Very happy bunny tonight, home made lighting console software working, artnet to dmx boxes working, auto configure working 
Sooooo the sequence goes like this, you plug your laptop in to the network (or connect to the wireless) and start the lighting desk software, next you plug in one of the artnet adapter boxes anywhere on the same network, the box gets a dhcp address and then sends it’s current IP and universe to the lighting desk software…and here’s the best bit…that configures that universe itself!!! 
This will allow up to 20 boxes all to be automatically added to the controller completely automatically 
Next step is to dynamically remap the adapter in the software if the universe is changed :)
(yup I’m buzzing now)