Kohler RDC2 Controller Not Getting IP Address

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09KR0058

Member
Location
Marietta, GA
I have a Kohler 20RESA generator with the RDC2 controller, manufacture date 7/21/15, installed about a week later. Also have the RXT transfer switch and OnCue Plus. Everything has been working fine until the weekly test cycle ran on Wednesday. I normally get the notification emails at the beginning and end of the exercise. I logged into OnCue Plus and it shows "Not Connected". After a lot of head scratching, I discovered that the controller was not connected to my network. Nothing there has changed and all other devices connect just fine and get an assigned IP. I tried turning it off, waited a while, turned it back on, wait, but still doesn't connect.

First thing I thought of was the network cable. Used another known-good cable, but still no go. Being a computer geek, I have a tool to check network cables. One piece plugs into one end of the cable, another piece to the other end. Switch it on and it tests the wires 1-8 and checks for shorts. Verified the cable is good. When I plugged the cable back in to the bottom of the controller, both lights on the network plug light up. Also can see the port light up on my network switch, meaning there is a signal on that cable. That should mean that its connected and transmitting, but still nothing.

Sent an email to my dealer with all the details of my troubleshooting and they are contacting Kohler. In the meantime, I was wondering if anyone here had heard of this issue, or know what else I can try. I've been through the manuals and don't see a way to force the controller to request a DHCP IP address from the router.

Any ideas what else I could try?
 

chris1971

Senior Member
Location
Usa
I have a Kohler 20RESA generator with the RDC2 controller, manufacture date 7/21/15, installed about a week later. Also have the RXT transfer switch and OnCue Plus. Everything has been working fine until the weekly test cycle ran on Wednesday. I normally get the notification emails at the beginning and end of the exercise. I logged into OnCue Plus and it shows "Not Connected". After a lot of head scratching, I discovered that the controller was not connected to my network. Nothing there has changed and all other devices connect just fine and get an assigned IP. I tried turning it off, waited a while, turned it back on, wait, but still doesn't connect.

First thing I thought of was the network cable. Used another known-good cable, but still no go. Being a computer geek, I have a tool to check network cables. One piece plugs into one end of the cable, another piece to the other end. Switch it on and it tests the wires 1-8 and checks for shorts. Verified the cable is good. When I plugged the cable back in to the bottom of the controller, both lights on the network plug light up. Also can see the port light up on my network switch, meaning there is a signal on that cable. That should mean that its connected and transmitting, but still nothing.

Sent an email to my dealer with all the details of my troubleshooting and they are contacting Kohler. In the meantime, I was wondering if anyone here had heard of this issue, or know what else I can try. I've been through the manuals and don't see a way to force the controller to request a DHCP IP address from the router.

Any ideas what else I could try?

Do you have the latest Firmware from Kohler installed on the controller? Could be a bad controller?
 

09KR0058

Member
Location
Marietta, GA
Not sure about the firmware version, but will be checking. Problem resolved by disconnecting the battery and turning off the breaker feeding the controller. Waited about 10 minutes, turned the breaker back on and reconnected the battery. Then checked the router's DHCP table and the controller had connected. I'm able to use OnCue Plus again.

Thanks for the reply.
 

Rampage_Rick

Senior Member
I discovered that the controller was not connected to my network. Nothing there has changed and all other devices connect just fine and get an assigned IP.

When I plugged the cable back in to the bottom of the controller, both lights on the network plug light up. Also can see the port light up on my network switch, meaning there is a signal on that cable. That should mean that its connected and transmitting, but still nothing.
DHCP (automatic IP addressing) can be a fickle mistress. It works great when you've got lots of devices coming and going (such as with a WiFi hotspot) You're much better off hardcoding IP addresses for devices that never move. I've seen all kinds of weirdness with networked printers when a bunch of them would simultaneously ask for IP addresses following a power outage.

If you can't program an IP address into a specific device (as appears to be the case with the RDC2) you can usually set a "reserved" DHCP address for that device, such that it's always given the same address. Our network has two servers with duplicate lists of DHCP reservations, so every device will get the same IP address regardless of which server it connects to.
 

luckylerado

Senior Member
I agree with Rick. If you can plug in a static IP address you may be much better off. Same goes for networked printers. This tends to save you from having to power cycle the equipment to renew an IP.
 
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