Network Box¶
The Network Box is a pelican case containing the components needed to duplicate the network while out testing or at competition. It is intended to make networking in these environments seamless and portable. The box is powered by a UPS so can operate for roughly an hour without being plugged into a wall outlet.
Usage¶
To use the Network Box:
If possible, plug the box into wall power using the special cable.
Turn the box on by holding down the ON button until you hear a beep and the RED led turns on.
Connect your/other developer laptops via ethernet to any of the top ports BESIDES the one labeled POE.
Be sure your laptop is configured to automatically configure network over DHCP.
If your laptop does not have Ethernet (RJ45), you can use one of the provided adapters inside the box.
Connect the vehicle to the box. If connecting the Ubiquitii Antenna, connect it to the POE port.
Wait a few minutes until your computer reports it is connected to the network.
To verify functionality, try pinging the vehicle or accessing the config panel.
IO¶
7 LAN connections on the outside of the box connected to the internal switch
1 labeled POE and is connected to a Ubiquity POE injector used to connect the Ubuiquity antenna
1 WAN ethernet which connects directly to the PFsense router WAN port
A power cable
Internal WIFI antena
Labeled On/Off button (must hold)
Red power indicator LED
Internal¶
AC to 12v 5A DC adapter spliced to power both the switch and router
Ubiquiti GP-A240-050G POE injector
2 Amazon Basics USB to RJ45 devices velcrowed to the lid for developers without a RJ45 port
Configuring¶
Warning
Bad changes to the network box config can break communication between developers and robots. Proceed with caution.
You can configure things such as the WAN (internet) connection, DHCP server, etc by logging into the PFsense web panel at https://192.168.37.1 (accept the invalid certificate). Ask a MIL leader for the login credentials.
Backup / Restore¶
We store the XML config of the router within the repo. You can update this config or restore it from the web panel at https://192.168.37.1/diag_backup.php.
You can download the pfSense config XML file by clicking here.
WAN Setup¶
Warning
Do not connect the MIL network or any other network using our subnet to the WAN port. This can cause serious issues for both networks as both will have an active DHCP server.
At competition, we are often given a WAN (internet) cable. Plug this cable into the WAN port on the box. Once connected, try pinging an internet server with
$ ping 8.8.8.8