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Thread: Connecting to HomeWorks QS Systems Over Wi-fi

  1. #1
    Authorized Lutron Contributor
    Join Date
    Jun 2013
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    19

    Exclamation Connecting to HomeWorks QS Systems Over Wi-fi

    If you are trying to connect to a HWQS system over wifi its a good idea to turn on the "Use VPN or Remote Access" feature inside the HWQS software. To use this feature, start by setting one of your processors to a static IP address. Then you can check the box for "Use VPN or Remote Access" and then type in the static IP address of the processor into the box then click "Save and Apply". After doing that you should see the processors all come back as "Good" and from there you can use the software normally.

    Technical jargon to follow...
    ---------------------------
    Why this works: Typically when the software talks to the system it uses multicast communication which allows it to talk to all processors at the same time. However, many wifi routers either filter this traffic or limit the amount that is allowed through. The "Use VPN or Remote Access" feature changes the communication so that the software talks unicast to one processor in the system and that system then forwards the message on to all other processors in the system. While this process is a little slower, this type of communication works much better on wifi routers.

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  3. #2
    So in the Remote Acess Address field you would type in the same static and private IP address (i.e. 192.168.x.x) from where you defined the processor IP address? Leave the default suggested lutron port number? Would the speed of communication still be a little slower if the job has just 1 processor?

  4. #3
    Authorized Lutron Contributor
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    May 2013
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    Correct, when you check the Remote Access field in the activation tab, you would need to enter the IP address of the processor in the available field. The port number should be left as the default 51023. The system will then be using a unicast communication to that processor. It would depend on the network connection if it will be comparatively slower on 1 processor jobs.

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  6. #4
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
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    7
    Honestly, I've had jobs where it worked better one way, and others that were the opposite. I even had one job that wouldn't connect no matter what I did, even plugged directly into the switch with a wired connection ... until I reverted to an older version of QS. Honestly, there is too much of an effort to make everything auto-sense and automatic. Anyone capable of programming a QS system ought to be able to deal with basic network tools to find a processor and set its IP. ANd what about jobs with VLANS? The current setup won't allow that unless you are on the same sublan. I think the whole networking paradigm of QS needs a revamp. Leave the discovery in, but give us a way to override it and put our own setting in. Illumination was so much more reliable and robust when it came to networking.

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