Not able to send any info from xlights to any controllers

[danj]

I am not able to send any info from xlights to any of my controllers.   I have tried the xlights test function "by universe" and "by prop" and have tried multiple sequences, all without success.   I made sure the xlights "lights on" button was "on" when trying the tests and when trying to send sequence info.   I have checked & double-checked my channel layout; as far as I can tell I have that correctly done such that xlights & the controllers should be synched up in regards to the channel configuration.   I ran a channel check of a couple of outputs of one of my E682s using SACNView; the channels are exactly as I had intended.   One thing I might be doing incorrectly (??)---I have universe 1 blocked out for an e1.31 bridge that I do not have hooked up to the show network.   Is it possible that is goofing me up here in xlights???   Thanks in advance for whatever help anyone can give me here.  I'm sure there is something easy I am missing here...

[logandc99]

Is this from a computer or an FPP?
One thing to check, when I run a sequence from my computer and sending data out to controllers via ethernet, I have to have the wireless on the computer turned off otherwise nothing to go out to the controllers. As soon as I turn off wifi, it all works.
Just thought.

[danj]

Thanks Logan.  Yes I am using a laptop to run the show.   I have output test signals and sequence info before from this PC and I don't remember disabling the wireless...   But maybe I did and I am not remembering that now...   I will DEFINITELY try what you suggested!!!  I really appreciate the response.

Edit--I tried disabling the wifi; no go.   Still not able to send any test signals or sequence signals to controllers.  Not sure where to go with this???

[jnealand]

Are you multicast or unicast.  My router has problems wtih multicast over wifi.  I have to use a wired connection to get multicast to work.

[danj]

Jim--everything is setup in unicast.   I am using a little four port Ethernet switch for my show network..  Thanks for the thought!  I am still setting up props, so I will fight with the channels some more tonight...  The thing that is totally confusing to me is that I used SACNView to generate some chases and to do channel checks (just two minitrees sitting in my garage as test props...) and that worked great...

Just to take one variable out of the mix....   I plugged my cat5 directly from my PC to my F16.   That didn't make any difference.    I checked the OLED on the F16 and I don't see any universe info "seen" by the F16

[danj]

When generating test signals via SACNView, I see packet info on the F16 OLED & the GUI, but I am not seeing any packet info on the F16 OLED or GUI when trying to generate either test or sequence signals from xlights.   Does this lead me anywhere?   I'm not very strong on networking stuff....  Thanks.

[Gilrock]

If you are unicast all controllers that are setup in xLights need to be connected and functioning or it will get continuous timeouts.

[danj]

Thank you Gil!!!    I did not realize that all controllers needed to be connected....   I really appreciate the info!   I will try this when I get back from Church this afternoon.    I was just about ready to throw in the towel out of frustration!!!

[Phrog30]

I use all unicast and I don't have issues like you are describing. I might see a slight lag, but no data, I'm not seeing that. It could depend a lot on the controller. I don't use sandevices. An easy test, in your setup disable all but the controller you are wanting to test.

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

[keithsw1111]

Can you ping the controller. I would start by proving that TCP/IP is working between the computer and controller before worrying about xlights. Always start at the bottom and work your way up. Is Ethernet cable connected. Can I ping. Can I access controller web page. Now can xlights send data and does it display correctly.

[danj]

Thanks James & Keith.   I don't remember pinging any of the controllers yesterday, but I was always able to contact all of the controllers via their GUIs.   The E682s have some dropouts sometime, but I think that is an E682 thing, not related to my show network.   I just hooked up three controllers and was able to ping all three.   I then hooked up all four and was again able to ping all of them.   I have also generated controller test signals from each controller's GUI and that worked for all four.   I then tried to output an xlights sequence; no lights turned on.   I then went to the xlights test tab and tried to generate some xlights tests; no go there either (including no packets received on any of the controllers).   So, I turned off xlights and turned on SACNView to see if I could generate any signals via SACNView.   That was successful with all four controllers.   I only had four strings of lights hooked up; one string per controller...  Traveling for work this week so I am a traveling show, so to speak...    So I sent SACNView data (white sine waves, channel chases, etc) and I am lighting up strings via all four controllers with SACNView; I also see packets received on the universes I am hitting with SACNView.   I am charging up the battery on the PC I will use as my show PC; I probably need to be doing all this stuff with that PC since it will be running the display.   That will be a tomorrow night thing though...

Any further ideas?    I REALLY appreciate the responses!

[keithsw1111]

Are you running on a laptop with both a wifi connection and a wired connection active? Try disabling wifi.

[Gilrock]

I think Keith is onto something.  If you have a hard-wired and wifi connection available xLights might choose the wrong one.  If you do a Check Sequence I believe Keith has it printing out a statement that will tell you the IP address xLights will use to send data.

[danj]

I will check that tonight.    Thanks so much for your help!!!   I'll see what xlights is broadcasting to then I'll disable wireless and check again.

[danj]

Here's what I found.

With wireless enabled: "IP Address we are outputting data from: 10.219.213.26"--this is the shared apartment wireless network....
With wireless disabled: "IP Address we are outputting data from: 127.0.0.1"

I don't have a clue where the 127.0.0.1 IP address is coming from though...    I have my Ethernet setup to 192.168.10.110.   

Next, I will try connecting to my controllers with wireless disabled.   Gotta help my wife with something first.