Remote connection to an iDR via the internet

The iDR can sit on the client’s IT network just like a printer, scanner or computer. The network will assign an IP address to the iDR.

In order to access an iDR via the internet, the client must have an ADSL router installed.

The ADSL router has two sides: The WAN (Wide Area Network) side which is connected to the internet and the LAN (Local Area Network) which is connected to the client’s local network – where the iDR lives.

The router has its own software and is programmable via a computer. The router has various ports and one of these needs to be assigned as port number 51321. This number has been chosen by Allen & Heath at random and is embedded in the Allen & Heath TCP (Transmission Control Protocol).

The router is set up so that when traffic (you trying to talk to the iDR is traffic) appears at port 51321, it routes that traffic to the iDR IP (internet protocol) address.

Let’s take an example – remember that here we are using the genuine AHNET (Allen & Heath Network) port number of 51321 but that the IP addresses used are purely for example:

The client iDR is living on the client’s own LAN and has a network address of 192.168.0.4. This address must be assigned to the iDR as a static address and the iDR DHCP must be set to NO.

The router will probably be issuing IP addresses to other devices on the LAN so it must be set up to ignore – not send out – 192.168.0.4 – the address in use by the iDR.

The router Port Forward is enabled and the unit is programmed to link port 51321 to IP address 192.168.0.4 (the iDR).

Now back at the engineer’s office, the engineer goes online so as to establish a connection between his computer and the internet via his ISP (Internet Service Provider).

Open a session of iDR System Manager software and open the iDR Connection window by clicking on the pale blue icon at the upper left of the screen.

You will see the offline iDR-8 and offline iDR-4. If you are connected to your own LAN you will also see all other iDR units connected to your LAN. In the upper section of the iDR Connection window, type in the WAN address of the client’s ADSL router. The iDR System manager software TCP contains information that addresses your transmission to port 51321 (set up on the router). The router sees this and diverts your transmission to the iDR.