Wide Client won't shut down

[camaflight]

Hello,

I have searched the forum and couldn't find anything that was adequate to my isseue here.

After starting WideClient but before it gets connected it is possible to minimize or drag the WideClient window around the screen.

However, after it get connected the window is frozen - not possible to drag around, it is impossible to minimize it and at the end complete impossible to shut down without using Windows task manager.

Any idea whats wrong ?

In case this is a network problem this may then be due to the fact that I have still a connecting problem between client and server. I don't get appropriate permissions from client to server.

There is a known problem here because of XP (client) and server (Vista) for which Microsoft has a solution they do not reccommend if the problem isn't exactely as they have described - and I'm uncertain if it really is. They then reccommend waiting for an official update, which I reccon will be my upgrade to Windows 7 in a few weeks when cd is received.

Carl

[Pete Dowson]

After starting WideClient but before it gets connected it is possible to minimize or drag the WideClient window around the screen.

However, after it get connected the window is frozen - not possible to drag around, it is impossible to minimize it and at the end complete impossible to shut down without using Windows task manager.

That's strange. It sounds like something is running on that PC and using it so intensely that it is not getting time to follow any less urgent Windows messages. What programs are you running on the Client?

Alternatively, if the frame rate it shows is low or zero, then it would be some sort of hang up in the networking driver part of your client PC.

You can get the frame rate displayed in the WideClient title bar - there's a parameter for it (check the documentation). See if that tells you which circumstance applies. Or perhaps easier, set Log=Debug in the INI file and see if the Log continues and continues or simply comes to an untidy end.

In case this is a network problem this may then be due to the fact that I have still a connecting problem between client and server. I don't get appropriate permissions from client to server.

There is a known problem here because of XP (client) and server (Vista) for which Microsoft has a solution they do not reccommend if the problem isn't exactely as they have described - and I'm uncertain if it really is.

What problem is that? Until i updated to Windows 7 RC a few months ago I was happily using a Vista server with XP clients. In fact I have 7 XP clients in my main cockpit setup.

Regards

Pete

[camaflight]

Hi,

I am pretty sure then that this has something to do with the network I have tried to set up. I think I have really messed things up here now as it seems getting worse and worse. The log file got very large in some few minutes. However, I think I will only waste your time looking into this anymore until I have made the network setup with some experienced on site help. The WideClient (and window) was OK half a minute or so after connecting, but then was totally frozen again.

I come back again if there still are issues after the network has been successfully set up.

What problem is that? Until i updated to Windows 7 RC a few months ago I was happily using a Vista server with XP clients. In fact I have 7 XP clients in my main cockpit setup.

It was this problem getting Vista to recognize and implement the client computer on the network map. I installed now the hotfix from following link;

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/922120/en-us and when checking the network map afterwords the client was there. Unfortunately I have one or two more miles to go before I can let my frustration out in making a very hard landing some place.

Regards,

Carl

[Pete Dowson]

It was this problem getting Vista to recognize and implement the client computer on the network map. I installed now the hotfix from following link;

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/922120/en-us and when checking the network map afterwords the client was there.

Ah, the link layer topology thingy. Yes. But that really only applies to Vista automatically seeing and listing the XP computers. It shouldn't have affected WideFS's abilities at all. If both PCs are in the same WorkGroup** then WideFS links automatically, but even if not you simply specify the ServerName and Protocol in the client's INI file. WideFS doesn't use the Explorer links discovered by the topology fix.

You didn't say what programs you are running on the Client. It is quite possible for client applications to hold WideClient in a tight loop so that processing windows messages becomes difficult for it. There are ways to counter that by parameters in WideClient's INI file -- but before trying that I'd like to know what the programs are, if any.

If this problem is occurring even before you run any client applications, then it must be something to do with the Network somewhere. Maybe that log you got shows clues?

Regards

Pete

** You set the WorkGroup name in the same place as you set the Computer name -- in My computer Properties. Vista has a different default WorkGroup name to XP, so you do need to change one of them to match the other. Or, better, change them both to something sensible. My workgroup is named "Petes". ;-)

[camaflight]

Hi Pete,

:shock: I look at the watch. My wife told me before she went to bed hours ago that maybe I should look for bad connections in my head instead in the computer.

She was sure at least the computer wanted badly to go to sleep.......... Women, they have no understanding for what's really important in life :roll:

Well, I'm trying to run ASv6.5. I used to have FS on the client machine, so I uninstalled the ASv6.5 and made a new fresh install with a setup I got few days ago from HiFi. I have followed the advice in Wide FS manual and installed the client and ASv6.5 in the same folder.

Attached you will find the log. I firstly adjuseted the cfg-setting to log=debug.

One time the WideClient was OK before I ran the application, the other tests it happend before. Hence, there really is some faulty network connection.

Computer names and the common workgroup name :lol: are all OK. Tomorrow in broad daylight I will specify the ServerName and Protocol in the client's INI file and see what happens.

Thanks, you help keeping my spirit up,

Carl

WideClient.zip

[Pete Dowson]

Well, I'm trying to run ASv6.5. I used to have FS on the client machine, so I uninstalled the ASv6.5 and made a new fresh install with a setup I got few days ago from HiFi. I have followed the advice in Wide FS manual and installed the client and ASv6.5 in the same folder.

Attached you will find the log. I firstly adjuseted the cfg-setting to log=debug.

The log shows normal exchanges, no problems detected there as far as I can see. However, unfortunately you Zipped it before closing WideClient, so i get no statistics showing how well or otherwise it was performing. They also show how well the application did.

If you find you cannot terminate it with ASV6 running, try terminating the latter first. And of course you can always use the facility to terminate it from the FS end.

The question which needs answering mainly iswas ASV6 running okay? There's no indication here that it wasn't, though you imply not by saying "trying to run".

If you do another test, change the "log=debug" to "log=debugall". Then I get to see the actual data exchanges too. But please try to get a complete log with WideClient (and WideServer) terminated. Use the termination facilities in WideServer/Client INI if necessary. And please show me the WideServer log too -- the Client side is really only half the story.

Regards

Pete

[camaflight]

Hello,

I have now done following:

- Set log=debugall in ini-file

- started WideClient

- started FS on server

- started AS on client

- shut down AS on client

- shut down WideClient

(- shut down FS on server)

Result:

+ Wideclient started normal

+ WideClient got connected

+ AS started normal and showed connection to FS

- AS disconnected for some reason and never read the weather data for running airport on FS

- WideClient window was frozen again (occupied with something) and I had to end it with task manager.

Use the termination facilities in WideServer/Client INI if necessary

I did not find out how to do this although I looked throgh both the user guide and the technical manual.

I have attached the log file both for client and server. I'm afraid I didn't think about changing the server ini with "debugall" - it only ran with default "Errors+"

Regards,

Carl

INI FILES 28.10.09-1.zip

[Pete Dowson]

Use the termination facilities in WideServer/Client INI if necessary

I did not find out how to do this although I looked throgh both the user guide and the technical manual.

How did you terminate Wideclient, then? I thought you said it became unresponsive.

Anyway, I don't know where you looked, but you evidently missed all this in the WideServer parameters section of the Tech guide:

AllowShutdown=No: Set this to Yes only if you want to allow client programs to shut down your Flight Simulator computer by writing a special value to the IPC interface. (Details for programmers are in the FSUIPC SDK -- look for offset 3320).

AllowShutdown=App can be used instead if you just want WideServer to close FS down, leaving the PC itself up and running. Of course any applications featured in WideServer’s “Close” parameters (below), will also close.

AutoShutdown=No: Set this to ‘Yes’ if you want WideServer to send shutdown messages to clients when Flight Sim is closed normally. Set it to ‘Apps’ if you want WideServer to tell clients to close down only any “CloseReady” applications when FS is closed normally. (The RunReady and CloseReady parameters for WideClient are described later).

ShutdownHotKey=: This option allows you to define a hot key that you can use in Flight Simulator to get WideServer to actually write the special “shut down” value to the IPC interface. This will be obeyed by all those WideClients with appropriate AllowShutdown parameter settings, and then also by WideServer itself if so configured. Using this you can close FS down and have the Client PCs also close at the same time (or a bit earlier, in fact, to ensure they see the WideFS message).

The format for specifying the hot Key is the same as above. I use Shift+Ctrl+E, so the setting is:

ShutdownHotKey=69,11

CloseAppsHotKey=: This is to define a hot key that you can use in Flight Simulator to get WideServer to send a different “shutdown” pattern via the IPC interface. This pattern asks for applications (only) to be closed—see the “AppOnly” option for AllowShutDown in the section on Wideclient, later. This will be obeyed by all WideClients with any AllowShutdown parameter setting other than ‘No’, and then also by WideServer itself if so configured—on the Server FS itself will be closed. Using this with client applications loaded and closed by the RunReady and CloseReady facilities means that the applications will close when you use the hot key to close FS, then start again when you start FS again. The WideClient program is left running on the client PCs so that this can take effect.

The format for specifying the hot Key is the same as above. I use Shift+Ctrl+C, so the setting is:

CloseAppsHotKey=67,11

And all this in the client section:

AllowShutdown=No: Set this to Yes only if you want to allow client programs (or the server’s ShutdownHotKey) to shut down this client PC by writing a special value to the IPC interface. (Details for programmers are in the FSUIPC SDK—look for offset 3320).

AllowShutdown=App can be used instead if you just want WideClient itself to close down, leaving the PC itself up and running. Of course any applications featured in WideClient’s “Close” parameters (above), will also close.

AllowShutdown=AppOnly is a further variation which leaves WideClient running (awaiting a re-connection from a reloaded FS), but closes down any applications which were loaded with “RunReady” or “RunKey” parameters and have a “CloseReady” or “CloseKey” entry too. When FS starts up again on the server PC, WideClient will reload the “RunReady” programs (but the “RunKey” programs will await the appropriate KeySend request).

NOTE that there is a related “CloseApps” facility that will perform the AppOnly function if the AllowShutDown parameter is set to anything other than ‘No’. This facility can be instigated by a WideServer hot key, or by any application writing a different value to the IPC interface. Again, the FSUIPC SDK will provide programmers the details.

How did you miss such big chunks?

I have attached the log file both for client and server. I'm afraid I didn't think about changing the server ini with "debugall" - it only ran with default "Errors+"

That's okay.

It may be tomorrow before I can look at this stuff now.

Regards

Pete

[camaflight]

Hi,

sorry, I used the search function searching for terminate....... - it was a wrong expression of me using looking through.

I shut down the WidefsClient by using task manager - end task or end process.

Regards,

Carl

[Pete Dowson]

I shut down the WidefsClient by using task manager - end task or end process.

Yes. Unfortunately that doesn't give WideClient the chance to finish entries in the log and close it properly, which is what we were after. So I don't think i'm going to learn anything extra from the ones you sent. I'll take a look though -- tomorrow -- just in case.

[LATER]

I just peeked at the server log, which is ended properly, and what that shows doesn't bode well:

Throughput maximum achieved: 2 frames/sec, 127 bytes/sec

Throughput average achieved for complete session: 0 frames/sec, 8 bytes/sec

TWO frames per second? For the MAXIMUM? The average should be up close to your FS frame rate! Something is certainly very wrong somewhere! no wonder Active Sky is timing out.

The fact that you have such difficulty terminating WideClient, or getting it to obey Windows messages, strongly suggests that most of the time it is running is actually spent in some sort of deadlock in the Network drivers on your client PC. There's no way the WideClient code itself can spend time doing effectively nothing.

One suggestion, in case of network driver corruption: go to the Windows Control Panel, select System then Device Manager, and find the network device you are using (whether a card or on-board). Then uninstall it and its driver, from that utility. Reboot and get it re-installed. You might need your Windows disk for that. Then get Windows to check for updates.

Regards

Pete

[Pete Dowson]

I just peeked at the server log, which is ended properly, and what that shows doesn't bode well

I've now examined the Client log in some detail.

There are no errors being reported, and in fact there appears, on the face of it, to be no problem -- except the dismal throughput. I think Active Sky is just giving up on its timeouts, or just not getting very far at 2 frames per second (it needs to shift hundreds or thousands).

The first 3 minutes of the log aren't relevant as client was awaiting the Server for that time. In the 3 minutes left in the log there were just 252 data blocks received from the Server (probably okay, because it was simply not being asked for any data which changed more often -- most of the blocks were simply the regular "stay in touch" transmissions).

The problem lies in the ability, or rather near inability, of the Client to send stuff to the Server. Only 31 blocks in the three minutes!

Something is really clobbering communications somewhere, but whether that's in the Client or the Server I've no idea. You could try the UDP protocol just in case it is only the TCP protocol which is affected, but I really doubt that it'll be any different.

Regards

Pete

[camaflight]

Yes, I think now that this is a pure network problem where at least WideFS is an innocent part.

Meanwhile I have tryed checking that I have both read/write permissions from the client machine to the server machine. I have set the client machine to be co-owner for the folders requiered to use by AS.

After doing so AS got further than ever before. AS got connected to FS at once and started loading weather data concerning the airport in use. It downloaded all 400K or so. Then when finishing the process with the "nearby" airports it suddenly got disconnected from FS. I read throgh the server ini file afterwards and it showed that frames ended with 0, but maximum was 31 which is exactely the FPS limit I presently have. I never had that high frames in the server ini.

I assume you have noticed that I am a novice with computers or to justify my own skills a little - a novice on computer network. I wonder if I should wait for the Windows 7 to arrive in my briefcase.

My computer is complete new and Vista Home Premium was installed just few days prior to my diving into this issue. Based on this I have doubts about that this can be a driver problem.

I have two network addapters on my new server machine, one with IPv4 and one with IPv6. The latter is listed as limited and the IPv4 is listed as local. I don't know what this means, but I have switch between the ports to check if the situation differs with use of the other network connection. What happens is that when testing WideFS, FS and AS, then AS get connected with FS again but disconnects shortly after with a frozen WideFS as result. After such an event AS will not connect to FS again when re-testing. To achieve any FS connection for AS again I will have to reboot both machines.

It still may be something missing in my network setup regarding read/write permissions. I find it very complex and complicated to follow guidelines in Vista. These guidelines are also hard to find sometimes and they mix expressions for one and the same thing sometimes. This gives me a hard time.

Well that's it I'm afraid, but I really appreciate that you have given so much time on this issue Pete. Thanks alot.

Kind regards,

Carl

[Pete Dowson]

Meanwhile I have tryed checking that I have both read/write permissions from the client machine to the server machine. I have set the client machine to be co-owner for the folders requiered to use by AS.

Ah, I hadn't realised you'd not done the other things AS might need -- in fact I don't even recall it needing access to any FS folders. That's only if you want it to change the cloud graphics or something, isn't it?

WideFS isn't involved in any file access for programs, of course. They do that using the normal explorer links and sharing permissions.

After doing so AS got further than ever before. AS got connected to FS at once and started loading weather data concerning the airport in use. It downloaded all 400K or so. Then when finishing the process with the "nearby" airports it suddenly got disconnected from FS. I read throgh the server ini file afterwards and it showed that frames ended with 0, but maximum was 31 which is exactely the FPS limit I presently have. I never had that high frames in the server ini.

So, was it the continual repeated attempts by AS to access folders on the FS PC that snarled things up?

It still may be something missing in my network setup regarding read/write permissions. I find it very complex and complicated to follow guidelines in Vista. These guidelines are also hard to find sometimes and they mix expressions for one and the same thing sometimes. This gives me a hard time.

I think everyone has a hard time trying to sort out Vista's access permission system, myself included! There's too many places you can forget to set something. I don't think Win7 is much better, UNLESS you use their new HomeGroup system, which is intended to take the pain away. Trouble is all the PCs need to be running Win7 for that to be of any use. :-(

Regards

Pete

[camaflight]

Hi Pete,

it certainly is good to here I'm not alone with this trouble. I won't give up, I seldom do - I'm afraid - but I surely still hope Windows7 can loose up these things at least a little bit if I haven't managed to crack the nut before it is installed.

Ah, I hadn't realised you'd not done the other things AS might need -- in fact I don't even recall it needing access to any FS folders. That's only if you want it to change the cloud graphics or something, isn't it?[

Ok now, here's what AS wants access to:

Installing ASv6.5 on a networked computer over WideFS

1. On the separate non-FS computer, unpack the installation .zip file to a temporary location, such as C:\ASTEMP (Do not install ASv6.5 on the FS computer).

2. Run the Setup.exe program to launch the installation process.

3. Follow the on-screen prompts.

4. Setup networking and sharing so both computers have full access to each other, especially in all FS and ASv6 related paths. You will need to share the ASv6 Folder (on the ASv6.5/WideFS computer) and the FS Folder (on the FS computer) as well as the Application Data Folder (in the FS computer’s Documents & Settings\User Name Location), or share the root drives (i.e. C:\) directly. For more help with networking WideFS, please see the WideFS documentation.

5. On the FS computer, browse to the networked ASv6 install folder and run the ActiveRadarConnector.exe program.

6. Follow the on-screen prompts to locate the appropriate paths/files, copy required data, and test the installation.

7. If the installation fails for any reason, see the ActiveRadarConnector.txt file for additional information and alternative installation methods.

8. Proceed with Configuring FSUIPC and FS.

So, was it the continual repeated attempts by AS to access folders on the FS PC that snarled things up?

Yes it surely looks like.

I will update this thread as soon as I get a brakethrough or have some intermediate interesting adequate issues that hopefully would give a clue on what's going on.

Kindly regards,

Carl

[Pete Dowson]

Ok now, here's what AS wants access to:

5. On the FS computer, browse to the networked ASv6 install folder and run the ActiveRadarConnector.exe program.

Hmm. I assume it's something to do with that ActiveRadar option. i never used that. I always had ASV6.5 on a client PC without any problem. Strange.

Regards

Pete

[camaflight]

Hello Pete,

Hmm. I assume it's something to do with that ActiveRadar option. i never used that. I always had ASV6.5 on a client PC without any problem. Strange.

I haven't done anything with the active radar- not installed it. Perhaps AS is searching for something connected to the active radar and I have misunderstood that active radar is mandatory to install.

I will investigate this the first thing, also if some old elements from any prior versions of AS still are present; any files or strings in the registry.

Regards,

Carl

[camaflight]

Hello Pete,

Hmm. I assume it's something to do with that ActiveRadar option. i never used that. I always had ASV6.5 on a client PC without any problem. Strange.

I haven't done anything with the active radar- not installed it. Perhaps AS is searching for something connected to the active radar and I have misunderstood that active radar is mandatory to install.

I will investigate this the first thing, also if some old elements from any prior versions of AS still are present; any files or strings in the registry.

Regards,

Carl

I have done as I described above except installing active radar. On fresh booted machines AS gets connected with FS and works seemigly fine until reading so called station data ( I assume you recall this from your own AS). AS then freezes sometime during this read process and WideClient also freezes. When ending all; AS, WideClient and FS then restarting WideClient then WideClient seems to be OK until FS is started and WideClient gets connected. Thereafter WideClient gets prompt frozen. When rebooting evrything is back to as descrbed.

However, I now skipped the AS and tried running RC4.3 (Radar Contact) from fresh booted machines the in the same order as before, only RC instead of AS. One of the nice things with RC is that when something goes wrong you will get an error window popping up telling you what kind of runtime error you have got. I got the runtime error 75:

Path/File access error

Program does not have rights or access to a file. Often this is caused when a program is trying to access a network file it doesn't have proper access to either because of network privileges or something is blocking the program. This issue can also be caused when the file is being used by another program or is read-only.

No doubt now I guess, what I struggle with is a bad network setup. I just can't see what I have been missing. Maybe I should clean up all workgroups and network settings and start all over again.

Regards,

Carl

[Pete Dowson]

Path/File access error

...

No doubt now I guess, what I struggle with is a bad network setup.

Well, possibly. But I still don't understand how it freezes WideClient, unless that's only with AS and that is somehow stuck in a tight loop with WideClient. Does WideClient freeze with RC too?

Could you try a client program which doesn't need any file access to the Server. If you have none, try TrafficLook or WeatherSet2 (see the Updates and Goodies announcement if you've not got those). If WideClient freezes with either of those, there's a Network problem for sure. If not then the other problems are more likely basic access permissions on folders on the server -- you need to share them more effectively.

Regards

Pete

[camaflight]

Could you try a client program which doesn't need any file access to the Server.

A good idea. The case is, however, that I deleted all shares and settings for my network to build it up from scratch again following Microsoft and other links about how to do this.

I have the Vista Home Premium and it seems that all none-business Vista versions have a serious lack of possibilities to setting up permissions between two or more networked computers.

It's unbeleivable how bad quality Microsoft has put into their help desk system. And it's discouraging to read Microsofts statements " No way to do or access this or that in Vista starter, Home Edition or Home Premium...." Networking is obviously a part of Vista Home range that doesn't seem to work easily or perhaps don't work at all.

On top of this it's of course an additional problem that I'm a novise as regards network setup.

Well enough of whining, that won't help in any case. One question about WideFS, does the WideServer also need to be the server machine in the Windows network ?

I must say this is also a thing that confuses me, because one place Microsoft calls the main computer (for me I want that to be my new Vista computer which also is the FS machine) the server computer, another place they call the main computer the client. They also do mix this with what WideFS calls the client (WideClient machine) calling that the Remote Desktop and sometimes the client......

Well, I have chosen for my FS-machine the IP 192.168.1.2 and the WideClient machine IP 192.168.1.3. The reason is that my router has hardcoded (I believe) the IP to be 192.168.1.1 and without having the two other IP adresses as mentioned above Windows won't let me have acess to internet from neither of my computers. When letting Windows choose IP adresses automatically the adresses will be as described anyway.

I hope this will be OK with WideFS ?

Without having tested what you asked for in your last reply (as quoted) I think maybe that the reason why I can't get ASv6.5 to work properly and RCv4.3 to work at all is one and alone that I do not get access to "C:\Users\MyUserName\Documents\Flight Simulator Files\".

Does anyone know how it is possible to get read/write permission to this folder from the WideClient machine when that machine is a XP Professional ?

As you see I'm not giving up on this matter.

It helps a lot though to get some help and attention so I'm very grateful for that.

Regards,

Carl

[Pete Dowson]

One question about WideFS, does the WideServer also need to be the server machine in the Windows network ?

I must say this is also a thing that confuses me, because one place Microsoft calls the main computer (for me I want that to be my new Vista computer which also is the FS machine) the server computer, another place they call the main computer the client.

WideServer is in the FS PC, all of the Networked PCs connected to FS are clients.

The terms "Client" and "Server" are nothing to do with the PCs themselves, or their function come to that, but to do with how the communication protocol is programmed. The Server "listens" for clients, the Clients find the Server, in one way or another, and then ask it for a connection. Think of the Internet. When you go to a website, you are acting as one of the many clients connecting to that website which is acting as a server top all of its clients.

I hope this will be OK with WideFS ?

Yes.

Without having tested what you asked for in your last reply (as quoted) I think maybe that the reason why I can't get ASv6.5 to work properly and RCv4.3 to work at all is one and alone that I do not get access to "C:\Users\MyUserName\Documents\Flight Simulator Files\".

Does anyone know how it is possible to get read/write permission to this folder from the WideClient machine when that machine is a XP Professional ?

In XP? First make sure you are set for simple folder sharing. In Explorer use the Tools menu, Folder Options, Views. I think it's the last item in the list.

Then all I do is right-click on the folder in Explorer , click "Sharing and security", the "Share this folder on the Network" and "Allow network users to change my files", and give it a useful name. For that folder I call it "FSPLANS", because programs like Project Magenta expect that name. But that's your choice. Choose a decent short name "FSFiles" would do, for example.

In Vista it's more complicated. I'm not sure I'm the best person to explain it, since I get in a mess with it too! :-(

(Oh, and I only use Vista Ultimate -- actually now Win7 Ultimate. So it's probably different).

Regards

Pete

[camaflight]

Ok thanks Pete,

the more I read about this the more I suspect that I have bought the wrong version of Vista. I asked spesifically about networking capabilities between XP and Vista with the retailer, but obviously not specific enough.

If I should manage to set up a acceptable network and permissions for my client applications then I will come back and tell how I did it. There may be some others experience the same problem as I do.

Regards,

Carl

[camaflight]

Hello again,

well now things begin to happen. I have reset the network settings back to square one and started all over again and done so several times without any success.

Then as repeating the normal settings for share permissions to aapropriate folders, one at a time, Vista suddenly started processing share permissions to all files within respective folders. Until now that hadn't happened ! I have done absolutely nothing else than starting all over again several times doing excact the same settings time after time.

After this ASv6.5 started and loaded weather. RC started and worked from my clien computer with sound and everything - until ASV6.5 broke down with a frozen WideClient after a couple of minutes.

I then looked at the server ini and everything seemed to work very nice in the beginning, giving 34 frames at maximum, but of course 0 at the end. However, I noticed one more thing in the ini as follows:

********* WideServer.DLL Log [version 6.78] *********

Blocksize guide = 4096 (double allowed)

Date (dmy): 03/11/09, Time 10:18:40.300: Server name is xxxxxx

95628 Initialising TCP/IP server

95628 Initialising IPX/SPX server

95628 IPX/SPX socket() failed [Error=10044] Socket type not supported

95628 Failed to start IPX/SPX Server

95628 Initialising UDP/IP server

96595 Broadcasting service every 1000 mSecs

98124 Incoming connection Accepted ok (skt=10208) TCP

98358 Connected to computer "KONTORET" running WideClient version 6.787 (skt=10208) TCP

717433 Error 10053: client socket disconnected at Client: removing (skt=10208) TCP

What does the error messages in bold, cursive letters mean ? Is this normal messages or does they tell something is wrong with the connection ?

Regards,

Carl

EDIT:

I have now run FS Smooth and AI Separation on the WideClient. This worked fine 4-5 minutes and then FS got disconnected and WideFS was frozen. As with the AS and RC WideFS says it's connected, however it's also frozen at the same time FS gets disconnected.

[Pete Dowson]

... until ASV6.5 broke down with a frozen WideClient after a couple of minutes. I then looked at the server ini and everything seemed to work very nice in the beginning, giving 34 frames at maximum, but of course 0 at the end.

That is certainly starting to sound like a hardware problem. Maybe in the networking hardware or possibly in computer memory. One thing to check, first, though, is whether there's a memory leak from something running on either PC. If the memory becomes rather full one of the first things to suffer are the TCP/IP network exchanges as they get no buffer space. You can run the memory resources part of the task manager to compare free memory at the start with the state when the networking stalls.

However, I noticed one more thing in the ini as follows:

...

What does the error messages in bold, cursive letters mean ?

It means you haven't installed the IPX protocol into Windows, that's all. You only need that if you want to use it. It used to be a standard part of Windows until WinXP -- it's the original very efficient local networking protocol (not for Internet) invented by Novell. WideFS has always supported it because it is so efficient -- but it is more difficult to set up. I suspect this is mainly because Microsoft don't seem to like it.

WideServer prepares listening sockets for all three supported protocols -- TCP, UDP and IPX. Those are of increasing efficiency in that order. But the only protocol you use will be the one you select. You could try "Protocol=UDP" in the WideClient INI to see if your connection lasts longer. It will certainly use less buffers (or rather the same number of buffers, but for less time, as there 's much less checking and confirmation in UDP).

Incidentally, Windows Explorer uses UDP when exchanging files over the local Network.

Regards

Pete

[Pete Dowson]

... until ASV6.5 broke down with a frozen WideClient after a couple of minutes. I then looked at the server ini and everything seemed to work very nice in the beginning, giving 34 frames at maximum, but of course 0 at the end.

That is certainly starting to sound like a hardware problem. Maybe in the networking hardware or possibly in computer memory. One thing to check, first, though, is whether there's a memory leak from something running on either PC. If the memory becomes rather full one of the first things to suffer are the TCP/IP network exchanges as they get no buffer space. You can run the memory resources part of the task manager to compare free memory at the start with the state when the networking stalls.

However, I noticed one more thing in the ini as follows:

...

What does the error messages in bold, cursive letters mean ?

It means you haven't installed the IPX protocol into Windows, that's all. You only need that if you want to use it. It used to be a standard part of Windows until WinXP -- it's the original very efficient local networking protocol (not for Internet) invented by Novell. WideFS has always supported it because it is so efficient -- but it is more difficult to set up. I suspect this is mainly because Microsoft don't seem to like it.

WideServer prepares listening sockets for all three supported protocols -- TCP, UDP and IPX. Those are of increasing efficiency in that order. But the only protocol you use will be the one you select. You could try "Protocol=UDP" in the WideClient INI to see if your connection lasts longer. It will certainly use less buffers (or rather the same number of buffers, but for less time, as there 's much less checking and confirmation in UDP).

Incidentally, Windows Explorer uses UDP when exchanging files over the local Network.

Oh, one other thing to try. A network frame rate of 34 is probably higher than you need. You could try limiting the frame rate in FS (in the Options-Settings-display menu) to, say, 25 or 30 max. See if that helps.

Regards

Pete

[camaflight]

Ok, I will work on this.

I think I also will try my old router as a second router to use between the two machines "only".

I had already set upper limit for FPS i FS to 31.

You're really a stayer Pete still keeping up with my issue, you know I'm grateful !

Regards,

Carl