[WT-support] how to increase the WT network reliability?

[Lup S. DJ7SW]

Hello Folks!

as DK5TX said: use CAT7 components in the network, wherever you can get it.
All these components are better screened (up to 600 Mhz).
But beware the rf-intake from your own transmitters into the active network-components. Every wire in and out of your computers and switches have to be secured by toroid-core-screening. 
If you have done this, put a loose loop-wire around your shack-walls and feed 100Watt on 14Mhz via a tuner into this loop. Look onto your pc and see what all will fail now. Mostly the power-supply and keyboard/mouse inputs need toroid-cores. Remember: when one core is not enough, use two ore more or better (more loss) cores. With the powerknob at your test-TX you can exactly determinate the power-point where the disaster begins.
Work as long as all your computer will withstand 100 Watts inside this closed loop. As a side effect you will have less noise in your nearby antennas. This all has to be done days before the contest begins, thus avoid the good friend, who will bring his PC or laptop minutes before contest starts

If the router is not reset by RF, it will normaly recognize the IP numbers
for several weeks. If you need WiFi, use 5GHz for the network, the reflections in the shack and in the house are better than on 2.4Ghz. There will be also no interfering with your 2.4 Ghz keyboards and mouses too.

I never use DHCP in Contest. I choose fixed IP numbers ending with the band,
the coputer has to handle. Put a list of the known IP-numbers on every computer in the network. Use an extra notebook with "wireshark" to find possible errors. If you have loaned coputers, check them all with several cleaner and trojan programms. Let them all run thru defragmet prozedures to avoid hard-disk erors.

Thanks to EU, you can sometimes buy in DL used siemens computers for as low as 70 Euros. The are equiped with all technical proceedings you can image and normaly the direct china imports never have.....So a fixed group of PCs in the contest-shack is superior!  

Do all the above long before the contest starts, you really will have more time to qso in a contest hi hi!

55 es 73 de DJ7SW alias DL0KF 

mailto:dj7sw at yahoo.com


--- On Thu, 4/4/13, Tõnno Vähk <tonno.vahk at gmail.com> wrote:

> From: Tõnno Vähk <tonno.vahk at gmail.com>
> Subject: [WT-support] how to increase the WT network reliability?
> To: support at win-test.com
> Date: Thursday, April 4, 2013, 2:46 PM
> We and I think most other multi op
> stations are used to the network problems
> that cause one computer lose network and RELOAD is needed to
> restore the
> connection. There are different kind of error messages about
> non-unique QSO
> identifier, some erroneous UDP sockets or whatever... 
> 
> I find this an unavoidable part of multi op operation. We
> did MM for the
> first time in WPX SSB with ca 15 networked computers. The
> amount of needed
> RELOAD's also went up. And now there were at least 3 times
> when reload did
> not help and computer had to restarted to restore network.
> It was strange
> that packet spots were flowing but QSOs did not and
> synchronization did not
> function also before restart was done.
> 
> We used a mix of cable and wifi network. Of course making
> sure no computer
> had both enabled. For cable had mostly determined IPs and
> for WIFI
> automatic.
> 
> My question is - can anyone say or recommend:
> 
> Is it better to use cable rather than WIFI?
> 
> Is it better not to mix two?
> 
> Is it better to use determined IP instead of automatic? Does
> it make any
> difference?
> 
> Any other ideas how to make the network more reliable and
> save the trouble
> of frequent reloads and restarts?`
> 
> 73
> Tonno
> ES5TV
> 
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