User manual TERRATEC NOXON AUDIO

English manual Version 11.11.04 CE Declaration We: TerraTec Electronic GmbH, Herrenpfad 38, D-41334 Nettetal, Germany hereby declare that the product: ReceiverSystem NOXON Audio to which this declaration refers is in compliance with the following standards or standardizing documents: 1. EN 55022 Class B 2. EN 55024 The following are the stipulated operating and environmental conditions for said compliance: residential, business and commercial environments and small-company environments. This declaration is based on: Test report(s) of the EMC testing laboratory The information in this document is subject to change without notice and shall not be deemed as a warranty by the seller. No warranties, express or implied, are made with regard to the quality, suitability or accuracy of this document. The manufacturer reserves the right to change the contents of this document and/or the associated products at any time without the provision of prior notice to specific persons or organizations. The manufacturer shall not be held liable for damages of any kind arising from the use, or the inability to use this product or its documentation, even if the possibility of such damage is known. The information in this document is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved. No part of this manual may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or for any purpose without the express written permission of the copyright holders. Product and brand names contained in this document are used for identification purposes only. All registered trademarks, product designations or brand names used in this document are the registered property of their respective owners. ©TerraTec® Electronic GmbH, 1994 - 2004. All rights reserved (11.11.04). This product is protected by certain intellectual property rights of NEMS. Use or distribution of such technology outside of this product is prohibited without a license from NEMS or an authorized NEMS subsidiary. This product is protected by certain intellectual property rights of Microsoft Corporation. Use or distribution of such technology outside of this product is prohibited without a license from Microsoft or an authorized Microsoft subsidiary. MPEG Layer-3 audio decoding technology licensed from Fraunhofer IIS and Thomson multimedia. 2 ReceiverSystem NOXON Audio (English) Contents Welcome..................................................................................................................................4 Setup, safety and care information. ........................................................................................ 6 From opening the package to installation ................................................................................7 Connections. .......................................................................................................................... 8 Network integration--one way or the other. ............................................................................ 9 Setting up a direct (ad hoc) connection to your PC. ................................................................10 Preparing to use the device with a wireless router. ................................................................ 13 Hello, here we are: SSID broadcast. ....................................................................................... 13 To identify or not to identify: the MAC address....................................................................... 14 Sometimes required: a fixed IP. ............................................................................................. 14 But now, switch on the NOXON. ............................................................................................. 15 The universal network configuration wizard. .......................................................................... 15 Playback options. ..................................................................................................................18 Playing MP3/WMA files from the local network. .....................................................................19 Receiving Internet radio. ........................................................................................................ 21 The remote control................................................................................................................ 22 Buttons and their functions. ................................................................................................. 22 Entering text with the remote control. ....................................................................................23 The configuration menu .........................................................................................................24 Your own music server. ..........................................................................................................25 Installing Musicmatch............................................................................................................25 Firing up the UPnP server. ......................................................................................................27 UPnP media server alternatives. ........................................................................................... 28 The application--the NOXON Manager.................................................................................. 29 Configuring devices via the NOXON Manager.........................................................................30 Updating the firmware. .......................................................................................................... 31 Appendix. ..............................................................................................................................33 Geeks only--building your own Favorites from links...............................................................33 FAQ--frequently-asked questions and their answers. ............................................................35 Technical glossary .................................................................................................................39 Service at TerraTec................................................................................................................. 41 ReceiverSystem NOXON Audio (English) 3 Welcome. We're pleased that you've chosen a TerraTec product and would like to congratulate you on your decision. This attractive playback module provides convenient access to audio libraries within your home network, and to a vast number of online radio stations on the Internet. The NOXON audio Media library. This device integrates easily in your existing wireless network (wireless LAN, WLAN or WiFi) and supports both 802.11b and 802.11g standards. Simply add a media server to your network and your complete collection of MP3 and WMA audio files will be available anywhere in your home. Needless to say, the more powerful the transmitter performance of your router, the greater the range will be. Always online. The NOXON is an ideal complement to your DSL or other broadband Internet connection. With a flat-rate connection, you can use the NOXON to enjoy the wide selection of MP3 radio stations on the Internet, regardless of whether you access the Internet via your desktop, laptop or router. And to make sure you never lose your overview, choose the hottest stations from the convenient list updated daily by the VTuner Premium Service. Hand and glove. The NOXON not only has a fixed MAC address, but it also supports WEP encryption and proxy servers to ensure a long and happy integration in your network. Don't worry if these terms don't mean anything to you right now--we'll walk you through the setup on the following pages so that you'll be up and running in no time, even as a network newbie. 4 ReceiverSystem NOXON Audio (English) Last but not least. As you've probably noticed, we can't help but praise our little baby extravagantly at every opportunity. We hope you enjoy your NOXON audio as much as we do, and would like to suggest that you browse this manual in detail when you get the chance. In addition to the important information about the use of its technology, we have outlined a number of typical applications wherever appropriate. We're convinced that even experienced users will profit from this guide. Thank you very much. ...your TerraTec Team ReceiverSystem NOXON Audio (English) 5 You need to be aware of some basic information before you start ... Setup, safety and care information. · · · · · · · Please place the device on an even, dry surface to prevent fire and electrical shock hazards as well as possible damage to the player itself. Keep it away from radiators and ensure that the player is at a safe distance from other HiFi devices to prevent overheating. Do not stack (HiFi) devices without feet on top of the player and be especially careful not to place objects filled with liquids such as vases or bottles on your sound module. Be sure that the voltage is correct before connecting the power supply. (Details are printed on the power supply itself.) If you are not going to use the device for an extended period, disconnect it from the power supply. To avoid short circuits, never pull on the cable itself. In addition, be sure to unplug the device from the AC outlet in the event of a thunderstorm. If the device has been exposed to extreme differences in temperature, allow it to adjust to the room temperature for one hour before plugging it in. Condensation may have formed inside the device which could impair its functionality. Use a dry or slightly moistened, lint-free cloth to clean the NOXON. Do not use cleaning products as they may damage the finish of the unit. · To put it simply, just use the device sensibly. The warranty does not cover deliberate damage to the device. Thank you. 6 ReceiverSystem NOXON Audio (English) From opening the package to installation Start by making sure that the contents of the package are complete. The NOXON package should contain at least the following items: The NOXON receiver module, together with two fashionable plastic feet, a device-specific power supply, an audio cable (3.5 mm minijack to RCA), as well as: · · · · a software CD, this manual, a service request form, an infrared remote control including batteries, and a TerraTec registration card with the serial number. So, before you put your powerful new worldwide receiver into operation, please check the configuration of your system and network to ensure that they correspond to the minimum requirements listed on the package. We cannot guarantee its correct operation if your environment does not meet these requirements. Unfortunately, it's impossible to cover the topic of networking without juggling the occasional bit of cryptic terminology. That's why we've included a glossary on page 39, as well as a FAQ with the answers to the most common questions. But first, let's ensure that the NOXON is correctly connected to your stereo and the power supply. ReceiverSystem NOXON Audio (English) 7 Connections. Once you have removed the packaging material, connect the NOXON to an AC outlet using the included power supply. The plug of the power supply can only be inserted in one of the two sockets on the device. Please use only the included power supply with the NOXON. While some universal power supplies have the same plug and voltage, their amperage isn't high enough. Should you need a replacement, please contact our service. But now let's connect it to your sound system. The audio output operates at line level. It's suitable for connecting to a line input of your stereo (labeled CD, AUX or VIDEO, for example) or an active speaker system such as those connected to many PCs and especially those of the thoughtfully-designed TerraTec product range. The included audio cable is designed for this connection. The audio output is not suitable for connecting headphones. Please use the headphone socket of your amplifier or speaker system instead. Before making the connection to your amplifier, please make sure the volume is at a suitable level to prevent damage to your hardware or your ears. Now that the cabling is in place, here's some basic information related to the network. 8 ReceiverSystem NOXON Audio (English) Network integration--one way or the other. Before we actually start setting up the NOXON, we have to make a distinction between two different ways of integrating the audio adapter. Ad hoc connection NOXON audio A - direct communication. On one hand, you may wish to set up the NOXON to communicate directly with your desktop or laptop PC, from device to device without an access point (AP). A wireless device-to-device connection is known as an ad hoc network, from Latin: "for this purpose only". AP - access point NOXON audio B - via the router. The other type of connection can already be deduced clearly from the first-- not direct, but via special access points (APs). In general, these points are routers, which may also be wireless. While exact figures are not available, one can nevertheless safely assume that this is currently the most common way to gain broadband Internet access and share it among several users. The NOXON is also the most fun to use this way, as you can receive radio from the Internet or music from other servers in your home network without necessarily having your own computer running at the time. On the following pages, we will be giving you the information you need to integrate your NOXON in either of these ways. ReceiverSystem NOXON Audio (English) 9 Setting up a direct (ad hoc) connection to your PC. To establish a direct connection to a computer--in most cases a notebook with an integrated wireless network adapter--let's first have a look at how to set up a Windows PC for an ad hoc network so that the NOXON can access it. A wireless network adapter can only be set up for direct device-to-device (ad hoc) communication, OR for communication with a network access point (infrastructure). Selecting one mode will automatically disable the other. Please disconnect or disable all network connections other than the wireless one during the setup to eliminate possible sources of errors. This will ensure that Windows will not attempt to communicate with the NOXON by any other way. Network connections. To do so, click "Start", open the "Control Panel" and "Network Connections". This will display an overview of all available network resources. Disable all of the entries other than your wireless adapter by right-clicking them to open their context menus and selecting "Disable". Everything but wireless. Some systems will also display a "Network Bridge" here. Do not disable or bypass this until all other attempts fail. Unfortunately, experience has shown that Windows occasionally develops a completely inscrutable life of its own that cannot be dealt with effectively using esoteric methods. If the idea doesn't bother you too much, simply use the crude but effective approach and pull the plug of the network cable to support our efforts. Open the overview of network connections as described above and follow the instructions below... 10 ReceiverSystem NOXON Audio (English) Double-click the network connection you will be using, followed by "Properties" to open its settings. Go to the "Wireless Networks" tab for an overview similar to the one shown here. Some wireless adapters provide these functions via their own software, in which case you should find comparable instructions in its documentation. Alternatively, you can put a check next to "Use Windows to configure my wireless network settings"--if you know what you're doing. Switch to the "Advanced" tab (not the "Advanced" button, we'll come to it later) and ensure that your settings are as they are shown here. Switch back to the "Wireless Networks" tab and click the "Advanced" button. The dialog box shown here will open. Choose "Computer-to-computer (ad hoc) networks only" and click "Close" to exit the dialog box. ReceiverSystem NOXON Audio (English) 11 In the already-familiar window, click "Add..." to assign a variety of parameters to your ad hoc network. First enter the name of the network, also known as the SSID (Service Set Identifier). The other options shown would work with the NOXON and can be selected. You can also use a WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) key by specifying it later during the further configuration of the device. After a few moments, the dialog box should look similar to this one. The icon in front of the network indicates that it is active. A red X there indicates a problem. The computer may be still trying to locate its own network, however, so please be patient. The network connection is now set up on the computer side. To enjoy your music, you now need an audio server. We'll show you how easy that is to realize using Musicmatch Jukebox in our example. For more information, please see page 25. You will also need to adapt the NOXON to your network environment. For instructions, please turn to page 15. 12 ReceiverSystem NOXON Audio (English) Preparing to use the device with a wireless router. Using the NOXON with a wireless router generally does not require any configuration work on the router itself. This, however, depends on the extent to which the network has been set up with an eye toward security. As the media have frequently reported, it's not very advisable to use a router exclusively with its default settings, as that leaves the network wide open for intrusion or misuse of the Internet connection. The advantage of using the router with its default settings is naturally the simplicity with which devices accessing the router can be configured. For this reason, we will now go over a number of properties that may be of importance. For this purpose, you must be sufficiently familiar with the router--or its administrator--to change its configuration and understand its overall handling. Normally, these devices use Web interfaces for their administration. In other words, you only need to enter a specific address (e.g. 192.168.0.1) in your Web browser for it to display a convenient user interface giving you access to all of the router's options. A somewhat dated administration interface of a D-Link router. Hello, here we are: SSID broadcast. As explained in the technical glossary, the abbreviation SSID stands for the network name sent out to all wireless network devices within range, informing them of the presence of a network. Some routers, however, have an option to suppress the broadcast of the network name. The option is a toggle that is usually called SSID Broadcast. If the broadcast is disabled, you must know the name in order to enter it manually. ReceiverSystem NOXON Audio (English) 13 To identify or not to identify: the MAC address. The so-called MAC address is a unique identifier assigned all network devices. The MAC address is permanently assigned to the device and cannot be modified. They can therefore be used to configure routers to permit only devices with specific MAC addresses to access the network or the Internet. In such a case, it will be necessary to configure the router with the NOXON's MAC address so that it will be able to establish a network connection. The address can be found on a label on the back of the NOXON audio. Sometimes required: a fixed IP. Under certain circumstances, it can be useful for a device to always have the same address. Most networks these days are set up to assign the so-called IP address--the identifier for the TCP/IP protocol--dynamically. In other words, the first time a device connects, the so-called DHCP server assigns it a valid IP address which the device will keep as long as the address is not needed elsewhere. This occurs completely automatically, without the user's knowledge. If a network is based on static IPs--i.e. fixed addresses, rather than dynamically assigned ones--there will generally be a precise set of rules governing the addresses that can be assigned. And our friend the NOXON also has such an IP address. If the network requires a fixed address, the rules for assigning them must be known. But once again, a fixed IP is really the exception; generally, everything happens automatically. 14 ReceiverSystem NOXON Audio (English) But now, switch on the NOXON. When setting up the NOXON, it's no longer necessary to distinguish between the types of network in which the device will be used, as it supports all types--direct, or connections via access points. To start the NOXON for the first time, press the ON/OFF button on the remote control marked with the attractive icon. When switching the device on for the first time, it will display a language selection dialog. This selection refers to the NOXON's menus and operating system messages. Use the navigation buttons on the remote control to move the selection bar. Press the right navigation arrow to confirm your selection. Use this simple, convenient method to navigate through all of the NOXON's menus and lists and make your selections. The universal network configuration wizard. While still in its factory default state, the NOXON will start the configuration wizard to complete the integration in your network. During the course of the configuration, confirm your entries by pressing the right navigation button on the remote control, or press the left button to go back. The names of the receivable access points (routers) and existing ad hoc networks are shown here. If you know of a name that should be on the list but is missing, start by checking the distance to the router or computer. Go ahead and place the NOXON right next to it to exclude distance as a possible source of errors. As mentioned above, SSID broadcasting may be disabled on the router, in which case it will not be visible on the list. If that's the case, select "Edit Network SSID" and enter the name manually. ReceiverSystem NOXON Audio (English) 15 In this case and others, it will be necessary to enter letters using the numerical keypad of the remote control. For more information, please see the "The remote control." chapter on page 22 for detailed instructions on making such entries. But let's get back on track: When selecting a network protected by WEP encryption, you will be prompted to enter the appropriate key. Your network administrator will be able to give you this information. The information in parentheses does not appear until the number of characters you have entered corresponds to a valid key. At this point, select the method by which the NOXON obtains its IP address in the network. Every device in the network must have such an identifier to ensure that the IP packets arrive in the right place. The address is normally generated automatically via the DHCP protocol, but in rare cases, static IP addresses are assigned--for more information, have a word with your network administrator. Some networks--especially large corporate ones--use proxy servers to minimize the data volume requested continuously or by multiple users. They act as a kind of storage buffer between the Internet and the users in the local network. Check the Internet settings of the Internet Explorer to see whether your network is using a proxy server. Most home environments do not use such a server, however. 16 ReceiverSystem NOXON Audio (English) Open the Internet Explorer, select "Internet Options" from the "Tools" menu and select the "Connections" tab. On the bottom third of the tab, you'll find the "LAN Settings..." button. Press the button to open the dialog box shown here. If a proxy server is specified here, please also use it for the NOXON--assuming that your desktop PC and the NOXON will be using the same Internet access. Select "Change", and enter the name ("proxy_internet") or the IP address, confirm, enter the correct port--8080 is very common--and the proxy is set up. Again, if you have any doubts about the parameters, please check with your network admin. Now simply select "Apply Settings", and after a successful reboot, you will be able to listen to and enjoy the inner beauty of your network and--with a suitable connection--the world of Internet radio. That wasn't so hard, was it? ReceiverSystem NOXON Audio (English) 17 Also with profiles. By the way, you can store up to three such network profiles--that way you don't have to enter a full set of parameters every time you move the NOXON to a different network. The profiles can be edited easily with the NOXON Manager PC application. Use the configuration menu to edit or switch the device's profiles. For more information, see page 24. Playback options. Before we cover the two fundamental playback modes (MP3/WMA files and Internet radio), let's have a look at the playback window of the NOXON, which remains the same in both cases. 1. Information on the current track or station. Title information on the current MP3/WMA file or additional information on the current radio program is displayed here. 2. The details of the current playback mode, mono/stereo and the data rate. 3. The signal strength of the wireless network is indicated here--a peaked bar indicates excellent strength. 4. The playback buffer status is shown here. If the bar is at zero, the connection is about to break. 5. The is displayed when shuffle mode (random selection of audio files) is activated. It corresponds to the icon on the remote control used to activate shuffle mode. The small triangle indicates that playback is currently active--it is also retained in the menu. is the familiar repeat icon and refers to the current title, or to the entire playlist when followed by "all". As mentioned above, we have to distinguish between two NOXON playback modes. 18 ReceiverSystem NOXON Audio (English) Playing MP3/WMA files from the local network. MP3 / WMA file UPnP server (Musicmatch) Computer in network NOXON audio You can share music files for playback in your network using special server software running on a computer or other device. The NOXON requires a UPnP-compatible server to provide it with files. A simple Windows file share will be ignored. Rather than relying on inflexible static file shares, the NOXON takes advantage of a flexible database structure via a UPnP media server. Individual tracks can be located via the artist, album or genre. Nice, eh? And don't worry, "setting up a server" is not as much work as it was just a few short years ago. Simply put, just install Musicmatch and go. For more information, please see page 25. Naturally, it's not absolutely necessary for the computer to be connected directly to the NOXON via WLAN. It's sufficient to have a UPnP server active on a computer anywhere in your network--the NOXON can therefore access any number of computers in the network running UPnP servers. So there's no need for Dad to listen to his kids' tunes--to each his own server! For example, if you have a Musicmatch server running in your network, you'll be shown the following selection screen when button. The network name you have selected you press the for the computer on which Musicmatch is running is shown in parentheses. Navigate to the right and you will be shown this overview of available tracks. The entries are generated by Musicmatch based on the title information of the MP3 and WMA files. The so-called ID3 tags of files in well-organized collections contain information about the artist, album, title, genre, year released and so on. These entries may look completely different when using a different UPnP server application, as this data is only received by the NOXON, not generated by it. On to the individual entries using a Musicmatch server as our example. Albums Contains a list of all available albums in the library. ReceiverSystem NOXON Audio (English) 19 All Tracks Here you can find a list of all of the tracks available on the server. Shuffling really comes into its own here. The Note!!! icon indicates that you can already press Play in this position and that everything below will be played back. Artists Artists / Album Genres Genres / Artist Playlists Contains a list of all available albums. Select an album to display all of the tracks it contains. After selecting an artist, the available albums are shown here for selection. Blues, Pop, Funk and Soul are possible genre entries. Select a genre to display a list of all tracks of the genre. After selecting a genre, you can narrow the playlist down further by selecting an artist. Access your stored playlists here. An important point regarding Musicmatch: the lists must be either native Musicmatch format or imported. Use the usual buttons on the remote control to navigate. Once you've reached the item you were looking for, just press Play and off you go. Press and hold the navigation buttons when scrolling through long lists to enlarge the navigation increments. You can also mark songs or playlists as favorites in the NOXON. You can open the Favorites list quickly and easily by pressing the button. Here's how to create a list: --that's all To add this playlist to your Favorites, press there is to it. To remove an item from your Favorites, press-- You guessed it. If you make a selection during playback, the current track will be added to the favorites, not the entire playlist. Tip: The presets are available as well as the Favorites list, and while both work with files and radio stations, the idea is to use the presets for radio stations and the Favorites for individual tracks, albums and playlists. But, as you like it. 20 ReceiverSystem NOXON Audio (English)