The first thing I would do is try to eliminate the switches as an issue. If you connect directly from FOH BomeBox to IS_Visual, does it work? If so connect back through the switches and see if it still works.
If it doesn’t work, either way. I would delete all MIDI routes and add them back one at a time starting with MIDI DIN In on FOH BomeBox to IS_Visual.
Before actually trying to see it with an application on your IS_Visual PC. I would see if I could use MT Pro on that PC to see the port and monitor the incoming MIDI. If that works, then your path is all set. Then shut down MT Pro (if your application is set to directly access FOH BomeBox) and try it there.
Add routes one at a time and hopefully when done, everything still works.
Once your routes are added, you might want to save them as a “route set” for future recall. Or you could create an MT Pro project as I suggested earlier with just routes, and run that project on your FOH BomeBox.
Steve Caldwell
Bome Q and A Moderator and
Independent Bome Consultant/Specialist bome@sniz.biz
I did a bit of research on Jumbo frames. Indeed if you don’t set all devices on your network to the same MTU (frame size) things could break. Maybe this is the problem? Did you change the frame size on your PC’s and BomeBoxes to larger MTU size? (Probably 9000 instead of 1500)
On BomeBox, you can do this in the advanced configuration (see screenshot).
Hi,
I don’t think that this problem is MTU related.
Please test:
Either switch off jumbo frames in the switch temporarily.
Or connect both computers to a BomeBox and see if they can connect (BomeBox should be configured as Ethernet Master / DHCP server).
I would not change the MTU on the BomeBox. It will not help. It’s OK to run the switch with jumbo frames, and the BomeBox with normal frames (unless you’re using the BomeBox as switch, too, for those streams for which you require jumbo frames).
And to eliminate one “unknown” from the equation, please use Send SX as MIDI INPUT and OUTPUT for testing the MIDI network: https://www.bome.com/products/sendsx
You can type a simple MIDI message in the left MIDI OUT area like
B0 07 40
or
90 40 7F
So, stop all MIDI applications, run Send SX on both computers, and select the MIDI ports for IN and OUT in the Send SX menu of the remote computer.
Ok, I’ll give all that a try and come back to you with my results.
On a side note, I’ve been meaning to replace the switches in my system with better Cisco ones. I’ll do a test on the side with the cisco’s as well and see if it makes any difference.
What kind of switches are you using now? (just curious).
If they support VLAN, that might be a better way to go than using jumbo packets. I suspect that using jumbo packets for MIDI data may in fact cause issues as a MIDI message is typically only 2-3 bytes long and a jumbo packet of 9000 bytes seems to be a lot of overhead.
I’m installing a Cisco SG 300 (FOH) and 200 at stage. Both have VLAN support and the 300 has a DHCP Server too, which means my wireless AP will no longer be the DHCP. I’ve set up VLAN’s between the two switches, with Vlan 1 has general and Vlan 2 as Soundgrid only. The Bomeboxes will be on the general VLAN along with the DHCP server for added measure. I’m installing an additional Gigabit ethernet card in each of the machines to keep the VLANs completely separate.
Unfortunately Soundgrid says that “Jumbo frame compatible switches” are needed and the Ciscos only have a global setting for Jumbo frames. I’ll try with it both on and off and let you know how I go. This will happen in a day or so.
It seems although there were no reported or noticeable network issues and the Bome boxes could see each other, windows was standing in the way.
So far the connection seems solid and reliable again.
Afterwards I also upgraded the network switches to Cisco SG series with separate VLANs, 1 for Soundgrid and 1 for the rest (inc. Bomes) – works great, highly recommended!
](https://www.bome.com/wp-content/uploads/cma_attachments/1573749979602_jumbo-frames.png){kind=link}