FetchExpress User Manual

Click the button to download a printable PDF copy, or find the full FetchExpress User Manual below.

Contents

1. The AudioFetch App
2. AudioFetch “Swag” – TV Signage, Table Tents, Cardio Clings and Window Decals
3. The Free AudioFetch Ad Portal
4. AudioFetch Express Connectors and External Button
5. Connecting Power
6. Connecting AudioFetch Express to Audio Sources
7. AudioFetch Express LED Indicators
8. Networking Modes
9. Configuration Management
10. Restoring Factory Defaults
11. Changing SSID/Password in Wireless Client Mode
12. Reference Information – Network Traffic
13. Regulatory Compliance Statements

AudioFetch Express is a compact cost effective solution delivering high-quality low-latency audio from TVs, STBs, or other audio sources via WiFi to personal mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets.

1. The AudioFetch App

Download the latest AudioFetch app for free from the Google Play® or Apple iTunes® store. Familiarize yourself with the drop down menu including the help menu section should it be needed during installation.

2. AudioFetch “Swag” – TV Signage, Table Tents, Cardio Clings and Window Stickers

Post the provided signage on the TVs. Cardio clings, table tents and door/window stickers are provided to enable patrons to easily obtain and use the AudioFetch app.

3. The free AudioFetch Ad Portal

The AudioFetch app displays custom ads and notices which can be managed from the cloud. Log in to the ad portal at www.audiofetch.com/portal using the username and password provided with your order to post your ad/info graphic that can direct users to your website, an e-mail address, and/or phone number that you specify. Add multiple graphics that rotate through at the time duration you specify.

Call 888.330.4283 x3 to confirm your log-in credentials if needed.

4. AudioFetch Express Connectors and External Button

5. Connecting Power

The AudioFetch Express receives power from any USB port capable of providing 500mA (or more) of current. Most USB ports on the back of TVs are capable of providing this power. For non-TV applications a USB power adapter can be included, please discuss with AudioFetch when placing an order.

7. AudioFetch Express LED Indicators

During boot-up (takes about 35 seconds) the LEDs will sequence through different indications. After boot-up is complete the normal operating indication is:

Notes: WiFi may blink to indicate activity on the WiFi connection – this is normal. WiFi will remain off if AudioFetch Express is configured for wired-only operation.

C. Wireless Client

The AudioFetch Express connects to a pre-existing WiFi network as a client. Mobile devices receive audio by connecting to the pre-existing WiFi network.

D. Wired Only

9. Configuration Management – “The Doghouse”

Configuration settings (“The Doghouse”) for each AudioFetch box are viewed using a web browser on a device (PC, tablet, mobile phone, however not compatible with MAC) which must be connected to the same network as AudioFetch Express.

Most applications do not require access to the Doghouse since the default settings are adequate. When adjustments are required, please review information in this section.

The “Doghouse Utility App” can be used to search for AudioFetch boxes on the network and provide easy one-click access to the Doghouse for each box. The Doghouse Utility App is available for Windows, Android, and iOS (not available for MAC), further information and install links can be found here: www.audiofetch.com/doghouse

On a Windows device: Install then run the Windows version Doghouse Utility to locate AudioFetch box(s) on the network. The Windows version Doghouse Utility looks like this:

On Android or Apple (iOS) devices: Search and install “AudioFetch Doghouse” in the Google Play® (Android OS devices) or Apple iTunes® (Apple devices with iOS operating system) store, direct links to the store locations are provided on the web page referenced above.

Here is an example screenshot of the Apple version Doghouse App (Android looks similar):

In AudioFetch systems employing more than one AudioFetch Express box (or a mix of standard/wired AudioFetch boxes and AudioFetch Express boxes), all of the boxes present should appear in the listing, like this example from the Windows Doghouse Utility:

Each box has its own configuration settings, in other words each box has its own independent Doghouse. When installing a system with multiple boxes, each Doghouse must be accessed in order to configure each of the boxes correctly.

9.2 Doghouse Login

Once the AudioFetch box(s) are displayed, click the “Connect” button (Windows) or tap in the information area for the box (Android/Apple) to open the Doghouse for the desired box in your default web browser. A login dialog will be displayed (this is the Windows version, Android/Apple will look different but request the same info):

Your username and password are included in the product manual shipped to you. If you need a new username/password, please contact us by calling 1-888-HI-FETCH or sending a note here.

9.3 Welcome Page and Basic Navigation

After successful login you will see a welcome page similar to below:

Use the links in the NAVIGATION section to access each of the configuration pages.

9.4 Network Setup Page

Important points when using the NETWORK SETUP page to reconfigure the network settings:

9.5 Multi-Box Setup Page

Most AudioFetch installations are single-box, in this case ensure that “BOX A” is selected from the drop-down list – as shown in the image above (this is the factory default setting).

In multi-box installations, the AudioFetch App needs to know how to coordinate the order of channels it displays with channels from each of the AudioFetch boxes present. This is accomplished by designating the AudioFetch boxes present as:

• BOX A
• BOX B
• BOX C
• BOX D . . .
• (32 choices, up to BOX AF)

The channels from BOX A will be displayed first by the AudioFetch App, channels from BOX B will be displayed next, etc.

For example, in a 2-box installation where a 16-channel box has been designated BOX A and a 4-channel box has been designated BOX B, the channels will be displayed by the App like this:

IMPORTANT: Each box must have a different designation!

Note: When multiple AudioFetch boxes are ordered to work together on the same network, they will be pre-configured for you and this procedure will not be necessary.

To configure the boxes in a multi-box installation:

1. Decide how you want the channels from each box to be ordered by the App (which box’s channels display first, second, third, etc.).
2. Use the Doghouse Utility to find/display all of the boxes on the network.
3. Access the Doghouse for the first box (You want the App to display this box’s channels first), navigate to the MULTI-BOX SETUP page and use the drop-down selector to select “BOX A”, the new setting is saved automatically.
4. Access the Doghouse for the second box, navigate to the MULTI-BOX SETUP page and use the drop-down selector to select “BOX B” (new setting automatically saved).

   NOTE: Each box has its own Doghouse, you must access each box’s Doghouse separately.

5. If a third box is present: access the Doghouse for the third box, navigate to the MULTI-BOX SETUP page and use the drop-down selector to select “BOX C.”
6. If a fourth box is present: access the Doghouse for the fourth box, navigate to the MULTI-BOX SETUP page and use the drop-down selector to select “BOX D.”
7. Continue this procedure for any additional boxes present.

To assist in setup, the Doghouse MULTI-BOX SETUP page contains a link to detect/display info about other boxes present on the LAN. Click the link, and then a notification page will appear for about 5 seconds while the other boxes are being detected. Then the MULTI-BOX SETUP page will display again with the list of boxes filled out. See the example below which shows the detection results for a 3-box system.

When the drop-down selector is used to change the box designation, the list of other boxes is cleared. In this case just click the detection link again to re-display all the boxes.

After detection, the box setting for each will be displayed as shown above (in the column labeled “Setting”). When configuring a multi-box system, use the detect link to double-check that all boxes have different/unique designations. For example, this display of detected boxes indicates a problem because two boxes are set to the same designation:

In this case, one of the conflicting boxes should be changed to BOX C.

Note that other-box detection in the Multi-Box Setup page works only on networks which fully support SSDP discovery protocol. Some network configurations do not, in this case use the Doghouse Utility as an alternative to discover all the boxes on the network and display their
box settings.

9.6 Channels Setup Page

The CHANNELS SETUP shows the installed channels and allows alternate names/numbers to be assigned for each channel. The “Enable” checkboxes can be used to disable individual channels – the App will no longer display any which are un-checked.

9.7 Audio Settings Page (gain, microphone, ACE feature, STEREO/MONO mode)

The AUDIO SETTINGS page is used to access three different sets of configurations:

1. AUDIO GAIN
2. PUBLIC ADDRESS
3. ACE (Audio Control and Enhance)

To set the Audio Gain:

1. Select the desired channel to adjust from the drop-down list
2. Ensure an audio source is connected to the corresponding input on the box.
3. Monitor the Peak Audio Status number, if an active audio source is connected then it will constantly change.

   a. NOTE: There will be no status indicated if the selected channel is not enabled in Doghouse Channels Setup page
   b. If the Audio Gain setting is very low (a large negative number) then this might be the problem – try changing the Audio Gain setting to a number like 15 (positive fifteen)
   c. If it remains at 0% then check if enabled in the Channels Setup page, check the audio connections, else something is likely wrong in the cabling or audio source

4. Optimum Peak Audio Status is when the status hits 60% to 85% at its maximum
5. If Peak Audio Status is too low or too high, enter a new value for Audio Gain. Values entered can be numbers like 7 or 9.0 or 12.5 (the tenths digit can only be “0” or “5”). Acceptable range is -100.0 to 20.0. Press the Enter key or click the “Save” button to set/save the new gain value.

   a. After saving, you should notice a corresponding change in the Peak Audio Status level immediately
   b. Keep adjusting the Audio Gain until Peak Audio Status is within optimum range

6. Repeat this procedure for all audio channels

The example presented above shows an Audio Gain setting of 12.5 and resulting Peak Audio Status of 83.9% (this will change continuously).

ACE:

The ACE section (please scroll further down on the AUDIO SETTINGS page) provides optional adjustments which can improve audio quality in facilities where network/WiFi conditions may not be optimum for AudioFetch. Increasing the ACE setting will increase the amount of audio buffering used by the AudioFetch App – this can improve audio quality at the expense of slightly more latency (more delay between on-screen video and the audio heard by users). Usually the latency is not noticeable for ACE settings 1, 1.5, and 2. The latency may be just slightly noticeable for higher settings, but not so much in a fitness club or sports bar environment. Please review the displayed information and instructions, then contact AudioFetch Technical Support if further assistance is needed with the ACE settings.

9.8 System Status Page

Click anywhere in the “Connected Users per channel” area and a detailed list of currently connected users is displayed with various sorting options provided by the drop-down selector:

AudioFetch provides additional monitoring statistics online, click the link at the bottom of the SYSTEM STATUS page to access the online reporting service. Contact AudioFetch Support if you have lost or forgotten your online login credentials.

9.9 Tools and Utilities Page

The TOOLS AND UTILITIES page provides means to change the Doghouse username/password, an alternate QoS adjustment which can improve audio quality on some networks, settings related to how automatic firmware updates are delivered, and other utility functions.

To change username/password, enter the current credentials into the first two boxes, then enter the new username/password into the last two boxes and click the “Modify Name/Password” button.

The “Force alternate WMM VOICE QoS” checkbox should be used when experiencing audio quality issues – especially on busy networks. Experiment with this setting to determine if it can improve audio quality. Expected behavior is that audio will be better with this box un-checked on networks using Cisco equipment, and better with this box checked on networks using non-Cisco equipment. But this is not certain and one should experiment to determine which setting produces the best audio quality.

There is a checkbox to enable/disable Online Automatic Firmware Updates, which are provided from time to time by AudioFetch (the box must be connected to a network with Internet access). Default setting is enabled, AudioFetch recommends this be left enabled. AudioFetch system firmware updates are rare and generally occur late at night. The AudioFetch box checks for an available update once just after power-on and then once every 5
hours thereafter.

If desired, the “Check now for online update” button may be clicked. A confirmation will pop up, click the “OK” button to proceed. There is no subsequent display about an update being available or starting, but if an update is available then it will begin automatically and the download progress is indicated by the yellow status LED on the AudioFetch box flashing (during download). After the download completes, AudioFetch will reset itself, execute the update (yellow LED will turn on again during update), then reboot. Completing all of this typically takes about 10-20 seconds.

New firmware may be manually uploaded to AudioFetch if needed (see buttons near the bottom of the page) but this would be an extremely rare occurrence and should be accomplished while receiving guidance from AudioFetch tech support on a case-by-case basis.

“Restrict Doghouse Access” is a security feature to help prevent unauthorized access into the Doghouse by end users of the AudioFetch system. By default, the Doghouse may be accessed at any time so long as the correct username/password credentials are entered. By selecting a specific log-in window of time from the dropdown box, the Doghouse will only be accessible if the initial log-in occurs within the selected number of minutes after power-on. The choices are: 1 minute, 2 minutes, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, and “Forever”. If an initial log-in does not occur within the selected time window, then the Doghouse becomes and remains completely inaccessible until the next power cycle occurs. For example, if a 1 minute time window is selected, you must log-in to the Doghouse within 1 minute of power-on (it’s actually 1 minute from the time the green status LED turns on solid). Once successfully logged-in, the Doghouse will remain accessible indefinitely, until either: the next power cycle, or the “Disable” button is clicked. If access to the Doghouse is needed again, just power cycle the box and log-in again within the 1 minute window.

The “Blink LEDs” section provides checkboxes for each of the three status LEDs on the AudioFetch box. When any of these checkboxes are enabled, the normal status display is temporarily replaced by the enabled LEDs blinking. This is simply a way to force the status LEDs on a particular box to blink – which can be useful for identifying specific boxes in a multi-box installation. Be sure to uncheck all of these to return the LEDs to normal display of status.

9.10 Contacts and Links Page

The CONTACT & LINKS page contains contact information in case support is required, as well as a link to the online portal.

10. Restoring Factory Defaults with External Button

(this info applies to firmware 4018-04-16 and later)

11. Changing SSID/password in Wireless Client Mode

In Wireless Client Mode the AudioFetch Express connects into your existing WiFi network and must be configured with the correct SSID and password. If your WiFi network settings are changed (SSID/password), or if AudioFetch Express was not shipped with pre-configured settings matching your WiFi, then follow this procedure:

1. Restore the WiFi module to default settings – follow procedure A) in section 10 Restoring Factory Defaults with External Button
2. The AudioFetch Express will restart in Access Point mode with SSID: AudioFetchExpress and no encryption/password
3. Connect a mobile phone, tablet, or PC to the AudioFetchExpress WiFi and access the Doghouse using default username/password.
   The default username and password are included in the product manual shipped to you. If you need a new username/password, please contact us by calling 1-888-HI-FETCH or sending a note here.
4. Select Wireless Client from the Operating Mode dropdown list
5. Enter your network SSID, Encryption, and Password information in the Client Mode Settings sectio
6. Click Save Settings button at the bottom of the page
7. Click the “OK” button in the warning dialog
   1. The Status LEDs to begin a “marching” pattern to indicate the save is still in- progress. The march will be: yellow, green, red, repeat….
   2. The save will take some time, be patient and do not disconnect power
   3. Then the AudioFetch Express will automatically restart and should begin operating in the new mode
8. After the restart, the new networking mode should be active and if correctly configured the status LEDs should indicate the ready condition
9. If any problems after the restart (AudioFetch Express not connecting to your WiFi network) then:
   1. Try a power cycle
   2. Try repeating this procedure one more time – carefully checking that the SSID and password used exactly match your existing WiFi network SSID and password

 

12. Reference Information – Network Traffic

When AudioFetch Express is used in Access Point Mode, the built-in Wi-Fi is compatible with all required network traffic to/from connected mobile devices.

However when Wireless Client or Wired Only modes are used to connect to a pre-existing network, it is important to ensure that the required network traffic is able to flow between AudioFetch Express and mobile devices running the AudioFetch App.

When in Wireless Client or Wired Only modes, AudioFetch Express typically works out of the box on simple networks such as when connected into a single small business wireless router using the main (not guest) WiFi. More complex networks may require configuration adjustments (firewall, etc.). Information in this section is provided to assist IT/Network personnel when such adjustments are necessary.

Network traffic used by the AudioFetch System, unless otherwise noted packets are unicast between IP address of the Mobile Device (running AudioFetch App) and IP address of AudioFetch Box:

Fallback discovery traffic is required only if the network blocks standard SSDP discovery mechanism. If SSDP fails then AudioFetch will automatically fall back to alternate discovery mechanisms.

In some cases, with a complex network and tight security restrictions on traffic, a DNS discovery method is required. If so, please contact AudioFetch for information about making minor adjustments to your network’s DNS server entries.

 

13. Regulatory Compliance Statements

Contains Transmitter Module FCC ID:2ACOE-SKW72