IIRC, under JEmplode, there is only Ethernet download capability (I suspect I will be corrected rather rapidly here if this is not the case).

You have correctly made the correct type of physical connection between the unit and your Mac, an ethernet cross cable. If all was configured at both ends of the pipe (which it isn't at the moment) then you would be in a position to download tracks. You would not be able to update the player software, which requires a serial port connection. You would also not be able to get a command line prompt to do any manual configuration work. This does tend to limit your possibilities somewhat.

With the USB/serial convertor, you should be able to:
- configure the serial port speed
- use a terminal program to connect to the empeg via the serial port.

Have you tried something as primative as Z-Term with the convertor to see if you can actually make a (non-JEmplode) connection to the empeg?

Have you tried using VirtualPC with the USB/Serial convertor to see if you can use Hyperterm in Windoze to connect to the empeg?

Is there any reason why you can't find a friend with a Windoze machine to get you past this configuration hump with the least effort? It may be worth your while to do so, thereby avoiding an agonising wait to get this going.

As much as I am an Apple fan (I have two Powerbooks and a 750 at home) I still rail at their arrogance in trying to Unilaterally render the RS-232 port obsolete. No matter how well intentioned this may be, the reality is that computers have to collaborate with other devices in the real world to be useful. Not good.

One of the few remaining Mk1 owners... #00015

The issue is not what address to give it, but how. You either have to allow the empeg to pick up it's own IP address (using DHCP on a small network configured to use this protocol) or tell the unit manually (which means you have to get to the command line of the empeg). Since at the moment it doesn't look as if you could do the latter, then the first is the best bet.

Do you know anyone with small network? If so, ask them if they have DHCP on the network (many do). Go over there and plug in your unit, and it should pick up an IP address from their network. This is a good starting point; you could then go home and set up your Mac to use the same address range, and plug them back to back. With the Mac now pretending to be on the network you have just used, you should then be able to start using JEmplode.

This would be a start. It's primitive, and you would later on want to go back and set it up to be something more useful, but you could at least download some music.

One of the few remaining Mk1 owners... #00015

OK, so in a couple of hours I go over to a friend's office with my PC serial cable and use their sole Windows machine to try and give my empeg an IP address. They have a network (of Macs) so presumably I can get an IP address from their network somehow. I didn't realise all this IP stuff was involved.

Wish me luck!

I didn't realise all this IP stuff was involved.

Normally, it's not needed. You're a really special case.


___________
Tony Fabris

Thanks to ALL your help, a chat with David at Empeg, a couple of hours in someone else's office getting to grips with a PC and a lot of downloading of software later, I now have empeg car friendly with Emplode (updated version) via a USB cable on my Mac using Virtual PC. Phew!

Once again - thanks so much to all of you. I could not have done this without you.

Sally : )

PS: I'll post some pics of my Roadster install once everything's together.

Ah, good!

If you could share your experiences of what you needed to do to get it to work with VirtualPC, that would be nice. Maybe we could make up a FAQ entry about it, combining tips from you and MComb.

___________
Tony Fabris

If you could share your experiences of what you needed to do to get it to work with VirtualPC, that would be nice.
Hmm... I'd love to. It appears to have stopped working though now! It was neccessary to update the software all round (player and Emplode software), and then VPC suddenly recognised the player. One restart later though and we're back to square one. Seems like VPC is very buggy. Lots of freezes, etc.

Maybe others can confirm this, but I have had problems connecting the empeg reliably with USB. Sometimes the player isn't detected by the Emplode software.

My work-around is to open up the empeg Clone Tool and detect the player. Close the Clone Tool and go back to Emplode. Wow, magically the player is detected. Well, maybe it's not magic, but it seems to work for me.

Ethernet is way better than USB - and faster!

Glad you got it going.

Hmmm.... this is weird. I followed your suggestion Mark, and the clone tool says 'Only one empeg car player was detected, connected by USB' (or words to that effect. So it can definitely detect the player. But the I go back into Emplode and it can't find the player...

I would be happy to try ethernet again, now that the player has been configured with an IP address... Does anybody know _exactly_ what TCP/IP settings are necessary, if any?

Ta

But then I go back into Emplode and it can't find the player...

Here's a trick for you that might help...

When you plug all the cables into the back of the empeg (RCA, USB, and power) make sure you plug the USB cable in before you plug in the power cable. For some reason, Emplode will not see my empeg (and I assume others) unless the USB connection is complete prior to bootup of the empeg.

I'm looking forward to seeing pictures of your car. Rob Schofield enlightened me to a considerable extent about V-8 MGs. That model was never imported into the U.S., and your post was the first I had ever heard of one. :-)

tanstaafl.

"There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch"

Talking about rebooting the empeg.... how's that done? I can find 'power off' on the menu, but that just seems to put it into sleep mode. I think maybe if I could restart the empeg fully it might help things.

Sally

Talking about rebooting the empeg.... how's that done?

"When all else fails, use brute force."
- Old engineer's adage.

Pulling the plug does wonders.

There was an old movie about a computer taking over a guy's apartment. In once scene, the guy pulls the plug on the computer, and it laughs and says, "You think I still need that?"

___________
Tony Fabris

Caution! This thread is being subverted for another cause!

While we're on the subject of getting Macs to talk to anything else, how do I get TCP/IP set up on my girlfriend's Performa (which seems to have MacTCP) to talk to my PC (Win98). I've tried running WinProxy and WinRoute, and while I can get them working with my machine, so the routing runs fine, I can't get a ping from the Mac.

One solution I've seen is to install Open Transport. That's possible, but how badly is it going to fsck the rest of Laura's internet setup?

Thanks in advance,

Paul

Save the whales. Feed the hungry. Free the mallocs.

Crewe -

Well, strange about Clone Tool finding your player, but Emplode still being stubborn about it.

Try assigning this IP address, it works on mine 10.0.1.185 another address I've used is 10.0.1.26 For some reason, getting the empeg to use DHCP with a Mac doesn't work. !@!@$!@#@!% But using a static IP address does work - ( I can't speak for your Mac ) I think that this whole BBS will let out a big cheer when you get things working.

PaulWay-

There's a Mac application called "DAVE" that works great. It's fairly inexpensive and allows file and print sharing between the Mac and PC.

Windows 2000 has Appletalk built in, but I haven't tried using it since DAVE seems to do the trick.

Mark

It's so weird. About 25% of my connecting attempts show empeg car in the options box, so I click ok... and then I get 'there is no empeg car connected'. It just disappears! I think I'm going to cry!

Yeah, USB under VPC just does not seem to like to work with the empeg reliably. Unless you want to buy a PC (yuck) you are going to have to get ethernet working. -Mike

Hmmm, what IP address does your mac say that it is using? Did you configure your airport base station at all using the supplied software or did you just plug it in and start using it? Try setting everything up as I mentioned (but write down the current settings first) using configure via DHCP. Make sure that the empeg is plugged into the base station with your cross over cable before you plug the power into the empeg. Once you have done that go to the empeg's about menu and let it scroll until it shows you what IP address it is using and then let us know what that IP is. If this works you will want to leave everything setup this way while you use Jemplode (or emplode under VPC). What is supposed to happen is that the base station will provide an IP address to your mac and to the empeg. This will be from the same IP address range so they will be able to talk to eachother. -Mike

Well, basically if you are trying to use the PC as a NAT (network address translation) server all that needs to happen is for the mac to be setup for the same ip address range as the internal (not internet accesable) ip range as the PC. Whatever software you have on the PC should assign two IP addresses, one for internet access and one for the internal network. Set the IP address on the mac to the same range as the internal address on the PC and set the PC's IP as the router or gateway under MacTCP, also make sure that the subnet masks match. I have not used MacTCP in ages (that software is a good five or six years old) but it should work. Life will be a little easier if you install open transport, but either should work. Yes, either way it is going to disable her current internet access. If you just want file sharing between the two then use Dave on the mac or Miramar's PC MacLAN on the PC. Neither of these require IP accesses to be configured. -Mike

I think I'm going to cry!

Now now, we can't have that. I am going to send you a private BBS mesage with my phone number. If you can't get the trick with the airport working call me and I will walk you through it. This solution will work, we just need to get it setup right. We need to get some music on that empeg of yours. I will just send Rob@empeg a bill for customer support time ;-)

-Mike

"When all else fails, use brute force."
- Old engineer's adage.

No, no, no, Tony, never resort to using force!. Simply use a larger hammer.



Dragi "Bonzi" Raos
Zagreb, Croatia
Q#5196, MkII#80000376, 18GB green

There was an old movie about a computer taking over a guy's apartment. In one scene, the guy pulls the plug on the computer, and it laughs and says, "You think I still need that?"

Yeah, Electric Dreams was one my all-time favs growing up. I'm pretty sure it helped make me into the geek I am today.


_~= Dearing =~_
"WAY too happy about having #99."