Ethernet: Basic Questions

Bome Products
1

Hello!

I just got a new BomeBox and am trying to figure out how to hook it up to a Windows 11 PC via ethernet? I’ve gotten the Bome Network software and I’ve been able to figure out how to get everything going via a USB hub w/o the computer, however I’d love to be able to run an Ethernet cable from the device to my PC.

Right now I have it running straight to the the ethernet port (my motherboard has 2) and I feel like I’m missing something.

2

Actually, for this, I think I just had a bad cable. Feel free to purge this post if you think it’ll obfuscate legitimate searches.

Thanks!

3

Hi,

Option 1 - Network Bridge

If you have 2 ethernet cables on your computers, I doubt if both are attached to the same network. You could perhaps set up a network bridge on your computer between the two ethernet ports which is beyond the scope of Bome Support.

Option 2 - Use BomeBox has computer host

Better still, your BomeBox by default is a DHCP client for ethernet so connect your ethernet cable from your computer to your BomeBox and then your BomeBox to the existing ethernet cable (that you used to have plugged into your router. It should work then.

Option 3 - If you don’t need to get to the internet. APIPA Mode

In stand alone mode (while computer is not on the network), you might just connect the ethernet port on BomeBox to the computer and it might work. Most computers support this and it is called APIPA mode.

Option 4 - Network Switch

For me, I bought as low cost network switch and I hook both my BomeBoxes and my computers to that and then put the other port of the switch to my home ethernet router. Then they are both on the same network. Most of the time, this configuration uses the home router as a DHCP server and assigns IP address to all devices that are set up as a DHCP client. By default, BomeBox ethernet is a DCHP client but if is no longer the default, you can change it with these instructions for the BomeBox.

My recommendations in order are Option 2 and Option 4 above.

I will not purge your request as it might be helpful to others.

Steve Caldwell
Bome Customer Care

Also available for paid consulting services: bome@sniz.biz
1 Like
4

Thanks for the quick response here, too, @SteveC.

What worked for me was to run an Ethernet cable from the box to one of the ports on my desktop. It is sort of unusual in that my motherboard’s networking adapter has 2 ports. I wasn’t running two cables. For this specific situation I think I just had a bad cable. I found a new one, plugged the BB in, and all seemed to be well. I could see the box in Ableton, for example.

I will likely be buying a switch soon. I just bought a house this summer and will likely get a switch / server rack and run networking cable through the house. When I do that I’ll probably add PoE.

Great tool so far! I can tell this is going to be a game changer for me.

5

Yes, at first I had a cheap non POE switch but I really like powering my BomeBoxes with POE. Just make sure you get a good quality one. I got a cheap one at first and it lasted 2 days. Fortunately I bought from Amazon and was able to return it and get a better quality one.

Steve