Finding an IP address via the Ethernet port

Install Wireshark

Wireshark is a program that allows you to capture and analyze all of the network traffic that is sent to your computer's network port.  We'll use the program to look for broadcast traffic from Biamp devices in order to discover their IP addresses.

• Go to the Wireshark download site located at http://www.wireshark.org/download.html
• Download the Wireshark installer and install Wireshark. Start the program.
• Choose your wired Ethernet adapter from the Interface List.

Connect

Identifying the IP address of a Biamp device is easiest if it is the only device connected to the network.  Connect your PC to the Biamp device using a crossover Ethernet cable. Only one device should be connected to your PC.

Some network cards do not require a crossover cable to connect – but the safe approach is to use one. Optionally, you can connect through a network switch with standard Ethernet cabling for this test if needed. Only the PC and Biamp device should be connected to the switch during this process.

If multiple Biamp devices are connected to the network, Wireshark will show traffic from the IP addresses of all connected devices.

Get data

• Start a live capture in Wireshark. (Capture > Start)
• Unplug the Ethernet cable from the Biamp device, wait 5 seconds, and plug it back in.
• Wait 60-90 seconds while network traffic is recorded.
• Stop the live capture in Wireshark. (Capture > Stop)
• In the Filter field, type “llc” (lowercase LLC). The Source column should show a list of IP addresses. This is the IP address of the Biamp device you are connected to.
• An alternate filter string is "eth.src[:3]==00:90:5e" which will filter the capture results for any hardware with a MAC address matching the first 3 octets of Biamp hardware's MAC address.
• Please note that Biamp devices will have a different MAC address starting in April 2017. The new filter string will be "eth.src[:3]==78:45:01".

Get online

You can now change your computer's NIC (IPv4 address) to match the subnet range for the Biamp device and connect to the device using the Audia or Nexia software (as appropriate).  

Note: Be sure you do not set your PC’s address to the same address as the device. If the device returns an address of 192.168.1.101 you can make your PC address 192.168.1.100 and communicate with it. If you give your PC the same subnet address as the Biamp device (by setting the PC to match the device at 192.168.1.101) you will not be able to communicate with it.

There should be no other devices on the network with the same IP addresses that you are using - if there are then you must change them so that every device has a unique IP address.

Finally, you need to make sure that you have the Audia or Nexia software configured to see the correct NIC (Network Interface Controller) and confirm that it shows the IP address you expect.

Go to Tools > Options > Network to verify this value matches the static address you assigned for IPv4 on your NIC. If it does not, reapply the setting to your NIC, and be sure to hit OK to close the Properties box and register the setting.

Privacy concerns

IMPORTANT - A Wireshark trace captures (or records) all of the packets transmitting the network, including VoIP traffic. This means that it is possible to listen to the calls which have been captured from the Wireshark data. This can be an important part of troubleshooting for VoIP systems which are malfunctioning.

You should not perform a Wireshark trace on client systems during sensitive calls as you will be recording the call, which can be a violation of many wiretapping laws if the participants are unaware of the recording being made.

If you are troubleshooting cases where calls fail only intermittently and you need to take a long duration capture of all traffic for a VoIP card be sure to impress upon your clients that the calls are being recorded during that time period. You may need to provide clear notification to both parties on a call that captures are being made. Additionally, there may be a need to have signed Non-Disclosure Agreements for such cases. Be sure to discuss this with the client before making captures of their calls.

Captures made of calls which do not contain private conversations, with full disclosure of the process to the client, specifically for troubleshooting problematic VoIP issues or device discovery should not be a problem.

Further reading

An alternative method for discovering the IP address of an Audia or Nexia is to query it via the serial port.  For more information, see How to discover or change an Audia/Nexia's IP address via RS232.