Probs with FSUIPC, WideFS and PFC.dll

[stefanloss]

Hi everybody,

during the last days, I have tried to make WideFS working on a server / 2 client network. The network itself is running fine (shareing files across the different pc´s), WideFS and FSUIPC (both registered) are the latest versions. Unfortunately, I am faceing several problems:

1.

In 9 from 10 times, only one of the clients connect to WideServer, the other one stays "waiting for connection" with the log-file showing a "connection timed out" error (Error=10060). The strange thing is that, sometimes, I get the other or even both clients connected. I have spent the last two days looking for any kind of "rule" about that, but I could not find any.

Is there any aspect known that could have an influence on whether one or both clients can connect to WideServer?

2.

After the installation of the latest FSUIPC-versions (both the "normal" one and the "interim"-version available on this forum), I see a huge drop in frame rates (from 22 to 3). I cannot definately say that this effect is linked to the installation of the new FSUIPC, but i sas it for the first time after the update.

3.

Also since the FSUIPC update, the "PFC connection check" does not find FSUIPC anymore, telling me that the "Version of FSUIPC is insufficient 0.000".

A complete re-installation of WideFS, FSUIPC and PFC.dll did not change anything.

Does anybody have any ideas? I am really confused!

Best regards, and thanks in advance,

Stefan Loss.

[Pete Dowson]

In 9 from 10 times, only one of the clients connect to WideServer, the other one stays "waiting for connection" with the log-file showing a "connection timed out" error (Error=10060). The strange thing is that, sometimes, I get the other or even both clients connected. I have spent the last two days looking for any kind of "rule" about that, but I could not find any.

Is there any aspect known that could have an influence on whether one or both clients can connect to WideServer?

No. There is no limit as far as WideServer is concerned. I regularly connect 8 or more clients. I'd need to see your WideServer, WideClient Logs and INI files before I can even make any guesses as to what may be occurring.

After the installation of the latest FSUIPC-versions (both the "normal" one and the "interim"-version available on this forum), I see a huge drop in frame rates (from 22 to 3). I cannot definately say that this effect is linked to the installation of the new FSUIPC, but i sas it for the first time after the update.

There is no measurable affect on FS frame rate for installing FSUIPC alone. It actually does nothing by itself. Do you have something else running at all? And what was your previous version (the one with "22")?

I do hope you haven't renamed any versions and left them in the modules folder, or placed any in the main FS folder?

Also since the FSUIPC update, the "PFC connection check" does not find FSUIPC anymore, telling me that the "Version of FSUIPC is insufficient 0.000".

Ahyou run PFC too?

Please try removing your FSUIPC.KEY file from the FS modules folder, first of all. Then check your modules folder thoroughly -- it sounds very much as if you have something duplicated there, probably re-named. Also check you have none of these DLLs in the main FS folder.

A complete re-installation of WideFS, FSUIPC and PFC.dll did not change anything.

Since a "complete re-installation" merely consists of copying the same DLLs into the same place, I am not at all surprised.

No, for PFC not to get the correct version of FSUIPC is very very strange. It doesn't even have to "connect" to it like external programs, it gets it directly, in memory. This implies something very corrupt and actually taking place of the correct memory.

Please check the things I mentioned, then come back.

Regards,

Pete

[stefanloss]

Hi Peter,

it took me some time, but after a complete re-installation of FS2004, I´ve got the framerate and PFC-issues fixed. I can´t exactly say what went wrong, but I suppose the constant shutting down and re-loading while I was trying to get WideFS working messed something up inside FlightSimulator.

I still have problems with connecting my third pc to WideServer, but I guess it is more something about the WinXP-installation then about WideFS. I think I will re-install windows and see if that helps. If not, I´ll be back and show you the .ini and .log files to see if anything is wrong there.

Anyway, this will be after my holidays. :D

Greetings,

Stefan.

[stefanloss]

Hi at all,

sorry it took me a bit longer than I expected, but I finally got it! :D

The only thing to do was to switch from TCP/IP to IPX (and installing the corresponding protocol on all computers, of course). Obviously WinXP and TCP/IP don´t always mix that well, for what reason ever.

My cousin, who is studying informatics, told me that this is quite a common problem.

Anyway, now everything is working fine.

[Pete Dowson]

The only thing to do was to switch from TCP/IP to IPX (and installing the corresponding protocol on all computers, of course). Obviously WinXP and TCP/IP don´t always mix that well, for what reason ever.

Hmm. Odd thatI found the opposite. I always used SPX on Win98, but with WinXP this was a problem. Since XP SP1 the TCP (and now UDP, faster and supported by WideFS) protocol seems better on my systems than SPX.

Anyway, now everything is working fine.

Okay. Good.

You do know that, if you are using WinXP all round, you can simply omit both protocol and server details from every client and select the protocol in the Server with one parameter line? Makes it easy to swap between the three now supported -- SPX, TCP and UDP -- to see which is really best on your setup.

Regards,

Pete