Establishing telnet communication between the FieldFox and a PC

Sometime it is necessary to communicate to the FieldFox via telnet for certain service functions. The telnet session is established over a LAN connection.

The instructions below are divided into two sections:

  1. Connect the FieldFox and PC via LAN and set the IP address
  2. Open a telnet session on the PC - this section may be used to confirm that you have successfully established the LAN connection

 

1) Connect the FieldFox and PC via LAN and set the IP addresses

There are two options for making the physical LAN connections:

  • Connection thru the Internet (via a LAN hub and other LAN infrastructure)
  • A direct connection (single cable connecting FieldFox and PC, no other internet connections) 

1A) Connection thru the Internet option:

(The following process assumes that the PC is already configured for a dynamically (DHCP) assigned IP address.)

  1. Connect the FieldFox to the Internet using a LAN cable.
  2. Press System (7), then System Configuration, then LAN.
  3. Confirm (or change) Obtain IP is DHCP. This allows the server from the Internet to assign an IP address dynamically.
  4. To make the LAN settings persist, toggle Apply Settings to Now then back to Power Up. You should briefly see a message indicating that the LANconfig file was saved.
  5. The value for Current IP Address should be updated. Record the assigned IP address. If the IP address appears to be incorrect, cycle power on the FieldFox to insure the LAN connection is recognized.
  6. Continue at 2) Open a telnet session on the PC below.

Note on LAN connection speed: The LAN connection to the FieldFox should be 100 Mbit (or greater) speed. If a hub is used, make sure the hub supports 100 Mbit (or greater) speed.

1B) Direct Connection option:

(This option requires that static IP addresses be assigned to both the FieldFox and the PC.)

  1. Disconnect any LAN cable from the FieldFox. Disable any wireless LAN connections on the PC.
  2. Press System (7), then System Configuration, then LAN.
  3. Change Obtain IP to Static.
  4. Set Static IP Address to 192.168.0.1
  5. Set Static Subnet Mask to 255.255.248.0
  6. To make the LAN settings persist, toggle Apply Settings to Now then back to Power Up. You should briefly see a message indicating that the LANconfig file was saved. You will also see a LAN not present message displayed.
  7. Perform the following steps on the PC to set it for a static IP address -
    • Instructions for Windows XP operating system
      -Press Start, then Control Panel, then Network Connections.
      - Right click Local Area Connections
      - Select Properties
      - Select the General tab and scroll to Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and click on it.
      - Click Properties
      - Select Use the following IP Address, then enter 192.168.0.2 for the IP address.
      - Set the Subnet Mask to 255.255.248.
      - Click OK and close dialogs
    • Instructions for Windows 7 operating system
      - Press Start, then Control Panel, then select Network & Sharing Center.
      - Click Change Adapter Settings (in left panel)
      - Right click on Local Area Connections and select Properties
      - Click on Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) to highlight it
      - Click on Properties
      - Select Use the following IP Address, then enter 192.168.0.2 for the IP address
      - Set the Subnet Mask to 255.255.248.
      - Click OK and close dialogs
  8. Connect a LAN cable between the FieldFox and the PC. Both LED's on the FieldFox LAN connector should be active (on most or all of the time). If both LED's are dark most or all of the time, refere to the FAQ for suggestions.
  9. Now check that the FieldFox has successfully recognized the LAN connection. On the FieldFox, toggle Apply Settings to Now then back to Power Up. You should briefly see a message indicating Lan present.
  10. Continue at 2) Open a telnet session on the PC below.

Note on LAN connection speed: The LAN connection to the FieldFox should be 100 Mbit (or greater) speed. To check the LAN speed on the PC, hover your mouse over the LAN icon (dual display icon graphic) in the lower right hand corner of the PC display.

Troubleshooting note: if there are problems establishing the LAN connection, see N9912A or N9923A FAQs for suggestions.

 

2) Open a telnet session on the PC

  1. Open a DOS window on the PC. This will open a DOS command line.
  2. At the DOS command line enter: telnet nnn.mmm.xxx.yyy 5024
    (nnn.mmm.xxx.yyy = IP address of FieldFox)
  3. You should get a response indicating a SCPI session has been opened.
  4. To test the connection, enter: *idn? The response should include the FieldFox model and serial number.
  5. Enter commands as needed for service functions.
  6. Close the DOS window when finished.

Troubleshooting hint: If you are using Windows 7, you may get the following error message when attempting the telnet command:
" 'telnet' is not recognized ........" To enable the telnet command do the following:

  • Go to the Control Panel
  • Select Program and Features
  • Select Turn Windows Features on or off
  • Check both Telnet Client and Telnet Server
  • Click OK