GHL Mini 4 Debate

[Tankkeepers]

Thanks, unfortunately, it's too late. I have the controller and 2 power bars which are basically useless

Danit I'm sry hioe it'll work out good for you somehow someway

 

[Ditto]

@Tankkeepers 99.9% of users are not going to post when something works. If your going to cast an opinion that GHL was not thinking of end users because not including a ethernet port on the P4 device based on your research on forums, google searches, and videos, then you must also have the same opinion of Neptune Systems. With the initial release of the Apex 2016 unit and all the Apex Gold users who already had PM2 modules who if they wanted to use the EB832 or the Trident needed to replace the Apex Gold base unit since it was not backwards compatible.

I always tell people to write down what is important to them in a controller, and then choose. You have chosen and I respect that decision. I have one of the largest viewed thread on these forums of swapping from Apex to GHL 5 years ago on 3 of my 4 tanks, and fast forward to today, I have no regrets and would do it again. My 4th tank is still running the Apex 2016, replaced by the original Apex Gold on it. Do I wish GHL did more software updates, who would not. But, I did not make my decision on software updates or web interface look or feel. I lost features that were only on the Apex and not on P4, and picked up features that were only on P4 and not Apex. My Decision was I needed stability and reliability. I was away at the time for on average 4-6 weeks at a time, and had a major tank crash after the Apex 2016 unit crashed. I could not access or control the unit remotely, even though a Remote Desktop in my home causing me to take a red eye home to see the display tank dead. Not the first time it had happen on the Apex 2016 but was the last time. I respect your decision :)

@HuduVudu I did set up the environment, DHCP Server Linux 8, Wireless Sniffer, set a P4e, P4, Mini to DHCP, rebooted them made the request no issues on flooding. UDP packet request came into the server and registered, I am not seeing a UDP flood on the router, or the switch. So I did a few more test, I rebooted a router, no issue, I rebooted a wireless bridge, no issue, I rebooted the network switch the wireless router was plugged into that had the devices wireless connect to and again no issues. Then I went for a hail Mary and rebooted everything, like a full blown power outage and no flood seen. I can downgrade the devices wireless firmware to see if it was happening on older versions but it not on the latest version.

I am going to run more test and different wireless configurations to see if I can get the unit to flood, but wanted to provide some feedback of what I have seen so far :)

@Tankkeepers Whooohoo fellow DOS user. I am a PC DOS 1.X and remember and probably still have the 3.5 disks of all the versions of DOS and Windows 3.0 and 3.1 :). UDP flooding was always fun but nothing like STP flooding hehe.

 

[Tankkeepers]

@Tankkeepers 99.9% of users are not going to post when something works. If your going to cast an opinion that GHL was not thinking of end users because not including a ethernet port on the P4 device based on your research on forums, google searches, and videos, then you must also have the same opinion of Neptune Systems. With the initial release of the Apex 2016 unit and all the Apex Gold users who already had PM2 modules who if they wanted to use the EB832 or the Trident needed to replace the Apex Gold base unit since it was not backwards compatible.

I always tell people to write down what is important to them in a controller, and then choose. You have chosen and I respect that decision. I have one of the largest viewed thread on these forums of swapping from Apex to GHL 5 years ago on 3 of my 4 tanks, and fast forward to today, I have no regrets and would do it again. My 4th tank is still running the Apex 2016, replaced by the original Apex Gold on it. Do I wish GHL did more software updates, who would not. But, I did not make my decision on software updates or web interface look or feel. I lost features that were only on the Apex and not on P4, and picked up features that were only on P4 and not Apex. My Decision was I needed stability and reliability. I was away at the time for on average 4-6 weeks at a time, and had a major tank crash after the Apex 2016 unit crashed. I could not access or control the unit remotely, even though a Remote Desktop in my home causing me to take a red eye home to see the display tank dead. Not the first time it had happen on the Apex 2016 but was the last time. I respect your decision :)

@HuduVudu I did set up the environment, DHCP Server Linux 8, Wireless Sniffer, set a P4e, P4, Mini to DHCP, rebooted them made the request no issues on flooding. UDP packet request came into the server and registered, I am not seeing a UDP flood on the router, or the switch. So I did a few more test, I rebooted a router, no issue, I rebooted a wireless bridge, no issue, I rebooted the network switch the wireless router was plugged into that had the devices wireless connect to and again no issues. Then I went for a hail Mary and rebooted everything, like a full blown power outage and no flood seen. I can downgrade the devices wireless firmware to see if it was happening on older versions but it not on the latest version.

I am going to run more test and different wireless configurations to see if I can get the unit to flood, but wanted to provide some feedback of what I have seen so far :)

@Tankkeepers Whooohoo fellow DOS user. I am a PC DOS 1.X and remember and probably still have the 3.5 disks of all the versions of DOS and Windows 3.0 and 3.1 :). UDP flooding was always fun but nothing like STP flooding hehe.

You missed my point entirely

Backwards compatibility and a unit with a manufacturer defect is not even close to the same

And if you really want to go there

Yes apex has wifi problem these can be bypassed via a lan port on the brain

Yes if you overload the apex powerstrips they fail dont pull more then 5 of 7 amps and its fine

dont connect a heater to it it can not handel the switching and will burn out

Most of this is user error or a bad unit from the manufacturer cuz quality control is lacking

But the fact is ghl has the same problem in just about every unit

When theres a pattern then its a problem


Anyone who thought using WiFi and not including a wired option on their flagship unit around mechanical pumps fans etc was not thinking about the end user

All they care about was manufacturing cost and the replaced the lan with wifi

They knew they messed up otherwise the new doser units would be wifi only also

Then the fact you loose the wired connection on the flagship unit speak volumes about the company as a whole

On top of this they have still neither addressed or fixed their problem

I contacted ghl about this today just to see

You know what I got it must be my fault

Can't possibly be their stuff

Blaming the end user for a fault that's theirs is not ok

I'm done peace out

If you don't need to connect to the unit while out of the house ghl is fine if you need it to work as it's soposed to and be controllable while away look elsewhere

 

[Tankkeepers]

Oh and just to be clear I'm may not use this unit personally but I went to the lfs who uses them and Apex and the 3 stores in a city near me and guess what

It's exactly as I said it was

They won't even sell a ghl product enless the consumer orders it special then they will warn them before the order about the issues it has

Ghl works as iv said before but not as it's intended to

 

[MotoJJ]

@Tankkeepers 99.9% of users are not going to post when something works. If your going to cast an opinion that GHL was not thinking of end users because not including a ethernet port on the P4 device based on your research on forums, google searches, and videos, then you must also have the same opinion of Neptune Systems. With the initial release of the Apex 2016 unit and all the Apex Gold users who already had PM2 modules who if they wanted to use the EB832 or the Trident needed to replace the Apex Gold base unit since it was not backwards compatible.

I always tell people to write down what is important to them in a controller, and then choose. You have chosen and I respect that decision. I have one of the largest viewed thread on these forums of swapping from Apex to GHL 5 years ago on 3 of my 4 tanks, and fast forward to today, I have no regrets and would do it again. My 4th tank is still running the Apex 2016, replaced by the original Apex Gold on it. Do I wish GHL did more software updates, who would not. But, I did not make my decision on software updates or web interface look or feel. I lost features that were only on the Apex and not on P4, and picked up features that were only on P4 and not Apex. My Decision was I needed stability and reliability. I was away at the time for on average 4-6 weeks at a time, and had a major tank crash after the Apex 2016 unit crashed. I could not access or control the unit remotely, even though a Remote Desktop in my home causing me to take a red eye home to see the display tank dead. Not the first time it had happen on the Apex 2016 but was the last time. I respect your decision :)

@HuduVudu I did set up the environment, DHCP Server Linux 8, Wireless Sniffer, set a P4e, P4, Mini to DHCP, rebooted them made the request no issues on flooding. UDP packet request came into the server and registered, I am not seeing a UDP flood on the router, or the switch. So I did a few more test, I rebooted a router, no issue, I rebooted a wireless bridge, no issue, I rebooted the network switch the wireless router was plugged into that had the devices wireless connect to and again no issues. Then I went for a hail Mary and rebooted everything, like a full blown power outage and no flood seen. I can downgrade the devices wireless firmware to see if it was happening on older versions but it not on the latest version.

I am going to run more test and different wireless configurations to see if I can get the unit to flood, but wanted to provide some feedback of what I have seen so far :)

@Tankkeepers Whooohoo fellow DOS user. I am a PC DOS 1.X and remember and probably still have the 3.5 disks of all the versions of DOS and Windows 3.0 and 3.1 :). UDP flooding was always fun but nothing like STP flooding hehe.

Plus lack of integrations with the P4

 

[Tankkeepers]

@Tankkeepers 99.9% of users are not going to post when something works. If your going to cast an opinion that GHL was not thinking of end users because not including a ethernet port on the P4 device based on your research on forums, google searches, and videos, then you must also have the same opinion of Neptune Systems. With the initial release of the Apex 2016 unit and all the Apex Gold users who already had PM2 modules who if they wanted to use the EB832 or the Trident needed to replace the Apex Gold base unit since it was not backwards compatible.

I always tell people to write down what is important to them in a controller, and then choose. You have chosen and I respect that decision. I have one of the largest viewed thread on these forums of swapping from Apex to GHL 5 years ago on 3 of my 4 tanks, and fast forward to today, I have no regrets and would do it again. My 4th tank is still running the Apex 2016, replaced by the original Apex Gold on it. Do I wish GHL did more software updates, who would not. But, I did not make my decision on software updates or web interface look or feel. I lost features that were only on the Apex and not on P4, and picked up features that were only on P4 and not Apex. My Decision was I needed stability and reliability. I was away at the time for on average 4-6 weeks at a time, and had a major tank crash after the Apex 2016 unit crashed. I could not access or control the unit remotely, even though a Remote Desktop in my home causing me to take a red eye home to see the display tank dead. Not the first time it had happen on the Apex 2016 but was the last time. I respect your decision :)

@HuduVudu I did set up the environment, DHCP Server Linux 8, Wireless Sniffer, set a P4e, P4, Mini to DHCP, rebooted them made the request no issues on flooding. UDP packet request came into the server and registered, I am not seeing a UDP flood on the router, or the switch. So I did a few more test, I rebooted a router, no issue, I rebooted a wireless bridge, no issue, I rebooted the network switch the wireless router was plugged into that had the devices wireless connect to and again no issues. Then I went for a hail Mary and rebooted everything, like a full blown power outage and no flood seen. I can downgrade the devices wireless firmware to see if it was happening on older versions but it not on the latest version.

I am going to run more test and different wireless configurations to see if I can get the unit to flood, but wanted to provide some feedback of what I have seen so far :)

@Tankkeepers Whooohoo fellow DOS user. I am a PC DOS 1.X and remember and probably still have the 3.5 disks of all the versions of DOS and Windows 3.0 and 3.1 :). UDP flooding was always fun but nothing like STP flooding hehe.

Holy crap a sensible person

I miss dos

I still remember going threw each of the commands when I first got it to see what they did got to

Fdisk and of course hit y cuz I didn't know what things did yet

Spent the next week reinstalling dos from 5 floppys would of been faster but man always get to the 3rd or 4th one and fail lol

I do not miss floppy or hard disks

Also I find it funny floppy disks were hard and hard disks were floppy

 

[Billldg]

My GHL setup that I use to control my tank while at work or out of state.

 

[Lasse]

And mine - when I´m on vacation, sleeping, working or not at home

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Lasse]

Whooohoo fellow DOS user. I am a PC DOS 1.X and remember and probably still have the 3.5 disks of all the versions of DOS and Windows 3.0 and 3.1

I miss CP/M :) and I have a CD at home that content all Win from Win1 to Millenium

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Vinny@GHLUSA]

Connection to the home office reef when I need to access it at home, away from home, on vacation, shows, and even on the airplane. At times, I leave the tank for 3-4 weeks at a time. No worries because it will connect and continue sending me periodic updates via email, text and push notifications.

@Lasse @Billldg @Ditto
It must be something magical we're doing. ;)

 

[HuduVudu]

I feel much better about my decision now.

 

[KStatefan]

Not much on my dashboard but my view from work

 

[Lasse]

@Ditto Have you try with roaming assistant on/off in your test runs according @HuduVudu reported flooding of requests?

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Ditto]

I been testing with Cisco Wireless Roaming without any issues. I ordered a Asus Wirless Mesh Network setup which has roaming assistance on it and a Google Mesh Network also. Both should be here at the end of week and will test with those also.

 

[MotoJJ]

Connection to the home office reef when I need to access it at home, away from home, on vacation, shows, and even on the airplane. At times, I leave the tank for 3-4 weeks at a time. No worries because it will connect and continue sending me periodic updates via email, text and push notifications.

@Lasse @Billldg @Ditto
It must be something magical we're doing. ;)

I will pay someone to consult and help set up my GHL system. For me, it has been a total waste of money

 

[DHill6]

I have GHL and Hydros. I’m looking at getting rid of the Hydros and switching that to GHL.

The big flaw for the mini, as far as I am concerned, is that if the head unit loses connection for whatever reason (a power or hardware failure) then all of the sockets turn off. This might be rare but I did have this happen to a Profilux 3, and I’ve just had something similar happen to my Hydros.

I would look for a used Profilux 4e if you can afford it, rather than the mini. I haven’t used Neptune so I can’t comment on that. I’m not a huge fan of Hydros.

Interesting, my Hydros didn’t have a problem after power outage of 8+ hours, it came back up fine, it held all settings like it was designed to do.