Elk node server can't connect

[keepersg]

The Elk NS is essential to my ability to migrate to eisy and my efforts to get it to connect with my Elk have not been successful.  Perhaps something I'm just missing.  I've tried to follow the directions carefully.  My settings are copied below.  These settings work for my HS3 and HS4 Elk M1G plugins with no problem.  Those two plugins and my ISY-994 Elk module are all connected and receiving data but I cannot get the Elk NS to connect.  I have tried to get a NS log while starting the NS.  Nothing shows up. I have stopped other NS, stopped the Elk NS and restarted it to try to get a log specific to the Elk NS.  I have attached the PG3 log from that event as a text file. I have deleted and reinstalled the NS without any changes.  Any help appreciated and let me know what additional information I can provide.

 

Elk NS start.txt

[kzboray]

@keepersg You may be running into simple IP communications problems. The Elk can only connect to one device at a time. So if it's connected to something other than the eisy that may be the problem. Same thing applies to RP2. When you are connected via RP2, the Elk NS won't be communicating with the panel.

[keepersg]

Interesting.  I have multiple devices that have had successful simultaneous (shared) connections on port 2101 to the Elk from the ISY994, HS3, HS4, and the Automation Bridge. It is true that running Elk RP will block those connections.  It connects securely on port 2610 and apparently requires dedicated access. So, I disconnected all of the devices that have had access through port 2101 to the Elk M1G.  The Elk NS then connected and correctly created the nodes for my system.  I then reconnected the ISY994, HS3, and HS4 successfully and all the devices and the Elk NS are able to share port 2101 successfully.  M1 Firmware 5.3.10  MXEP firmware 2.0.44.  non-secure access is enabled.

It would be a serious limitation if the Elk M1G couldn't connect to multiple devices since that would prohibit the utilizing it for home automation if you had it connected to an external service for monitoring.

[xlurkr]

This is my observation, too.  ElkRP blocks, but multiple simultaneous connections from other apps are possible.  I've got the NS and HA connected atm.

-Tom

[kzboray]

I wasn't clear, that was my fault. You can only use ONE IP address at a time to access the Elk, however you can run multiple sessions via it's non-secure PORT. Ports and IP address are very different in terms of how they can be accessed. If you want more information on this do a search for "OSI model."

TCP/IP communications is handled at layer 3, while ports are handled by layer's 4 & 5. Each layer relays on the layers before it. So you can have only one IP address at layer 3, but on top of that you can stack all kinds of ports that access via that one IP address.

There are 1024 "Well Known Ports" i.e. port 25 (POP), port 80 (HTTP) etc. These are off limits for devices for obvious reasons, but ports above 1024 are available. Some of these have been defined by manufactures for their equipment as in the case of Elk with their use of ports 2101 and 2601.

Don't confuse ports with IP's, they are very different things. In every day terms, every device on your network has to have it's own unique IP address. If you accidentally assign the same IP to multiple devices, bad things will happen so for that reason and NAT addressing, DHCP is used in most networks to handle IP address assignments.

[dantoronto]

You guys are way out of my league.

I had/have a ISY which was connected to my ELK and working fine.

For some reason I cant remember anymore, I decided to upgrade to the eISY.

Most things are working now, a few Insteon lights can't get discovered, and I purchased the ELK node.

I have no idea how and where to configure that node.

And then, I presume, I will have to reprogram in eISY each of the Programs I had in ISY that was using an ELK setting or device.

Have no idea how to do any of this.  Help please and please be simple and specific.  Thanks much

[DennisC]

7 hours ago, dantoronto said:

You guys are way out of my league.

I had/have a ISY which was connected to my ELK and working fine.

For some reason I cant remember anymore, I decided to upgrade to the eISY.

Most things are working now, a few Insteon lights can't get discovered, and I purchased the ELK node.

I have no idea how and where to configure that node.

And then, I presume, I will have to reprogram in eISY each of the Programs I had in ISY that was using an ELK setting or device.

Have no idea how to do any of this.  Help please and please be simple and specific.  Thanks much

For starters, here is a link to the Elk Node Server documentation:

https://github.com/UniversalDevicesInc-PG3/udi-poly-ELK/blob/master/README.md

You can access the node server configuration page by going to the IP address of your eisy and adding :3000, which would be the port number.

Sign in using your admin console credentials and click on the Elk node server from the dashboard, followed by Configuration tab.

You should see the following instructions:

To Configure the ELK Nodeserver

Custom Configuration Parameters

• Set temperature_unit to F or C
• Set host to the host or ip address and port, e.g. 192.168.1.15:2101
• Set user_code, suggested to create a unique usercode for this NodeServer
• Set areas to the range of areas you would like to include
• Set outputs to the range of outputs to include
• Set change_node_names to true makes ELK the source of node names so if they are changed then ISY names will be changed to match.
• Set light_method to ELKID to check for ELKID=n on ISY Nodes, or ELKNAME to check if the Elk Light Name matches and ISY Node name or address.
  • ELKALL
    • This creates an ISY Light node for every definded Light node on the ELk
  • ELKID
    • This works by right-clicking on a node in the ISY and adding a note with "ELKID=n" where n is a unique integer
    • After changing to ELKID method, you must wait until you see "Export Completed" warning message in the Log.
    • Then click on the "export" like provided below
    • If you change an ELKID on a node then you must restart the nodeserver for it to be seen.
  • ELKNAME
    • This attempts to match the name of an ISY Node with the Name of an ELK Light node to control. The table on this page will show the matches.

Note that if you remove an Area, it will not be removed from the ISY or Polyglot. This is intentional just in case it's an accident and your scenes or programs reference the nodes.

If you change light_method from ELKALL to another method, the Light nodes will not be removed.

You can go to the Nodes Page in the Polyglot UI and delete leftover nodes from changing ranges or light_method using the X to the right of the node.

Ranges

A range can be comma seperated to include just those numbers, or seperated with a dash to include numbers in between. For example 1-3,5,7-8 will be 1,2,3,5,7,8 All ranges start at one just like the numbering the Elk uses.

Once you get the configuration set up, you need to restart the admin console if it was open.

Afterwards, your Elk should appear in the admin console.

Next, go to programs and update them for the new node names. There are examples in the help document.

If you have further questions, it is best to start a new topic.

Edited October 7, 2023 by DennisC
Added info

[dantoronto]

Dennis, you are amazing. I actually stumbled on these instructions late last night.

Sort of got some progress.

• Set temperature unit to C
• Set host to the host or ip address and port, e.g. 192.168.1.15:2101 -done
• Set user_code, suggested to create a unique usercode for this NodeServer - just made up 4 numbers???
• Set areas to the range of areas you would like to include.  I only have one area in my ELK security.  Is the number therefore 1?
• Set outputs to the range of outputs to include.  Had no idea, used 1-10??
• Set change_node_names to true makes ELK the source of node names so if they are changed then ISY names will be changed to match. - change to "true"?
• Set light_method to ELKID to check for ELKID=n on ISY Nodes, or ELKNAME to check if the Elk Light Name matches and ISY Node name or address.  Used ELKNAME???

Any comments, corrections?

[DennisC]

50 minutes ago, dantoronto said:

Dennis, you are amazing. I actually stumbled on these instructions late last night.

Sort of got some progress.

• Set temperature unit to C
• Set host to the host or ip address and port, e.g. 192.168.1.15:2101 -done
• Set user_code, suggested to create a unique usercode for this NodeServer - just made up 4 numbers???
• Set areas to the range of areas you would like to include.  I only have one area in my ELK security.  Is the number therefore 1?
• Set outputs to the range of outputs to include.  Had no idea, used 1-10??
• Set change_node_names to true makes ELK the source of node names so if they are changed then ISY names will be changed to match. - change to "true"?
• Set light_method to ELKID to check for ELKID=n on ISY Nodes, or ELKNAME to check if the Elk Light Name matches and ISY Node name or address.  Used ELKNAME???

Any comments, corrections?

It is recommended that you create a new user code in Elk for use by the Elk node server & UD Mobile.

Remember, you can only have one active connection to the Elk at a time. Therefore, you can not be connected with say Elk RP2 and have the node server via the admin console respond. You would need to exit ElkRP2 first.

You can access more information and/or the instructions for any node server before purchasing/installing from the node server store. Click on the name of the node server, followed by More Info button.