How to Set Up Your Own Private Wireless Network
The majority of digital console manufacturers offer one or more ways to control your console remotely. In some cases, this can be done from a laptop running an offline/online editor, and in other cases, it can be done from a tablet or smartphone application.
In a growing number of cases, digital consoles are allowing the use of multiple devices simultaneously to control different aspects of the console. For example, Yamaha’s new TF series allows multiple mix buses to be controlled from up to ten iPad, iPhone or iPod touch devices, enabling your artists to mix their own monitors from a device they probably already own.
Apple’s iOS devices are the platform of choice for digital console control because of their ubiquitous nature, relative low cost and ease of use. That said, there are a number of manufacturers that offer OS-X and Windows options as well, so don’t assume that it’s iOS or nothing, because that isn’t necessarily the case.
Private vs. Shared Networks
How do all of these external devices connect to the console? If you’re going to have your artists using their personal devices to control your digital console, are you subjecting the console to any sort of security vulnerabilities? The answer definitely depends on how you create the network connection between their devices and your console. In most cases, it’s desirable to create your own private wireless network that is dedicated to your digital console.
In some limited instances, it may be advisable to have your console connected to a corporate network, such as at a church or an educational institution. If that is something you want to pursue, you’ll need to coordinate with your IT staff to ensure the security of your console, the devices connected to it, as well as the larger network itself. Most IT departments frown upon people connecting a bunch of random devices to the corporate network that they strive to protect, so consult with them before connecting anything. In most cases, it’s advisable to carry your own wireless router, creating a private network that will be limited to your console and the remote control devices connected to it. Besides, do you really want to depend the stability of a club’s Wi-Fi when it comes to remotely accessing your console?
Some Hardware Questions
Any console that has network-based remote control will have a network port dedicated to this functionality. I often get asked what type of wireless router is appropriate for creating a digital console control network. In most cases, any wireless router that you’d use at home would be perfectly acceptable. However, when choosing a wireless router for a gear network, there are a few basic questions you should ask yourself. First, how are IP addresses going to be assigned to the equipment on your network? The two options are DHCP and Static. If you want your router to automatically assign IP addresses to each device connecting to the network, make sure that the router has its DHCP server enabled.
A second consideration is, how many hardwired ports do you need on the router? Most current wireless routers have four hardwired ports plus a WAN (also called Internet) port, and some have as many as eight hardwired ports. If you’re simply creating a network between your digital audio console and multiple Wi-Fi enabled devices, the only hardwired port you need is one for your console. However, if you plan to connect other elements of your system to a network, such as a loudspeaker processor or some amplifiers, you’ll need additional hardwired ports for each device that needs to be connected. Finally, you need to decide how you intend to mount the router. Will it be mounted in a rack? If so, how will it be mounted, and does the router provide any sort of mounting capabilities?
Once you’ve chosen and purchased a wireless router, the first thing you’ll want to do is configure the router for use with your console. Most routers have a browser based configuration tool or a dedicated piece of software to control the router’s settings. Refer to your router’s documentation to find out how to access its settings, but as an example, many routers will allow you to access their settings by typing a default IP address (typically 192.168.1.1) into your web browser’s address bar. Once you’ve accessed your router’s configuration page, you’ll be able to set an administrator password, specify how many devices the DHCP server will assign IP addresses to, and enable or disable SSID broadcast.
SSID stands for Service Set Identifier, and every wireless router has one by default. You’ll most likely want to change your SSID to something meaningful and memorable (ex. Audio Console Network) so you can easily access your wireless network from any device. The SSID of your wireless network is case sensitive, so be mindful of that when creating (and documenting) your network’s name. SSID’s are used by Wi-Fi enabled devices to find and connect to a wireless network. You’ve certainly used SSID’s on all of your Wi-Fi-enabled devices, even if you’ve never thought much about it. By default, a wireless router will broadcast its SSID so that other devices searching for available wireless networks can find it.
In the case of a digital console network, it’s preferable to disable SSID broadcast. By doing this, the only devices that can find your private wireless network are those who specifically search for it by name. This limits the number of devices that can realistically search for and access your network. If you want to allow someone access to your network, you’ll need to provide them with the SSID, and they will need to search for your network manually in their device’s network preferences. Once you set a unique SSID and disable SSID broadcast, you’ll want to choose a security mode. This adds yet another layer of security to your router and provides the system with a passphrase that users will need to access the network. Common choices for security are WEP, WPA and WPA2. WPA2 is the most common and recommended security standard, and allows for a passphrase between eight and 63 alphanumeric characters.
Plug In and Go… Sorta
Now that your router is configured, it’s time to connect your console. Using a standard Cat-5 cable, connect the network port of your console to one of the LAN ports on the router. Some consoles can use DHCP to obtain an IP address from your router, and other consoles require a static IP address. Refer to your console’s documentation to determine how your console obtains an IP address. If your console uses DHCP, it should receive an IP address, subnet mask and default gateway automatically when connected to the router, but if your console requires a static IP, you’ll have set that manually, in addition to setting the subnet mask and default gateway.
In the case of a small network of equipment, your subnet mask will likely be 255.255.255.0 and your default gateway will be the IP address of your wireless router, which is likely 192.168.1.1 — unless you specifically changed it. If your console does require a static IP, you can still use the router’s DHCP server to assign IP addresses to your tablets, smartphones and computers, but you’ll want your console’s static IP to be outside of the range of what your router will assign to other devices to avoid IP conflicts. For example, if your router’s DHCP server is configured to assign IP addresses 192.168.1.2 through 192.168.1.10, you won’t want to use any of those addresses for your console or you may encounter an IP address conflict. If you’re unsure of the IP address pool that your router is assigning, you can find it in the router’s configuration page. Most routers have a default pool of IP addresses that are assigned via the DHCP server, but this can be changed to limit the number of devices that can receive an IP automatically.
After you’ve configured your console with the router and your console has an IP address, subnet mask and default gateway, it’s time to fire up your remote devices and get them connected to the network as well. Most of these devices will access the network via Wi-Fi. If you turned off SSID broadcast, you won’t be able to find your network automatically. Go to your device’s network preferences and choose “Add Network” — or in the case of iOS devices, you’ll click “Other…” to manually search for your network. From there, you’ll be able to enter the SSID of your network, choose the security type and ultimately enter the passphrase for the network.
If you entered everything correctly, you should now receive an IP address from the router (if using DHCP). Once successfully connected to your network, you can launch the console manufacturer’s control application and you should be able to easily connect and start controlling your console.
