Assign IP address to APC UPS and problems of Serial Connection
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UPS and ATS can have Network Management Card inserted, and they need a IP address to be assigned before it can be used. APC’s product manual is not perfect, which include some out dated information, plus it's easy to over look the simple HyperTerminal program, I have had some hard time with them. Here are what I learned.
There are 4 ways to assign IP address according to APC’s product manual. I was interested by the ARP way, it looks efficient, but it didn’t work for me with unknown reason. Also I didn’t know where to find the MAC address at beginning, it’s turned out on a supermarket receipt kind of paper taped on the product.
Next, I installed the Device IP Configuration Wizard program from a CD come with the product, and started it. I made another mistake by immediately clicked next, and jumped to the next page, and start to be confused. I should have read on the first page and waited for the device to be picked up. It worked for me later on.
Next, because I wondered how am I find out what IP address is been assigned to, I choosed connct through Serial Port. Later on I realized IP address should be get from DHCP server, because Vendor Class / Client/User Class Identifiers will be sent to DHCP server, and shows up there.
With Serial Port, I end up calling APC support, here are mistakes I made.
Hyper Terminal is decommissioned on Windows 7, but simply copy hypertrm.exe and hypertrm.dll from a XP box works like a charm.
Special Serial Cable should be used, they are come with the product and labeled on the connector. Follow the user manual to make sure you have the right cable.
I had a hard time to connect to my ATS even with the correct cable. It’s end up I didn’t pay attention to the port configuration. They are 19200 bps, 8 data bits, no parity, 1 stop bit and no flow control. Note, HyperTerminal come with Hardward Flow control as default. It has to be changed. Sometimes 9600 bps works too, but there is one time I spend a long time to troubleshoot, and it’s end up 19200 bps solved the problem.
To configure IP address, you have to use option 11, Web config. They renamed it to something like NMW config, but it’s still option 11. You will have to login as apc/apc to see option 11, if you just press enter twice to get in, there is another menu without option 11. Once you chosed option 11, you no longer can connect with 19200 bps, it has to be 2400 bps. One way to get it back is to reset by push down perf button on ATS for 10 seconds, till the light off. Just read the instruction once chose option 11. Note this reset won’t change configurations already made, also I don’t know what difference of this with the reset pin button on the front panel of the network management card.