Going online with multiple computers is not a feature designed into HiQnet Audio Architect. 
There are no application settings or tools that relate to multiple computers being online at the same time.  Each instance is not aware of whether other instances are online, synchronising parameters, updating firmware, collecting event logs, or saving the Venue file to disk or to the device network.  Each computer will create a connection and subscribe to HiQnet devices independently.  There is no defined limit on the number of computers that can go online to the same network of HiQnet devices.  The limitations lie in the HiQnet devices' ability to maintain a reliable connection with each computer with respect to their available network and CPU bandwidth.

Requirements

Each computer must:

- Run the same version of Audio Architect.  (The version is displayed in the File menu.)

- Open the same Venue file.

- Have network connectivity with the same HiQnet devices.

Recommended practices

- Always Receive parameters when going online unless there is a specific need to Send parameters or load a Configuration to a BSS device.  See Considerations below.

- Always configure Audio Architect to Receive parameters if the Venue file is configured to go online automatically.

- Keep track of any changes made to the Venue file and share the new file immediately.

- Educate users not to save the Venue file when closing Audio Architect when prompted.

- Event Log collection should be enabled on a single computer.  See Considerations below.

- Monitor the CPU usage of each device while testing multiple computers to ensure that connection to devices is stable and reliable

- Configure Audio Architect not to save the Venue file to BSS devices automatically when going online.  See Considerations below.

Considerations

- The Venue file must be managed carefully by the operators.  There are no mechanisms which prevent computers from going online with different Venue files.

- Saving the Venue file is not recommended while multiple computers are online.  If any changes are saved to the Venue file, then all computers should immediately be brought offline and updated with the latest Venue file.

- Enabling Event Logging on multiple computers will result in events being collected from all computers at different times resulting in fragmented Event Logs spread across multiple computers. 

- Saving the Venue file to BSS device network is an acceptable strategy for sharing the same file however this approach should be managed carefully.  Saving the Venue file to the BSS device network should be disabled.  The following settings should be set to No:  File / Application Options / Save To Network / Save design to device network when going online.  In addition, a device malfunction could lead to a complete loss of the file.  Storing the Venue file to disk is a safer option and is easier to manage.  Venue files should be given meaningful filenames or suffixed with a date or version number. 

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