is Tacx Neo 3M with Network Adapter connected to LAN supposed to be detected in Zwift? I’m running a Neo 3M with aforementioned adapter connected to Ethernet switch on same LAN as my PC running Zwift. Other peripherals I connect through Companion App as my PC got no Bluetooth. Everything works fine, just the Neo 3M is only detected through companion connection (i.e. Bluetooth), not through LAN.
I’d like to run the Neo 3M using LAN connection for more reliable data transmission.
Is this setup supposed to work? What might I be missing?
Edit: BTW Tacx Training App on Android on the same network can connect to it both using Bluetooth or LAN, so doesn’t seem to be the trainer/adapter at fault. Adapter shows steady blue LED, gets IP from router through DHCP, can Ping the adapter, …
I found that I had to force the network connection on my network switch to be 100FDX. The auto-negotiate did not work for some reason. Seems to be good after that.
@C.Panda maybe you are genius, but first things first …
I first figured out that it would work if i deactivate my PC firewall, so this one seems to have odd settings I will have to further investigate, but that is out of scope here, just for others to inform that PC firewall might be a factor.
But then it would have worked only exactly once directly after the firmware update of the ethernet adapter. On the next day when I was sure everything is fine now, on startup, it would no longer indicate solid blue but solid orange. And in that state it would not get an IP address via DHCP, so it was no longer detected in zwift again.
Today after reading your reply i switched the port in my ethernet switch to 100-FDX et voila, it was immediately recognized via Ethernet again. A little strange is that currently while working its LED indicates solid white instead of solid blue, but as long as its working i’m fine. Hope this might help others too.
If there was a duplex mismatch, I would expect ping to show significant packet loss to the trainer. Was the network running clean before you made the change?
After a couple of runs on consecutive days I can confirm that since I switched my switch port to fixed 100-FDX I’ve had no issues whatsoever.
I think it was not a “duplex mismatch” that was causing my connection issues. Rather as stated before, when it was not working the LED on the Neo network adapter showed yellow blinking which according to the quick start guide implies a mode where the network adapter thinks it is directly connected to a computer rather than a “network access point”.
AFAICT in that mode it will not get a local IP address via DHCP but instead work with an IPv4 link-local address (169.254.0.0/16), which then did not work with the Neo 3M being connected to a network with a dedicated IP class-c network. I assume that something in the ethernet link autonegotiation made the adapter choose the wrong mode, not trying to get an actual IP address via DHCP. Now with the switch port set to 100-FDX, the adapter always comes up with blue blinking/solid LED indicating it is in the mode where it acts as connected to a switched network, getting an IP address via DHCP. And then everything works stable and reliable as expected.
So I think the network adapter could use a firmware fix that doesn’t make it assume its on a non-DHCP connection to a computer. I don’t even get why there is that strange mode. It could have the link-local IP and additionally get a DHCP address if available on the same interface, then there would not be the need for this strange direct-connect network mode in the first place. But thats just my personal understanding, I might be completely wrong.
Anyway thank you again @C.Panda for your hint on the 100FDX workaround.
Interesting on the direct-connect vs network-connect. I had the same experience with the yellow blinking and not working, vs the blue and working on the network. Glad you got it sorted!