Connect to the Node

You can configure every aspect of your node from the comfort of your web browser, but you have to connect to it first.

There are two ways to connect to the node:

1. Through a router or managed switch: recommended
2. Directly from your computer:

Connect to the node through a router or managed switch:

You will need:

Quantity	Item
1	router or managed switch with DHCP enabled.
2	ethernet cables.

What's the difference between a router and a managed switch?

Both routers and managed switches look similar. They both have network ports, and they both have management interfaces. So what's the difference?

A router is a device that connects multiple networks together. For example, the router in your facility probably connects your wireless network to the biggest network of all: the internet.

A switch is a device that connects multiple computers together to form a network.

Keep in mind that all routers actually have a managed switch built in. When you connect your devices to a router, they can access one another through its built-in managed switch. This is why you can, for example, stream a video to your phone, and simultaneously mirror it to your TV, as long as both are connected to the same router. Your router doesn't just connect your phone to the internet: it connects it to your TV as well.

But if routers have switches built in, why do managed switches exist? Simple: a single router simply can't handle the amount of data that a managed switch can. For example, if you are in a facility with dozens of computers; one or more network attached storage devices (such as your creative.space node); a handful of other network attached devices, such as TVs and printers; and several network services, a single router would slow down, crash, reboot or overheat several times during the course of a typical day. A managed switch would not. Furthermore, managed switches provide a lot of flexibility in how computers are connected together to form a network. Switches can be connected to each other in intricate formations to make sure that data gets from one computer to another as quickly as possible.

Keep in mind that many products that are marketed as "managed switches" actually have the capability to connect networks together, just like routers can. In fact, both terms are frequently interchanged when describing network hardware. For our purposes, they have no distinction. As long as your network hardware can connect your computers to the creative.space node, it doesn't matter if it's a router or a managed switch.

What is DHCP, and how can I tell if my router or managed switch has DHCP enabled?

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), is a service that automatically assigns IP address to computers on a network.

Your computer needs an IP address in order to receive information from other computers on the network, and to connect to the internet.

Most routers make this process seamless and transparent. As soon as you connect your computer to a router with DHCP enabled, it will give your computer an IP address, and you can connect to the internet.

If DHCP is disabled, your computer will not recieve an IP address from the router. You will have to manually set a static IP address on your computer in order to access the internet, and other devices on the network.

If your computer can access the internet, you probably have DHCP enabled. However, the best way to find out for sure is to check your computer's network settings, as follows:

Choose your workstation's operating system:

MacOS 10.15

CATALINA

Windows 10

MAY 2020 UPDATE

CentOS 7.8

Build 2003

Go to

and click on .

In System Preferences, click on .

If is set to , then your router has DHCP enabled.

Go to and click on . Keep in mind that this icon will change depending on whether you are connected to a wired network

or wifi

.

Click on .

Click on .

Click on .

Click on , to check the setting.

Go to

Applications, hover on and then click on .

In Settings scroll to and click on .

In Network click on

.

Click on . If is set to Automatic (DHCP), then your router has DHCP enabled.

Step 1

Connect the node to your router or managed switch:

Plug one end of your ethernet cable into any of the 1GbE or 10GbE ports on the node. Plug the other end into an ethernet port on your router. Then, use your second ethernet cable to plug your computer into your router. If you cannot connect your computer to your router via ethernet cable, you can connect via wifi instead.

What's the difference between a 1GbE and a 10GbE ethernet port? Which ones do my devices have?

Ethernet ports can vary in their throughput. A 1GbE ethernet port can transmit data at up to 1 gigabit per second. A 10GbE ethernet port can transmit data at ten times that speed: 10 gigabits per second. Let's put that in perspective:

1GbE	10GbE
125 megabytes per second	1.25 gigabytes per Second
Fast enough to edit a timeline with several compressed HD clips	Fast enough to edit a timeline with several lossless 4K clips
Fast enough to transfer a 10 gigabyte file in about one and a half minutes	Fast enough to transfer a 10 gigabyte file in about 10 seconds

All creative.space nodes have 1GbE ethernet ports. Most also have 10GbE ethernet ports. Some even have 40GbE or 100GbE ports.

Keep in mind that in order to take advantage of the speed of the node's 10GbE ethernet ports, you need to:

1. connect it to a device that also has a 10GbE port, such as:
   • A managed switch with 10GbE ethernet ports.
   • An iMac Pro or Mac Pro.
   • A computer with a 10GbE ethernet port.
   • A USB3.1 to 10GbE ethernet adapter.
   • Most computers do not have a 10GbE ethernet port
2. use a cat6e or cat7 ethernet cable to connect both devices.
   • These cables contain modifications that allow them to transmit data at 10 gigabits per second. In constrast, most ethernet cables are cat5e ethernet cables, which can only transmit data at up to 2.5 gigabits per second.

Finding out which ethernet ports are 1GbE and which one are 10GbE can be tricky, as both look exactly the same. Consult your devices' literature to find out whether the ethernet ports on them are 1GbE or 10GbE ports.

Here are the locations of the 1GbE and 10GbE ports on each of the creative.space nodes:

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//AUTEUR

//DEUS EX

//BREATHLESS

//TANK

Step 2

Log into the creative.space management interface:

Every creative.space node has a management interface that you can access with your web browser. Navigate to creativespace.local to access it. Then, log in with the administrator credentials you received along with the node.

TIP

If your node was pre-configured by creative.space support, then you might need to go to a different URL to access it. Contact contact creative.space support if you need assistance connecting to your node.

creativespace.local

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If you aren't able to access creativespace.local, double-check your connection to your router.

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If you cannot find your admin credentials, please contact creative.space support. We're happy to help and we don't bite!

Connect to the node directly from your computer:

You will need:

Quantity	Item
1	ethernet cable

Step 1

Connect the node to your computer:

Once you have turned the node on, connect it to your computer with an ethernet cable. Plug one end of the ethernet cable into your computer, and the other end into any of the following ports on the back of the node:

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//AUTEUR

//DEUS EX

//BREATHLESS

//TANK

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The exact location of the ports may change depending on the specific configuration of your //AUTEUR.

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The exact location of the ports may change depending on the specific configuration of your //DEUS EX.

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If your computer does not have an ethernet port, you can use a USB 3 to 1000Base-T Ethernet adapter to connect it to your node.

WARNING

Do not use a 10Base-T or 100Base-TX adapter to connect to the node. These adapters might not work.

WARNING

Each node has an ethernet port that is reserved for hardware diagnostics. Do not connect to this port unless a creative.space support technician specifically instructs you to do so.

Step 2

Log into the creative.space management interface:

Every creative.space node has a management interface that you can access with your web browser. Navigate to creativespace.local to access it. Then, log in with the administrator credentials you received along with the node.

TIP

If your node was pre-configured by creative.space support, then you might need to go to a different URL to access it. Contact contact creative.space support if you need assistance connecting to your node.

creativespace.local