Establishing a Connection

This section discusses the basics of qwerk network connectivity, how to verify the connection, how to obtain the qwerk's IP address once a connection has been established, and how to connect to a qwerk using one of the TeRK software applications.

Network Connectivity Overview

In order to connect to and control your Qwerk with the TeRK software applications, you will need to have first created a login for yourself and registered your Qwerk. Please see the First Steps page now if you have not yet done this. Note that you only need to have created a login for yourself and registered your qwerk if you want to use the relay server connection model (the default).

Qwerks are designed to establish a network connection automatically after boot-up has finished. By default, the Qwerk is configured to connect wirelessly to any available, open wireless network. An open wireless network is one which broadcasts its SSID and uses no encryption. Alternatively, it is possible to configure your Qwerk to use a specific wireless network (by specifying the SSID), or a specific wireless network with an encryption key (WEP). You can change which connection configuration you want to use by changing the settings in the Qwerk configuration web site. Please be aware that there is a known issue with SSIDs containing spaces. Also, some routers are incompatible with the Qwerk and the Zonet 802.11g wireless adapter--see the compatibility table for more information.

Alternatively, qwerks can also use an Ethernet (wired) connection. Qwerks running version 2 of the firmware default to using a static IP address, but qwerks running version 3.x of the firmware default to using an IP address obtained via DHCP. In either case, the method in which the qwerk obtains its IP address via a wired connection is configurable via the Qwerk configuration web site.

To enable your Qwerk to connect to your network (and then to the Internet, if using the relay server connection model), you will need to know your type of local network (wired only, open wireless, or encrypted wireless) and configure your Qwerk using the Qwerk configuration web site.

You can evaluate the Qwerk's progress in connecting to the network by watching the LEDs after you power it on. See the Verifying Network Connectivity section below for details on how to interpret the LEDs.

Verifying Network Connectivity

The current progress at connecting to a network (and, for the relay server connection model, the relay) is displayed on the status LEDs on the front of the qwerk. The state of the status LEDs differ depending on whether your qwerk is running version 2 or 3.x of the firmware. The tables below explain what the LEDs represent.

Firmware Version 3.x
LED	Indicates	States	Meaning
POWER	Qwerk board power	ON	board is on
		OFF	board is off
LED 0	Qwerk Initialization: Loads device drivers Enables the Qwerk's configuration web site	blinking	attempting
		ON	successful
		OFF	failed
LED 1	Network Connectivity: Connects to a wired or wireless network	blinking	attempting
		ON	successful
		OFF	failed
LED 2	Relay Server Connectivity: Initiates TeRK software Contacts the Relay Server (if in relay mode)	blinking	attempting (TeRK software started)
		ON	successful (TeRK software logged in to the relay) or the qwerk is in direct-connect mode, which does not require relay login
		OFF	failed
LED 3	Peer Connectivity: Displays whether a peer is connected	blinking	≥ 1 user
		OFF	0 users
LED 6	Direct-Connect Mode and Heartbeat	blinking	Qwerk is alive, initialized, and in direct-connect mode.
		OFF	In relay server mode or not yet initialized
LED 7	Relay Server Mode and Heartbeat	blinking	Qwerk is alive, initialized, and in relay server mode.
		OFF	In direct-connect mode or not yet initialized

 

Firmware Version 2
LED	Indicates	States	Meaning
POWER	Qwerk board power	ON	board is on
		OFF	board is off
LED 0	Qwerk Initialization: Loads device drivers Enables the Qwerk's configuration web site	blinking	attempting
		ON	successful
		OFF	failed
LED 1	Network Connectivity: Connects to a wired or wireless network	blinking	attempting
		ON	successful
		OFF	failed
LED 2	Relay Server Connectivity: Initiates TeRK software Contacts the Relay Server	blinking	attempting (TeRK software started)
		ON	successful (TeRK software logged in to the relay)
		OFF	failed
LED 3	Peer Connectivity: Displays whether a peer is connected	blinking	0 users
		ON	≥ 1 user
LED 4	Heartbeat	blinking	Qwerk is alive, connected to the Internet, and waiting for connections
		OFF	Not yet connected to the Internet and/or relay server

Obtaining the Qwerk's IP Address

Knowing the Qwerk's IP address is necessary for accessing its configuration web site or for connecting to it using direct-connect. There are several ways to obtain the Qwerk's IP address once it has established a network connection.

If your Qwerk is running version 3.x of the firmware, you can simply press the CFG button and hold it for about a half second. The Qwerk will then flash all its LEDs to indicate it is about to display its IP address. It then displays the IP address by successively turning on LEDs corresponding to each digit of the IP address. It flashes all the LEDs to display a dot. For Qwerks with only 8 LEDs, an 8 is represented by the Qwerk turning on LEDs 6 and 7; a 9 is represented by the Qwerk turning on LEDs 5, 6, and 7.

If your Qwerk is running version 2 of the firmware, you can either guess the IP address (it's often the next in series, after your computer) or you can check your router's DHCP client list. See your router's manual for how to view the DHCP client list.

Finally, if you have a serial cable connected from your computer to your Qwerk and are running some sort of terminal software (HyperTerminal, minicom, screen, etc.), you can execute the "ifconfig" command from the Qwerk's command prompt to obtain its IP address.

Connecting to a Qwerk

To connect to your qwerk, first launch one of the TeRK software applications. Once the application loads, you should see a "Connect" button somewhere in the window.

When you click the "Connect" button, a dialog appears prompting you to first select whether you would like to connect to your qwerk using direct-connect mode or relay mode. If your qwerk is running version 3.x of the firmware, you can connect to it using either mode. Qwerks running version 2.0 of the firmware are limited to only using the relay. You can determine which mode your qwerk is currently in by looking at the LEDs and comparing them with the descriptions in the tables in the Verifying Network Connectivity section above.

To connect to a qwerk using direct-connect mode, select the appropriate radio button in the connection dialog, and then click Next. You will then be prompted to enter the Qwerk's IP address. If you don't already know it, you can obtain its IP address by following the steps described above in the Obtaining the Qwerk's IP Address section. Enter the IP addres, click the "Connect" button, and then click the "Finish" button.

To connect to a qwerk using relay mode, select the appropriate radio button in the connection dialog, and then click Next. You will then be prompted to enter your TeRK login ID. This is the ID you created as part of the First Steps section. Enter your user ID and password, click the "Login" button, and then click the "Next" button. The connection dialog will then show a list of qwerks to which you may connect. Select one, click the "Connect" button, and then click the "Finish" button.