Networking and

Connectivity

Network and Connectivity

Review
What is a network?
A network is a group of two or more computer systems linked together.
There are many types of computer networks, however we will most
commonly work with Local-Area Networks, or LANs.
Local-Area Networks (LANs) are networks of computers that are
geographically close together, like in the same building, or campus.

Networks can have multiple different

devices connected into them including:
Switches
Firewalls
Modems
Routers
Hubs
Bridges
Hotspots
Terminals

Definitions
Switches - Switches are a device that filters and forwards packets between LAN
segments. Switches are most commonly found at the Data Link and occasionally
the Network layer of the OSI Reference Model.
Switches can be both Managed and Unmanaged, sometimes referred to Smart and
Dumb switches.
Managed Switches let you adjust each port on the switch to any setting you
desire,
allowing you to monitor and configure your network in many different ways. They
also require a skilled administrator. You'll usually see these at locations with an IT
department.
Unmanaged Switches allow Ethernet devices to communicate with one another
automatically using auto-negotiation to determine Connection parameters. They
are usually plug-and-play, and as such are much cheaper and much more common
in small businesses. If a Managed Switch is a busy intersection with traffic lights
and police officers, an Unmanaged switch is an intersection on a country road.

Definitions
Firewalls - A firewall is a system designed to prevent unauthorized access to or
from a private network. They can be software or hardware based, and are often
implemented on both platforms. A firewall is like a series of locked doors. Only
your network devices have the keys to get in or out. When ports are opened on a
firewall, or router, which will commonly have firewall software functionality, you
are giving the keys for those doors to the network device so they can pass traffic
as they need to.
Modems - Modems are how a network connects to the internet. It may have some
of the functions of a router or even a firewall, but without a modem, there is no
network connection. A modem is the on-ramp to the information superhighway.
Routers - Many times, you will see a modem paired with a router. If a modem is a
highway on-ramp, a router is a traffic cop. If that sounds familiar, it's because
managed switches have similar functionality. The main difference between
managed switches and routers is the switches do not usually have the ability to
assign IP addresses.
Hotspots A hotspot is simply another term for a router with a Wi-Fi connection.

Definitions
Hubs Hubs are also known as Ethernet hubs, active hubs, network hubs,
repeater hubs, or multiport repeaters, are almost the equivalent of a cable TV
signal splitter. It works by taking incoming information (bits) from one input port,
and outputting it to all output ports. Hubs are mostly obsolete, largely being
replaced by routers or Switches.
Terminals - Terminal is a generic term for the endpoint of a network. A PC or Mac
computer are examples of terminals, as well as the Pandora iO. This term is more
commonly used by IT personnel.
OTHER TERMS
Ethernet: This is a network cable. It can also be known as CAT cable, CAT5 or
CAT5e, or CAT6/6e
DNS: DNS is the Domain Name Server, and it is basically a phonebook for the
internet. If you tell a computer that you want to navigate to the Google Search
Page, you type http://www.google.com. The DNS server gets the request, and
translates it to http://74.125.224.72, which is the IP address for the Google Search
Page.

Other Terms
DHCP: DHCP is the Dynamic Host Connection Protocol. It is the most common type of IP
address you will encounter. It is dynamic, meaning it can and will change after its lease
period has expired, which can vary from hours to days. Usually this change will happen on
the Public IP, and rarely on Private IPs, in the event of a major firmware upgrade or a power
failure on the device.
Static: This is an IP address that will not change. They are generally purchased from the
Internet Service Provider (ISP), and because they are owned by the company, they will not
change. Static IPs are more secure than DHCP and can allow a client to securely process
transactions, or remotely connect to the network the IP is in to view security cameras.
VoIP: VoiP is Voice over Internet Protocol. It is a telephony system that uses network data
instead of telephone lines. Skype and Vonage are examples of VoIP systems. This is
important to know, because it operates similarly to the Pandora for Business service. If there
is no bandwidth, then they may have a VoIP system, which routers will give priority to over
streaming media.
QoS: QoS stands for Quality of Service. In some instances where Streaming Media Packets
are being dropped due to high bandwidth usage, you can alleviate the packet loss by having
the QoS settings adjusted in the router or modem, depending on how the network is set up.
MAC Address: A MAC address is a unique identifier assigned to network interface devices
for communications on a physical network. Its a nametag the router uses to know what IP to
assign.

Drawing A Network Map

It is important to know how a device is connected in a network when you are
troubleshooting. By asking the right questions, you can draw a network map,
either on paper, or in your mind, so you can eliminate connectivity issues from
improperly connected network devices.
Heres a scenario:
What is the Pandora Media Player plugged in to?
A Linksys router.
Okay great. Is the computer you are attempting to access the Control Site with also connected
to this Linksys router?
No, I have it connected to a switch, and the switch is plugged in to the router.
Can you connect the computer directly to the router? The Pandora Media Player doesnt
communicate across multiple network devices.
Sure. Give me a minute.
Okay, now that the computer and the Pandora Media Player are on the same router, can you
discover an IP?
Yeah, but I am still having trouble playing music.
No problem, what is the router plugged in to?
Its plugged into a firewall, and that goes to a Motorola Modem.
Based on the information provided, the network should look like this:

OSI 7 Security Model

The Open System Interconnection (OSI) 7 model defines a networking
framework to implement protocols in seven layers.

7 Application Layer
The Application Layer allows access to network resources. It enables
the users, either human or software, to access the network. It
provides user interface and support for services such as E-mail,
Remote File Management, and other services.

6 Presentation Layer
The Presentation Layer is used to translate, encrypt, and compress
data. This layer is connected with syntax protocols for information
exchange between two systems.
The functions of the Presentation Layer are:
Translation
Encryption
Compression

5 Session Layer
The Session Layer is used to establish, manage, and terminate
sessions. It is the network dialogue controller. It establishes,
maintains, and synchronizes the interactions between
communicating systems.

4 Transport Layer
The Transportation Layer is used provide reliable end-to-end message
delivery and error recovery. It is responsible for source to destination
delivery for the entire message. The Network Layer oversees source-todestination delivery of the entire packets but it does not recognize any
relationship between those packets.

3 Network Layer
The Network Layer is responsible for source-to-destination data
delivery. The Dl Layer oversees the delivery of data between 2
systems on the same network. The Network Layer ensures that each
packet gets from its point of origin to its final destination.

2 Data Link Layer

The Data Link Layer transforms the Physical layer which is a
transmission facility, to a reliable link. It is responsible for Node to
Node delivery. This will make the Physical Layer look error free to the
upper layer.

1 Physical Layer
The Physical Layer coordinates the functions required to transmit a
bit stream over a physical medium. It deals with electronic and
mechanical specifications. It also defines and controls the physical
devices and interfaces needed to transmit data on a network.

What does OSI-7 Mean to

me?
Nothing really. OSI-7 illustrates how
data moves from one network device
to another. It can be useful to know
this information if clients are having
difficulty connecting their media
players to the internet. A breakdown at
any one of these layers of connectivity
can cause the player to not work. Most
commonly, Layer 1 The Physical
Layer, is to blame.

How to open an ARP Table

If you cant discover an IP for a player
using the dmx.com/pandora/activate
site, and the pin reset isnt an option,
you can walk a customer through
opening an ARP table, or Address
Resolution Protocol table to find the IP.
They will need to know the MAC
address of the device beforehand. It
can be found on a sticker on the
device itself.

In Windows 7, click the Start button, and

type cmd in the search field. This will pull
up a list of programs and files with cmd in
the name. we are looking for the icon like
this:
Click the icon, and you will open a
Command Prompt. This is a DOS-like
operating environment that allows you to
directly manipulate data using command
strings.

In the Command Prompt box, type arp

a, and press enter. This will populate
a field of values. It shows every
discoverable network device sharing
the same network connection as the
computer. It will show the IP address
on the left, the MAC address in the
center, and the connection type on the
right.
The line circled in red is the Pandora
Player and its corresponding IP
address.

Pinging an IP
You can direct a customer to try to
ping their players IP if they cannot
access it, or they are getting an error
like Page cannot be displayed.

Bad Ping Example

Good Ping Example

Network Troubleshooting

The player says its IP address is 0.0.0.0 when using the Manual IP
Address Discovery Method - This is caused when the network is not
assigning an IP address, either because it is not plugged in correctly (see if
they can swap the ethernet cord with another one and if they can try
plugging it into another port on their router or switch) or because the
network they are using has a Static IP address system. If they are on a
Static IP Address network, let them know that we need to have the device
connected to a network with an active DHCP server in order for the device to
receive an IP address used to log into the Pandora iO. Once logged in they
can enter the Static IP Address Settings (ie: IP Address, Subnet, Default
Gateway, DNS Server).
It will only Play 2 or 3 songs (or around 5 minutes) - This is usually
caused by poor reception for the wireless signal. Basically, the iO will lose
its connection due to a poor signal and it wont try to automatically
reconnect to the network. Powercycling the device will have it come back
online and play music, however it will lose connection again and stop playing
music. There are many different causes of poor WiFi reception: Having the
player on anything glass or metal, long distances or walls between the
player and the WiFi router, or many overlapping WiFi signals. Most of these
require the player to be simply moved, however to diagnose WiFi signal
overlap the client would need to contact an IT professional.

 They cannot connect to their WiFi network - Make sure that they followed the
instructions to the letter for the WiFi setup in the User Guide. Sometimes they can see
their network on the list of WiFi signals and enter a password, but nothing shows up for
their WiFi IP address. If that happens have them re-enter the same password for all
security types (WEP, WPA, WPA2), one of them should let them receive an IP address
from the router.
Connection to Pandora not ready - First have the customer power cycle the
device. Once it comes online, and if it still displays the error, have them run an update
for Update Music and Config. Once it is done, have them put the device into standby
mode (on the iS press the standby button once; on the iO you can have them click the
standby button on the control panel). Wait 5 seconds, then have the device resume
(on the iS, press the star button; on the iO there is a resume button on the main
screen). If it still says that the Pandora connection is not ready, then have them test
the ports 80 and 443 on http://www.yougetsignal.com/tools/open-ports/ ( When using
this tool, change the external address to 208.85.40.92 before checking the
ports 80 and 443), these ports are used to connect to the Pandora service. If it
comes back as closed, then you can have them either contact the manufacturer of
their router for instructions or their ISP to have them opened.
Device will only play one song - This is usually caused by ports 80 and 443 not
being open. When the Pandora player is about to play a song, it will send out a
request over port 443 to make sure that its copyright license is valid. If that port is
closed, it wont get the signal that says its good to go, so it wont play. You can have
them check the ports status on http://www.yougetsignal.com/tools/open-ports/ When
using this tool, change the external address to 208.85.40.92 before checking
the ports 80 and 443.