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ADENA Hack: How to troubleshoot AREC Media Stations.
- 5 days ago
- 6 min read
In one of our previous ADENA Hacks we discussed what to do if you cannot connect an AREC network camera. This time, we have created a similar guide for AREC Media Stations. Below are the four most common general issues:
Let’s review each of these topics individually and outline what to check, starting with the first.
The station’s output displays a black screen or does not appear to be working
In most cases, this issue is related to which video output of the AREC Media Station is being used. Generally, Media Stations feature two kinds of video outputs: “Mixed Video/GUI” and “Mixed Video/Loop through”.
The “Mixed Video/GUI” output displays the content that the station records and streams and can also optionally include the graphical user interface (GUI). If this output shows a black screen, try changing the layout to a different source or applying an overlay. On LS-210, LS-310, and LS-410 Media Stations, this output is labelled “Display 1”, on LS-860/LS-860N models, it is labelled as the display with a cursor, and on most other stations, the port that displays this output can be configured in Administrator → Media I/O → Display.
The “Mixed Video/Loop through” output supports three modes:
1. Displaying what the station records and streams (without the GUI).
2. Displaying a specific video source.
3. Displaying all video sources simultaneously.
This output can be controlled with loop through buttons and RS-232/TCP API commands. If it displays a black screen despite a connected and selected video source, the most likely reason is that the output is currently looping a channel that has no source. Try pressing the loop through button several times to cycle through the available loop modes.
Cameras connected via the LAN port of the station cannot be found, or the station is inaccessible via its IP address.
In most cases, this issue is related to how the network ports of an AREC Media Station are used and connected. Most AREC Media Stations feature two types of network port: LAN and WAN.
The WAN port on an AREC Media Station is used to connect the station to the Internet or to the local network at the installation site. By default, the WAN port is set to DHCP, so the Media Station automatically obtains an IP address from the connected network, provided a DHCP server is available. Depending on the network configuration, the Media Station can both connect to and be accessed by other devices in the same network.
The LAN ports on AREC Media Stations are used to connect external devices, such as cameras. On these ports, the Media Station acts as a DHCP server, creating a closed network and using a default static IP address of 192.168.11.254. To connect a device via a LAN port, either set the device to obtain an IP address automatically (DHCP) or manually assign it an IP address within the same subnet as the Media Station.
The number of LAN ports varies by model, but on all Media Stations that feature LAN ports, connecting a simple network switch allows the Media Station to function as a DHCP server for all devices connected through that switch.
Thus, if you are experiencing connection issues, first check how the device is connected. If it is connected via a LAN port, ensure that it is in DHCP mode or that its IP address is in the LAN subnet of the Media Station. Refer to the example diagrams below if you are not sure how to connect your devices correctly:
Importantly, do not set the same subnet on the WAN and LAN ports of the Media Stations, as this will cause an IP conflict and may potentially make the station inaccessible. Similarly, do not connect the Media Station to a network that includes a DHCP server via its LAN port, as this will result in a conflict between devices assigning IP addresses. The following example diagrams show incorrect configuration and setup:
The preview (in Administrator or Online Director) displays a black screen, shows an incorrect source, or requires FBVLC.
There are several possible reasons why the preview may not work, and these vary depending on the Media Station model.
The LS-210, LS-310, and LS-410 series of Media Stations use WebRTC as their primary preview plugin. It is supported by the most popular browsers, including Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge. If you are using one of these models and do not see a preview, check the following:
Does the preview load after 10-15 seconds? WebRTC video can take longer to load if your computer is connected to 2 networks simultaneously.
Does the preview work if you access the station in an incognito/private browser tab? In some cases, the issue is caused by cookies or cached data from previously visited pages. Incognito or private tabs ignore saved data. If the preview works there but not in a regular tab, clear the saved data for the Media Station’s address.
Is the preview visible in the Online Director page? The preview may be working correctly, while the issue lies with the source or its connection. Open the Online Director page of your station, select a layout that includes all sources, and apply any visible overlay. If the overlay appears but the source does not, check that the source is connected and configured correctly.
Is the station’s IP address in a different subnet of a network? Due to the specifics of the WebRTC implementation, preview only works when the Media Station and the viewing computer are in the same subnet, regardless of subnet mask settings. For example, preview works if the station’s IP address is 192.168.2.100 and the computer’s IP address is 192.168.2.101, but it will not work if the computer’s IP address is 192.168.30.101. If the Media Station must be located in a different subnet and preview is required, you can use FBVLC, an alternative preview plugin described below.
The VA1 versions of LS-2, LS-200, LS-300, and LS-400 Media Stations, as well as KL-3T and LS-110, use a different preview plugin that displays the Media Station’s Mixed Video. If the preview is a black screen or shows an incorrect source, change the current recording and streaming layout to feature the source you want to preview.
Non-VA1 versions of LS-2, LS-200, LS-300, and LS-400 Media Stations, as well as KL-3 and KL-3WT, use an earlier implementation of this plugin which also displays the Media Station’s Mixed Video. This implementation does not support individual source preview in the Administrator or Online Director pages and instead displays the message “No video preview in the current browser”.
If any of the above specifics prevent preview in your case, you can use FBVLC, an alternative preview plugin. This plugin can work in Chrome, Edge, and other modern popular browsers set to IE compatibility mode, or with addons that provide such compatibility. FBVLC can be downloaded directly from most AREC Media Stations when accessing their preview using IE compatibility mode, or it can be requested from our website www.a-dena.com. FBVLC allows both individual source preview and Mixed Video preview in the Administrator and Online Director pages, even when the Media Station is located in a different subnet.
The station behaves unexpectedly after an update or displays “Requested resource doesn’t exist” error messages.
AREC Media Stations get two types of firmware updates: regular and generation. In most cases, unexpected behaviour after a firmware update or “Requested resource doesn’t exist” error prompts are caused by installing a generation firmware update without resetting the Media Station to its factory default settings afterwards.
Generation firmware updates include significant changes to internal libraries or key features of Media Stations. Such updates typically state in their release notes that a hardware reset is required. A generation update can be identified by a change in the second version number segment. For example, if an LS-200 had a firmware version number 2.9.6.12, updating to 2.11.6.54 firmware would be considered a generation update.
A hardware reset after an update may also be required when the device is running its initial generation firmware. In these versions, the second version segment is 0. For example, LS-410 firmware version 1.0.0.36. Unlike generation updates, initial generation firmware updates do not always require a hardware reset. Thus, we recommend checking the firmware release notes before updating to confirm whether a reset is necessary.
Importantly, when a Media Station is reset to factory default settings, all configuration and settings are erased; only recorded content is retained. Therefore, we recommend saving any important settings in advance so they can be restored afterwards.
If you would like to learn more, we have described the differences between firmware versions in one of our previous ADENA Hacks.
If you are dealing with an issue and unsure how to proceed, you can also use our technical support form available through our website www.a-dena.com → “Partners” → “ADENA Tech Support”. This form includes a checklist of common issues and solutions and provides a step-by-step guide to submitting error reports.
