Ethernet USB?

[SanderXpander]

I have to admit I wasn't aware of that, I've always used Filezilla in the past. That's a much more elegant way of doing things.

[levioter]

So, no Wi-fi USB devices, sorry. It works perfectly well connected to a wireless access point, however - that's how mine is set up.

Dan, thanks for your answer.
But I still think that a wifi stick is a better and cheaper solution than an ethernet stick + a wireless switch, for those who cannot connect locally to a wired switch or second PC ethernet port.

Should be added to the wish list for future OS enhancements.

Nevertheless Thanks.

Cheers.

[levioter]

I have an additional question :

The Logitec LAN-TX/U2H3 have the nice feature to still propose to you three additional usb connectors in addition to the RJ45.
Is the Kronos supporting all the three additional usb ports ?

This will be a good thing and preventing to buy an additional usb hub to connect for instance an external musical keyboard.

Thanks.

[jeebustrain]

I don't see why not - usually on devices like that, it's basically just a USB hub with the ethernet chipset just hard wired to one of the ports. That's how it is for keyboards and monitors with integrated USB hubs.

[RKfan]

Hopefully there will be some sort of manual to explain what USB ethernet means. I am a bit confused - for example does it mean that I need one of the Kronos' USB ports for connection to my PC via ethernet and the other port for MIDI - or do I just need just one connection to the PC (ethernet) that does both?

I am guessing the answer is two connections.

[michelkeijzers]

Hopefully there will be some sort of manual to explain what USB ethernet means. I am a bit confused - for example does it mean that I need one of the Kronos' USB ports for connection to my PC via ethernet and the other port for MIDI - or do I just need just one connection to the PC (ethernet) that does both?

I am guessing the answer is two connections.

No it means that you buy an USB/Ethernet adapter (cost about 10-20$). You plug it into one of the two USB ports. You connect an ethernet cable into the adapter and the other end in the computer/router or switch.

Then you can enable an FTP connection using some software.

Btw, in the manual of PCG Tools there is a short manual how to set it up but I can only release it after 2.0 is launched. I will do that as soon as possible/allowed. Even without using PCG Tools this mini manual is applicable.

[curtiscee]

There was some back and forth confusion between Dan and the other members about using the Korg as a USB device. It's funny, because everyone in this thread is extremely intelligent; and so from their individual perspectives, they don't quite understand how anyone might be confused. But that's only because both parties are looking at it from two completely separate perspectives.

1: Dan is mystified by the confusion because the other members are understandably not fully registering in their head that the Korg is essentially a computer--NOT a USB device.

2: The other members are mystified by the confusion because Dan is understandably not fully registering in his head that they think the Korg is essentially a USB device--NOT a computer.

So it's extremely basic, but very confusing until you wrap your head completely around it. So for new users, I wanted to summarize it so you'd IMMEDIATELY understand. Let's call the Kronos the "Kronos Laptop" for a moment. And then everything becomes quite clear.

Q: So here is what Dan is hearing: "Why can't I simply connect my personal laptop to my other Kronos LAPTOP and have it appear as a USB Mass Storage device, so I can just browse the files?!? It's so easy convenient and fast! And I don't know why you can't see how clearly better a solution this is than some crazy USB Ethernet adapter thing!"

A: Uhm, computers don't work that way. You have never connected your computer to another laptop this way and then exchanged files using a standard USB cable. The Kronos laptop is a USB Host--just like your other personal computers; so yes, you can connect USB devices TO it; but you can't connect your Kronos laptop to another laptop via standard USB cables and use it as a USB device. Computers require crossover cables, specially made interface devices to handle the communication in between, or other such networking to exchange files between them.

Q: Yes I can! I can easily browse all the shared files and folders of my other computers from my laptop, copy and paste, etc. without adding some crazy USB Ethernet adapter. Why can't the Kronos laptop do the same?

A: Yes, that's because you're accessing those other computers via Ethernet, just as you now can access your Kronos Laptop via Ethernet. That's not via a standard USB cable. They're not connecting as USB devices. They're both connecting as computers (USB hosts) via Ethernet. The technology is the same; the ports are just different. One is a standard Ethernet port; the other is a USB Ethernet port.

Q: So why do I need this USB Ethernet thing for my Kronos laptop? I didn't need to buy one for my personal laptop.

A: Actually, many people who own laptops use USB Ethernet adapters for laptops with no built-in networking or as an inexpensive and faster upgrade to outdated or broken laptop networking cards. Even many people with modern laptops use USB Ethernet adapters to quickly and inexpensively upgrade their internal networking to the latest specs like Wireless-N to gain speed, if their laptops run on older G, B or other speeds. Those adaptors can be purchased for wired or wireless connections.

Q: It's not that complicated; I know of a few musical devices that I can just connect directly to my personal laptop via USB. Connect it and I'm all done. What's the big deal?

A:We didn't try to make two computers talk to each other like they were USB devices. (No one does that.) The music devices you mention don't work that way either and aren't specially configured; they're simply USB devices like a USB CD drive--not computers like the Kronos laptop. For obvious reasons, the Kronos is and needed to be more than a mere USB device like those other instruments. It is able to do so much because it's a computer; we couldn't make them both. I suppose it's theoretically possible to invest in making a laptop a USB device, but it wouldn't be financially feasible or practical to do so. It makes more sense to simply attach USB devices to the Kronos laptop just as we do with all of our other computers, rather than attempt to make it both.

Q: So why not just include a standard Ethernet port on the Korg laptop? Why this dumb USB Ethernet thing?

That's a much better question, and a valid one; why didn't we include a standard Ethernet connection as is found on most other computers? I can't comment directly on our current or future internal product decisions, but in general, everything comes down to a matter of cost, technical design considerations, release schedules, compatibility etc. I can say however that we opted to maximize the number of USB ports on the Korg Laptop, including two A ports and one B port for maximum flexibility in connecting multiple USB devices simultaneously such as USB CD drive, USB audio/midi devices, USB flash drive, and other USB devices. Given the choice between users having to swap USB devices in and out frequently with fewer USB devices in favor of adding a single purpose Ethernet port on the Korg laptop was a factor in our thinking. Most people still use USB drives to exchange data between computers rather than sharing via networked folders, even though it's very easy. Despite knowing that most users would not opt to use networking over simply plugging in a USB device like a flash drive or a USB stick, we still wanted to offer a networking option to our users who wanted to use networking. So instead of sacrificing a highly used multipurpose USB port for a rarely used single purpose Ethernet port, we enabled networking on the Kronos Laptop. In addition to all of the other USB devices you can connect to the Kronos, you can connect a USB Ethernet device to it, and you're all set in seconds. It seemed a better choice to give users as many USB ports as possible.

Q: Well, then, can I connect a wireless USB adapter to the Kronos Laptop?

A: I've heard reports of some people having some limited or better success with wireless devices. But we only designed and tested specific wired models to certify they worked well with the Kronos laptop for network connectivity via FTP. Our focus was ensuring the highest speeds possible and reliability of large file transfers versus the slower speeds of wifi and potential security problems associated with it. Just like on your personal computer, All USB devices can connect to your computer, but not all of them can be guaranteed to work with your particular operating system. We tested select wired models to ensure that their communication drivers were universally compatible with the Kronos Laptop operating system. We can't guarantee all devices will work with Kronos, but I know for example the Cisco USB200M works with Kronos even though it's not on our official list. (The Cisco USB300M is on the list.) So some may work; others will not. That's why we can't suggest or recommend that you use any wired adaptor other than the inexpensive ones we tested. Wireless is more flexible and convenient, but we tested wired for the benefits already mentioned. So we made sure the wired models we tested worked with the operating system of the Kronos laptop.

Q: Will you add better wireless adapter and wireless security capability in the future? Or add new wired models to the list that work with the Kronos laptop?

A: I'm sorry; I'm really not authorized to comment on future product availability for reasons of marketing and business competitive advantage. However, we are very active in listening to our customers for suggestions, in addition to releasing periodic software updates. We incorporate as many improvements into our current and future products as is feasible from a business and financial perspective.

That's it! I don't work for Korg, but it was fun pretending that I did for a moment. Point is, once you stop getting lost in the USB ports and remember that the Kronos is a computer not a device, then it's so easy to understand. So if there are any newbies joining the forum who were confused before, or even veterans who got a little lost in the back and forth, I hope that my playfully simplified but accurately detailed Q&A cleared a few things up. I hope it helps! Thanks.