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How to do insider connect on the cheap

  • Thread starter Thread starter Deleted member 2463
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Deleted member 2463

So you got Godzilla and you want to get those cheevos on your other games:

1 order a bunch of wifi dongles from Amazon:
WiFi Dongle for MAG 250 254 255... https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B015TCA2EM?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

2 order a bunch of micro sd cards from amazon:

SanDisk Ultra 32 GB microSDHC Memory Card + SD Adapter with A1 App Performance Up to 120 MB/s, Class 10, U1, SDSQUA4-032G-GN6MA , Red/Grey https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08GY9NYRM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_EMP9X0T9THQBKVYTJ3AN

you need one per game.

3 order A bunch of cat 5 cables from Amazon - you need atleast 2 then one per game :


4 order one of these boxes from Amazon US
Toptekits 4 Port Way 8P8C RJ45... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07F65L4RG?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share


uograde your game to the code that has stern insider connected in it so for turtles 1.50

POWER OFF!!!!

insert the wifi dongle into the USB port on your spike 2 CPU be gentle
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insert the micro sd card into your spike 2 CPU be careful…
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Take off the apron off your Godzilla - then connect your your Godzilla card reader using one of the cables you bought and connect it to port In/OUT on the switching box. run a cable from port a on the switching box back to Godzilla‘s node board that you disconnected the other end of the reader cable from. remember you need to thread the cable so you can close the coindoor put the glass on, I threaded mine through the coin slots (although I plan to put SIC on all games so this is temp for me).
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connect a cable from the empty node board port on each spike2 game you want to use - watch out some node boards have a dummy end connector remove this and keep it.

Select which game lets say B has turtles on it. Whilst Godzilla and turtles are off press B turn turtles on. Turtles will boot it will say formatting sd card then go into settings and follow the stern guide to connecting the game! You will need to register on insider and have your wifi details ready - You can then log into the game and collect cheevos!

Repeat for other games.

Just remember to power off before selecting what game you want to use the reader with. And don't worry your other games will still work ok when you don't have the reader connected. You just won't be able to login.

I’ve got a pro kit so I’m using that instead of the Godzilla reader.

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Last edited by a moderator:
yeah David, thanks for the links I looked and couldn't find anything.
 
Must be a way to get a third party camera/barcode reader on RJ45 and just mount it on the side of the cabinet instead of changing the apron or using a switch, she. I get my hands on one will have a play
 
if they’d used USB I’d agree but they’ve made it a node board. And the limitation is the addressing system of the nodeboards.
 
Any idea how long it should stay on the formatting MicroSD card screen?
Trying to do this with my Imdn, but appears to be stuck Trying to format the SD card
 
Cheers Kev
Bad card. Swapped and up and running.
Now to decide whether to wreck the JP2 movie code for IC or not? 🤔
 
Hi Neil,

Couple of questions on this.

What is the SD card used for?

With home teams now on IC, what would be the minimum needed to get a second, or more, game(s) connected? Presumably, you just need to register the non insider kit game by temporarily connecting to the QR reader.

Appreciate your information.
 
Minimum is wifi dongle and sd card. Then I ran a lo g cat4 cable from the reader to each one, registered it etc. Set up home team and then you can log in on any game any time without the qr reader. I have all my sterns running on insider.
 
I tried upgrading my IMDN Prem today - I had to borrow the star tech wireless dongle out of GZ as the one I bought didnt work (it works fine in my laptops, but not in the Pinball).

I managed to unplug the rj45 from the GZ QR code reader and plug in a network cable without removing the apron.

it all worked, so tried my unbranded wifi dongle back in IMDN and it just doesn't recognise it. I'll get a different dongle. Probably go for the Star Tech one.
 
I managed to get my wifi connected using a startech usb300wn2x2c wifi dongle. Looks very similar to the ones stern are shipping with the latest games.
 
There’s also now the home team workaround which means you don’t need the switch to keep the other machines wired to the machine with the QR reader. just temporarily run a cable, get the other machine online, and set up home team. Guests with insider accounts won’t be able to scan in, but anyone on your home team will be able to select their profile just by holding down the left flipper button In attract mode.
 
JustLikeMe said:
There’s also now the home team workaround which means you don’t need the switch to keep the other machines wired to the machine with the QR reader. just temporarily run a cable, get the other machine online, and set up home team. Guests with insider accounts won’t be able to scan in, but anyone on your home team will be able to select their profile just by holding down the left flipper button In attract mode.
Click to expand...
had some success getting them to scan in on the machine with the reader and then adding them to the home team on there. After a while they show up on the other machines.
 
Disappointed. I think I have bought a dud type wireless USB adapter!

https://www.dicksmith.co.nz/dn/buy/...&utm_campaign=postsale_dispatched&activated=t

Seemed to have the right chipset etc, but when plugged in with sd card and connected to a qr reader, will not connect to the wifi. When I put onto an old desktop (win7) with no internet access, it tries to find a driver to install.

Looking for advice on what dongle I can get from here in New Zealand that will work to set up home team.

Thanks
Skippy2904


2E646E0C-1851-4898-A350-5D7959BBB786.jpeg71575A66-EC87-406A-8F53-BB2063690037.jpeg
 
New to all this connected pinball lark - what's the minimum shopping list I'd need to get a Spike 2 game ready for Insider Connected? Do the machines come with a QR reader behind the right hand side of the apron, or is that the only bit of custom Stern kit you need from them? I don't see a QR reader listed in the original post.
 
You need a SD card, Wifi Dongle and (if you don't have an already equipped machine) the QR reader. If you have a machine you can set them to home team and then once enabled you only need the SD and the ariel.
You cannot use a non full equipped machine to update code, just to login and get achievements.
 
Epotech said:
You need a SD card, Wifi Dongle and (if you don't have an already equipped machine) the QR reader. If you have a machine you can set them to home team and then once enabled you only need the SD and the ariel.
You cannot use a non full equipped machine to update code, just to login and get achievements.
Click to expand...
I've definitely updated machines without the reader connected.
 
Still never used Insider Connected and doubt I ever will. Can't see the point in it. That's just me so no pile on please.
 
You can enable insider connected without the QR code reader - you just need the extra memory card and a wifi dongle, there's lots to choose from.

I grabbed this wifi dongle and have had no issues other than when the Stern server is down!
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0CJQ9TSSZ

Again many SD cards to chose, I got this one (I deliberately chose 64GB rather than 32GB):
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0B7NXBM6P

The QR code reader is a specialist bit of Stern kit, it reads the QR code (no ****!) and converts it for the game. Once it has read the code it can install you (or the QR code that was read) on any game with insider enabled (no need to show it the QR code again), just hook it up to the nearest RJ45 slot that is vacant. You can open the coin door and find one on the left next to the playfield arm without taking the glass off the playfield. That's the normal tap in point for apron readers. The other option is to tap in to the spare slot on the MPU in the backbox. If you want to permanently install the reader then they can be mounted in the coin return receptacle and get a long enough RJ45 to reach from there to the back box.
 
Oh and I forgot to mention that you can run a RJ45 from a machine with QR code reader fitted to one that hasn't. Unplug the fitted RJ45 at the QR reader, plug in the RJ45 that's going to another machine then plug the other end of that in to the RJ45 connector receptacle on the new machine. No need to remove the QR code reader.
 
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