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Section 6: Troubleshooting
The first step in troubleshooting an AN system is to operate it and find out what happens. If something
unexpected or unintended happens then there are several features and tools available to find the cause of the problem,
but the most important thing to do is to determine what happened and what was supposed to happen. Lights, sounds,
the LCD display, the command line and web interface all give clues. This guide will first cover connecting, then calling,
then communication.
Section 6.1
Network and Hardware Testing
Testing with Unrestricted Network Hardware
One of the best ways to troubleshoot a network problem is to recreate the network's IP settings on a consumer
level router not connected over a WAN and attempt to use the equipment locally on what Aiphone calls a bench test;
where all the equipment is in one place.
Do not use multiple 'smart' switches or routers for the initial setup and test, since Unit Scan's ARP request will
not leave the first router and make the first real step impossible to complete. It is highly recommended to get the
system through Unit Scan and through Import from Scan Result steps before taking it to a heavily restricted network.
Each router has a configuration page (contact the manufacturer for documentation), the only thing that might
need adjusting is to tell it what the LAN's static IP address range will be. If the switch does not have a web interface or
configuration page the switch will not interfere with any tests in this section.
Power Power over Ethernet is the preferred way to power AN-8540DS IP door stations or AN-8500MS IP master
stations, although you can buy a select few plug in transformers if PoE is not available. Use a 12VDC power supply with
a 2.1mm x 5.5mm barrel connector. Compatible models are: Mouser # 553-WDU12-1200, ELK Products Model P1216,
Seco-Larm Model ST-1212-R1.0A, and the AD-1210P
The limitation with these sources is that they limit the distance the station can be from the power source and
electrical outlet at about 5ft, which can be difficult for AN IP door stations located at a remote gate without power,
which is why we recommend Power over Ethernet from PowerDsine see
more information.
Unit Scan Unit Scan is a useful tool that asks the LAN for any AN IP enabled equipment and will present the IP addresses
as a response and allow changes to be made. If power is applied, all AN IP equipment should reply. The most common
use of this test is to determine what the IP address of the equipment and determine what its Web interface port number
is, by default it is 80. Once everything is plugged in to a network and powered on, go ahead and open the program and
try a Unit Scan.
Ping
Ping is used to test network connectivity between one computer and another. Any AN networked equipment
with an ethernet port, such as an AN-8000EX, AN-8500MS, AN-8540DS, or AN-8000MI will respond to Ping just like a
computer does. In Windows, the command window is used to ping another computer and is found by clicking the Start
button, choosing Run... and then typing 'CMD' and then Enter. That will open the command window for DOS style
command line operations. The command to ping is "ping 192.168.1.1" or whatever IP address the equipment may have.
Telnet Telnet can used to get a response from a computer on a particular port to see if the port is listening and
responding for traffic or if a firewall is blocking it. An AN networked device will only respond to Telnet queries on ports
and port ranges that it is programmed to. The default ports are a web port (80) and a TCP range from 5000-5003 used
for dialing and connecting from one device to the next.
To test if there are problems with a particular port, use Telnet in the command line after a successful ping. The
command is "telnet 192.168.1.1 5000" where 5000 is the port being tested. Telnet will, depending on the network,
return with either an error or will simply show a blank screen with a flashing cursor. The flashing cursor means the
computer is "in" and can send information to that port without it being blocked by a firewall. Close the window and
check every other TCP port the system uses.
Next Step
If Ping and Telnet are successful, the next test to try is in The Web Interface. If either test fails, take the
equipment back to an isolated simple network using only a single switch, manufactured patch cables (not crossover), the
computer, and the equipment without anything else on that test network, following the instructions in the section
Testing with Unrestricted Network Hardware and repeat the tests.
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