that the server is running and accessible from the subnet on which the unit resides. Access the unit’s Device Status web page, and verify the unit is successfully registering to the server. If the registration is failing, check the cause reported on the status page, as well as the end of the Device Status –> Non-Volatile Log for details on failure causes.

Another possible reason for the rebooting unit comes from an incorrectly specified firmware filename in the configuration file. An incorrect filename or inaccessible file on the server that hosts the configuration file would cause the unit to lock into a constant reboot cycle. The cycle will continue until it finds a correct filename, until you remove the reference from the configuration file. Check the spelling of the filename, and make sure it resides in the same directory as the configuration file.

The boot process takes about 20 seconds under normal conditions. See the Install Questions FAQ for the full sequence.

The two common ways the device may appear stalled during bootup: Stalling at “Network Init/DHCP”: If it takes a long time at the “Network Init” stage, then the network may have a connection problem. Either the device cannot get an IP address, DHCP is malfunctioning, or you may have a bad network cable or switch.

Stalling at “Looking for Config”: In some cases, a bootup may take over five minutes, especially after a power disruption during a a previous bootup sequence, or during the first power-up when receiving the unit from the factory – both considered normal behavior situations. However, this behavior should not occur regularly.

The unit has not successfully contacted an NTP time server. For example, the unit may run on a subnet that does not have access to the pre-configured NTP server, or it may not have internet access. The device configuration may have turned off the time display, but typically in those cases, the colon would not display. Check your internet connection, as well as your NTP server settings.

Configure the NTP server on the device’s web page server in Device Settings –> General. You can set the NTP server to nearly any NTP server (see some examples below). Note that you should really use the first two listed.

NTP Server	Description
Static IP of the PC running IPClockWise	IPClockWise uses a built-in NTP server – the machine running IPClockWise must have a static-IP to properly use this feature
0.anetd.pool.ntp.org	An AND-created server – the preferred server for non-static-IP installations
1.anetd.pool.ntp.org	Another AND server
131.107.13.100	Microsoft, Seattle, WA (time-nw.nist.gov)
132.163.4.101	NIST, Boulder, CO (time-a.timefreq.bldrdoc.gov)
130.126.24.53	Urbana-Champaign, IL (ntp-0.cso.uiuc.edu)
64.236.96.53	AOL, Dulles, VA (nist1.aol-va.truetime.com)
64.90.182.55	New York City, NY (nist1-ny.witime.net)

The display defaults to full bright (a setting of 100). Configure this parameter in the web server of each device. The web server also includes a built-in scheduler to select different brightness for different times of day. In addition, you can use IPClockWise and some third-party software to modify the brightness.

Possible Causes

An incorrect default brightness setting in the device’s Device Settings –> General web page or configuration file. An incorrect scheduler brightness setting in the device’s Device Settings –> Scheduler web page or configuration file.

Your application requires a better chosen color scheme. For example, long distance viewing works best with the brightest colors, orange and yellow. If using AND IPClockWise software, check to make sure each time of day shows the correct brightness on the Chimes tab, and also ensure that IPClockWise has not triggered an event or alert that modifies the brightness down inappropriately. If using third-party software (such as Singlewire, IPCelerate, Syn-Apps, etc.), ensure that the settings in the respective application has not modified the brightness inappropriately. As part of power management, if using only PoE (as this issue should not occur with PoE+), very loud sounds sent to the device may cause the display to dim during the audio playback.

Solutions

Turn the brightness to the maximum setting in the device’s Device Settings –> General web page or configuration file. Use the brightest colors of orange or yellow (orange as the brighter of the two). Choose these colors for scrolling text and/or the time, or you can even change the default text and/or clock color in the device’s Device Settings –> General web page or configuration file. Use IPClockWise to turn up the brightness on the Chimes tab, or use an Alert or Event to modify the brightness. If the unit dims due to loud sounds (power management), power the unit with PoE+ (25.5W) instead of PoE (15.4W) to improve brightness. Consider using AND’s bright-white model, which allows for the maximum range viewing (although they do not have color as an option). On a large clock, the time can be viewed as legible at 200+ feet. Un-clutter the display (since cluttered can make viewing difficult at long distances) by using large fonts and/or removing AM/PM or seconds. This approach can greatly increase the viewing distance.

The display will automatically dim itself when the device does not receive enough power (and then revert back once enough power returns). This intended “feature” results from optimizing the AND device to send the loudest possible audio when necessary, as well as to show the display at maximum brightness when possible. The optimized device makes maximum use of the power available.

However, in a situation with all factors at a maximum, the device must make trade-offs, which can occur in the following scenarios.

Possible Causes

Very Bright Display with Maximum Audio: using only PoE (as opposed to PoE+), while setting the display bright and sending very loud audio, can exceed the power available on PoE. Very Bright Display with Flashers / Strobes and Loud Audio: using only PoE (as opposed to PoE+), while setting the display bright and using flashers or strobes, as well as sending loud audio, can exceed the power available on PoE. Basically, the common factor involves using only PoE (instead of PoE+), along with other high power features.

Solutions

Using PoE+ switches or injectors to connect an AND device completely eliminates this issue. So, if you need to set a display to maximum brightness, and you intend to send very loud audio or use other high power features (flashers or strobes), AND recommends using a PoE+ switch or injector (instead of PoE).

If you cannot use a PoE+ switch or injector (you must use PoE), and you wish to minimize dimming of the display, consider the following mitigation techniques: Don’t set the display to maximum brightness. Lower settings will save significant power, and because how power in LEDs works, minor tweaks can result in big power savings. Don’t send audio at the maximum volumes settings. A few notches lower, and the display will not dim. The audio will play quieter, but perhaps acceptable. Don’t set the flashers to maximum brightness. A few settings below maximum will require significantly less power. Use PoE+ switches or injectors whenever possible. All major manufacturers make them, and they experience widespread use.

Either the display resolution is not high enough, or the DPI settings are set too high. The Windows text DPI settings must be at the “Smaller” setting of 100% in order for the IPClockWise interface to render correctly. In the Windows Control Panel, choose the Display settings. Set the text DPI to 100%. You may need to log off of your Windows profile to see the changes.

This issue generally occurs because the PC running IPClockWise (or other third-party software) does not not have the precisely correct time, and thus generates the sounds at a slightly different time compared to the devices’ displayed time. Possible solutions to this issue include: Set the PC Time: You can correct the PC time via several methods:

Method 1 – Use Internet Time: Click the time display in Windows, click the “Change Date and Time Settings” link, and select the “Internet Time” tab. Verify that the setting shows the PC will synchronize with an Internet time server, and check that it successfully synchronized recently. Note: this option is not available for PCs part of a Windows domain.

Method 2 – NetTime App: If you cannot use the option above, you can install NetTime, a free third-party application, which will synchronize the PC time periodically with an Internet time server: http://www.timesynctool.com/

Method 3 – Set Manually: You can also set the time manually, if you don’t have an Internet connection, or need to update it quickly. Make sure the PC time comes very close to the correct time (i.e. the time displayed on AND devices, or some other accurate reference). Usually, you can use this method by clicking the time display in Windows, clicking the “change date and time settings” link, and then setting time. Avoid this method unless necessary, as the PC clock will drift out of sync over days or weeks.

Check “Sync” on the Main Header in IPClockWise: IPClockWise needs to run as administrator on the PC for this option to work. Enabling this feature causes IPClockWise to tell Windows to update its time to Internet time (this feature forces the first method above periodically). This option may not work in all configurations of Windows (usually related to Windows permissions restrictions).

Configure the AND Device to Use IPClockWise’s Internal NTP Server: IPClockWise includes a built-in NTP server. To use it, go to the AND device’s Device Settings –> General web page, and change the primary NTP server to your PC’s IP address at port 8090 (the default NTP port for IPClockWise, which you can change to any port in IPClockWise settings). For example, for a PC with an IP address of 10.10.6.93, set the NTP server, primary field to “10.10.6.93:8090”. If using configuration files, set the NTPConfig tag to point to the IPClockWise NTP server, as follows:

Sync the AND Device’s Time Directly to the PC: Before using this option, realize that AND devices, usually very accurate, get their own time from an external NTP server. Enabling this feature will forego that functionality, and cause them to lock to your PC instead, regardless of the accuracy of your PC time. This option could prove advantageous if you want precise sound synchronization. However, for accurate time, you will need to ensure your PC keeps accurate time (possibly by the other methods discussed above). Method 1 – Point Devices to PC: Go to the AND device’s Device Settings –> Servers web page. Change the Server 1 URL to your PC’s IP address (adding the port 8089). For example, for a PC with an IP address of 10.10.6.93, change the Server 1 field to “http://10.10.6.93:8089”. Also, change the Server Type to “AND” or “AND_Exempt”. If using configuration files, add the IPClockWise PC address to the Servers tag as follows (replacing the example address with your PC’s IP address):

Method 2 – Easy Configuration: Right-click on a device in the IPClockWise Endpoints tab, and select “Perform Easy Configuration” from the context menu. IPClockWise will perform all the necessary configuration of the device(s) selected. This method only works on installations that do NOT use a config file.

Use IPClockWise Ping: Similar to above, this option syncs AND devices to the PC time (regardless of accuracy, but benefits in keeping devices synchronized with IPClockWise events). To enable this option, go to the device’s web page to access Device Settings –> General to make the NTP servers field blank, and go to Device Settings –> Servers to make the Server URL fields blank. Note: this method will not work correctly if multiple PCs on the same network have IPClockWise installed. Use a SIP Server: Configure a SIP server in Device Settings –> SIP of the AND device’s web page. Make sure to set the NTP settings field to blank in Device Settings –> General, and set the timezone field correctly. The device will get the time from the SIP server.

The options include: Use third party software like Singlewire’s InformaCast to configure volume for devices. In InformaCast, when adding each device to the server, you must select a default volume for that device. Set each InformaCast broadcast’s “Play Volume” level to “As-Is” in order to play back the audio stream at the configured default volume level on each device.

You can set up default volumes for each device by configuring them as such in each device, and then sending all events/alerts at volume 0 (which forces the devices to use the settings that you configured in the device).

You can set up a custom stream in IPClockWise and add that custom stream as a permanent stream at a lower (or higher) volume on a device compared to others as desired. In this case, you would then include that custom stream in all your events/alerts and chimes (but do not select that device).

The speaker has a maximum volume setting of 13, but several factors can influence the output volume. Check the following list for possible causes and solutions:

Verify the configuration shows the unit’s speaker volume setting as set to the desired level. Increase as needed. You must reboot the unit for the new default volume setting to become active. Find this and other settings in the device’s web server (accessible via the device’s IP address or through IPClockWise).

If commands (paging, background music, etc.) use the unit’s multicast permanent stream(s) for audio playback, the speaker will not use the volume setting. Verify the speaker settings include the correct permanent stream volume. Find this and other settings in the device’s web server (accessible via the device’s IP address or through IPClockWise). Increase as needed, and reboot to activate changes.

Commands sent to the unit can include a volume parameter. This volume parameter will override the default speaker volume setting on the unit, even if the unit’s volume setting is greater. Increase the value of the volume parameter as desired, or if using IPClockWise, set the volume parameter to zero, which tells the unit to use its default volume setting.

If a permanent stream holds a higher priority (lower number value) than the audio stream you are sending (the default priority level is 50), the device may prevent the audio stream from playing. Lower the priority (increase the number) of the permanent stream to give the desired audio stream proper priority, or stop sending audio on the permanent stream when desired.

Power management limits the maximum volume based on the unit’s available power budget. Using PoE+ (25.5W) will increase the available power, and hence increase the maximum attainable volume. Check the audio file itself. If the file was not normalized properly, or it only contains very low frequencies, it may not sound loud.

The presence of other audio streams on the device can prevent the sound masking noise from generating, depending on the device settings or board generation.Verify the device is not running any active dynamic or permanent streams. In the device’s web server (accessible in a web browser via the device’s IP address or through IPClockWise), go to Device Status page, which will list all permanent streams and recent dynamic streams. Verify none of the dynamic streams list as active. For each permanent stream, note the “Total pkts received”. Refresh the page, and verify that packet count. If the number does not increase, the stream remains inactive. For any active audio stream, a Gen 2.0 board will always mute the sound masking noise. For Gen 2.1 boards, the device can selectively mute the sound masking noise. in the Device Settings –> Audio Settings page, check the Mute During Audio setting in the Sound Masking Settings section. If using a configuration file, check the mute_during_audio parameter in the NoiseGen tag.

In the web interface of the Polycom phone, on the Paging/PTT Configuration page, make sure to set the PTT Codec to “G.711Mu”. Also, set the “Compatibility” setting to “Disable” to use the G.711 mu-law codec. Save the settings and reboot the phone.

With a valid network connection, a valid NTP time server setting (including by default), and the correct time zone setting, you should never see incorrect time.

Possible Causes

The most common reason results from the wrong time zone setting. Configure the time zone in the device’s web server (see the bullet point above under “General Questions” on how to access the web server).

The second most common cause results when the device cannot find the NTP server, or a lost network connection, in which case the clock will free-run, and thus drift over time. You can check the device’s logs to check for this situation (see question below). You should also see #1 above on NTP settings.

If you use IPClockWise or a PC as your NTP server, verify and correct the computer clock if needed. The updated time will reflect on associated endpoints within a minute.

If the device is running older firmware (1.4.0001 or older), and the NTP server rejects the NTP request, the incorrect time can display based on the last data exchange with the failing NTP server. Often this failure mode will show up as the device reporting the incorrect time and resetting to the same incorrect time every 20-60 minutes. Update the device firmware to the latest version to fix this and/or change your NTP servers to use a known good server. We recommend the following NTP servers:

0.anetd.pool.ntp.org
1.anetd.pool.ntp.org
2.anetd.pool.ntp.org
3.anetd.pool.ntp.org

It generally defaults to once an hour, but you can set the rate on the Device Settings → General Settings web server page.

You can synchronize a device’s internal clock in a number of ways, including use of an NTP server, as well as registration to some application servers (such as InformaCast), and some SIP servers.

Direct from the factory, the unit arrives programmed to receive its time from an Internet NTP time server, and its time zone is set to Chicago time.

The time zone must be set appropriately for the location of the unit. Some standard timezone names available in the USA include the following:
EST5EDT
EST
CST6CDT
MST7MDT
MST
PST8PDT
HST

When not using a configuration file, find the time zone setting on the Device Settings –> General Settings page, along with the NTP server configuration.

When “registering” your unit with certain software packages (see Device Settings –> Server Settings page) the unit’s time will set automatically via the server registration process, and this time may take precedence over the use of NTP for configuring the time. The registered server’s time is considered of a higher precedence because synchronized events coming from the server should occur at a specific time at the endpoint.

Without a server configured as described above, or when your server type does not set the time on the unit, we advise configuration of the primary (and secondary) NTP server settings. The device may automatically find additional NTP servers via DHCP option 42. In the case of available servers via DHCP option 42, you do not need to configure the unit for other NTP servers, unless you prefer other NTP servers.

If the network configuration does not allow access the internet, you may need to provide internal (i.e. intranet-based) NTP servers for use by the unit. You can configure IPClockWise as an NTP server if convenient, especially in cases where MS Windows time does not always closely synchronize with the outside world. When using IPClockWise as an NTP server, Windows may block use of the standard NTP port, in which case you can use a secondary port available via the IPClockWise settings page. You must use an explicit port number (by appending a colon and the port number after the NTP server address) in the unit’s settings when using a non-standard NTP port.

You may also use a SIP server to set the time on the unit. Some SIP servers will send the time in the SIP registration response. However, the time from the SIP server is not available at a sub-second accuracy as with NTP, and therefore the time from NTP servers configured will take precedence over the use of SIP server time.

The AND devices should automatically register with InformaCast when powered up on the network. If they do not:

1) Verify the InformaCast SLP parameters.

On the InformaCast server, from the Admin –> Network Parameters –> SLP Parameters page:
– check that Publish Configuration File Service is set to Yes
– check that SLP Scope is set to Berbee Applications
– check that the URL of Configuration File Server is set to http://10.10.6.241:8081/InformaCast/resources where 10.10.6.241 is the IP address of the InformaCast server

2) Verify the devices are finding the configuration file.

From the device’s web server, view the Device Status –> Configuration Information page (/config). An SLP DA announcement for the InformaCast server should appear in the top half:

SLP DA Advertisement received from ‘10.10.6.241’. Reported DA with scope list ‘Berbee Applications’ at ‘10.10.6.241’. Scope list matched our scope (‘Berbee Applications’). DA checked for service ‘InformaCastConfiguration’ and it reported 1 url(s):

• http://10.10.6.241:8081/InformaCast/resources/

In the bottom half of the Configuration Information page, the InformaCastSpeaker.cfg file should show as retrieved:

http://10.10.6.241:8081/InformaCast/resources/

• failed to retrieve from server: ‘IPSpeaker2046f90301d1.xml’
• failed to retrieve from server: ‘IPSpeaker2046f90301d1.cfg’
• failed to retrieve from server: ‘InformaCastSpeaker2046f90301d1.cfg’
• failed to retrieve from server: ‘IPSpeaker.xml’
• failed to retrieve from server: ‘IPSpeaker.cfg’
• config file retrieved: ‘InformaCastSpeaker.cfg’
• server used for all new files

The speaker configuration file resides on the InformaCast server: In Windows: C:\Program Files (x86)\SingleWire\InformaCast\webapp\resources\ In Linux: /usr/local/singlewire/InformaCast/web/resources/

By default, the filename is InformaCastSpeaker.cfg. Editing this file will change the settings on all AND devices that register to this instance of InformaCast, unless a MAC-specific configuration file also exists in the same directory, e.g., InformaCastSpeaker2046f9034d2f.cfg, in which case the MAC-specific file takes priority over the general file. An aggregate speaker configuration file can also be added to include settings unique to each device on the network, such as SIP extension assignment, default volume settings, etc. See the Gen 2 Configuration Summary document in the Documents section for details on syntax and available settings.

If the AND device finds a valid speaker configuration file on the InformaCast server, the speaker settings pages are then made inaccessible from the device’s web server pages. This is a security feature. All speaker settings should be modified using the configuration file as detailed in the Gen 2 Configuration Summary document in the Documents section.

If access to the Speaker Settings pages is required, the configuration file(s) on the InformaCast server can be renamed temporarily to an unrecognized format that the device will no longer detect (i.e., InformaCastSpeaker.cfg.sav). Reboot the device and allow up to 5 minutes for the Speaker Settings link to return to the device’s web page.

The speaker firmware file(s) should be placed in the same directory as the speaker configuration file(s) on the InformaCast server: In Windows: C:\Program Files (x86)\SingleWire\InformaCast\webapp\resources\ In Linux: /usr/local/singlewire/InformaCast/web/resources/

Add or modify the following lines in the speaker’s configuration file to reference the new firmware file:

Reboot the speakers and they will update to the desired firmware release. Do not interrupt the update process. The speaker may reboot 2 or 3 times and it may take up to five minutes for the update to complete.

See the Firmware Versions section to download the latest releases.

AND devices can trigger pre-programmed behavior based on an audio and/or text message’s specified priority level. These actions include activation of one or more of the three LED flashers, message text color changes, display brightness changes and activation of the general purpose output, used for interfacing with external devices such as a strobe.

1. Configure the desired priority behavior(s) on the AND devices. Sign up or log into the AND customer portal in order to download the Gen 2 Configuration Summary document for details on configuring Priority actions on AND devices. This configuration information is also available in App Note 40.

2. In order to take advantage of these priorities with Singlewire’s InformaCast software, InformaCast version 9.0.1 or newer must be installed: Click here to update InformaCast if needed.

3. Next, InformaCast can be configured to match the priority range of AND devices. The default range of priority levels in InformaCast is only 1-3. Log into the InformaCast server and go to the Admin, Broadcast Parameters page. Set the number of priority levels to 100 and click the Update button to save the new setting.

4. When creating InformaCast messages, the Message Priority field in the Audio tab can now be utilized to activate the configured priority actions on the targeted AND devices. The default level is 50; 1 is the highest priority, 100 is the lowest.

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Phone – (608) 661-1140 – Option 1 Email /Contact – www.singlewire.com/talkwithus