{"id":3287,"date":"2020-03-23T00:50:32","date_gmt":"2020-03-23T00:50:32","guid":{"rendered":"\/kb\/?post_type=ht_kb&p=3287"},"modified":"2020-11-25T03:12:53","modified_gmt":"2020-11-25T03:12:53","slug":"raw-tcpip-connections","status":"publish","type":"ht_kb","link":"https:\/\/www.use-snip.com\/kb\/knowledge-base\/raw-tcpip-connections\/","title":{"rendered":"Raw TCP\/IP Connections"},"content":{"rendered":"

A RAW TCP\/IP data stream connection can be set up for those (often older) GNSS Base Station devices which do not implement the NTRIP<\/a> protocol.\u00a0 [The NTRIP protocol lives on top of the HTML protocol, which in turn uses TCP\/IP to send packets of data, typically containing RTCM messages]\u00a0 Such older devices cannot act as NTRIP Servers<\/a> to forward their data to SNIP<\/strong><\/span> acting as an NTRIP Caster<\/a> in the normal way.\u00a0 The RAW TCP\/IP feature allows bringing such machines into your network without additional hardware or software devices.<\/p>\n

Note:<\/strong> <\/em><\/span>This mode is for remote machines that need to connect and then send data to<\/strong><\/em> your SNIP node. If you have a remote device that supports RAW TCP\/IP but does not implement NTRIP which you want to connect to from SNIP, you can simply connect to it using the Remote-Relay tab.\u00a0 The connection will send correct NTRIP details to the remote machine (which it will not understand and will ignore), and then that machine will start streaming its message traffic back to you.\u00a0 You can set up suitable Caster entry details with the Manual Caster<\/em> button or let SNIP compute them for you by looking at the RTCM3 message stream. The key difference is which party initiates the connection process.<\/p>\n

To create a new RAW TCP\/IP data stream, press the Add New Port<\/strong><\/em> button on the RAW TCP\/IP<\/strong><\/a> tab.<\/p>\n

This in turn brings up the Edit RAW TCP Server Slot<\/strong> dialog box (below) where the port number to be used (as well as other items) is entered.<\/p>\n

\"EditRawTCPport\"<\/a><\/p>\n

These values are entered for the new RAW TCP\/IP server port that will be opened when the Save<\/strong> button is pressed.<\/p>\n

Settings<\/h3>\n

The control settings are described further below.<\/p>\n

Port Number<\/h4>\n

The port number is the primary key value when creating a new RAW TCP\/IP port to accept data. The dialog presents an automatically determined value which the user can use, although they may choose to enter a new value.\u00a0 These values start at port number 3000 and proceed upwards checking for the first non-used port.<\/p>\n

When the user enters a new port number, SNIP<\/strong><\/span> then checks for any existing conflicts and will note any that are found.\u00a0 The user may use any<\/em> value from 1 to 65535 as long as the machine is not using that port for another service.\u00a0 [If the port cannot be used, an error message is shown when the service is started]<\/p>\n

Ports in the range 1~1023 (so-called “well known ports”) are in general to be avoided due to the risk of conflicts with other services on the host machine.\u00a0 But you are free to use them if you are certain that they are not used on the machine.\u00a0 For example, it would be unusual (but not unknown) to use port 80 (http web services) for an inbound RAW TCP\/IP connection.\u00a0 When using any of these well known ports<\/em>, a cautionary message is provided to the user.<\/p>\n

\"EditRawTCPport-PortWarning\"<\/p>\n

If a selected port’s number is known to be a conflict with other SNIP service, an error message is shown.<\/p>\n

\"EditRawTCPport-PortError\"<\/p>\n

The IP value used is, by default, the same IP that SNIP<\/strong><\/span> is currently using to service NTRIP Clients<\/a>.\u00a0 This process also supports multi-homed PCs (PC which have multiple network cards) that SNIP<\/strong><\/span> supports.<\/p>\n

Note<\/strong><\/span>: The remote sending device would then send its raw data to this port [in the first image the IP:Port would be:\u00a0 192.168.2.105:3004]\u00a0\u00a0 This IP value can be registered with DNS if desired and can use port forwarding from your firewall.\u00a0 When the connection occurs, the mountPt names will be used (as well as the Caster Table entry details) in the local Caster table.<\/p>\n

Allow Only This IP to connect<\/h4>\n

This is a very important button and should be checked whenever possible<\/span><\/span>.\u00a0 When checked, it then limits the remote IP that can connect to the one value that is specified.\u00a0 If the button is not checked<\/strong>, then any IP located anywhere in the world can connect to your machine.\u00a0 Further, only the first connection which is made will be accepted (all secondary connections are refused).<\/p>\n

IP<\/h4>\n

This is the IP numerical value (in the normal xx.xx.xx.xx format) that is allowed to connect to your machine (when the check box Allow Only This IP to connect<\/em> is checked).<\/p>\n

MountPt<\/h4>\n

The is the mountPt name which will be used to publish this data stream in SNIP<\/strong><\/span>‘s Caster Table.<\/p>\n

You can enter any valid mountPt name you desire and SNIP<\/strong><\/span> will fill in the remainder of the caster table if parsing is enabled (the selected mountPt name still subject to changes from resolving any duplicate names).<\/p>\n

If the Configure<\/strong> button is pressed, the normal Caster Table dialog<\/a> is presented and the user can fill in additional details about the data stream.\u00a0 This is most valuable when the data stream is not<\/a> in an RTCM3 format.<\/p>\n

Note<\/strong><\/span>: Unlike the “normal” NTRIP connection method where the sender provides its own Caster Table entry details for the Caster to use, in the Raw TCP\/IP mode the entry details which were previously set up are used for the connection.\u00a0 The data sender is oblivious to these values.<\/p>\n

Parse<\/h4>\n

This check box enables the RTCM3 message parsing process to occur on the stream.\u00a0\u00a0 As a best practice, always check this box unless the stream does not consist of RTCM Rev3 messages<\/a>.\u00a0 SNIP<\/strong><\/span> supports many other data stream formats<\/a>, but does not parse all of them.\u00a0\u00a0 When parsing is enabled, then SNIP<\/strong><\/span> will automatically set up various Caster Table entry details for you.\u00a0 [The process of creating the final Caster Table entry takes up to ~180 seconds while the data steam is analyzed for content.\u00a0 During that time a temporary Caster Table entry is published to allow rapid NTRIP Client<\/a> connection during startup.]<\/p>\n

Logging<\/h4>\n

This check box enables logging<\/a> of the data stream using the current SNIP<\/strong><\/span> settings for file rates, compression, and remote FTP transfers.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

All of these dialog values are stored in the *.ini file for SNIP and will be restarted each time SNIP<\/strong><\/span> is restarted.\u00a0 When a slot is removed (right click and select the Remove<\/strong> menu item), then all setup details for that slot are lost.\u00a0 The Caster Table entry details can be edited using the slot’s right click menu as well.<\/p>\n

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Connection States<\/h3>\n

Any RAW TCP\/IP slot can be in one of three connection states.\u00a0 This is shown in each slot in a color-coded background similar to that used with other tabs for their data stream slots.<\/p>\n