StuJ

Pete, This works great but I am not sure about disabling the network authentication - I already had this disabled and it did not seem to make any difference to reporting the server node. The thing that did it for me was changing to Ethernet II instead of AUTO as you describe. Again this had to be done on ALL PC's (not just the server) and regardless of Win98 or XP for it to work. I also found out that if you have a network bridge on WinXP (if you use WinXP's network setup wizard it will probably configure this even though it may not be needed), then you need to remove your LAN connection from the bridge for this all to work. After removing from the bridge and reconfiguring as EthernetII, I am now using IPX on 3 clients with Wideserver and things have never been smoother!!!!!!!!!!!! Now just quickly looking for the piece of wood to touch! Regards, Stuart

Pete, Thanks again - this helps a lot. I did read the WideFS documents (again) - honest! but it still wasn't clear to me what was happening. Now I have a much better understanding over the "multiple connections" not actually being duplicates. I have done more testing this afternoon and have found a workaround - if I start the "PFD" Wideclient first then all is well and I don't get the timeouts. If I start it after one of the other two have already started (one runs the CDU and the other runs the EICAS), then I get the timeouts back. It never used to be this way, and I'm still no closer to why it's started doing this in the last few weeks - but at least I know what to do to make it work again for now! Thanks, Stuart

Sorry Pete - I'm using XP with SP2 ! I am absolutely positive that I got the initial (correct) node when using XP (though if it was before or after I got SP1 I don't know). Regards, Stuart

Pete, Thanks for your replies - Sorry may have given you the wrong idea here - may be because I've made references to both the PC (named "PFD" on the network) and the software running on it (which is PM's - also "PFD"). I'm not looking to solve a problem with the PFD software (when Wideclient evetually connects everything works fine) - so you can discount this. I have tried it out this morning by just starting up Wideclient without running anything else - the same thing happens regardless of whether I run software or not i.e it goes to 5,6,7,8 connections before finally stopping. When I say stopping I mean that Wideclient has become "stable" and does not try to connect anymore. Whatever software I use through Wideclient after that point works fine. Yes - confirmed, everthing is OK after this. Once Wideclient "stabilizes" then there's no problem and everything works fine. I'm just trying to solve why Wideclient opens several connections on initial startup which I do not understand why it is doing when it says connection made okay. The number of actual connections made can vary each time I start it up - it's never been only 1, occassionaly seems to be happy after only 2, commonly is 5 or 6 but occassionally just keeps going opening more connections). Yes - after the flight I use a shutdown hotkey through Wideserver. The other 2 PC's close down the applications as expected. On the "problematic" PC (PFD), the application stays open for several minutes - I think until Wideclient realises FS has gone and then quits. I may be wrong but I think this is the most interesting bit. On which connection is it reporting the performance? Or is it an average over all of them? If it's the one which it thinks is "active" at the time - then this doesn't surprise me. There HAD been data exchanged because I'd been using the PM PFD (on the "PFD" PC) for the last hour and a half. However I suspect that this was all through the very first connection made by Wideclient (which it did report OK when it was initially made). It seems to me that Wideclient is establishing a connection successfully - for some reason it just keeps opening more of them before it is "happy". I hope this explains the problem a little better. In summary, this is what I THINK seems to be happening with my comments below. Am probably completely wrong but here we go...... ********* WideClient.DLL Log [version 6.41] Class=FS98MAIN ********* Date (dmy): 12/11/04, Time 18:30:00.796: Client name is PFD 421 Attempting to connect now 593 Trying TCP/IP host "Maincomputer" port 8002 ... 593Okay, IP Address = 192.168.1.101 593 Connection made okay! Wideclient has started on the PFD computer and made a connection 7218 New Client Application: "pfd" (Id=1752) The PM PFD.EXE has been started successfully by Wideclient. At this point I have functioning software. 20625 Timed out response: connection assumed lost! 20640 Ready to try connection again 20656 Attempting to connect now 20671 Connection made okay! For some reason Wideclient says the connection has been lost and starts another one (but PFD.EXE is still running happily and talking to FS. FS title bar now reports 2 connections) 45718 Timed out response: connection assumed lost! 45734 Ready to try connection again 45796 Attempting to connect now 45812 Connection made okay! Same thing again - now FS reports 3 connections 65843 Timed out response: connection assumed lost! 65843 Ready to try connection again 65859 Attempting to connect now 65859 Connection made okay! and again - 4 connections 85906 Timed out response: connection assumed lost! 85906 Ready to try connection again 85937 Attempting to connect now 85937 Connection made okay! and again - 5 connections Now it stops - I am calling this "wideclient stabilized". I can continue flying - everthing works fine. BUT - I think the data exchange is actually taking place over the very first connection made at line 7218. Is this possible? Finally - just to confirm - if I do not run the PFD.exe and just leave it as Wideclient running, the same thing happens (except for line 7218 obviously) - repeated connections at approx 20 second intervals until it becomes "stable". Thanks again for your time, much appreciated. Regards, Stuart

Pete, I started a new topic on the Server node as I did not want to over-complicate things here. I don't know if it is also related to this issue or not. Thanks for any help. Regards, Stuart

I have always used "ServerNode=0.0.39010.53038.58815" in my Wideclient. I got the node from the Wideserver log (a long long time ago) but have not changed anything in the network for a long time so have had no cause to change it. However I have just noticed that the Wideserver log is now reporting a different node - 64828 ServerNode=13330.61389.0.0.512 (? this happened when changed to 6.4.1 - but don't know this for sure because I've just noticed it). The problem is that if I use the new node as reported, it doesn't work and Wideclient can not find the network. If I continue to use the old node as I always have done, then everything is fine. ????? Here are the initial sections from the logs for a session which works - you will see that the nodes which connected successfully are different from that reported by Wideserver. NB I have just put in the first part of the logs to save space here: ********* WideServer.DLL Log [version 6.41] ********* Blocksize guide = 4096 (double allowed) Date (dmy): 14/11/04, Time 10:28:09.015: Server name is MAINCOMPUTER 64828 Initialising TCP/IP server 64828 Initialising IPX/SPX server 64828 ServerNode=13330.61389.0.0.512 76813 Restarting service due to total lack of use 131297 Incoming connection Accepted ok (skt=4212) 131735 Connected to computer "LAPTOP" (skt=4212) 266406 Incoming connection Accepted ok (skt=1852) 266485 Connected to computer "PFD" (skt=1852) ********* WideClient.DLL Log [version 6.41] Class=FS98MAIN ********* Date (dmy): 14/11/04, Time 10:29:20.010: Client name is LAPTOP 748 Attempting to connect now 1306 Trying IPX/SPX on Port 8002, Node 0.0.39010.53038.58815 ... 6646 Connection made okay! 30965 New Client Application: "CDU" (Id=-261871) ********* WideClient.DLL Log [version 6.41] Class=FS98MAIN ********* Date (dmy): 14/11/04, Time 10:31:44.843: Client name is PFD 500 Attempting to connect now 500 Trying IPX/SPX on Port 8002, Node 0.0.39010.53038.58815 ... 532 Connection made okay! 6516 New Client Application: "pfd" (Id=1248) Not sure if this is a problem / bug / or something wrong with my network? Regards, Stuart

Pete, The PFD runs fine on the other PC's - it is definitely only this PC which is the problem. I'm confident it is not - if it is I have no idea what could be wrong. I can run everything else on the network fine - share files / browse folders / use the internet / run other applications on this PC. Below is the client log from the same event. Again, what I can't understand is why WideClient says "Connection made okay!" and then tries to connect again. Regards, Stuart ********* WideClient.DLL Log [version 6.41] Class=FS98MAIN ********* Date (dmy): 12/11/04, Time 18:30:00.796: Client name is PFD 421 Attempting to connect now 593 Trying TCP/IP host "Maincomputer" port 8002 ... 593Okay, IP Address = 192.168.1.101 593 Connection made okay! 7218 New Client Application: "pfd" (Id=1752) 20625 Timed out response: connection assumed lost! 20640 Ready to try connection again 20656 Attempting to connect now 20671 Connection made okay! 45718 Timed out response: connection assumed lost! 45734 Ready to try connection again 45796 Attempting to connect now 45812 Connection made okay! 65843 Timed out response: connection assumed lost! 65843 Ready to try connection again 65859 Attempting to connect now 65859 Connection made okay! 85906 Timed out response: connection assumed lost! 85906 Ready to try connection again 85937 Attempting to connect now 85937 Connection made okay! 7491828 Error on client post-Connection Select() [Error=10053] Software caused connection abort 7491843 Ready to try connection again 7491843 Attempting to connect now 7493031 Error on client pre-Connection Select() [Error=10061] Connection refused 7493031 Ready to try connection again 7493078 Attempting to connect now 7515750 READSTATEDATA received with bad data size! 7515750 0 ReadLocal: Offset=8C000000, Size=0008 7521031 0 ReadLocal: Offset=8C000000, Size=0008 7523687 0 ReadLocal: Offset=8C000000, Size=0008 7526343 0 ReadLocal: Offset=8C000000, Size=0008 7531734 0 ReadLocal: Offset=8C000000, Size=0008 7534390 0 ReadLocal: Offset=8C000000, Size=0008 7537062 0 ReadLocal: Offset=8C000000, Size=0008 7539703 0 ReadLocal: Offset=8C000000, Size=0008 7542359 0 ReadLocal: Offset=8C000000, Size=0008 7547750 0 ReadLocal: Offset=8C000000, Size=0008 7550406 0 ReadLocal: Offset=8C000000, Size=0008 7553109 0 ReadLocal: Offset=8C000000, Size=0008 7555812 0 ReadLocal: Offset=8C000000, Size=0008 7561234 0 ReadLocal: Offset=8C000000, Size=0008 7566640 0 ReadLocal: Offset=8C000000, Size=0008 7569296 0 ReadLocal: Offset=8C000000, Size=0008 7572000 0 ReadLocal: Offset=8C000000, Size=0008 7574671 0 ReadLocal: Offset=8C000000, Size=0008 7577343 0 ReadLocal: Offset=8C000000, Size=0008 7580015 0 ReadLocal: Offset=8C000000, Size=0008 7582703 0 ReadLocal: Offset=8C000000, Size=0008 7584578 Shutdown request received! 7585187 Reception maximum achieved: 0 frames/sec, 0 bytes/sec 7585187 Max receive buffer = 2710, Max send depth = 2 7585187 ********* Log file closed (Buffers: MaxUsed 3, Alloc 241726 Freed 241726 Refused 0) *********

Pete, I would be grateful if you have any suggestions as to the following. I have 3 computers on the network (Laptop, PFD, EICAS) connecting through WideFS. I have attached a Wideserver log which shows what happens typically - Laptop and EICAS connect fine, but for some reason the PFD computer keeps reconnecting even though Wideserver reports a connection has been established. It's reproducible every time, but the number of attempts it makes varies (or I get too many connections and shut down Wideclient on the PFD computer manually) - in the case below it stopped at 5 connections. I use a shutdown hotkey and the Wideclients on the respective computers to close applications as well - again you can see in the log file that the Laptop and EICAS connections are reported disconnected at the end of the session, but the connection to PFD (which I presume was the one on skt 1896 in this case) is not reported disconnected (although it was working as I had been flying with my PM PFD on it). This also fits in with the applications - they do shut down on Laptop and EICAS, but not on the PFD computer. I have tried with both TCP and IPX on the PFD machine but it does not seem to make any difference. The interesting thing in all of this is that I do get a WideFS connection - and it obviously works, but I have to restart so many times on so many occasions to get a low enough number of connections to make it useable that it's driving me nuts! Are there any Wideserver / Wideclient settings that I can change to try and troubleshoot what's happening? Thanks, Stuart ********* WideServer.DLL Log [version 6.41] ********* Blocksize guide = 4096 (double allowed) Date (dmy): 12/11/04, Time 18:19:00.937: Server name is MAINCOMPUTER 130375 Initialising TCP/IP server 130375 Initialising IPX/SPX server 130375 ServerNode=13330.61389.0.0.512 142531 Restarting service due to total lack of use 532531 Incoming connection Accepted ok (skt=5472) 532953 Connected to computer "LAPTOP" (skt=5472) 664672 Incoming connection Accepted ok (skt=4804) 664734 Connected to computer "PFD" (skt=4804) 684750 Incoming connection Accepted ok (skt=5124) 688625 Connected to computer "PFD" (skt=5124) 709890 Incoming connection Accepted ok (skt=2272) 709906 Connected to computer "PFD" (skt=2272) 729906 Incoming connection Accepted ok (skt=5268) 729969 Connected to computer "PFD" (skt=5268) 750000 Incoming connection Accepted ok (skt=1896) 750062 Connected to computer "PFD" (skt=1896) 850109 Incoming connection Accepted ok (skt=5464) 850375 Connected to computer "EICAS" (skt=5464) 8143375 Shutdown broadcast requested by hotkey! 8143437 Shutdown request received! 8145500 Error 10054: client socket disconnected at Client: removing (skt=5464) 8149375 Error 10053: client socket disconnected at Client: removing (skt=5472) 8151547 Closing down now ... Memory managed: Offset records: 457 alloc, 457 free Throughput maximum achieved: 69 frames/sec, 17245 bytes/sec Throughput average achieved for complete session: 25 frames/sec, 4043 bytes/sec ********* Log file closed *********

Pete, Yes - my typo - I did mean C2065. Thanks - this is all I needed. I was sure it wasn't me but needed an expert to explain it. Will post back to the PM forum and take it from there. Thanks again for your help. Stuart

Dear Pete (or anyone else!!), I used to have a decision height control for my PM PFD which used two buttons through FSUIPC to the PM PFD Decision Ht Inc / Dec commands and it worked fine. It has not been working now since around June this year and initially I thought it must be me because I made several changes to my system (including FSUIPC updates [registered] and PM GC updates) at the same time. Now I've had everything working again for some weeks, but I still can not get the DH to work. In FSUIPC when I press the button it comes out as: Joy 174, Btn 14 and is set to : "PM PFD Decision Ht Inc" Joy 174, Btn 13 is set to : "PM PFD Decision Ht Dec" But nothing happens on the PM PFD when I use the buttons. NB I have several other buttons via FSUIPC to PM (like ND Range Inc/Dec and ND Mode Inc / Dec etc etc) and all of them work fine, it's just the DH that doesn't. If I look in the fsuipc.ini it shows: P174,14,C0265,0 P174,13,C2064,0 I am at my wits' end because it seems other people have the DH working. Can you shed any light on where I should be looking to solve this problem? Many thanks, Stuart