Welcome to another edition of ProSoft Technology video training. In this video we’re going
to troubleshoot some of the most common causes of radio communication problems for industrial
wireless systems. We’ll first go down the list of what you should check for if you are
setting up two or more new radios that will not link, or will only link intermittently.
We’ll then address what you should check for if you have an existing radio network
that had been working but is now having communication problems. We also have another video that
covers 10 big considerations for specifying an industrial wireless system. Let’s talk
about what you should do if you are trying to setup a new radio network with two RLX2
radios and are having problems getting them to link. First, it’s highly recommended
that the initial configuration should be done on a bench so all major components of the
WIFI system are easily accessible. This makes the configuration and troubleshooting process
much faster and easier. The first thing to check are some of the basic configuration
parameters. Be sure that you have one radio configured as a Master and one as a Repeater.
This relationship between the two radios is necessary for them to communicate. Next, ensure
that the security (SSID)/encryption type and phrase are the same for both radios. If these
settings are not exactly the same, the radios will not talk to each other. Once you’ve
confirmed that the configuration is correct for both radios, check to be sure that the
antennas are connected to the correct port on each unit. If you are using a radio model
with multiple ports, you should connect the antenna to port A if you are only using one
antenna. If you have a radio with three ports for use with a MIMO antenna, and are using
two antennas, they should be connected to ports A and C. If you open the advanced tab
on the web configuration page, there is a setting to see active antennas. If you are
doing a bench test of your radios, you can simply use the articulated antennas that come
with the product; but if you plan on using a mounted antenna when you deploy the radios,
you must be sure that you are using the proper conversion cable to connect to the antenna.
For our RLX line, this is a RPSMA connection for the radio. If you have an existing radio
network that had been providing you with adequate communication speeds but now you are having
problems, here are some things you should check.
Right off the bat, you should determine if you have line of sight between the two (or
more) antennas. For a radio link to function at its full potential, the line-of-site between
antennas must be completely clear. An outdoor application may have had line-of-site when
it was initially commissioned but there could be trees or other vegetation that has grown
and become a problem. Also keep in mind that anything that might move into your LOS routinely,
such as a crane, a truck or other large vehicle, could cause you intermittent communication
problems as well. Make sure your antennas are positioned where they will be clear of
any possible interference. Next up, ensure that your directional antennas are oriented
and polarized correctly. Yagi should not be pointed up to the sky for instance. They,
along with parabolic, panel and other directional type antennas should be oriented to point
at the receiving antenna. It’s also important to ensure your antennas all share the same
polarization; either vertically or horizontally. High winds can be a problem for certain antenna
types such as panels or dishes; be sure that your antenna has not been tilted out of alignment.
Another possible issue for outdoor applications is moisture getting inside the cables. This
can happen if the weatherproofing has been compromised by age (or if it was never used
in the first place). For indoor applications with lots of metallic surfaces or objects
that are reflective for radio waves, such as a factory floor or warehouse, we recommend
using MIMO antennas rather than more conventional types. They are optimized to perform in highly
reflective environments and will be much more reliable. If your antenna line of site is
good you should next confirm that you are using a clear channel. An increasing problem
on industrial sites is the proliferation of wireless devices occupying all available frequency
and channel space. So while you may have had a clear dedicated channel for your wireless
link; it’s possible that other devices have since encroached on it. You can try taking
the radio off line and use it to scan for what channels are in use. This is done by
setting the radio to Repeater mode; ensure that you are not connected to a Master, simply
click the Available Parents button. This will scan the environment for RF signals and show
data on what devices are out there including what channels they are using. You can actually
filter the results by channel to make things easier. Channels being used by many devices
should be avoided if possible. The 802.11 standard does allow for different devices
to share channels; when one is talking, the others must back off and wait until it is
done. This way they don’t all try to talk over each other. It does however mean that
communication must slow down while devices wait for their turn to talk; the more devices
on a channel, the slower it will become. If your channel becomes too crowded, you will
have to either switch to another clearer channel, or kindly ask the overseer of the other devices
to switch channels. Another possible problem for an existing network is that too many repeater
radios have been added to the network, all talking to a single master. If you have several
repeater radios or are moving a lot of data at a high rate, it’s possible for there
to just be too much traffic for the master radio to handle efficiently. You might need
to segment the network between two Masters, still using the same SSID encryption type
and passphrase but on different channels. Speaking of too much traffic on your network,
it’s also recommended to use Unicast connections rather than multicast connections which generate
significantly more traffic, unnecessarily. Another step you can take to streamline communication
is to enable Secure Bridging. This sets the radio to only communicate with other ProSoft
radios, blocking any other wireless devices. If you have a Repeater talking to another
to extend the range of your network, be sure that each of the Master – Repeater – Repeater
radios are configured and linked together in the proper sequence. If there are multiple
paths of similar length back to the master, repeaters may switch between them based on
what path they detect is the shortest at any given time. If data is being transmitted as
the link switches over, it’s possible to lose data. You can specify what radios you
want to link together under the preferred parent settings on the web configuration page.
It is also possible that the data rate is simply too fast, and the radios cannot keep
up with the RPI your devices are configured for. Make sure that RPI settings for your
equipment is set no faster than what is actually required for your application. Those are the
most common solutions to the problems we typically hear about. We hope that you’ve found this
video helpful. If you do find that you need assistance, feel free to contact our wireless
field application engineers; for professional help concerning your particular application.
Something that is very helpful to us is for customers with wireless communication issues
to provide a IH Browser export file. From the IH browser, just go up to file and select
export and then click Export in the window that comes up; this takes a snapshot of the
network and it helps our support team to quickly determine the nature of your problem. Thanks
for watching.