Port Forwarding

[remposs]

I have the Mobilinc Pro app on my iPhone with the Powerlinc 2414U module and the SDM software installed on my PC. I am controlling an existing X-10 system in my house and everything works great! Except....whenever I disconnect from my home wireless network and go to 3G, nothing works. I assume that this is because i don't have my port forwarded properly in my wireless router. I am using a 2Wire DSL modem with built in wireless router. I have went into the firewall settings of the modem and manually added Smarthome Device Manager as an application that I want to allow access to. I have specified the computer that hosts the software and directed it to port 9020. I have also set up a user name and password in the iPhone and in the SDM software according to your instructions. Is there something else I am missing? I would like to be able to control my X-10 devices while I'm not at home. Any help would be appreciated.

Thank you

[AdminWes]

Hi remposs,

It looks like you've most of the port forwarding figured out. The only thing I didn't see was that you need to also change the IP address in MobiLinc to your routers external IP address and not the internal SDM computers IP address. If your router supports IP loopback then you can use the routers ip for internal wifi and 3g access. If not then you may want to consider creating two profiles for wifi and 3g access.

Wes

[remposs]

I seem to be "IP" impaired, I really don't understand IP addresses and such. I followed your directions to get my computers IP address, but really don't know what I'm looking for when I'm in the modem setup. Where do I find this "external router IP"? How do I know if my modem has this other thing you speak of IP loopback? So, if I'm understanding you right, I don't want my computers IP address in Mobilinc, but instead the routers external IP address?

Thanks

[AdminWes]

Hi remposs,

You are correct, for access outside of your house you would enter in the router's IP address and not your computer's IP address. If your router supports IP loopback then you can use the router's IP for both internal and external access. As to determine if you router supports IP loopback, I don't have a good answer for you. Most do, but there are a few out there that don't. This seems to be a feature that's under-the-hood of the router and not usually made obvious to the end user.

As for tracking down your external IP, each router is different. Here's an easy way to see your router's IP address, go to this website and it will tell you what your external IP address is: http://whatismyipaddress.com/

Take the IP that it gives you and enter that into the MobiLinc "Local - http://" IP field and try to access your SDM computer over 3G.

Wes

[remposs]

Hi Wes,

OK, that worked! I set up one profile and called it "Home WiFi" and put in the computer's IP address and it works when I'm connected to my WiFi connection, but not when I'm connected over 3G. Then I set up another profile and named it "Home 3G" and put in the routers IP address as you just described. Now it works when I'm connected over 3G but not over the WiFi. Does this mean my router does not support loopback? Or is loopback a feature that would need to be turned on in the router's setup? It would be nice to only have one profile that would control the house whether I'm home or away, but at least this does work. What would I look for to see if the router supports loopback? Call tech support maybe huh?

Thanks for your help!
Mark

[AdminWes]

Hi remposs,

Glad to hear you got it all working! Some routers do have the IP loopback as an option you can turn on, most either just support it or doesn't support it. I would either do a Google search on your router and IP loopback or call tech support and see what they say.

Wes

[remposs]

Hey Wes, after several calls to tech support, it seems to be the conclusion that my router does not support loopback, so I have to have 2 profiles in order for it to work at home with the Wi-Fi and away with the 3G. Anyway, it's been working fine by switching back and forth until today. I moved the 2414 module to my laptop and went in and changed the IP address to the laptops address. As long as I'm going over the Wi-Fi network, everything is working fine, but now when I switch to 3G, it doesn't work. The router's address is the same as before. The only thing I can think that is different is the laptop is not connected to the router with a cable, but over the Wi-Fi, whereas the previous computer was directly connected via cable. Would this make a difference? If so, can it be done over the Wi-Fi connection to the router? I suppose by doing this, I'm actually trying to use the Wi-Fi to connect to the router, but using the routers IP address.

Thanks, Mark

[AdminWes]

Hi Mark,

Two things:

1. Make sure you are port forwarding the SDM port (9020 default) in your router to the laptop IP address since I gather this is a different computer then what you had hooked up prior.

2. If you've already done #1, I have heard of one other person having a problem with network traffic delay problems over WiFi. Try connecting the laptop directly to the router and see if that improves things. If it does, then there is a port forward problem with the router over WiFi.

Wes

[remposs]

Hi Wes. OK, a whole new game now. I am hooking everything up in my new house, except this house is all Insteon, no X-10. So, I am using my laptop and the same 2Wire router as before. I have the laptop connected directly (wired) to the router. At first nothing worked and then I discovered that the laptop's IP address had changed. Either because I'm on a new system or because the IP address changes depending on whether I am connected from the laptop to the router over wire or over wireless??? Anyway, I put the new IP address of the computer into the MobiLinc app and set up a profile calling it "Home Wireless". I added a couple of Insteon switches to my devices and for the most part, I can turn them on and off. Except.... every time I push the on or off button, even though it works, I get a message on the iPhone that reads "Failed to retrieve status" It then says, "The Insteon server did not recognize the module address. Confirm that the address is correct and try again". This happens on all devices, although they usually work. Sometimes they don't respond, but I get the same message regardless. I am using the 2 wireless access points and have made sure I have selected the correct device type (Switchlinc Dimmer) and that the address is correct. Any thoughts? Also, I have 3 KedpadLinc Dimmers but don't see that they are supported, only the relay. It works using the relay definition, just won't allow me to dim or brighten. Will support for that be forthcoming?

In your last reply you stated, "Make sure you are port forwarding the SDM port (9020 default) in your router to the laptop IP address since I gather this is a different computer then what you had hooked up prior." I have the router firewall set to allow the laptop to host SDM, but have specified the port of 9020 to 9020 with that also being the default. That is also what is in my iphone app under "Local Port". If I'm reading you right, I should change the router AND the iphone's local port to the laptop's IP address?

Thanks for all the help.

Mark

[remposs]

Hey Wes, some more info. I was going to save the fact that my 3G (away from home) doesn't work in the new house, but I now have that working! I still have to use separate profiles, "Wi-Fi" and "3G", but it does work. I have learned in the meantime that my router's IP address has changed now that I'm on the new phone system, and I now have 2 "Toshiba" entries in my firewall list, one that is when I'm connected over wireless and the other when I'm plugged in. And yes, the IP address on the computer changes and is different depending which way I'm connected. So, learning something here anyway. Anyways, still getting that message on the iPhone whether I'm connected over Wi-Fi or 3G. Here is what my SDm log says:

downloadTimer started
timerActivate enabled
SDM:DM=active,1.01.138.308,3/7/2010 12:48:56 PM,responded,11.0B.A2,2.13,xdevices=True
starttime=00:09
ui:Response06.D6.27:getOnLevelText=06.D6.27
si:11 0B A2 06 D6 27 05 19 00
PLC:eventraw=03
PLC:eventraw=04
PLC:eventraw=03
si:11 0B A2 06 D6 27 05 19 00
PLC:eventraw=03
PLC:eventraw=04
PLC:eventraw=03
uifinished:Response06.D6.27:getOnLevelText=06.D6.27
ui:nop
PLC:Response06.D6.27:getOnLevelText=send failed
PLC:nop=
uifinished:nop
ui:Response06.D6.27:setOnLevelText=06.D6.27,OFF
si:11 0B A2 06 D6 27 05 13 00
PLC:eventraw=03
PLC:eventraw=04
PLC:eventraw=03
PLC:Response06.D6.27:setOnLevelText=send failed,06.D6.27
uifinished:Response06.D6.27:setOnLevelText=06.D6.27,OFF


Note that the lights are working, just keep getting that message.

Thanks, Mark