Associating my CompactRIO to a computer/device name on the network

[Proengin]

(Posted originally in a different forum)

Hello,

I have a network connecting a router, several computers and a CompactRIO, configured to use DHCP. Therefore the CompactRIO IP address may change. On the computers I will be using a program that I didn't write, that communicates with the CompactRIO (I wrote the CompactRIO side of the code myself). The program can find the CompactRIO either using an IP address, or a computer name, because it's been designed to work from computer to computer. Unfortunately, since I'm using DHCP I cannot set it to use a fixed address.

Therefore, I would like to install a driver, or run a piece of software, or configure my CompactRIO such that it appears as a computer or device wih a name on the network. A name visible in "Network Places" under Windows for instance.

I should mention that installing a DNS server might work, but is really a last resort option for me.

You may think "use MAX" but I have no problem with MAX, it will see the device. The program running on the PC, on the other hand, will not see it since it takes an IP address (varies), a domain name (DNS is a last resort option) or a computer name (the purpose of this post).

Any suggestion?

[Wayne.C]

Have you considered assigning a static IP address to your cRIO?  There are ways to use DHCP and static addresses on the same network.

[Proengin]

Yes, I know it's a possibility. Currently, I control my range of addresses, so I could. In the future, I might be connected to a larger network and the DHCP settings could change, invalidating the static address. So, I'm planing ahead to avoid this situation.

My problem can be resolved in several ways : setting up a DNS server, using a static address and using NAT, things like that.

Or I could "simply" make the cRIO visible as a computer/device. I searched and couldn't find how, that's why I'm asking here. If it can't be done, so be it, I'm not stuck (fortunately!)

[Wayne.C]

A couple of questions about the program running on the computers.  Is that written in LabVIEW?  How does it talk to cRIO?  TCPIP, data sockets...?

[Proengin]

It's a third-party program, written in Pascal or C (not sure). It communicates with the cRIO in UDP.

[Wayne.C]

I don't think there is anything you can configure on the cRIO to make it visible.  If you understood how a computer makes its name visible on the network, you might be able to write a vi to publish the name in such a manner that the other software could detect.