This may not be the best place to ask this, but here i go. My company bought a Mybiz timeclock that connects to this computer through a ethernet network. It says it funtions similar to a "dumb" terminal.It says i have to set up a static ip address for this. I've tried this but i cannot get the two to communicate. I'm sure i'm just not setting this network up right. I really have no clue what i'm doing,(but you cant tell them that). Thanks for any help. p.s. got this timeclock from gneil.com

The place you bought it from has help that you are entitled to. Depends on what you bought. A normal time reader is sort of a "dumb terminal". It may or may not be ready with a static IP address. Most things come with a "default" IP address that may or may not match your network. See doc's to see if such exists. If so then make one computer with a static IP in that subnet. If default is say 192.168.1.1 then make a computer with 192.168.2.2 255.0.0.0 (any clas subnet it ok) then access the setup program to change it to your network's range. After that it should show up on your polling software by it's name and node or ip address. This all assumes that it works. They usually don't reply to a ping command but check docs.

If it has a default IP, you have to set the NIC in the machine that you are using for the configuration to another IP on the same subnet. Then you have to open the interface to the device and change the IP to the subnet that's used on your network. It's the same way you would set up a print server.

Is this the product? http://www.gneil.com/products/mybiztimeclock/default.aspx?sessionid= If so, your post lead everyone to think a hardware NTP time server. This is software. Learn to use the system. Your company paid money for the product, right? You ask for technical support and I bet someone will help you get it installed and configured. They want you to be successful. It's in their best interest though you may need to remind them of that fact. It is usually outlined in the documents pretty well. Odds are [not having worked with the product] the "static" ip address is a install prerequesite for licensing. if you are only using one workstation for both people punching in/out and logging/tracking that they may want to make sure the software is serialized during installation. Give a person a fish you feed them for a day. Ask a person to internet search and they learn a skill for a lifetime.

Yes, that is the product. They will help you with the software for the time clock, but they state they will not help you with setting up the ip address part.

Wanderer is correct, I thought it was a hardware device too. Since it's software, what IP requirements do they say are needed and why? I've never heard of that.

What does the manual say about setting up the ip address? If you can't get help setting it up return the product. Give a person a fish, they eat for a day. Suggest they internet search and they learn a skill for a lifetime.