Installation manual

MONGOOSE

Installation Manual

SYSTEM OVERVIEW

So what is this Rane Mongoose system and why on earth does it have such a funny name?

System Origins

Rane Corporation is well aware of the pain, expense, and frustration of pulling and managing miles of

analog cable throughout a large audio installation, not to mention the potential for inferior sound quality.

For this reason, we have certainly heralded the advent and rapid adoption of digital audio networking. It’s

likely that you have, too. But we realized that there were still a few situations in which current networking

solutions didn’t quite solve the problem. e most popular systems that are currently available (CobraNet

and Ethersound) use large bandwidth Bundles for transmitting the audio signal. For example, CobraNet

Bundles contain up to 8 channels of audio. So if you have only a few channels within a given space, how

can you use these current networking solutions without wasting a tremendous amount of bandwidth?

It’s diﬃcult. In fact, it isn’t possible, unless you implement a Mongoose system. e Mongoose system is

designed to distribute digital audio signals over CAT 5 wiring between low channel count locations and

your CobraNet network. It solves the bandwidth problem by allowing you to aggregate up to 8 channels

that you can then route as a single maximized CobraNet Bundle.

Now – about the name. In the animal kingdom, a mongoose is a furry, yet ferocious creature ranging from

one to four feet in length. ese creatures, which are found in Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, and southern

Europe, are known for their agility and cunning – so fast and smart that they can capture venomous

snakes, even king cobras. Rane chose this name because this system is designed to wrestle and control all

those analog cables you’ve been handling in the past. e Mongoose also aggregates channels to maximize

the bandwidth available in CobraNet Bundles. Clever, huh?

System Components

A Mongoose system contains three primary components:

1. e host device (called the Mongoose) to which you can connect up to eight Remote Audio

Devices (RADs). You can then connect the Mongoose to your Ethernet network (for setup and

control) and to additional CobraNet-enabled audio equipment. e Mongoose is typically located

in the audio rack room.

2. e RADs that serve as the input/output devices located in the rooms in which you want to send

or receive audio.

3. e Mongoose Tracker software (a Microsoft Windows application), which you use to conﬁgure

and troubleshoot the system.

Another key player in a Mongoose system is the CobraNet network. Although there may be a few scenarios

in which CobraNet is not required (for example, sending audio from one RAD to another RAD on the

same Mongoose), most applications will take advantage of the power of CobraNet. Combining a RAD and

CobraNet network allows you to digitize and aggregate scattered channels and eﬃciently route them to

any location within the entire audio system.