Rangecast FAQ
[FAQ-1301] Overview of Rangecast maintenance and expected support

Page Type: REFERENCE

OVERVIEW

Once a system is operational, Rangecast operates like a utility, without any need for regular support. Most routine administrative tasks are easy to perform, and you will have administrative control over your system. To learn about administration, or get assistance with tasks such as adding channels, improving reception, or creating customized players, training can be arranged as a scheduled activity with sufficient advanced notice.

REFERENCE

Rangecast operates like a utility. Once the system is made operational, it will continue to operate 24/7 without supervision or technical support. The radios will monitor the airwaves for new transmissions, the Rangecast system will index any received content and make it available online, and your users will have access to this audio through the Rangecast player.

Your staff should receive training about how to use the player, and how to perform any functions that may be tactically urgent (such as focusing the player on a narrow set of channels, or downloading audio). To assist with training, there are resources available on this website, including video examples (Support - How To Videos) and text information within these FAQs.

You will have access to administrative functions for your system for completing routine administrative tasks, such as adding/removing users or changing passwords.

[FAQ-1153] How to access Hub Administration

A hub administrator (e.g. someone with a Rangecast username that has been previously listed as having administrative permissions for a hub) can access administrative functions for the HTML5 system.



You can also design player views (particular arrangements of channels in the player) with our scripting language - this requires some technical skill, but the script for typical views can be written in between one and ten lines, so it is primarily a matter of understanding what you want and finding a precise way to express the concept. This is explained in the online videos and FAQs, but if you want assistance with scripting, this can be arranged as a scheduled activity with sufficient advanced notice.

If you operate your own radio receivers, your administrative access also allows you to adjust the radio programming (adding or removing channels, selecting which radio site will be used to receive particular channels, etc.) An automated signal survey process will provide you with the information needed to evaluate signal quality and make decisions about where to receive particular channels. So if you want to add reception of specific channels in your community, provided that your existing radios have the physical ability (adequate signal, appropriate model of radio, etc) this is something you can do independently at will. As with scripting, the videos and FAQs describe how this is done, and assistance can be arranged as a scheduled activity with sufficient advanced notice.

If your existing radios cannot pick up signals that you want to monitor, it may be necessary to expand your system (for example, adding radios at an additional location with better reception of some portion of your service area.) You may consult with your sales representative to see if this is recommended, and if so, to make arrangements for the purchase and installation of the necessary equipment.

From a day-to-day perspective, for systems operating their own radio scanners, the most common problem is that PCs connected to scanners may lose power or internet access. So on occasion, you may need to perform on-site maintenance to restore functionality. Problems of this type are reported on a status page in the Rangecast player showing the current performance of your scanners, and you may also receive an e-mail notification if the problem is not quickly addressed.
[FAQ-1315] Radio status (report available in Rangecast Player)

The Rangecast Player includes a report listing all radios providing audio content on the specific channels currently selected for reception. If there are any known technical problems with these feeds, the problem is identified, and FAQ links provided to help with resolution.



PCs sometimes freeze. We recommend the use of a remote power switch (WebSwitch), which ties into the Rangecast system so frozen PCs are automatically power cycled. If you do not have a WebSwitch installed, you may also need to occasionally reboot a PC if it becomes frozen.
[FAQ-1248] Webswitch Pro Auto Rebooter

Rangecast now recommends the Webswitch Pro auto rebooter which will enhance the system's up-time by automatically power cycling a Rangecast feed site PC which freezes (this can occur during Windows updates or other events at times). The Webswitch Pro has networking technology which has allowed our engineers to integrate its operation into the Rangecast architecture. The Webswitch is very easy to setup, can run in DHCP, and can serve up to two PCs at one time.



On rare occasions, the broadcasting agencies in your area may introduce new frequencies or channels into their radio system. When this happens, the Rangecast channel database will be updated with the new information (but this is not instantaneous). At that point, you can add the new channels as described above, or request assistance with updating your programming.

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