Most DHCP servers will record the ethernet MAC address of each IP number assignment and try to assign the same IP when they see that MAC address again. That lets node users determine their DHCP-assigned IP address once and assume they will get that same IP address when they attach to the network again. But if there are a lot of nodes that come and go, the DHCP server might have to reuse IP numbers. If your students are connecting to a network with a lot of laptops, workstations, and BBBs, I think the probability of such mixups is high.
I would avoid relying on this, and setup the BBBs to use their own fixed IP addresses. Maybe that could be their first exercise? Or maybe you could just do it before the quarter starts, assuming you have all the BBBs. As soon as you connect a Beaglebone Black to a Windows PC with the flash-resident drivers, it brings up a USB serial port emulation. You can use any free terminal program (like Tera Term) to log into the BBB. From there it is pretty easy to set it to use a fixed IP address whenever it boots. Derek Molloy has a YouTube video that details this. Once they have each done that, then SSH and SFTP and an ethernet cable is all they need to talk to their boards. I think this would also present some advantages for you as the instructor: Every student’s network activity would be very easy to track, if they all use assigned IP numbers. From: Walter Schilling Sent: Thursday, February 13, 2014 7:58 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [beagleboard] Detecting a Beaglebone IP Addtress Board members: I've got an interesting problem that I'm trying to come up with a solution for. I am going to be teaching a class next quarter on the Beaglebone Black. Students will attach their bones to a network and program them remotely over ethernet. Code will be developed on a virtual machine running Linux and then connected via sftp to the board. However, the students will only have a bone and a prototyping cape available to them. WHat I am trying to figure out is the best way for them to determine the IP address of their board. By default, I know that the boards use dhcp to get an ip address. However, without a display, it's somewhat hard to get an ip address. Is there an easy way, maybe by using the usb connection, that students can figure out the IP address of the board so they can remote to it in an appropriate fashion. I've thought about simply pinging the boards, but with multiple boards on the network, that would only indicate that a board is connected, not that their board is connected. I suppose I could go to fixed IP's, but that would require them to change the SD card, which at first I'd rather use "stock" until they have gotten their feet wet. Any ideas or suggestions? Thanks, Walt PS: We'll be using a Debian image based of of Robert Nelson's work unless a new "standard" image comes out from Circuitco before then. -- For more options, visit http://beagleboard.org/discuss --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "BeagleBoard" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. -- For more options, visit http://beagleboard.org/discuss --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "BeagleBoard" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
