Manual · Network equipment

PhotoRobot Network Equipment and Wiring

A PhotoRobot studio runs on its own small network. The PhotoRobot router keeps it separate from your company network: one port takes the connection from your network, and the other ports are for the studio equipment. If cables get pulled out or moved around, this page shows where each one goes.

For your IT team: firewall rules, ports and protocols are on the PhotoRobot Networking Prerequisites & Configuration page.

Why PhotoRobot Runs on Its Own Network

Every PhotoRobot studio uses network devices that we supply, and they create a small, isolated studio network (a subnet) inside your studio. Here is why we do it this way:

  • It keeps the PhotoRobot hardware and its operation separate from your company network.
  • PhotoRobot needs specific port and device settings that don't always fit company IT policies. Inside the subnet, they don't have to.
  • Above all, it makes diagnostics easy. Network traffic causes about 99% of all problems and outages we see, usually right after a well-meant “improvement” to the company network settings. With the subnet, our support team can quickly see what is going on.
  • If your IT team prefers not to use the subnet, they will also need to take part in troubleshooting the network traffic whenever something goes wrong. (Of course, we're always happy to join late-night calls across time zones with your IT specialists.)

In short, the subnet keeps things simple for both the PhotoRobot system and your IT team.

The network devices we deliver come pre-configured. What we really deliver is not the hardware itself, but above all its correct configuration.

Large router

MikroTik RB1100AHx4

19-inch rack unit, 13 Ethernet ports.

MikroTik RB1100AHx4 rack router, front view with its 13 Ethernet ports
MikroTik RB1100AHx4 product page (MikroTik). Units supplied by PhotoRobot ship pre-configured.
MikroTik RB1100AHx4 front panel, schematicA 19-inch rack router with 13 Ethernet ports numbered 1 to 13 from left to right. Port 13 on the right is the WAN port for the customer network or internet. Ports 1 to 12 are LAN ports for PhotoRobot studio devices.MikroTikRB1100AHx412345678910111213LAN · ether1–ether12PhotoRobot studio devicesWAN · ether13Customer network / internet
The illustrations are schematic: they show the number and order of the ports, not every detail of the panel. Always go by the port numbers printed on the router.

WAN (input): Customer network / internet

ether13. Only this port is protected by the firewall; it separates the PhotoRobot network from your company network.

LAN (internal): PhotoRobot studio devices

ether1–ether12. For the computers, cameras and optional Wi-Fi modules.

How to Wire the MikroTik RB1100AHx4

Wiring of the MikroTik RB1100AHx4The customer network or internet from the wall socket connects to the WAN port ether13 of the MikroTik RB1100AHx4. The LAN ports ether1–ether12 connect the PhotoRobot computer, the control unit and the cameras, and the optional TL-WR802N Wi-Fi module.Wall socketCustomer network / internetWAN · ether13PhotoRobot routerMikroTik RB1100AHx4LAN · ether1–ether12PhotoRobot computerControl unitCamerasWi-Fi module TL-WR802N

Small router

MikroTik hAP ax²

Desktop unit, 5 Ethernet ports and built-in Wi-Fi.

MikroTik hAP ax² desktop router, port side with five Ethernet ports and the power socket
MikroTik hAP ax² product page (MikroTik). Units supplied by PhotoRobot ship pre-configured.
MikroTik hAP ax² rear panel, schematicA small desktop router with a power socket and 5 Ethernet ports numbered 1 to 5 from left to right. Port 1 is the WAN port for the customer network or internet. Ports 2 to 5 are LAN ports for PhotoRobot studio devices. The router also broadcasts the Wi-Fi network PhotoRobotNet.Power12345Wi-FiWAN · ether1Customer network / internetLAN · ether2–ether5PhotoRobot studio devicesWi-Fi network: PhotoRobotNet
The illustrations are schematic: they show the number and order of the ports, not every detail of the panel. Always go by the port numbers printed on the router.

WAN (input): Customer network / internet

ether1. The firewall applies primarily to this port.

LAN (internal): PhotoRobot studio devices

ether2–ether5. For the studio equipment.

The router also broadcasts the internal studio network “PhotoRobotNet” over Wi-Fi.

How to Wire the MikroTik hAP ax²

Wiring of the MikroTik hAP ax²The customer network or internet from the wall socket connects to the WAN port ether1 of the MikroTik hAP ax². The LAN ports ether2–ether5 connect the PhotoRobot computer, the control unit and the cameras; the router's built-in Wi-Fi broadcasts PhotoRobotNet.Wall socketCustomer network / internetWAN · ether1PhotoRobot routerMikroTik hAP ax²LAN · ether2–ether5PhotoRobot computerControl unitCamerasWi-Fi: PhotoRobotNet

Optional Wi-Fi module

TP-Link TL-WR802N

Pocket-size access point with a single Ethernet port.

TP-Link TL-WR802N pocket-size Wi-Fi module, showing its single Ethernet port and micro USB power socket
TP-Link TL-WR802N product page (TP-Link). Units supplied by PhotoRobot ship pre-configured.
TP-Link TL-WR802N Wi-Fi module, schematicA pocket-size Wi-Fi module with a single Ethernet port and a micro USB power socket. The one Ethernet port connects only to a LAN port of the PhotoRobot router, never to the wall socket.EthernetPower (USB)The only port: LAN onlyConnect ONLY to a LAN port of the PhotoRobot router

Used as a Wi-Fi access point where the large router has no Wi-Fi of its own. It comes pre-configured and broadcasts the studio network “PhotoRobotNet”.

  • It has one port only.
  • Connect it ONLY to an internal LAN port of the main PhotoRobot router, for example ether2–ether12 on the RB1100AHx4.
  • NEVER plug it directly into the wall socket or your company network.

Wrong and Right

TL-WR802N: wrong and right connectionWrong: the TL-WR802N Wi-Fi module plugged directly into the wall socket or customer network. Right: the wall socket goes to the WAN port ether13 of the RB1100AHx4 router, and the TL-WR802N connects to one of the router's LAN ports ether2 to ether12.✕ WRONGWall socketCustomer networkTL-WR802NWi-Fi moduleNever plug the module into the wallor into your company network.✓ RIGHTWall socketCustomer networkWAN · ether13PhotoRobot routerRB1100AHx4LAN · ether2–ether12TL-WR802NWi-Fi module

Product images: MikroTik, TP-Link

Quick Check if Something Stopped Working

  1. Is the cable from your company network (the wall socket) in the WAN port: ether13 on the large router, ether1 on the small router?
  2. Is anything from the wall plugged into a LAN port? Move it to the WAN port. Only one cable comes from your network, and it goes only into WAN.
  3. Are the PhotoRobot computer, the control unit and the cameras plugged into LAN ports, not into the WAN port?
  4. Is the TL-WR802N Wi-Fi module plugged into a LAN port of the PhotoRobot router, and not into the wall?
  5. Are the router and the Wi-Fi module powered on?

Still not working? Contact PhotoRobot support and send a photo of the router that shows which cable is in which port. PhotoRobot support

Default Network Settings

PhotoRobot routers ship with these settings for the studio network (the LAN side):

Studio subnet (LAN)172.31.173.0/24
Router LAN IP address172.31.173.1
DHCP range172.31.173.10–172.31.173.100
Wi-Fi network (SSID)PhotoRobotNet
Wi-Fi passwordIn your delivery documentation, or from PhotoRobot support

The Wi-Fi password is in your PhotoRobot delivery documentation, or you can get it from PhotoRobot support.

For Your IT Team

Firewall rules, ports and protocols for the PhotoRobot network are on the Networking Prerequisites page.

PhotoRobot Networking Prerequisites & Configuration