NetSetter

NetSetter is a comprehensive tool designed to help manage critical functions of HControl devices discovered on specified networks such as network parameters, HControl IDs and device firmware updates.

 

Device Discovery

NetSetter relies on a UDP based broadcast discovery protocol message that allows HControl devices to discover each other on the network. NetSetter will periodically ping the network to request connected HControl enabled devices to return with their discovery information over UDP. After NetSetter discovers a device over UDP, it will show in the device list as . NetSetter will then attempt to establish communication over a local TCP connection. If a TCP connection can be made, full interaction with the device will be allowed and the device will display a state.

A TCP connection requires the device and NetSetter to have compatible IP and Subnet addresses, whereas a UDP connection only requires that the devices are on the same physical network that allows multicast packets to pass. The HControl UDP connection can control a limited set of parameters on the device and with a device that is shown as it is possible to toggle the device's DHCP settings and set the device's IP, Subnet, and Gateway to bring it into the desired network range.

Network Adapter

In order for NetSetter to find HControl devices on the network, the software must first be told which of the available network adapters to search on. Network adapters can be selected in software Settings or by selecting the button at the top of the NetSetter window. NetSetter will automatically scan all selected Network Adapters but a new scan can also be forced by selecting the button.

 

NetSetter Grid

Devices found on the selected network(s) will display the following information about the device, many of the fields are modifiable.

Column	Modifiable?	Description
(Select)	Yes	Select single or multiple devices to perform actions from the Multiselect Toolbar.
(Locate)	Yes	Enable locate by selecting the cross-hair icon, the corresponding physical device will flash it's LCD screen to make device identification easier. Selecting the locate icon in the NetSetter header bar will toggle the locate feature on all devices listed.
HC ID	Yes	Displays the selected devices HControl ID, double click this field to modify the HControl ID.
(Conflict)	No	Alerts operator to conflicting HControl ID or IP address configurations, corrective action must be taken to resolve this condition by changing one of the conflicting parameters.
Device Type	No	Displays the model of the device discovered.
Status	No	Displays the current status of the connected device: Discovered - Device has been located on the network, NetSetter is attempting to establish a TCP connection with device. Running - Device has been discovered and a TCP connection has been established with device. Transferring, Updating, Rebooting - See Firmware Update Disconnected - NetSetter has lost communication with the listed device.
DHCP	Yes	Displays the devices current DHCP setting (enabled or disabled), toggle this check box to modify the setting.
IP Address	Yes	Displays the current IP address of the connected device. If DHCP is OFF, double click this field to modify the IP address of the device.
Subnet Mask	Yes	Displays the current subnet mask of the connected device. If DHCP is OFF, double click this field to modify the subnet mask of the device.
Gateway	Yes	Displays the current gateway of the connected device. If DHCP is OFF, double click this field to modify the gateway address for the device.
Container	Yes	This field displays the array name of the current or most recent array this device was synchronized with. This field cannot be modified but it can be cleared (see Multiselect Toolbar).
Firmware	Yes	Displays the firmware the connected device is currently running. An Icon displayed next to the current firmware version indicates an update is available. Learn more about Firmware Updates.
MAC Address	No	Displays the MAC address of the connected device.
HC Label	Yes	Displays the current HC Label of the connected device. By default this field will display a label that is a combination of the device type and the current HControl ID. Double click this field to create a new HC Label.
... Menu	No	This menu contains actions that can be applied to the given row. Default HCID - Resets the given device to it's factory default HCID Default HC Label - Resets the given HControl label to the default format. "DeviceType-HCID" Clear Container- Resets the Container to be blank.

 

Modifying Fields

After making a change to any parameter of a connected device in NetSetter, the modified field will display a yellow border around it. This border indicates that a change is pending and needs to be applied for the change to take effect.

To apply all pending parameter changes, select the button from the bottom of the screen. Alternatively selecting will clear and reset all pending changes to the current parameter values.

Sorting Columns

NetSetter can be sorted by most of the column headers by clicking on the header column, an arrow will indicate the sorting direction, either ascending or descending.

Clicking the icon next to each column header will allow the column to be pinned on the left hand side of the screen. Pinned columns will not move when horizontally scrolling the NetSetter window. Within the menu columns can also be automatically resized to the contents.

Filtering the Device List

The device list can be filtered to only show devices that meet certain defined criteria. To filter the list of device select the drop-down in the top right corner of NetSetter and select the filter type.

 

Multiselect Toolbar

By utilizing the multiselect check boxes , NetSetter is able to quickly apply select changes to multiple devices simultaneously. With multiple devices selected, the Multiselect Toolbar at the bottom of the screen provides the following quick parameter changes:

Button	Description
HC ID Default	Resets all selected devices to the Default HControl ID, a 6 digit unique number.
Locate	Toggles the locate feature for all selected devices.
Disable DHCP	Toggles the DHCP enable for all selected devices.
Clear Containers	Clears the container field of all selected devices.
Firmware	Select and apply a firmware version to all selected devices. See Updating Firmware for more information.
HC Label Default	Resets all selected devices to the Default HC Label, generally a combination of the device model and the HControl ID.