Revision History:

6/28/22 - First Release (CK)

5/7/24 - Modified for Solo use (QR)

There are many advantages to connecting the Pocket NC or Solo to a network. The steps below outline the general process of connecting the Pocket NC or Solo to a network when a USB connection cannot be established. If a USB connection can be established as described in the Quick Start Guide that came with the machine, please skip to Step 4.

• Note: Depending on your exact network setup, this process may require alterations to the steps laid out or additional steps.

Step 1: Download and Install an IP Scanner

An IP scanner will be needed to identify what IP address gets assigned to the machine once it is connected to the network.

The IP scanner used in the rest of these instructions is called “Angry IP Scanner” and can be downloaded here - https://angryip.org/ - for Mac, Windows and Linux. 

Step 2:  Computer Network Connection

The computer that you wish to control the machine with will need to be connected to your local network.

This connection can be wired or wireless, as long as your computer can be connected to the same network as the machine.

Step 3: Your Network’s IP Address

In order to find the IP address that has been assigned to your machine once it has been plugged in, you will need to know the IP address assigned to your network.

To find this on a Mac, go to System Preferences, then Network. Once in the Network window, shown below, your IP address will be listed under the status of your connection. Take note of the first three segments of this address. For example: “192.168.1”. 

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To find your IP address on a Windows 10 computer, follow the path: Windows Button > Settings (gear icon) > Network and Internet > Wi-Fi (or Ethernet) > the connected network. Once you have opened up the information about your network, scroll to the bottom of the page and look for the IPv4 address, again only the first three segments of the address are needed. In this example: “192.168.1”

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Step 4: Physical Machine Connection

Now the machine needs to be connected to the same network as the computer you plan to run it with. This can be done by sharing a network connection with the machine through your computer, but the best option is to plug the machine directly into a router, modem or wall port (an Ethernet connection) that is connected to the network. 

To connect the machine, simply plug an Ethernet cord into one of the items mentioned above and then into the Ethernet port on the machine. It is best to make this connection while the machine is off and then power up the machine using the power switch.

Step 5: Find Machine’s IP Address

Without USB Connection:

Once the machine has booted up fully, open Angry IP Scanner. Begin by typing the first three segments of your network’s IP address, followed by .0, into the first box of the “IP Range” input. Next, do the same in the second box but this time end the IP address with .255. In this case the first box would read “192.168.1.0” and the second box would read “192.168.1.255”. 

After the range has been input, press the start button. The scanner will ping every IP address in that range and return information on the ones that have been assigned to a device. 

Scroll through the results. The IP address assigned to the machine will be the one that says something similar to “pocketnc.local” or “pocketnc” in the “Hostname” column (the Solo will also show up as a “pocketnc” hostname). Take note of that IP address. In this example it is “192.168.1.200”. 

With USB Connection:

If a USB connection can be established and the Kinetic Control user interface can be accessed, the IP address assigned to the machine can be found under the CONFIG tab. Navigate to CONFIG > SERVER . Under the STATUS section, locate the NETWORK heading and note the eth0 address. The eth0 address will be the IP address of your machine.

Step 6: Connect to the Machine

Once the IP address assigned to your Pocket NC has been discovered, it can simply be typed into the URL bar of your browser just like it is done when connecting over USB. Google Chrome, Firefox or Safari are the supported browsers. 

• Note: Depending on the configuration of the network, this IP address can change over time. If the IP address stops working, you will need to repeat steps 4, 5  and 6.

As mentioned before, some of these steps may differ slightly depending on the exact network setup that is being used.