BLU-8's not responsive

[cdeming]

Recently commissioned a system in a casino where there are 2 - BLU8's on a network with 2 - BLU160's, 3 - BLUBOB's, and a BLU10. They are connected with a Netgear FS108P POE switch and served DHCP by a Netgear RF router. Every few days the BLU8's will lock up (no audible or visual response to changes made on the remote), or will not control the parameters assigned to them (it allows you to make changes on the remote, but the changes do not occur in the BLU160's).
One thing I did run into when setting the system up is that neither BLU8's would accept the DHCP broadcast, and so I had to address them manually.
Any ideas?
_________________
Cory Deming
Farber Sound LLC

[J.Luszczek]

I found that the Blu-8 panels are the least stable products in the whole London line.
I had quite a few of them lock up either partially or fully on jobs. They require a reboot (as in pull the POE cable and plug in again) and then they will work OK for a while. From posts on this board I know that the hardware they use is pretty much maxed out, so they are what they are and won't get better.
I hope BSS comes out with a new wall controller that maybe uses something like a 7" tablet in a wall box at a price point comparable to Blu-10. Or better yet, an iphone/ipad app that can be populated with sliders and buttons from Architect.

[scott180]

When the panels lock up, do you get any specific color patterns? I have 11 of these in an install and am having the same problems. I also have netgear POE switches by the way.

Some panels lock up and show a LED color sequence of red, green, red, blank that cycles. Sometimes they are all green and stuck like that.

Do you have them set to lock out on sleep?

This has been a big issue for us and sucked up a lot of unbillable time.

Tech support has always responded to my questions in relation to this, but we have not come up with a solution yet. I'll be out there again to try some other BSS recommended fixes.

[J.Luszczek]

I might sometimes see the whole panel become unresponsive, sometimes one of 4 zones become unresponsive. Rebooting makes them usually come back to life.
At one hotel job I walked in for some unrelated site visit and noticed one of the Blu-8's was flashing its lights like they do during boot up process- stuck in that one loop.
On that job I have 6 of them and one Blu-10 running off a 3Com POE switch.

Please post some suggestions you get from tech support that might have worked for you.

I'm putting another hotel on line next month and I have 10 Blu controllers there. It's a VERY long trip, so I have to make the system as stable as possible before I leave.

[scott180]

Here are the things recommended so far...

Run version 3.00 R4
Turn off DHCP
Recompile all devices
I ran a network trace using wireshark and sent that to BSS
They also suggested running separate Poe modules instead of off the switch. I will try this on Friday
I will also turn off sleep and the lockout

Every panel has gone offline at some point whether it's on 30 feet of cable or 300

[J.Luszczek]

I always address my devices with fixed IP addresses. The ethernet switch is dedicated to London, there is no other traffic on the ports.
They draw only about 2W and the switches I use are rated at 30W per port up to 120W total. So even with 10 devices we should be way, way safe.
If anything, running separate DC cable might be a better solution.

I don't turn sleep on- it's off by default and I leave it like that.

There should be a firmware based solution, because we are not doing anything wrong in way of networking or system design.

[speculation] The fact that they work for weeks and then randomly decide to lock up points to their internal software as the culprit, or the main DSP units sometimes throw data at them that makes them flip out. [/speculation]

[scott180]

I agree. The fact that all 11 panels have had a problem with staying on the network or locking up points to a firmware or processor issue.

I need to lock the panels because the customer is concerned with guests changing settings.

I need a solution now so I can close out this project and get paid for all the other gear that's working. What has been good is that many of their regular customers have commented on how good the system sounds. So at least that part of the system is working.

In a way it is good to know that others are experiencin the same issue. It means I'm not crazy.

[J.Luszczek]

[scott180]

So based on conversations with BSS, I installed two stand alone POE modules. I also disengaged the sleep and lockout on three panels. So now we wait to see if any of them crash.

I loaded V3.00 R7 today on the PC controlling the system. When I went online and the firmware was pushed to the devices, many of the Blu-8 panels were flashing. Not all, but three out of four in the room I was in. I did a reboot from the software and they worked

So right now everything is working. We will see if they hold settings on either the POE panels or the "no lockout" panels.

I'll post when I know more.

[mupi2k]

In the FWIW category, I have had a PoE switch rated similarly (well above the rated current draw of the attached devices, both individually and cumulatively, just as above) fail somewhat spectacularly.

We switched to a different switch manufacturer, and much heavier duty switch, although similarly rated (which leads me to believe the ratings on the original switch were a bit on the optimistic side), and have so far had no trouble, although around the same time we changed how things are wired which also had the net effect of greatly reducing the PoE load on the switch (by about half).

As a result, I am pretty much firmly in the "let's give everything its own power supply, even PoE devices" camp.