Some of the information in this section is repeated elsewhere in the resource guide, but we have tried to pull all the network related information into one spot to make it easier for the person in charge of the network to understand Fusion’s requirements.
It is necessary for the feedlot to have a constant internet connection. Fusion uses the internet for many things including communicating with services such as CCIA and NLIS, checking for new versions and downloading install files, sending server health data and crash information to us, sending Lot Info Export files each night when requested, and many other things.
However, with the possible exception of feed truck syncing, it is not recommended that Fusion Client connect over the internet. This means that a local network must be built out, whether wired or wireless, to cover the barns and trucks. More on this in a minute.
In the meantime, if there will be connections to Fusion Server from outside the local network, the router needs to be configured to forward all traffic on ports 19812-19814 and 19820 to the server. Of course, the ISP would also need to give the feedlot a static IP address.
We recommend that all Fusion related computers be on the same subnet, including computers at other locations. It is possible for Fusion to work when this is not the case, but manual entering of IP addresses during connection will often be necessary. If everything is on the same subnet Fusion can usually automatically detect the server and connect automatically.
Within the office we recommend a wired gigabit connection between the server and all computers.
While a wired gigabit connection from the office to each chuteside computer would be ideal, this isn’t usually feasible. Good point-to-point wireless radios in the 2.4GHz and 5.8GHz ranges with 100-1000 Mbps bandwidths can be installed and are recommended if wired is not feasible.
Fusion Client requires a stable, constant connection to work. Low latency and high bandwidth characteristics are critical, so care should be taken in choosing the equipment to spread your network to the chuteside areas.
Radios similar to those used at chuteside are excellent for truck use, but not as necessary. The truck only needs to be connected to the network during the syncing process. Ideally this will occur after every load and only takes a few seconds. In this case it is sufficient to establish a wireless connection point near the mill, for example, where the truck can sync at known connection points.
If a system such as this is not feasible, it should be possible to use off-the-shelf wireless products, perhaps driving close to the office for a connection and syncing less often.
We recommend that a long length of ethernet cable be prepared so that if the wireless network is not working some day, it would be possible to connect the truck computer to the office switch through a door or window so that syncing could be accomplished at least morning and night until the issue is fixed.
The computer that Fusion Server runs on must have a static IP address. All other computers may use DHCP, if desired.
The server needs to have TCP ports 19812-19814 and 19820 as well as UDP ports 19813 and 19820 opened. If Symmetry will be used, TCP port 19850 should also be opened.
It has been our experience that network instability is one of the greatest causes of frustration for Fusion users. It seems that many of the cheaper devices (routers, switches, etc.) and cables often don’t last very long, especially in a demanding feedlot environment.
We recommend spending a little more here to get higher quality equipment and consider having backup equipment on hand and pre-configured.
If you can add the network equipment to your surge protector and battery backup devices, this is best.
IMPORTANT: You must test your network using the tools in Fusion Installer to know if your network aligns with the following recommendations.
We recommend 50 Mbps or higher for office computers. Greater than 100 Mbps is preferred, where possible. For chuteside computers, we recommend 10 Mbps or higher. Trucks can be as low as 1-2 Mbps for syncing, but upgrades work best with a minimum of 10 Mbps. Anything less than these recommendations will likely result in sluggish performance at best and many disconnects at worst.
Latency should be minimal, hopefully below 10 ms and ideally <= 1 ms. Truck and chuteside computers can deal with higher latency than office computers. Packet loss should be near 0%. Anything outside these parameters should be corrected.
The chart below shows the effect that throughput and latency in the network can have on Fusion and is included to give you a better idea of the importance of network requirements. Of course, these results will not be exactly reproducible as networks vary a lot, but the relative numbers should give you a good idea of the cost of network differences in terms of performance.
If you have computers on your network that do not meet the minimum requirements, please work to address the issue. This may include changing settings, moving equipment around, or even upgrading to faster equipment.
For your information, more details on some of the tests in the chart above are provide here:
