WideClient not sending packet on network

[zepingouin]

Hello,

I use FS2004 with FSUIPC v3.98, WinXPpro SP2 on a desktop PC. I recently added WideFS v6.78 in order to use FS utilities from a laptop with WinXPpro SP3. I followed the book for installation and all is OK from server side. The problem is on client side.

I monitored frames using Wireshark. I can see from client side incoming SMB Mailslot Protocol frames from server.

Mailslot Name: \MAILSLOT\MS_WideServer

When I run WideClient on the laptop, there is no outgoing frames at all. Client is waiting for connection.

WideClient FS98 Eliminator - Waiting for a connection

********* WideClient Log [version 6.78] Class=FS98MAIN *********
Date (dmy): 20/10/10, Time 21:55:43.418: Client name is ROENTGEN
      265 Attempting to connect now
     1265 Trying to locate server: Need details from Server Broadcast
     1265 Failed to connect: waiting to try again
     3265 Attempting to connect now
    67328 Trying to locate server: Need details from Server Broadcast

    90593 ****** End of session performance summary ******
    90593 Total time connected = 0 seconds
    90593 Reception maximum:  0 frames/sec, 0 bytes/sec
    90593 Transmission maximum:  0 frames/sec, 0 bytes/sec
    90593 Max receive buffer = 0, Max send depth = 0, Send frames lost = 0

    90593 ********* Log file closed (Buffers: MaxUsed 0, Alloc 0 Freed 0 Refused 0) *********

The question is why WideClient not sending frames ?

I added ServerIPAddr with IP address of server into WideClient.ini with no success, still no outgoing frames.

Is there a XP SP3 incompatibility ?

Regards

Gerard

[Pete Dowson]

I monitored frames using Wireshark. I can see from client side incoming SMB Mailslot Protocol frames from server.

The mailslot message is used by WideServer to tell listening clients where the Server is. It provides the Server IP address and its preferred protocol.

When I run WideClient on the laptop, there is no outgoing frames at all. Client is waiting for connection.

 	1265 Trying to locate server: Need details from Server Broadcast
 	1265 Failed to connect: waiting to try again

The question is why WideClient not sending frames ?

It won't try sending anything until it knows the Server name or IP Address. That log shows it isn't seeing the mailslot. This is always either due to the two PCs being in different workgroups (in which case Windows won't pass them on), or, less likely, because of a firewall.

I added ServerIPAddr with IP address of server into WideClient.ini with no success, still no outgoing frames.

I don't see any log of this. You shouldn't need to add anything, but the log would have been useful.

Is there a XP SP3 incompatibility ?

No, none at all. The mailslot system works from XP SP1 onwards, the explicit ServerName or IP Address works even as far back as Win95. Note, though, that if you specify the Server name or IP address you must also specify the Protocol parameter, as the mailslot request is then ignored.

Regards

Pete

[zepingouin]

Hello Pete,

I added the following lines into WideClient.ini [Config] and the connection is working :)

ServerName=Ader

Protocol=TCP

WideClient FS98 Eliminator - Connected

********* WideClient Log [version 6.78] Class=FS98MAIN *********
Date (dmy): 21/10/10, Time 21:01:38.613: Client name is ROENTGEN
      156 Attempting to connect now
      156 Trying TCP/IP host "Ader" port 8002 ...
      156 ... Okay, IP Address = 192.168.2.7
      172 Connection made okay!

   145187 ****** End of session performance summary ******
   145187 Total time connected = 145 seconds
   145187 Reception maximum:  2 frames/sec, 182 bytes/sec
   145187 Reception average whilst connected:  1 frames/sec, 60 bytes/sec
   145187 Transmission maximum:  0 frames/sec, 96 bytes/sec
   145187 Transmission average whilst connected:  0 frames/sec, 19 bytes/sec
   145187 Max receive buffer = 362, Max send depth = 1, Send frames lost = 0

   145187 ********* Log file closed (Buffers: MaxUsed 1, Alloc 357 Freed 357 Refused 0) *********

********* WideServer.DLL Log [version 6.78] *********
Blocksize guide = 4096 (double allowed)
Date (dmy): 21/10/10, Time 21:00:09.989: Server name is ADER
    81968 Initialising TCP/IP server
    81984 Initialising IPX/SPX server
    81984 IPX/SPX socket() failed [Error=10047] Address family not supported by protocol family
    81984 Failed to start IPX/SPX Server
    81984 Initialising UDP/IP server
    82281 Broadcasting service every 1000 mSecs
    88859 Incoming connection Accepted ok (skt=364) TCP
    89140 Connected to computer "ROENTGEN" running WideClient version 6.780 (skt=364) TCP
   234234 Error 10053: client socket disconnected at Client: removing (skt=364) TCP
   405968 Close signalled to clients
   407062 Closing down now ...
Memory managed:  Offset records: 15 alloc, 15 free
Read buffer usage:  66 alloc, 66 free, max in session: 1
Write buffer usage: 15253 alloc, 15253 free, max in session: 1
Throughput maximum achieved:  2 frames/sec, 190 bytes/sec
Throughput average achieved for complete session:  0 frames/sec, 10 bytes/sec
Average receive rate from "ROENTGEN":  0 frames/sec, 8 bytes/sec
********* Log file closed *********

Although, I don't know why SMB MailSlot Protocol is not working. Workgroups are the same, folder sharing over the network is working. You can download a Wireshark snapshot for investigation if useful.

Regards

Gerard

[Pete Dowson]

I added the following lines into WideClient.ini [Config] and the connection is working :)

ServerName=Ader

Protocol=TCP

Good.

Although, I don't know why SMB MailSlot Protocol is not working. Workgroups are the same, folder sharing over the network is working. You can download a Wireshark snapshot for investigation if useful.

Folder sharing isn't relevant to WideFS. I'm afraid I've no idea what "Wireshark" is. Maybe I'll look for it.

[LATER]

Okay. Found Wireshark and looked at the capture file. most of it is gibberish to me, but I see a mailslot once per second. However, it says the source is 192.168.2.7, your Server, same as Wideclient logged above, but the destination is 192.168.15.255, which doesn't seem even legal to me (255 isn't allowed, surely?), let along on the same subgroup. Maybe the destination for mailslots are simply ignored or used for something else. From the other entries there it seems your client is 192.168.2.10.

The data in the mailslot contains the server name ADER, which is correct, but obviously WideClient isn't seeing the mailslot at all. The mailslots are set to use Port2 as defined in the INI files both ends, defaulting to 9002. I don't see that mentioned in the capture -- in fact it says source and destination ports are 138, which makes no sense to me. I assume you didn't change those parameters?

Regards

Pete

[zepingouin]

Hello Pete,

192.168.15.255 is a subnet mask. BTW, this pointed a discrepancy between PC's. A long time ago, I switched ADER to a fix IP address instead of using DHCP. I have a local DHCP server (and other services as well) running in a Linux box. This DHCP server allocates always the same specific address by looking at the MAC address. So, 192.168.2.7 was correct but not the subnet mask. Now, both PC's have 192.168.2.255 as subnet mask.

I tried again without the ServerName parameter but no luck. This was not the problem. You say that Mailslot Protocol should use port 9002 instead of 138. I guess I have to find why this not the case. I used default INI files without modification, exception of ServerName and Protocol.

; PLEASE SEE the documentation for parameter details
; ==================================================

[Config]
Port=8002
AdvertiseService=1
AutoRestart=0
AutoUpdateTime=13
MaximumBlock=4096
NoStoppedRestarts=Yes
Port2=9002
RestartTime=10
SendTimeout=15
TCPcoalesce=No

; -----------------------------------------------
[User]
Log=Errors+

; ===============================================
[ClientNames]
1=ROENTGEN

; PLEASE SEE WideFS documentation for parameter details
; =====================================================

[Config]
Port=8002
Window=43,44,886,589
Visible=Yes
ButtonScanInterval=20
ClassInstance=0
NetworkTiming=5,1
MailslotTiming=2000,1000
PollInterval=2000
Port2=9002
ResponseTime=18
ApplicationDelay=0
TCPcoalesce=No
WaitForNewData=500
MaxSendQ=100
OnMaxSendQ=Log
NewSendScanTime=50
Priority=3,1,2
ServerName=Ader
Protocol=TCP

; -----------------------------------------------
[User]
Log=Errors+

; ===============================================

Regards

Gerard

[Pete Dowson]

192.168.15.255 is a subnet mask.

Oh. How strange. I've never seen anything other than 255.,255.255.0 or some similar arrangement of 255's. A mask of, for example, 192 would match 0, 64, 128 and 192. A mask of 168 would match 0, 8, 32, 40, 128, 136, 160 and 168. Why choose such an odd mask? I can understand the 15 and 255 parts.

Regards

Pete

[zepingouin]

Oops, my mistake. It is the Broadcast Address for the subnet.

My previous network was using 255.255.240.0 as subnet mask, hence the 192.168.15.255 broadcast address.

[Pete Dowson]

Oops, my mistake. It is the Broadcast Address for the subnet.

My previous network was using 255.255.240.0 as subnet mask, hence the 192.168.15.255 broadcast address.

Oh, right. I've got no idea what a broadcast address is. I assume it acts a bit like a mask, working with the subnet mask to select the destinations?

Regards

Pete

[zepingouin]

Oh, right. I've got no idea what a broadcast address is. I assume it acts a bit like a mask, working with the subnet mask to select the destinations?

Regards

Pete

You've got the idea. This is mainly use by clients over the network to find and send requests to their respective servers. You'll find many explanations with Google.

Regards

Gerard