Assigning static ip address?

[Tidalwave123]

I have a Davis Vantage Pro 2 and a Davis data logger (#6555). I prefer to use Cumulus rather than the Davis Weatherlink software for many obvious reasons.

The Vantage Pro is used to send continuous data to several government agencies and websites.

However, the IP address for the data logger communications port changes quite frequently. The Cumulus software then goes into error and the data is not transmitted via internet. I have found that there is no easy way to determine the changed IP address except by going into my Weatherlink program and going to setup/com port/Local Device ID/find. The logger's MAC address is displayed along with the 'new' IP' address. I then have to go back to Cumulus and enter the new IP address in station settings.

The data logger info is fed into the internet via router. Doing an IP address search on my system, I can find IP addresses for the following: public internet IP, Modem IP, router IP, PC IP, Davis logger IP & MAC address, finally the station IP.

When the station IP is changed (dynamic)...I have to discover that Cumulus is no longer active...go to Weatherlink to find the new dynamic IP and enter the new address into Cumulus. If I am not home for any extended time, I find that Cumulus has stopped sending data because the station IP has changed while I am gone.

I have tried several methods to fix the station IP address as a static address without success.

Does anyone have a simplified method to set a static address? The methods I have found requires an IT person...the writer assumes that I am just at cogent
in operating such things as DHCP servers as they are.

[water01]

Most routers DHCP systems allow you to allocate a static IP to certain devices. Look at the attached devices list and there should be a drop down, button or something that says "always allocate this IP". The router will then recognise the station by its MAC address and always allocate the same internal network IP to that device.

[steve]

Alternatively, you can assign a fixed address using the WLIP browser interface. See this thread: https://cumulus.hosiene.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=3331

Another alternative is to use the WLIP's MAC address in Cumulus instead of its IP address.

[Tidalwave123]

Thanks for the help...but it doesn't seem to work for my system!

I can find the Davis logger MAC address using WL along with the Device IP address. But Cumulus rejects this
IP address when entered. (In the past, Cumulus always accepted the WL IP address...but now it does not!?)

I have an 'Advanced IP Scanner' program that can immediately find the logger..it displays the correct MAC address
for the logger but along with a totally new IP address which does NOT work either in Cumulus.

How do you give Cumulus the logger's MAC address when there does not seem to be an entry location for a MAC address. only an IP address?

[steve]

You put the MAC address in the IP address field. I tried this myself, and it worked for me. In fact, when I looked on my test setup now, it still had the MAC address in there from when I tried it.

[VTHokie74]

I am on at least my 5th router over the years and every one of them allowed you to assign a fixed IP address to a particular MAC address. It is usually under LAN>DHCP in most menus. You just have to log in to the home page for the router. It's usually 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1 depending on the manufacturer. From reading the FAQ it appears you have to set the port to 2222 also. I have the Davis USB logger so I have never messed with the WLIP.

[mcrossley]

You put the MAC address in the IP address field. I tried this myself, and it worked for me. In fact, when I looked on my test setup now, it still had the MAC address in there from when I tried it.

It may be worth saying if the format matters? I have seen a number of variations - "nn:nn:..." or "nn nn ..." or "nn-nn-..."

[steve]

The format that worked for me is aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff - I used that format because that's the format I am used to seeing. I don't know whether other formats work.

Edit: The example given in the Davis DLL documentation uses colons, but they don't say whether that's the only format that is accepted:

short int OpenTCPIPPort_V (const char *TCPPort, const char *IPAddr)
Description
Use this function to open the port of the TCPIP WeatherLink IP device. Example:

OpenTCPIPPort_V(“22222”, ”00:1D:0A:00:00:4A”);

OpenTCPIPPort_V(“22222”, ”172.16.24.12”).

The software automatically detects the 2nd parameter as either a Device ID or an IP Address by looking at the format of the string.

Cumulus just treats it as a string, so you can supply anything you want and it will accept it. It's the Davis DLL which actually looks at the format.

[Tidalwave123]

I finally got Cumulus running again with the help of Weatherlink tech support. After about 20 minutes of not being able to correct the problem...tech support sent me a new firmware update. Then the logger memory was reset and the firmware installed. The com-port reinitialized and is now working correctly.
Tech support did not know why the logger developed a memory glitch...but stated that the new firmware v1.11 would probably fix it if it were to happen again.
Tech support recommended that every owner of a Davis #6555 logger should install the newest firmware.