Alpha Micro NetPort User manual

NetPort User Guide
Version: v1.2 July 2020

Contents
Contents.................................................................................................................................................2
1Introduction.....................................................................................................................................3
2What's in the Box............................................................................................................................4
3Connecting NetPort ........................................................................................................................5
4Configuring NetPort ........................................................................................................................6
What you need to know before you start........................................................................................... 8
4.1 Install DeviceInstaller.............................................................................................................. 9
4.2 Running DeviceInstaller.......................................................................................................... 9
4.3 Assign IP Manually............................................................................................................... 10
4.3.1 If the NetPort is shown in DeviceInstaller: .....................................................................10
4.3.2 If the NetPort is NOT shown in DeviceInstaller:.............................................................12
4.4 Changing NetPort’s Serial Parameters to connect to your Equipment ................................ 14
4.4.1 Via Web Interface...........................................................................................................14
4.4.2 14
4.4.3 Via Telnet.......................................................................................................................17
4.4.4 Via Serial Port (master config port)................................................................................19
5Sending/Receiving data................................................................................................................21
5.1 If you do NOT have an application which can talk to a TCP/IP Socket. .............................. 21
5.2 If you have an application already which can talk to a TCP/IP Socket ................................ 23
6Appendix A –Setup Mode Parameters........................................................................................24
6.1 Accessing Setup Mode......................................................................................................... 24
6.2 Server Configuration (Network Configuration) ..................................................................... 26
6.2.1 IP Address......................................................................................................................26
6.3 Channel 1 Configuration (Serial Port Parameters)............................................................... 27
6.3.1 Baudrate.........................................................................................................................28
6.4 E-mail Settings ..................................................................................................................... 37
6.5 Expert Settings ..................................................................................................................... 38
6.6 Security Settings................................................................................................................... 39
6.6.1 Encryption Tutorial .........................................................................................................41
6.7 Factory Defaults ................................................................................................................... 42
7Appendix B - Using Monitor Mode................................................................................................43
7.1.1 Via the Serial Port ..........................................................................................................43
7.1.2 Via a Telnet Connection.................................................................................................43
8Appendix C - Reloading Firmware................................................................................................45
8.1.1 Using TFTP ....................................................................................................................45
8.1.2 Using the Serial Port with DeviceInstaller......................................................................45
9Appendix D –Hexadecimal Table ................................................................................................46

1 Introduction
This User Guide provides a familiarisation tool to allow you to get your NetPort connected
and get your RS232 equipment on the network as quickly as possible. It will take you step
by step through hardware setup and configuration and help you verify that everything is
working.
What this document will help you achieve:
1) Familiarise you with NetPort & the contents of the kits.
2) Connect NetPort to the LAN.
3) Install Device Installer from the Lantronix link and use it to detect your
NetPort.
4) Assign an IP address to your NetPort so you can consistently reach it.
5) Change the serial settings in NetPort to match those of your serial
equipment.
6) Make a successful connection and transfer data!
If you require more information than this User Guide covers, here are some options:
Data: https://www.alphamicro.net/product/view-all-franchises/alpha-micro-uk/ethernet-to-rs232-cable-adapter
Technical info: Website contact form
Technical assistance: [e-mail]
Note: This document covers NetPort device server versions AMC-232LAN01 & AMC-
232LAN01-DVK but the same knowledge can be applied to AMC-232LAN06 products.

2 What's in the Box
AMC Part Number
Comments
Type
PSU
Packaging
AMC-232LAN01 V1.4
NetPort bulk version
DTE

Bubble wrapped
AMC-232LAN01-DVK1.4
Complete DTE kit
DTE
UK
Cardboard carton
AMC-232LAN01-DVK/E14
Complete DTE kit
Euro
AMC-232LAN01-DVK/U14
Complete DTE kit
USA
AMC-232LAN02 V1.4
No longer offered –please use
NetPort II
AMC-232LAN02-DVK1.4
AMC-232LAN02-DVK/E14
AMC-232LAN02-DVK/U14
AMC-232LAN06 V1.4
NetPort bulk + DB9 power feed
DTE

Bubble wrapped
AMC-232LAN06-DVK1.4
Complete kit + DB9 power feed
DTE
UK
Cardboard carton
AMC-232LAN06-DVK/E14
Complete kit + DB9 power feed
Euro
AMC-232LAN06-DVK/U14
Complete kit + DB9 power feed
USA
Type
DTE (Data Terminal Equipment) versions behave similarly to a PC Com Port and are regarded as
the Masters in an RS232 connection. They are equipped with 200mm DB9 cables terminated with
plugs (pins).
DCE (Data Communications Equipment) versions behave similarly to a modem and are regarded as
the Slaves in an RS232 connection. They are equipped with 200mm DB9 cables terminated with
sockets.
PSU
The PSU’s provided with the DVK’s are:
UK versions AMCSPS128
European versions AMCSPS113
USA versions AMCPS081
and can be ordered separately should your application require
With LAN06, this PSU can be used to power NetPort and the RS232 equipment but please check
compatibility of your RS232 equipment before applying power to LAN06 versions.
NetPort can accept input voltages from 5v to 30v DC.
Custom versions of NetPort
The above list is not exhaustive and customisation of NetPort to suit customers’requirements is
available. Minimum order quantities for customisation will apply.

3 Connecting NetPort
To get started, you must connect the NetPort to your network. Follow the steps
below:
Note: This procedure assumes that the PC is connected to the network.
You may connect a crossover Ethernet cable directly between the PC and
NetPort if a network is not available but you will need to fix the IP address
of both PC & NetPort for consistent operation.
The final setup should look like this:
V
e
r
i
f
i
c
a
t
i
o
n
C
h
e
c
k
:
If powered up correctly, the NetPort power LED will light yellow and
remains on. This LED is on the RS232 end.
Verification Check 2: If the Ethernet Port on NetPort has authenticated
with the LAN successfully then the LED’s will confirm the speed and
connect mode according to the RHS section of the diagram below:
Internal 3v3 Power
Yellow = ON
Network End
RS232 End
RS232 connection
Green = connected
Ethernet Link
Green=100Mb/s
Yellow=10Mb/s
Ethernet Activity (flash)
Green=Full Duplex data flow
Yellow=Half Duplex data flow

4 Configuring NetPort
The next sections will help you to carry out the following:
•Identify the NetPort on your LAN
•Allocate an IP address to your NetPort
•Set up a ‘serial tunnel’ from the network to the NetPort
•Change settings in NetPort to make it compatible with your serial equipment.
The following diagram may help you to establish what decisions you need to make and the
appropriate action to get things running as quickly as possible:

Deciding the best routes
to getting connected
No
Yes
Do you want to run
NetPort with a FIXED
IP addresss?
Use WINSOCK or Direct
Socket method
Configure Redirector
to use Port 3001
Configure Redirector
to use Port 10001 and
enable Raw Mode
Power up NetPort on your LAN
Do you need to change
the Serial Port settings in
NetPort to match your
equipment?
Make your connection
No
Can you access the
RS232 Port and connect
to a PC or Terminal?
Yes
Access to a web
browser?
No
Yes
Do you know the
temporary IP address that
NetPort is currently on?
Yes
No
DEVICE
INSTALLER WEB MANAGER
RS232
SESSION TELNET
Fix NetPort's IP address
No
Access to a
web browser?
No
Yes
Check NetPort Local Port = 14001
DEVICE
INSTALLER WEB MANAGER
RS232
SESSION TELNET
Check NetPort Local Port = 10001
DEVICE
INSTALLER WEB MANAGER
RS232
SESSION TELNET
No
Can you access
NetPort's RS232
Port and connect it
to a PC or
Terminal?
Yes
Access to a
web browser?
No
Yes
Using Redirector to
provide a Virtual Com Port
that magically connects to
NetPort?
No
Yes
Change NetPort Serial port settings
DEVICE
INSTALLER WEB MANAGER
RS232
SESSION TELNET
Establishing the IP Address Establishing the connection mode Changing NetPort to suit the
connection Changing NetPort to suit your
equipment
No Can you run Device
Installer on a PC on the
LAN to detect NetPort?
Yes
DEVICE
INSTALLER WEB MANAGER
RS232
SESSION TELNET
Detect NetPort's IP Address
Dynamic IP address
allocated by a DHCP Server
(this means the IP could change
over time)
Use Monitor Mode
to establish
NetPort's IP
Address
No
Yes
Load Redirector on your
Windows PC/Server
No
Yes
Are you running
Redirector V3 or
later?
Can you access
NetPort's RS232
Port and connect it
to a PC or
Terminal?
Yes
No

What you need to know before you start
IP Address
Your NetPort must have a unique IP address on your network.
The system administrator generally provides the IP address, subnet mask, and gateway or they will
opt for it to be allocated by the DHCP Server dynamically each time it is powered up –consequently it
can change.
The IP address must be within a valid range, unique to your network, and in the same subnet as your
PC, check with your IT administrator for appropriate addresses.
IP Address: _______________________________________
Subnet Mask: _______________________________________
Gateway _______________________________________
Hardware Address
You may need to know the unit's hardware address (also known as a MAC address). On later
NetPorts this is printed on the white label which is fixed to the underside of the unit. Earlier NetPorts
did not have this label so you may need to use Device Installer to detect this MAC address and write
it down if required.
The format is: 00-20-4a-XX-XX-XX, where XXs are unique numbers assigned to the product.
Assigning IP Addresses
The unit's IP address is set to 0.0.0.0 at the factory which established it in DHCP Client mode and will
attempt to obtain an IP address, Subnet & Gateway from a DHCP Sever.
You have several options for manually assigning an IP to your unit. We recommend that you connect
the NetPort to the network and assign the IP address using DeviceInstaller, which is on the NetPort
CDROM.

4.1 Install DeviceInstaller
InstallDeviceInstallerbygoingto:
https://www.lantronix.com/products/deviceinstaller/
Note: For more information about DeviceInstaller, see the DeviceInstaller help menus.
4.2 Running DeviceInstaller
1. Click Start\Programs\Lantronix\Devicelnstaller. If your PC has more than one network
adaptor, a message displays. Select the adaptor that the NetPort will be attached to and click
OK.
2. Press Search to detect NetPorts on the network. If the Search window reveals ‘No Devices
Found’, press Search again until your NetPort is shown. You may need to wait for up to 30
seconds for all NetPorts to beshown, keep pressing Search.
Note: If the unit cannot find a DHCP Server to obtain an address then it will default into AutoIP
mode, assuming an IP address in the region 169.254.xxx.xxx and show in DeviceInstaller in
red. In some cases re-applying power to the Netport will allow it to enumerate on your
network successfully. If the Network has no DHCP Server then you will have to set the IP
address manually. See section: 4.3 Assign IP Manually
You should see something like this:
By selecting the relevant NetPort you are then able to change the configuration via 2 methods, choose
whichever suits you:
•Telnet (ASCII menus over the network)
•Web Config (via any web browser)
Note: It is also possible to configure NetPort via the RS232 port using an application such as
HyperTerminal. See section: 4.4.4 Via Serial Port (master config port)

4.3 Assign IP Manually
There are 2 ways to achieve this depending on whether or not you have successfully detected
NetPort using Device Installer.
4.3.1 If the NetPort is shown in DeviceInstaller:
1. Select the NetPort to be modified
2. Click the Assign IP icon.
3. Select Assign a specific IP address and click Next.
4. Enter the IP address. The Subnet mask displays automatically based on the IP
address; if desired, you may change it. On a local network, you can leave the
Default Gateway blank (all zeros). Click Next.

5. Click the Assign button and wait several seconds until a confirmation message
displays. Click Finish.
6. You should see NetPort displayed like this:

4.3.2 If the NetPort is NOT shown in DeviceInstaller:
1) Click on Assign IP
2) When prompted, enter the hardware address in the format 00-20-
4a-XX-XX-XX, where the XXs are unique numbers assigned to each individual
product. Click Next.
3) Select Assign a specific IP Address

4) Enter the IP address. The Subnet mask displays automatically based on the IP
address; if desired, you may change it. On a local network, you can leave the
Default gateway blank (all zeros). Click Next.
5) Click the Assign button and wait several seconds until a confirmation
message displays. Click Finish.

6) You should see NetPort shown similar to this:
4.4 Changing NetPort’s Serial Parameters to connect to your
Equipment
To do this you can use:
•Web Config (via any webrowser)
•Telnet (ASCII menus over the network)
•RS232 port using an application such as HyperTerminal.
4.4.1 Via Web Interface
4.4.2
Open a browser on a computer on a compatible Subnet as the NetPort.
Enter the IP Address of the NetPort into the browser and press ENTER.

Within 5 seconds a Java-based applet will upload into the browser and look like this:

Change the relevant settings for your needs. Here are some of the most commonly used
parameters:
In the Server Properties page:
IP Address:
The unique address that the NetPort resides at. Over type this field to fix the IP Address –
this may mean that it is incompatible with other LAN’s that it is subsequently connected to.
Leave as 0.0.0.0 for DHCP (dynamically allocated by the DHCP Server on your LAN) but be
aware that the IP Address could change over time as the DHCP Server refreshes this.
Subnet mask:
Defines the range of IP Addresses that this device has access to and vice versa. In a typical
Class C Private Network using the range 192.168.0.x the subnet will be 255.255.255.0 (or 8
bit). Leave as 0.0.0.0 for DHCP allocated.
Gateway:
If the NetPort is expected to establish connection outside of the Firewall/Gateway that belongs
to the LAN you will need to tell it which Gateway to use. Leave as 0.0.0.0 for DHCP allocated.
High Performance
ONLY enable if you need the NetPort to run at RS232 speeds of 460kbps & 920kbps.
Telnet Password
Only update this field if you wish to apply a password to Telnet sessions to the device (all
ports)
In the Port Properties page
Speed
NetPort port speed which needs to match the speed of your RS232 device
Flow Control
Select CTS/RTS for automatic hardware flow control of buffered data (factory default) Note:
CTS/RTS are not manually controllable over the LAN.
Select Xon/Xoff for software flow control of buffered data

Select None for simple 3 wire UART connection where flow control is not necessary
Local Port
This is the TCP/IP Port that NetPort uses for the data in & out of the RS232 port. In most
cases set this to 10001 for a standard connection. (older units may be factory set to 10001)
Incoming Connection
Select Connect with DTR if you want an incoming connection only to be permitted when DTR
is asserted by your RS232 equipment.
Select Unconditional to accept all incoming connections
Startup
Select the appropriate option if you want an outgoing connection to be established under
certain criteria. In most cases you will need to enter a Remote Host & Remote Port in the
field below to tell NetPort what to connect to.
Modem Mode allows you to dial an IP address manually from NetPort’s RS232 port via an
interface that mimics a basic modem AT command line. For example:
Type: ATDT 192.168.0.1, 10001
Reply is either: CONNECT (and you are in transparent mode)
Or NO CARRIER (and you remain in command line mode)
ATH or +++ to exit transparent mode.
Remote IP Address
In cases when you want NetPort to initiate the connection, specify the IP Address of the target
device here. Note: if you are attaching to a device behind a firewall, you may need to add an
entry into the routing table to reach the remote device.
Remote Port
Specify the remote TCP/IP port of the device you wish NetPort to connect to. This port
number does not have to be the same as that set inside NetPort, thus allowing connections to
equipment other than NetPort’s.
Flush Mode
Controls whether you want to flush the contents of any buffers upon a new connection or
preserve them.
Packing Algorithm
Can be used to avoid fragmentation of your data should packetisation cause data corruption.
Telnet Mode
Allows you to Telnet into the RS232 port of NetPort if enabled. Switch off if not used as it will
filter certain bytes from your data.
Port Password
If enabled requires the Telnet Password to be entered before a connection is authorised.
4.4.3 Via Telnet
Note. If you or any other user has disabled Telnet previously inside NetPort then
this option will not be available until it is re-enabled.
You can use the Quick Link Icon in Device Installer to enter Telnet config or you
can run Telnet form a command line or windows shell.
Quick Link example

Command Line example
In any event, you must specify Port 9999 as the destination port to be able to
enter the configuration menus. Telnetting to port 10001 will result in you
connecting to the RS232 port of NetPort and not the config menus.
Once Telnet has established a link:
You willneed to press ENTER within 3 seconds or NetPort will time out and close
the session.
Once the session has begun NetPort will scroll through all of its config in an
ASCII format and then offer an ASCII menu.

See Appendix A –Setup Mode Parameters for a full breakdown of the options
and hexadecimal masks.
In Summary:
To change IP address, Gateway, Subnet and DHCP name (where applicable)
use Menu 0
Tochange the serialsettings (baud rate handshaking etc) use Menu 1
Tochange the Local Port, Remote IP address & Remote Port use Menu 1
To enable or disable telnet, HTTP, SNMP, TFTP & passwords use Menu 6
To restore factory default settings (except IP address/subnet/Gateway) use
Menu 7
Tip: Press ENTER to move through the menu fields without changing them.
Top-tip: Ensure you save any changes made in the above by selecting Menu 9
☺
4.4.4 Via Serial Port (master config port)
The RS232 port is always enabled and is therefore the master config port. To
access the config menus you will need to establish a serial session using a PC or
Terminal.
1. For a PC, connect as follows:
Connect NetPort to the COM
Port of the PC.
LAN01 & LAN06 variants will
require a null modem cable to
transpose the TX/Rx wires as
both the PC & LAN01 are DTE
devices. A null modem cable in
its simplest form connects the
GND (pin 5) and crosses the Tx
(pin 3) and Rx (pin 2) wires over.
LAN02 variants will connect
directly to the COM Port.
DO NOT POWER THE NETPORT YET

2. On the PC, run a Terminal Application such as HyperTerminal, MTTY or
similar. Set the Application to connect with the following settings:
9600bps, No parity, 8 bit data, 1 stop bit, no handshaking
3. Once the Application is running, power up the NetPort and hold down the ‘x’
key on the PC untilyou receive the following prompt:
Note: If the CAPS lock is enabled on your keyboard NetPort will not respond.
Turn off CAPS Lock, turn off power to NetPort and repeat the above.
4. You will need to press ENTER within 3 seconds or NetPort will time out and
close the session.
5. Once the session has begun NetPort will scroll through all of its config in an
ASCII format and then offer an ASCII menu.
See Appendix A –Setup Mode Parameters for a full breakdown of the options
and hexadecimal masks.
In Summary:
To change IP address, Gateway, Subnet and DHCP name (where applicable)
use Menu 0
Tochange the serialsettings (baud rate handshaking etc) use Menu 1
Tochange the Local Port, Remote IP address & Remote Port use Menu 1