AWS Elemental Link Troubleshooting Guide

Q: I can’t see my Link device in the console. Where can I find it?

Link HD and Link UHD devices are managed in AWS Elemental MediaLive in the console. Log into the AWS Management Console and then click on Devices in the left hand side-bar.

Your Link device was paired to a specific account and region when it was ordered. Check that you are logged into the account that ordered the Link devices and that you are in the AWS Region that was selected at the time of purchase.

Check that the device LEDs for Online and Connected are both blue. Red LEDs indicates your network is not allowing the device to connect to the internet over Port 443.   

Q: How do I configure Link for Static IP addressing?

Instructions for setting up Static IP addressing can be found in the Link HD Quick Start and Link UHD Quick Start guides.

Q: I have set up my device for Static IP addressing but when I go to the default GUI address I get an error page. How can I fix this?

Make sure the address you are going to in your browser is https://192.168.1.100. The https protocol is required and using http will result in an error. Some browsers may display a warning or error page due to the https address.

Q: How do I keep my device up to date?

Leave your Link powered on and connected to the internet, even when you're not streaming live video. Your device will automatically download new software updates as they become available and as long as the device is connected but not streaming.

Q: Why did my device reboot?

Link software updates often require the device to reboot. Your device may appear to be unresponsive during this time. Please allow time for the updates to finish and do not unplug power from the device.

Q: Why did my device become unresponsive or reboot after I powered it on?

If your device has been offline for more than a few days, it may need multiple updates to bring it up to the latest software version. As soon as your device is powered on and connected to the internet, it will begin to process those updates automatically. We recommend that you leave your device powered on and connected to the internet, even when idle, to keep your device up to date.

Q: How do I transfer my Link device to a different AWS region?

From the MediaLive Devices page, click the Device ID to open the detail page. Then click Transfer Device. In the dialog box, select Transfer to another AWS Region, select the Target Region, and click Transfer. Your device will appear in the MediaLive Devices page in the Target Region within 5 minutes.

Q:  What do the LEDs on my device mean?

Please refer to the Link HD and Link UHD Hardware Spec Sheets for a full table of LED state definitions.

Q:  My device’s Online LED is blue, Connected/Linked LED is blue, and Streaming LED is purple. My device is connected, I see thumbnails in the cloud, but why am I not getting video into the input of MediaLive?

Check that the Link device feeding the MediaLive channel is the correct device. Also make sure you look directly at the LED from the front of the device. Red and purple can be hard to distinguish when viewed from above, below, or off to the side.

Q:  My device’s Online LED is blue, Connected/Linked LED is blue, and Streaming LED is red. My device is connected, I see thumbnails in the cloud, but why am I not getting video into the input of MediaLive?

The Streaming light turns Red when the MediaLive channel is running but the device is not able to send video. This can be due to an invalid video input or the device not being able to establish a Zixi connection for the video stream.

If the Streaming LED was red before the MediaLive Channel started, then the issue is likely an invalid video source. If the Steaming LED was purple before the MediaLive Channel started, then the issue is likely due to a firewall rule that is blocking the Zixi video connection.

Please talk to your network administrator to ensure that Port 2088 is open for outbound established connections. The Zixi protocol used by Link requires this port to be open to send video to AWS.

Q:  My device’s Online LED is blue, Connected/Linked LED is blue, and Streaming LED is flashing red. My device is connected, but why do I not see thumbnails in the cloud nor video into the input of MediaLive?

The device can’t lock on the supplied input. Check that the input is set correctly to SDI or HDMI. If set to AUTO, the link device will only automatically change to a different input when not streaming. Ensure the video input source has a compatible resolution. If possible, check for signal integrity issues caused by a long or damaged cable by trying a different cable.

Q:  When I try to access the device GUI, why can’t I get to the login screen?

Instructions for accessing the GUI and configuring network settings can be found in the in the Link HD Quick Start and Link UHD Quick Start guides. Make sure that you are using https (and not http) in the URL address in your browser.

Q:  What do I do if I forgot the credentials to the device GUI?

Press and hold the button on the front of the device for 15 seconds until the LEDs flash 3 times, then release the button. You will see the LEDs flash once after 5 seconds, twice after 10 seconds, and then three times after 15 seconds. This reverts the credentials for the device GUI to the default Admin Username and Admin Password listed on the bottom of the device.

Q:  What can I do if I have video quality issues?

The link devices starts streaming using the max bitrate setting on for the device in the MediaLive console. Once streaming, Link automatically adjusts the video bitrate up and down depending on the measured network conditions, staying below the max bitrate setting. Bitrate adjustments are fast but not instantaneous, so very rapid changes in available bandwidth or a large difference in target bitrate vs available bitrate can cause temporary video artifacts. Video quality issues may persist if the available bitrate remains below the level needed for encoding in the given format. In such conditions, reducing either the resolution or frame rate of the video source may improve the overall perceived video quality.

You should also check the bitrate setting in the MediaLive console for the device. This target bitrate is the combination of video, audio, and metadata. Ensure your network upload speed supports the target bitrate with room for overhead, considering other devices that are on the network, variable conditions, and other factors. Also check that that your network connection is persistent.