ETC Net2 DMX nodes are a great way to transport your DMX around a venue. I have a Hog DMX widget attached to one of my iPCs that feeds all 4 universes directly into a ETC DMX node. Various DMX nodes throughout the venue then provide the data distribution via Ethernet without having to worry about signal loss and extreme cable runs.
In an outdoor venue, I have a Hog 1000 that feeds DMX into one ETC node, which sends data to a dozen nodes spread out over a half-mile area.
Is this the kind of information you were looking for?
At the Liberty Memorial Museum in Kansas City we have a hog3pc running a theatrical presentation and an ETC Unison/Emphasis running the rest of the museum. Three universes from the hog go out to an ETCNet 4 port gateway configured for 3 DMX inputs. The hog and the Unison share universe #1 for our 3x96 ETC dimmer racks. Universe #2 feeds all DMX raceways (via another 4 port gateway acting as a DMX distro) that are terminated via several DL-1s, Studio Spots, and strobes. There is a 2 port ETCNet node on the same universe (#2) that feeds The groundrow Selador LED strips at the upstage wall. Universe #3 feeds to a 2 port ETCNet node via the ETCNetwork that runs a long stretch of ColorBlaze 72 in 12ch mode (400+ channels just for the strips!) at one exhibit on the other side of the museum. The 4th Universe is for 3x Catalysts at the AV rack. It all works pretty well, we are essentially using the ETCNet system as a big, configurable, DMX splitter/merger/distribution rig. The Unison mostly does all lighting control for the rest of the museum and does tap into Universe 2 to activate shutdown channels on the DL-1s and Spots when someone hits the "End Of Day" button. All in all it works pretty well.
I do wish there were more of an open standard for networked control systems. I'd really like to be able to http into the entire system remotely to check on dimmer loads (for burnouts) and VPN into the hog3 and Catalyst servers to make sure everything is on the up and up. At present you have to be the equivalent of an IT Guru to be able to make things like this happen. The rest of the remotely controlled computer world has featuresets like this and I believe this type of activity will increase as more networked lighting control systems become more prevalent in the industry. The Rosco/ET Horizon control system implemented http in a good way and I had hoped that would begin some kind of trend, but I have yet to seet it happen. It's too bad.
I work in a venue where we have an ETC net2 system installed here in Chicago. It works well. We have 5 different lightboards which control three different rooms, one of which is across the street in a different building. Although mainly each desk controls it's own thing, the ETC net allows me to take control of lights typicaly controled by another desk. For example, for the most part my Hog III controls only the moving lights, but say I want to take a few dimmers away from the OBII I am able. It is a fairly simple system. It is also handy when I need to put some movers in a different room or outside for a special setup.
The Net system also allows me to turn on the lights in the room across the street, as well as adjust levels as needed (via the camera.)
