Bome Network; "available" computer keeps refreshing? (blinks off then back on)

Bome Products
1

Hi-

I have the Bome Network running on two computers. I am pairing one BomeBox to both computers, this appears to work fine.

I notice that in each network window the “available” computer (not the BomeBox) keeps refreshing every few minutes. It goes away and comes back in each network window). Is this normal please?

2

Hi and welcome to the Bome Forum!

What you are seeing is normal if you are not running Bome Network Pro.

BomeBox comes included with Bome Network (non Pro) which allows MIDI communication between BomeBox and attached PC’s or Macs only.

Although you will be able to see whether other PC’s or Macs are discoverable with Bome Network
on your computer, you would need to purchase Bome Network Pro to directly send MIDI traffic between computers over the network.

Otherwise, all MIDI traffic between them would need to be routed through your BomeBox.

Steve Caldwell
Bome Customer Care

Also available for paid consulting services: bome@sniz.biz
3

Thank You much—

So it’s normal that it blinks every few minutes? goes away and comes back?

Also---- Is it OK to pair my BomeBox with two computers at the same time?

4

Actually, I believe it is supposed to stay on so it looks like it tries to pair and the disconnects and cycles through this process periodically for you. If you have Bome Network (non pro version), I would just recommend you set up to automatically reject the connection between the computers. Yes, I believe you can simultaneously connect your BomeBox to two computers but let me double check and get back to you. I have Bome Network Pro so I’m not 100% sure of the correct behavior of the non-pro version.

Also, if you have BomeBox on Both WiFi and ethernet but on different networks, this couldl be a problem for any computer that can get to BomeBox by either way as the BomeBox would end up having 2 separate IP addresses with the same name and the computer would not know which address to automatically connect. How are you networked between the devices?

Steve Caldwell
Bome Customer Care

Also available for paid consulting services: bome@sniz.biz
6

Thank you again-

I am networking with Ethernet only - WIFI only used during setup of the box. Standard setup, DHCP

7

OK, I’m double checking into the correct behavior and will let you know.

8

Hi, I only see this behavior when a computer goes into sleep mode. But I think in the older version of Bome Network, it could also happen from time to time without a particular reason (and without actually interrupting the MIDI stream, if connected).

I suggest to update to the just released version 1.4:
https://www.bome.com/products/bomenet#downloads

9

Thank you-

My problem is I believe a (network) loop of sorts. I have two computers connected to a switch with my Bome box as the 3rd device. Then ALSO these two computers have RME Digiface Dante interfaces which meet on another device that is also a switch (it’s a DirectOut Dante redundant switch box).
It seems the RME boxes are ALSO creating a network connection too and this is my “loop” ? - When I unplug the Dante wires the Bome Network stops blinking the computers on and off and connectivity is fast and as expected.

Is there a simple way to specify or limit which network adapter the Bome Network looks at? It would be great to be able to tell it to ignore the WIFI and second Dante network connection obviously

Thank You

10

The BomeBox has one name and two interfaces if using both WiFi and Ethernet so, there is no way to determine which one to connect to which is why you are seeing this. If you put WiFi and ethernet on separate networks, and then ensure that there is only one path from each connected device to the appropriate interface, you should be fine. This is why in general we do not recommend both used simultaneously unless WiFi and Ethernet are configured as separate networks.

Steve Caldwell
Bome Customer Care

Also available for paid consulting services: bome@sniz.biz
12

For a future firmware version, we plan to make the BomeBox (and Bome Network) detect the situation that one device is reachable via two or more IP addresses. In that case, when connecting, it should select the one with lower latency.

In any case, the current way should not affect actual MIDI performance: once connected, the connection will stay with the current IP address. Only the availability notifications will be “nervous”.

13

“…ensure that there is only one path from each connected device to the appropriate interface, you should be fine”

How do you do this please?

14

Hi Peter,
Probably with your other network gear by disabling some network traffic from other devices. I’m not privy to your network details and Bome support really doesn’t cover networking issues. From the network perspective, BomeBox is a simple network router.

Within Bomebox, however the only way to ensure this is to put the WiFi and the Ethernet on separate networks.

For instance, as the BomeBox comes from the factory, the WiFi is set up as a Hotspot (Network 192.168.153.1 and Ethernet is set up as a DHCP client.

Any traffic you want to send to WiFi, connect via DHCP to the BomeBox SSID.
Anything that you want ethernet, you can use the network address assigned by the in-house router or if you don’t have an in-house router, then set up ethernet on the BomeBox as a DHCP master and it will hand out IP addresses to the other computers.

Steve Caldwell
Bome Customer Care

Also available for paid consulting services: bome@sniz.biz