Elatec TCPConv 2 User manual

TCPConv 2
Technical Manual
DocRev31, December 7, 2018
Elatec GmbH

Contents
Contents
1. Introduction .............................................. 5
1.1. Typical Scenario . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1.2. Important Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
2. Network Addressing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
2.1. IP Addressing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
2.2. Static IP Host Addressing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
2.3. DHCP Host Addressing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
3. Hardware Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
3.1. Network cables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
3.2. Card Reader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
3.3. Connect the Network Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
3.4. Power up the TCPConv 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
4. Discovering TCPConv 2 Devices on the network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
4.1. Prerequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
4.2. Start TC2Config . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
4.3. Cross Subnet Discovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
4.4. TCPConv 2 Display List Sort . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
5. Configuration via TC2Config . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
5.1. TC2Config Home Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
5.2. Network Configuration Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
5.2.1. Network Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
5.2.1.1. Name Resolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
5.2.1.2. IP Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
5.3. USB Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
5.3.1. Representation of Keyboard Newline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
5.3.2. TCP/IP Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
5.3.3. TCP Client Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
5.3.3.1. Connect automatically and stay connected . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
5.3.3.2. Connect on any character . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
5.3.3.3. Connect on character . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
5.3.3.4. Disconnect character . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
5.3.3.5. Disconnect timeout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
5.4. RS232 Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
5.4.1. Communication Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
5.5. Logging Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
5.5.0.1. Send Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
5.6. Password Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
5.6.1. Custom Password . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
5.7. Sending the Configuration to converters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
5.8. Miscellaneous . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
5.8.1. Additional Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
5.8.2. Log Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
5.9. Saving Configuration to a File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
5.10. Read Configuration from a File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Page 2of 53

Contents
6. Configuration via Web Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
6.1. Open the Homepage of a selected TCPConv 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
6.2. TCPConv 2 Homepage Setup Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
6.2.1. Network Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
6.2.1.1. Name Resolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
6.2.1.2. IP Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
6.2.2. USB Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
6.2.2.1. Representation of Keyboard Newline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
6.2.2.2. TCP/IP Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
6.2.2.3. TCP Client Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
6.2.2.4. Connect automatically and stay connected . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
6.2.2.5. Connect on any character . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
6.2.2.6. Connect on character . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
6.2.2.7. Disconnect character . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
6.2.2.8. Disconnect timeout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
6.2.3. RS232 Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
6.2.3.1. Communication Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
6.2.4. Logging Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
6.2.4.1. Send Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
6.3. Change Password . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
6.4. Check Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
7. Refresh the Firmware on TCPConv 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
7.1. Update steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
8. Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
8.1. Basic Checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
8.2. TCPConv 2 Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
8.3. Network Cables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
8.4. Printer.............................................. 43
8.5. Can the TCPConv 2 be discovered by the TC2Config Tool? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
8.5.1. Different Subnet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
8.5.2. TCPConv 2 is on Static IP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
8.5.3. Can you open the homepage of the connected printer? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
8.5.3.1. DHCP Error . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
8.5.3.2. Incorrect Static Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
8.6. Is the card swipe not being recognized by the authentication server? . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
8.7. DHCP Logging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
9. History of Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
9.1. TCPConv 2 Firmware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
9.1.1. Firmware SB1.00/STD1.00.02 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
9.1.2. Firmware STD1.1.0.4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
9.1.3. Firmware STD1.1.0.6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
9.1.4. Firmware STD1.2.0.8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
9.1.5. Firmware STD1.2.0.9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
9.1.6. Firmware STD1.2.0.10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
9.1.7. Firmware STD1.2.0.11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
9.1.8. Firmware STD1.2.0.16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
9.1.9. Firmware STD1.2.0.18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
9.1.10. Firmware STD1.3.0.0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
9.1.11. Firmware STD1.3.0.9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
9.1.12. Firmware STD1.3.0.10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
9.1.13. Firmware STD1.3.0.11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
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Contents
9.1.14. Firmware STD1.3.0.12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
9.1.15. Firmware STD1.3.0.12-FCT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
9.1.16. Firmware STD1.3.0.13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
9.2. TC2Config Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
9.2.1. TC2Config V1.03 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
9.2.2. TC2Config V1.07 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
9.2.3. TC2Config V1.08 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
9.2.4. TC2Config V1.12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
9.2.5. TC2Config V1.14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
9.2.6. TC2Config V1.15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
A.FCCNotice .............................................. 51
B.ICNotice................................................ 52
C.Disclaimer............................................... 53
Page 4of 53

1. Introduction
1. Introduction
The Primary use of TCPConv 2 is to provide an on-ramp for USB or RS232 data to reach a network
Server which implements Authentication and optionally a Pull Printing feature. The TCPConv 2 is a 2 port
network router which is designed to be connected between a network printer and a print server. TCPConv 2
is equipped with one standard USB and one mini USB connector and a powered RS232-interface. A card
reader or keypad can be connected to either or both of these two ports and can be used to send data to
the authentication server. This is typically used to enable card based authentication and to release print
jobs from the print server to the attached network printer.
1.1. Typical Scenario
A typical application is to extend the feature set of a network device (i.e. a network printer), by enabling
connection of a local peripheral device such as a card reader or keypad.
Figure 1.1.: Typical Connection with TCPConv 2, reader and printer
1.2. Important Features
• TCPConv 2’s IP address may be obtained by DHCP or may be assigned statically.
• TCPConv 2 consumes only one IP address from the building’s DHCP server. This is important to
customers whose IT department charges based on the number of addresses in use.
• A card reader or keypad can be connected to the USB port. A second device can be connected to
the RS232 port. Both can be active at the same time.
• Supplies power to the RS232 port eliminating the need for a second power supply for that peripheral.
• Supports both Client and Server modes of communication. In client mode the converter will send
data whenever a card is swiped, in Server mode the converter must be polled to receive the data.
• Can be configured over the network via its web browser interface
• Can be configured directly from the TC2Config tool
Page 5of 53

1. Introduction
• Supports Syslog which enables remote monitoring of its health and status
• Each Ethernet port is default configured to auto-negotiate 10/100 Mbps full-duplex.
• The supplied TC2Config.exe tool provides a means for finding all TCPConv 2 devices on a network.
• With the inclusion of an external specification file, TC2Config.exe can discover devices on other
subnets.
The main feature of TCPConv 2 is that it can enable any printer to participate in card based authentication
along with the Pull Printing function. Single function printers or older MFPs which do not support the direct
connection of a USB card reader can now be enabled by connecting those devices to TCPConv 2.
TCPConv 2 presents only one MAC address to the building’s network infrastructure and requests only one
IP address from the DHCP server. TCPConv 2 behaves similar to a router where the printer connected to
TCPConv 2 has its own IP address but to the outside world it appears to use the IP address of TCPConv 2.
This means the TCPConv 2 can be easily integrated into existing network environments, without managing
extra IP addresses or paying for extra IT support costs associated with additional IP addresses.
Other than the few ports necessary to configure and operate the TCPConv 2, communication is transparent
between the printer and the local network. This makes it convenient to configure the connected printer as
if a TCPConv 2 were not connected in between.
Page 6of 53

2. Network Addressing
2. Network Addressing
2.1. IP Addressing
The TCPConv 2 has two network connections. The host connection can be configured to use either
DHCP or Static IP addresses to the building’s network. The Printer connection is always configured for
DHCP.
2.2. Static IP Host Addressing
In this discussion we will assume that a network printer which was already operating on the network with
a static IP address of 192.168.1.10 as shown in Figure 2.1. That printer will now be connected to the
TCPConv 2.
Figure 2.1.: Network configuration before introduction of TCPConv 2
A TCPConv 2 will be installed between the switch and the printer. When installing TCPConv 2 we often
need to maintain the network relationship between the existing printer and the print driver installed on the
user’s workstation. As a result the TCPConv 2 should be configured to use the printer’s original IP address
192.168.1.10.
The printer must now be configured with a different static IP address. TCPConv 2 is configured to pro-
vide the printer its address using DHCP. It is further configured to always issue the printer with an IP of
192.168.50.100. If the printer is configured for DHCP it will receive this address at each power up and at
each DHCP renewal. If the printer is not capable of DHCP it must be configured with a static IP address
of 192.168.50.100.
Note if the converter is placed on a 192.168.50.xx host network, the converter will automatically change
the printer address provided via DHCP to 192.168.60.100.
2.3. DHCP Host Addressing
In this example the printer is configured for DHCP and uses a hostname of Printer5EZ. When the printer
reaches out to the building router, its DHCP controller issues the printer an IP address 192.168.1.28.
Page 7of 53

2. Network Addressing
Figure 2.2.: Network Settings for TCPConv and Printer. Note the TCPConv takes the IP address that the
Printer had.
Figure 2.3.: Original Printer Connection
As with the preceding static IP address discussion, when installing TCPConv 2 we often need to maintain
the network relationship between the existing printer and the print driver installed on the user’s worksta-
tion. When the TCP Conv2 is inserted between the printer and building router, the TCP Conv2 should be
configured to use the printer’s original hostname “Printer5EZ”. The TCP Conv2 will then communicate with
the DHCP server and will receive its new IP address. Because it is reusing the printer’s hostname it will be
assigned the same IP address formerly used by the printer.
Because the printer will now receive its IP address from the DHCP server inside TCPConv 2, the printer
can retain its original domain name.
Because the building DHCP server updates the Domain Name Server (DNS) any print driver previously
configured for the printer will now communicate with the TCPConv 2. As a result the printer will appear on
the network as it did before the TCPConv 2 was installed.
Page 8of 53

2. Network Addressing
Figure 2.4.: Configuration with TCPConv 2 in between printer and building router
Page 9of 53

3. Hardware Setup
3. Hardware Setup
Figure 3.1.: Connection Diagram
3.1. Network cables
Refer to Figure 3.1 Connection Diagram which shows all of the possible peripherals and their connection
points. There are two Ethernet ports on the TCPConv 2, Host port is used to connect TCPConv 2 to the
local network and Printer port is used to connect printer to TCPConv 2.
3.2. Card Reader
The user can plug in USB reader directly to the TCPConv 2. Currently USB Human Interface Device and
CDC devices are supported.
TCPConv 2 can also provide 750mA current from Pin 9 of its RS232 interface. We do not recommend that
the additional power port supplied by a RS232 connector be utilized, because it may potentially damage
the TCPConv 2, as well as the external power supply.
3.3. Connect the Network Printer
Connect the network printer as shown in Figure 3.2. Leave the printer powered off until the TCPConv 2
has been configured.
Page 10 of 53

3. Hardware Setup
Figure 3.2.: RS232 cable with power supply. Please leave the power supply unconnected!
3.4. Power up the TCPConv 2
Connect the power supply as shown in Figure 3.1. As the TCPConv 2 powers up, its operating status can
be determined through the LED panel located on top of the unit.
There are 4 LEDs on the device and the operation mode of the device can be determined based on a
combination of LED signals. Here are a few of the possible states.
• Power LED is ON when power supply is connected.
• Busy LED is red depicts that the device is initializing. It will blink during a software upgrade
• Ready LED is green depicts that the device is in normal operation. It will turn off during certain
conditions described later in this document.
• The Error / Status LED shows green when all conditions are normal. I will show red if there s a loss
of the host network and orange if it is not able to communicate with the printer.
Page 11 of 53

4. Discovering TCPConv 2 Devices on the network
4. Discovering TCPConv 2 Devices on the network
4.1. Prerequirements
1. Download the TC2Config software application from the Elatec website, in the Download center. The
TC2Config.exe software and this Technical Manual can be found in the AdminPack for TCPConv 2.
http://www.elatec.com.
2. Microsoft .Net Framework version 3.5 or higher
3. Broadcast traffic must be enabled on the network. Some network switches may require bypass rules
to enable discovery port traffic.
4. UDP Ports 7000 and 7001 must be available. Port 7000 must be open for outgoing communication
while port 7001 must be open for incoming traffic
5. Devices must be on the same subnet as the discovery tool. Cross subnet discovery is addressed in
section 4.3 which follows.
6. In newer versions of Microsoft Windows, Defender must be configured for Public Networks to allow
TC2Config to receive converter broadcasts and converter responses on port 7001.
7. Selecting Private Networks will allow TC2Config to receive converter broadcasts but not converter
responses.
8. Selecting Public and Private Networks will also allow TC2Config to operate correctly.
Page 12 of 53

4. Discovering TCPConv 2 Devices on the network
4.2. Start TC2Config
T2Config is a tool which can be utilized to discover all of the TCPConv 2 devices connected to the local
network. It can also read the configuration of the selected converter, enable editing of that configuration
and can send that updated configuration back to the same converter to multiple converters.
Begin by double clicking the TC2Config application which will then start and the window shown below will
open.
Figure 4.1.: Interface of TC2Config
At power up each of the TCPConv 2 devices periodically broadcast a discovery packet to address 255.255.255.255,
port 7000. When the TC2Config tool is started, it will immediately start to listen for that discovery message
from each device. All of the TCPConv 2â ˘ A´ Zs connected to the local subnet, will appear once discovered.
They will be presented in the order they respond to the discovery message sent from the TC2Config tool.
This can take up to 30 seconds.
4.3. Cross Subnet Discovery
T2Config can be enabled to discover TCPConv 2 units on subnets other than the one to which the user’s
workstation is connected. The cross subnet discovery method uses a directed web service call specified in
a text file which gets imported to TC2Config. This method is used to discover devices on a network where
broadcast traffic is blocked.
As shown in Figure 4.2 in the upper left corner of the display window, select “File” then select “Load
Network Search File”. This will enable the user to upload a file which describes the various subnets which
are to be searched.
A window will open which will enable the user to navigate to the file which contains their search criteria.
Three sample configuration files are supplied with the T2Config software and are shown the following
Page 13 of 53

4. Discovering TCPConv 2 Devices on the network
Figure 4.2.: Load subnet Search file
images. Select the file then select “Start Discovery” and a new search will begin using the criteria specified
in the configuration file.
TC2Config will send a packet to each host address specified in the Subnet Search file and will populate
the discovered device window with each TCPConv 2 which responds to that query. Note that the search
file could describe the same subnet as the searching PC which makes this approach useful if broadcast
traffic is blocked.
Each time “Start Discovery” is selected the converter will execute just one pass of the parameters specified
in the search file.
The sample search files present several different approaches to subnet exploration: specific addresses,
address ranges and using CIDR or slash notation.
If the addresses of each converter is known, a text file can be built as shown in Figure 4.3. Once that
file is loaded, the TC2Config main window will be populated with the list of addresses from the file. Upon
selecting “Start Discovery” a new search will begin as queries are sent to each IP address on the list. As
the various converters respond, their information will populate the various TC2Config fields. This method is
useful for checking the status of a known installed population of devices. Converters which fail to respond
indicate that attention may be needed.
If the addresses of the converters are not known and only the subnet is known, a text file can be built
as shown in Figure 4.4. With CIDR also known as slash notation, the address is supplied along with the
netmask. Once that file is loaded, the TC2Config main window will initially be populated with the list of
subnets to be searched.
192.168.8.0/24 will use a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0 and will search IP addresses in the range 192.168.8.0
- 192.168.8.255 for a total of 256 addresses.
192.168.1.0/16 will use a subnet mask of 255.255.0.0 and will search the range 192.168.0.0 - 192.168.255.255
for a total of 65536 addresses. A search this large will send out 65536 network queries and will take a long
time and could take the customer’s network down. For an efficient search, try to limit the size of search
criteria and search many specific subnets rather than one large broadcast.
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4. Discovering TCPConv 2 Devices on the network
Figure 4.3.: Search Using Explict IP
Upon selecting “Start Discovery”, the CIDR notation will be replaced and updated with a list of IP addresses
of the converters which have responded.
Figure 4.4.: Search Using CIDR Notation
If the addresses of the converters are not explicitly known but you have a rough idea where they reside a
search can be constructed to explore a limited number of addresses with a range specification. A text file
can be built as shown in Figure 4.5. Once that file is loaded, the TC2Config main window will initially be
populated with the range of IP addresses to be searched.
Upon selecting “Start Discovery”, the range notation will be replaced and updated with a list of IP addresses
of the converters which have responded.
Figure 4.5.: Search Using IP Ranges
Note that when cross subnet discovery is enabled, TC2Config stops listening for the periodic discovery
message being sent from each device. To return to this listen only discovery method, simply return to the
upper left corner of the display window, select “File” then select “Unload Network Search File”. This will
return TC2Config to a listen only discovery mode.
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4. Discovering TCPConv 2 Devices on the network
The next 3 figures show devices discovered on two different subnets using this approach.
Figure 4.6.: Cross Subnet Discovered Devices
4.4. TCPConv 2 Display List Sort
The contents of the display window can be sorted by each of the table headings. Selecting the heading
once will sort in ascending order. Selecting the heading a second time will reverse the sort order. The
following two figures show sorting for two of the possible headings.
Figure 4.7.: Sort on IP address
Once the converter or converters are discovered, one at a time they can be selected and configured. If the
printer attached to the selected TCPConv 2 has web front-end on port 80, it can be accessed by clicking
the button “Open the Homepage of the Printer” as shown in Figure 4.9.
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4. Discovering TCPConv 2 Devices on the network
Figure 4.8.: Sort on Hostname
Figure 4.9.: Opening the Homepage of the printer
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5. Configuration via TC2Config
5. Configuration via TC2Config
5.1. TC2Config Home Screen
From the TC2Config screen select a TCPConv 2 which has a software version STD1.2.0.19 or later File
System then select “Read Configuration From Selected Converter”. TC2Config will contact the selected
converter and will use the default password to obtain the configuration. If the TCPConv 2 uses a pass-
word which differs from the default, please refer to section 5.6.1 for instructions to change the TC2Config
password.
Figure 5.1.: Read Configuration From Selected Converter
5.2. Network Configuration Window
A configuration window will open which defaults to the current network configuration for the selected con-
verter. The window has 5 different tabs which present the Network, USB, RS232, Logging and Password
tabs. These present the same information presented in the web page view but the connection to the
converter is via an API instead of via a web browser.
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5. Configuration via TC2Config
At the bottom of each view are three buttons called “Apply”, “Save” and “Cancel”.
Figure 5.2.: Network Configuration Screen
Apply Button When Apply is selected TC2Config will send the configuration settings directly to the
converter via the API. All configuration settings will be packaged into a file and sent regardless of whether
any changes were made or not. Once the converter responds that the changes have been accepted or
rejected, the window will close and the converter will reboot. The Log window on the TC2Config home
screen will indicate whether the changes were accepted or rejected.
Save Button When Save is selected, TC2Config will sill save all settings to internal memory used by
the TC2Config program. The window will close and no changes will be made to the converter which is
selected. Because these changes have been saved to the TC2Config program they can now be applied to
other converters or saved to a file. See section 5.9 and 5.10 for details on this feature.
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5. Configuration via TC2Config
Cancel Button When Cancel is selected, TC2Config will close the window and any changes will be
lost.
5.2.1. Network Configuration
5.2.1.1. Name Resolution
TC2Config offers the ability to send the same configuration to multiple converters. While this is a really
useful feature, we need to be careful sending the same hostname or static IP address to multiple convert-
ers. As a result in order to change the hostname you must overtly select the Change Hostname checkbox
in the event you wish to actually change the hostname.
This requirement is in place for both the Apply button which would change the hostname immediately or
to the Save button which would place the new hostname in the file which would be sent to other convert-
ers.
Name This is the name assigned to each individual TCPConv 2 unit. Normally each converter is given
a name which is easy to associate with the connected printer. Often this name is geographically inspired
for example a device attached to a Brother printer on the 3rd floor near column G7 might be named:
Brother3-G7.
Hostnames are composed of series of labels concatenated with dots, as are all domain names. For
example, â ˘ AIJtcpconv.localâ ˘ A˙ I is a hostname. Each label must be between 1 and 63 characters long, and
the entire hostname (including the delimiting dots) has a maximum of 255 characters.
The Internet standards (Request for Comments) for protocols mandate that component hostname labels
may contain only the ASCII letters â ˘ A´ Zaâ ˘ A´ Z through â ˘ A´ Zzâ ˘ A´ Z (in a case insensitive manner), the digits
⢠A´ Z0â ˘ A´ Z through â ˘ A´ Z9â ˘ A´ Z, and the hyphen (â ˘ A´ Z-â ˘ A´ Z). (RFC 1123) permitted hostname labels to start
with digits. No other symbols, punctuation characters, or white space are permitted. Please make sure a
valid hostname is given, otherwise TCPConv 2 will not accept the change
Workgroup If workgroup assignments are used in this environment, the workgroup associated with this
device would be entered here.
5.2.1.2. IP Configuration
Use DHCP The factory default setting is for DHCP to be enabled. That way the converter will receive
its IP assignment dynamically from the DHCP server. If the device fails to get an IP address from DHCP
server for some reason, it will use 192.168.1.1 as default IP address.
If this box is unchecked the user must assign static parameters to the converter. The user is responsible
for entering a valid reserved static IP address, net mask and gateway.
Configure DNS Manually If this is selected, the user is responsible to manually enter the IP addresses
for the primary and secondary DNS server. If this box is checked, the converter will use the DNS addresses
provided by the DHCP server.
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