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How To: Check Network Connectivity

Many GateKeeper hardware devices communicate over the network (Ethernet). Use these steps to verify that the GateKeeper machine can reach each device.

Step 1: Open a command prompt

  1. Press the Windows key, type cmd, and press Enter.
  2. Expected: A black command prompt window opens.

Step 2: Ping the device

Type the following command, replacing <ip-address> with the device IP address:

ping <ip-address>

Examples: 

ping 192.168.100.200
ping 10.8.15.95

Reading the results

Successful ping: 

Reply from 192.168.100.200: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
This means the device is reachable on the network.

Failed ping: 

Request timed out.
or 
Destination host unreachable.
This means the device cannot be reached.

Step 3: If ping fails, check these things

  1. Is the Ethernet cable connected? Check both ends -- at the device and at the network switch.
  2. Is the device powered on? Check for indicator lights.
  3. Is the IP address correct? Check appsettings.json for the configured address.
  4. Are they on the same network? The GateKeeper machine and the device must be on the same subnet (or have a route between them).
  5. Is there a network switch? Most GateKeeper installations use an internal Ethernet switch. Check that the switch is powered on and its port lights are active.

Step 4: Test a specific port

If ping works but the application still cannot connect, the specific port may be blocked. Use PowerShell to test:

Test-NetConnection -ComputerName <ip-address> -Port <port>

Examples: 

Test-NetConnection -ComputerName 192.168.100.200 -Port 23
Test-NetConnection -ComputerName 192.168.100.125 -Port 5084
Test-NetConnection -ComputerName 192.168.100.120 -Port 502

Common ports

Device Default Port
Cognex Camera 23
Zebra FX9600 RFID 5084
Arduino Portenta (TCP) 502
Matthews Interface (inbound) 60251
ZFL Importer (inbound) 6101
Camera Push Listener (inbound) 3000

Reading the results

Port is open: 

TcpTestSucceeded : True

Port is blocked or closed: 

TcpTestSucceeded : False

Step 5: If the port is blocked

  1. Check Windows Firewall: Open Windows Firewall settings and look for rules that may be blocking the port.
  2. Add a firewall rule: If no rule exists, create one to allow TCP traffic on the required port.
  3. Check network firewalls: If there is a separate network firewall between the GateKeeper machine and the device, check with the site IT team.

How to add a Windows Firewall rule

  1. Open Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security (type wf.msc in the Start menu).
  2. Click Inbound Rules (for ports like 60251, 6101, 3000 that receive connections) or Outbound Rules (for ports like 23, 5084, 502 where GateKeeper connects to devices).
  3. Click New Rule in the right panel.
  4. Select Port, click Next.
  5. Select TCP, enter the port number, click Next.
  6. Select Allow the connection, click Next.
  7. Check all profiles (Domain, Private, Public), click Next.
  8. Give the rule a name (for example, "GateKeeper - Camera Port 23"), click Finish.

Step 6: Test network share access (Teasdale import)

If the Teasdale importer uses a network share (UNC path starting with \\):

  1. Open File Explorer.
  2. Type the network share path in the address bar (for example, \\server\share\import).
  3. Expected: You can browse the folder and see files.
  4. If prompted for credentials, enter the username and password from appsettings.json (TeasdaleNetworkUsername, TeasdaleNetworkPassword).

If the share is not accessible, check: - Network connectivity to the file server - Credentials are correct and not expired - The share path is correct