Axis camera IP changes during the game

[ROULT]

We have configured the axis camera according to the instructions in WPILib 2016.

At the beginning of matches, the camera has effectively an IP corresponding to our team's number (10.44.3.5) but at the half of the game, it changes to something like 192.168...

Has anybody faced the same issue or knows how to solve it?

Thanks in advance for your help and time.

[TylerS]

Are you using DHCP to assign the axis camera IP or is it static? I recommend going static and retesting to see if that resolves the issue.

[kiettyyyy]

There's a setting in there that has it fall back to a 192.168 IP by default if it can't acquire or loses its DHCP assignment.

You can turn that off. Make it either DHCP only or Static IP only.

[mhaeberli]

When making it static only, should one specify a router (like 10.30.45.1, or 10.30.45.129)?
Thanks,
Martin Haeberli
(de-)mentor, FRC 3045 Gear Gremlins (formerly SWAT)

[kiettyyyy]

I've had good luck of setting it to 10.xx.yy.250 on actual fields at events I've CSA'd at.

Static IPs are the last resort. We're typically able to get them all fixed up while using mDNS and DNS.

[Mark McLeod]

The field DHCP serves addresses in the .20 to .199 range if I remember correctly.
So static addresses for cameras or other IP devices can use .10 to .19 safely.

[mhaeberli]

The Axis camera setup page:

http://wpilib.screenstepslive.com/s/...an-axis-camera

for the 2016 control system says you can use the range .3 to .19 safely for fixed IP addresses.

Originally Posted by Mark McLeod

The field DHCP serves addresses in the .20 to .199 range if I remember correctly.
So static addresses for cameras or other IP devices can use .10 to .19 safely.

Martin Haeberli
(de-)mentor, FRC 3045 Gear Gremlins (formerly SWAT)

[Mark McLeod]

By FRC convention static IP addresses use .1 for the radio, .2 for the roboRIO, .4 for an AP to work with the robot radio as bridge, .5 for the DS laptop Ethernet port, .6 for a separate programming PC, .9 for at home DS wireless port, .11 for the first IP camera.

staying somewhat with the conventions makes it easier for others to help you debug, but that's all.

[BenjaminWard]

I want to point out that your Axis *should* always be available at axis-camera.local. It uses a similar mDNS setup as the robot, so anyone who has the driver station or any other mDNS software (Bonjour through ITunes, etc) will see the camera there.

[Poseidon5817]

Originally Posted by BenjaminWard

I want to point out that your Axis *should* always be available at axis-camera.local. It uses a similar mDNS setup as the robot, so anyone who has the driver station or any other mDNS software (Bonjour through ITunes, etc) will see the camera there.

This is what worked for us. Prior to us figuring this out (but after our IP address that we used in the shop stopped working) we would scan the IP range before every match, find the camera, and enter it in the camera feed. This worked, although it was just another annoying thing on our already huge list of annoying things to do to set up for a match.

[hardcopi]

Ours didn't work the entire first day. The FTA's tried to get it working but it needed a static ip and we had to set up the windows host file to force axis-camera.local to 10.29.59.11 (our camera's static ip). Just wouldn't be seen on the dashboard until we forced windows to see it. Mdns just wasn't cutting it.

[RufflesRidge]

Originally Posted by mhaeberli

for the 2016 control system says you can use the range .3 to .19 safely for fixed IP addresses.

It's wrong (slightly). You should not use .4.

This is the address of something on the field (router, AP interface, etc.) that is set as the gateway for the roboRIO as part of the DHCP address served by the field (you can see this if you USB tether to the robot and pull up the web interface without turning the robot off after a match.

[tr6scott]

Another observation from this, and also having major pain in the a$$ with mdns in our setup, still to be "working" but no root cause of why Aaron spent two hours in our pit on Thursday at Waterford.. I feel for you Chris.

Please note that once your radio is programmed at the event, the DHCP server is turn off on your robot radio. The field is the only DHCP server while at the event.

So when you are in your pit, and testing there is no DHCP server to hand out IP addresses, so everything kind of defaults back to the 169. address space. For others this seems to work... For us, not so much...

When we were in the pit at Waterford, I used an old dlink configured to our home settings, when I needed to test and program. (which was all the time)


Thanks for the info on the static IP's

[mhaeberli]

Scott,

we had our own problems (added a second camera, but had trouble seeing it on the field).
But as to the Field radio configuration, our own ad-hoc solution was to have two new radios, one for "Field" configuration, one configured for use just as back home for "Pit / Build". We would just switch out the radio in the pit (and use the same test radio on the practice field).

Thanks,
Martin Haeberli
(de-)mentor, FRC 3045 Gear Gremlins (formerly SWAT).
----

Originally Posted by tr6scott

Another observation from this, and also having major pain in the a$$ with mdns in our setup, still to be "working" but no root cause of why Aaron spent two hours in our pit on Thursday at Waterford.. I feel for you Chris.

Please note that once your radio is programmed at the event, the DHCP server is turn off on your robot radio. The field is the only DHCP server while at the event.

So when you are in your pit, and testing there is no DHCP server to hand out IP addresses, so everything kind of defaults back to the 169. address space. For others this seems to work... For us, not so much...

When we were in the pit at Waterford, I used an old dlink configured to our home settings, when I needed to test and program. (which was all the time)


Thanks for the info on the static IP's

[Mark McLeod]

Please don't use wireless on a second radio at an event.
It is against the rules and has the potential to cause quite a significant problem for the field staff.

There are field provided radios available for use on the practice field. Just ask the FTA.

Originally Posted by T2

T2 Wireless ROBOT control is only permitted on the FIELD or Practice Field. ROBOTS must be operated by tether when outside the FIELD or Practice Field.

Originally Posted by T3

T3 If operating wirelessly on the Practice Field, ROBOTS must use the provided Practice Field radio for communication.