Question Is there a way to permanently set an IP address to an USB ethernet adapter?

[hids2000]

Hope someone can answer this. We need to connect to some air compressor controllers during service. The compressor require a set IP address for the laptop to connect. We have some workers who are not very computer friendly. Since each vendor uses their own IP address, each time we connect to a different brand compressor the tech will need to go to the TCP/IPV4 and manually change it. You would think after they do this for a while they should remember the steps. Nope they still call me asking how to change it over the phone.
Is there a way to assign an IP address to the USB adapter itself? This way I can just order 3 different USB adapter in different color or brands and tell them to pick the correct adapter and never need to do change the TCP manually?

 

[Ralston18]

If I follow correctly, the USB network adapters could be configured with some desired/required static IP address.

This:

"The compressor require a set IP address for the laptop to connect"

Just to confirm: Are you saying that the air compressors vendors do not allow end users to change/reconfigure the default (set) IP address on the air compressor?

Are all air compressors being monitored via their IP addresses on some other network and the laptop is used just for direct air compressor access for downloading logs, maintenance, and testing purposes?

More (for me anyway) needs to be known.

Is the required connectivity simply

Laptop < === USB cable ===> USB network adapter <===Ethernet cable ===> air compressor with fixed IP address of X.X.X.X and subnet Y.Y.Y.Y

No other network connections at the time/during service - correct?

Is the laptop connected to some network via wired or wireless? Or later gets connected else where to upload air compressor data etc. to some other application after data is collected from the air compressors.

 

[hids2000]

If I follow correctly, the USB network adapters could be configured with some desired/required static IP address.

This:

"The compressor require a set IP address for the laptop to connect"

Just to confirm: Are you saying that the air compressors vendors do not allow end users to change/reconfigure the default (set) IP address on the air compressor?

Are all air compressors being monitored via their IP addresses on some other network and the laptop is used just for direct air compressor access for downloading logs, maintenance, and testing purposes?

More (for me anyway) needs to be known.

Is the required connectivity simply

Laptop < === USB cable ===> USB network adapter <===Ethernet cable ===> air compressor with fixed IP address of X.X.X.X and subnet Y.Y.Y.Y

No other network connections at the time/during service - correct?

Is the laptop connected to some network via wired or wireless? Or later gets connected else where to upload air compressor data etc. to some other application after data is collected from the air compressors.

For example. Brand one uses 192.168.100.1 and Brand two uses 192.168.200.1 Those are set from the factory and we can't change them.

The compressors are not on any network. They are stand alone and we only need to connect to them during service to download logs and update firmware.

connection are made via ethernet cable to the compressor just like you stated above.

I would like to give him two USB adapters that are already programmed to those IP address(not sure if that is possible). Maybe the USBs are different color or labeled in plastic bags. This way all he got to do is pull the correct adapter out to connect to the compressor without ever need to go change the TCP manually.

 

[gggplaya]

You can use a portable router like the GLi.Net routers to do this: https://www.amazon.com/GL-iNet-GL-SFT1200-Secure-Travel-Router/dp/B09N72FMH5

For example if the compressor is set to 192.168.100.1:
Set Router address to 192.168.100.10
Set DHCP Range to 192.168.100.150 to 192.168.100.200

Then it's all just plug and play. Connect compressor to router with ethernet. Connect laptop to router with wifi or ethernet. They don't have to mess with any settings, just have to wait a few minutes for the router to boot up.

You'll need to buy several routers of course, a bit more expensive than USB adapters.

 

[kanewolf]

Hope someone can answer this. We need to connect to some air compressor controllers during service. The compressor require a set IP address for the laptop to connect. We have some workers who are not very computer friendly. Since each vendor uses their own IP address, each time we connect to a different brand compressor the tech will need to go to the TCP/IPV4 and manually change it. You would think after they do this for a while they should remember the steps. Nope they still call me asking how to change it over the phone.
Is there a way to assign an IP address to the USB adapter itself? This way I can just order 3 different USB adapter in different color or brands and tell them to pick the correct adapter and never need to do change the TCP manually?

My recommendation:
Pay a college student a few hundred $$$ to create a desktop app. It has three buttons with the logos of the different brands. Pressing the button configures the network parameters properly for the brand. A single USB adapter model (buy spares so that when they are lost you don't have issues).
Why? Because IP address is a software concept rather than a hardware concept.

 

[Ralston18]

In agreement with @kanewolf. Especially with respect to the IP address being a software concept.

There is a Powershell command that can be used to set the laptop's network adapter's IP address.

Set-NetIPaddress

FYI:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/p...ip/set-netipaddress?view=windowsserver2025-ps

Again, provided that I am correctly following the requirements, you would need two desktop icons on the laptop.

One icon for each compressor - Brand one and Brand two.

Clicking the applicable icon would set the laptop's USB network adapter to communicate with either 192.168.100.1 or 192.168.200.1 as applicable to the compressor being serviced.

Question: What subnet masks do the air compressors use?

Per the established two device network per the line diagram:

Laptop < === USB cable ===> USB network adapter <===Ethernet cable ===> air compressor with fixed IP address of X.X.X.X and subnet Y.Y.Y.Y

And once the network connection is established then vendor provided apps (hosted on the laptop) manage the required log downloads and firmware updates.

Which suggests that the laptop is connected to some other network to obtain firmware updates and/or upload logs. Is that correct?

@hids2000

What is the laptop's native IP address and subnet mask? When not connected to an air compressor?

Not sure about your role but it appears that you have knowledge about IP addresses. Have you worked with Powershell at all?

Appears likely that that Set-NetIPaddress PS cmdlet could be used to change the IP addresses when necessary. Hopefully straightforward and simple. Or some other similar cmdlet... Maybe a small script.

Delving into details now. However, that is going to be necessary independent of whatever the end process becomes.

Get it to work with one compressor then that becomes a working template for other compressors using a different fixed IP address.

 

[hids2000]

Thanks all! You guys are great finding answers!

The compressors has a subnet is 255.255.255.0

I would like to try to stay away from doing it via a software as the company I work for will not us load any software or apps onto the laptops.

I do like the router idea. for about $30 it is not so bad!

 

[kanewolf]

Thanks all! You guys are great finding answers!

The compressors has a subnet is 255.255.255.0

I would like to try to stay away from doing it via a software as the company I work for will not us load any software or apps onto the laptops.

I do like the router idea. for about $30 it is not so bad!

But this would be an app "built" by the company you work for. There shouldn't be an issue with that.

 

[bill001g]

So a rather uncommon solution to this problem.

What you might want to do is leave the main ethernet on the default setting using DHCP. This would then work on most normal networks.


What you now do is click the advanced option and put in what are called secondary IP addresses. Click add and then add in the IP you want to use for the end device on each network and use a mask of 255.255.255.0. There is likely some limit but you should easily be able to put in 3 ip addresses you need one for each network.

In effect the interface is on all the subnets at the same time. It has very little use other than cases similar to yours.

This can cause issues if you are not careful when you are connecting to a more normal network. If for example you were to connect a normal router using one of those networks it would still use the secondary IP. It will likely mostly work but you now have a hard coded IP address that may or may not conflict with other devices

 

[cruisetung]

Some network profile managers might help.

https://www.netsetman.com/en/freeware

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSaCLuEFb2w

TCP/IP Manager

Download TCP/IP Manager for free. At home or at work, changing settings is now just one click away! TCP/IP Manager is designed to help computer users keep track of their network configuration in different locations. At home or at work, changing network settings is now just one click away!

sourceforge.net

https://argonswitcher.sourceforge.net/

IP Config Tool

Download IP Config Tool for free. IP Network Configuration Tool. Tired of endless clicking to change your IP address?

sourceforge.net

 

[JayGau]

I don't understand where the problem is here. A USB-C to internet adapters works just like any other ethernet adapters. Just plug it in, go to Network & Internet, Ethernet, choose your USB adapter, click on "edit" and set the static IP, Mask, Gateway, DNS server and save. Next time you plug it the saved configuration will be applied. I tried it with one of mines and it works just fine.

 

[Ralston18]

Subnet 255.255.255.0 - normal for small networks.

Powershell is built into Windows and is not a third party app or utility.

Powershell should be available via the laptop unless the IT folks have blocked its' use by the laptop's end users.

On the laptop, what is the result of the Get-NetIPaddress cmdlet (run as admin)?

Be sure redact anything that may be personally identifying.

Another thing to clarify:

The laptop must already have some vendor supplied software installed. I.e, the air compressor's vendor/manufacturer has provided software that looks for the air compressors at 192.168.100.1 and 192.168.200.1 respectively. Hard-coded into the software/compressor and cannot be altered - correct?

The laptop uses the vendor's app and laptop's network adapter to make a two device "network" connection to the air compressor being serviced.

However you have Brand one and Brand two air compressors.

And because you have Brand one and Brand two aircompressors there must be two different vendor apps installed - correct?

Provided that I have followed it all correctly, if the laptop's network adapter is configured to be 192.168.1.1 (subnet 255.255.255.0) then the laptop should be able to directly connect with either air compressor without any further ado.

[Which is why I asked about the laptop's IP address, its's subnet mask, Static or DHCP? What are the current configuration settings?]

I am a bit unsure (full disclosure) about the environment, the requirements, and the necessary IP address ranges.

No harm in trying to think through it all here - even if my "number crunching" is amiss.

Feel free to correct my misunderstandings or other errors of omission or commission.

Summary, you have three requirements:

1) that laptop needs to have a single subnet mask 255.255.255.0 (?) with a static IP address
2) that laptop IP address must be able to communicate with a device using 192.168.100.1 (subnet mask 255.255.255.0)
3) that IP laptop address must be able to communicate with a device using 192.168.200.1 (subnet mask 255.255.255.0)

That should be readily doable....

 

[JayGau]

I'm still confused. You can just do like you said: get a few USB-C to ethernet adapters of different colors or whatever label and configure them with a static IP as I explained above. Each adapter will use its saved configuration, and leave the laptop's integrated network adapter (if it has any) to DHCP. The workers will just have to use the adapter labeled for their compressor.

At my work place we do that with desktops that have multiple network adapters to communicate with some devices. The only difference is that yours would be usb external instead of our motherboard integrated ones. As I said, I tried with one of my BENFEI USB-C to etherner adapters and it works.

 

[gggplaya]

I'm still confused. You can just do like you said: get a few USB-C to ethernet adapters of different colors or whatever label and configure them with a static IP as I explained above. Each adapter will use its saved configuration, and leave the laptop's integrated network adapter (if it has any) to DHCP. The workers will just have to use the adapter labeled for their compressor.

At my work place we do that with desktops that have multiple network adapters to communicate with some devices. The only difference is that yours would be usb external instead of our motherboard integrated ones. As I said, I tried with one of my BENFEI USB-C to etherner adapters and it works.

I've had problems with this in the past, specifically with USB-to-Serial com port adapters. You set it up and assign the com port as com port 1 (a program we use requires it to be 1). It worked most times, but some times it would reinstall the driver or whatever, especially if you used a different USB port. Then I would have to use a different program to release com port 1 so I could assign it again. This was back in the windows 7 days, things might be better now.

 

[faalin]

Hope someone can answer this. We need to connect to some air compressor controllers during service. The compressor require a set IP address for the laptop to connect. We have some workers who are not very computer friendly. Since each vendor uses their own IP address, each time we connect to a different brand compressor the tech will need to go to the TCP/IPV4 and manually change it. You would think after they do this for a while they should remember the steps. Nope they still call me asking how to change it over the phone.
Is there a way to assign an IP address to the USB adapter itself? This way I can just order 3 different USB adapter in different color or brands and tell them to pick the correct adapter and never need to do change the TCP manually?

Download Simply IP Config https://sourceforge.net/projects/simpleipconfig/


On the left side of the program you can label each machine and setup the IP address to access them.

All your tech would have to do is open the program, match the machine he's working on with the one on the list. Once you click on the machine on the list you hit apply and it will change all of your TCP/IPV4 settings to what are pre programed inside the software.

 

[gggplaya]

Download Simply IP Config https://sourceforge.net/projects/simpleipconfig/


On the left side of the program you can label each machine and setup the IP address to access them.

All your tech would have to do is open the program, match the machine he's working on with the one on the list. Once you click on the machine on the list you hit apply and it will change all of your TCP/IPV4 settings to what are pre programed inside the software.

This sounds like the winner right here. Zero cost too.