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Are there additional resources to help troubleshoot network connectivity issues for Chromium X Series?

Question: Are there additional resources to help troubleshoot network connectivity issues for Chromium X Series?

 

Answer: Chromium X Series instruments are designed to be connected to the 10x Cloud. This instrument provides an easy way to connect to Wi-Fi or Ethernet. Ethernet connections are recommended for optimal performance. This article provides additional guidance to help troubleshoot network connectivity issues.

 

General guidance/resources for network Connectivity

 

Chromium X Series Resources:

  • The Chromium X Series: Network Connectivity Guidelines Technical Note provides network connectivity guidelines for Chromium X Series instruments to enable easy updates and 10x Genomics Cloud connection to reduce unplanned instrument downtime, minimize run failures and sample loss, and help troubleshoot any connectivity issues. 
  • The Chromium X Series User Guide provides additional details regarding various instrument components, user interface navigation, firmware upgrade options, and all additional features.

 

For connectivity to work correctly for Chromium X Series instruments, the network should allow unrestricted outbound access to the following hosts:

 

Troubleshooting Guidance for Network Connectivity:

 

Before troubleshooting network connectivity issues, it is important to check your institution's website for guides on how to connect to the Wi-Fi. Many institutions have clear instructions on what can be connected without IT involvement. Please reach out to your institution's IT department/network administrator for additional guidance and assistance.

Screenshot 2024-02-22 at 2.13.29 PM.pngTroubleshooting recommendations for connecting the instrument via Wi-Fi:

  • Is the Wi-Fi network’s SSID broadcast?
    • If not, the instrument cannot currently connect over Wi-Fi. 
  • Is the network a guest network? 
    • Verify that the guest network does not have an expiry time and does not require acceptance of a popup window. If the Wi-Fi network requires accepting a popup in a browser (like an airport or coffee shop network), the instrument connection may not be successful.
    • Alternatively, use institutional Wi-Fi or Ethernet. In some cases, institutions will add a permanent MAC address exception for some devices on guest networks if connecting to institutional Wi-Fi is not possible.  
  • Does your network administrator use MAC address-based Network Access Control (NAC)? 
    • If so, provide them with the Wi-Fi MAC address. To find this, turn off the Wi-Fi first, then reboot the instrument. When the instrument is powered back on, navigate to Menu > Connectivity > Wi-Fi, and the hardware MAC address will be shown. Re-enable Wi-Fi and connect to the desired network. Disregard any values displayed while scanning for networks. 
    • Confirm with the network administrator that there are no additional restrictions for MAC address-based NAC that are limiting connectivity.

Screenshot 2024-02-22 at 2.13.36 PM.pngTroubleshooting recommendations for connecting the instrument via Ethernet:

  • Confirm with your network administrator that the Ethernet port you are using is activated. 
  • Confirm the functionality of your Ethernet cable. Check if it can provide a connection to a computer or other device that is known to successfully connect to the network. 
  • Does your network administrator use MAC-based Network Access Control (NAC)? 
    • If so, provide them with the Ethernet MAC address. To find this, navigate to Menu > Connectivity > Ethernet and the MAC address will be displayed. 
    • Note that the MAC address will only be displayed for firmware v1.1.0 and later – if it is not visible, update the firmware, following the instructions in the Chromium X Series Firmware Update Procedure. 
    • Confirm with the network administrator that there are no additional restrictions for MAC address-based NAC that are limiting connectivity.
  • Does the network support DHCP?
    • If not, the instrument can be set up with a static IP address. An IP address needs to be temporarily assigned to the instrument (for example using a router or another network with DHCP).

Screenshot 2024-02-22 at 2.13.42 PM.pngTroubleshooting recommendations for internet connections after instrument has been connected to network (Wi-Fi or Ethernet):

If after connecting to a network (Screenshot 2024-02-22 at 2.14.02 PM.png or Screenshot 2024-02-22 at 2.13.52 PM.png), this icon Screenshot 2024-02-22 at 2.13.42 PM.png is shown, this indicates that the DNS look up of 10x Genomics servers and the following command is failing: 

nslookup envoy.10xdevices.net

Screenshot 2024-02-22 at 2.13.47 PM.pngTroubleshooting recommendations to connect to the 10x Cloud:

If the header bar shows Screenshot 2024-02-22 at 2.14.02 PM.png or Screenshot 2024-02-22 at 2.13.52 PM.png, Screenshot 2024-02-22 at 2.13.57 PM.png and , this indicates that the instrument is connected to a local network and has DNS access, but cannot reach the 10x Cloud. 

  • The most likely problem is that your organization’s firewall is blocking outbound connections to 10x resources. The table below lists the complete set of hosts, ports and protocols in use by the Chromium X Series instrument. The outbound TCP port 443 for the 10x Cloud must be enabled. 

  • Confirm with your network administrator whether a configuration to your organization’s firewall may be needed to whitelist the addresses listed above for outbound-only traffic.  
  • If the firewall is opened, confirm with your network administrator that the instrument does not require a proxy. The Chromium X Series instrument does not support HTTP/HTTPS proxies, but transparent proxies are not expected to impede connectivity. 

 

Additional Resources for Chromium X Series for commonly asked questions:

 

Products: Chromium X Series