WideSF simply not connecting, what's wrong?

[Gpruitt54]

I am totally confused on a couple of fronts.

There is no means of determining which version of the software I have downloaded. According to the site from which I initiated the download, I have WideSF7.

However, the properties of the WideClient.exe says I have downloaded version 6.7.8.0.

Double clicking on the WideClient.exe displays a window with the heading "WideClient FS98 Eliminator - Waiting for a connection". From this point nothing happens, here is no connection to the machine with FSX installed.

I am running the WideClient.exe on a laptop in my home network.

I've edited the WideClient.ini to point to the FSX installed PC, first using "ServerIPAddr=" then I used the "ServerName=". None of these worked.

I've opened the TCP ports 8002 as recommended in the documentation. This also did not work.

What else could I do to get a connection?

How can I confirm that I have indeed downloaded the FSX version of the WideSF software?

There is no version information in the file name of the downloaded files, This is very confusing.

Heed Help

[Pete Dowson]

I am totally confused on a couple of fronts.

There is no means of determining which version of the software I have downloaded. According to the site from which I initiated the download, I have WideSF7.

However, the properties of the WideClient.exe says I have downloaded version 6.7.8.0.

WideFS has two parts -- the Server and the Client. The Client is the same for all versions of FS, from FS98 through to FSX. That is currently 6.78 on the main release site, with a later one (6.841) available here in the Download Links subforum.

The WideFS6 / WideFS7 difference is to distinguish the Server end, which is the part you purchase a license for. On FS9 and before, the Serving is performed by WideServer.DLL which is now up to version 6, whilst on FSX and ESP (and Prepar3D) the server functions are instead incorporated into FSUIPC4 and go by the version 7 label for purchasing purposes.

Double clicking on the WideClient.exe displays a window with the heading "WideClient FS98 Eliminator - Waiting for a connection". From this point nothing happens, here is no connection to the machine with FSX installed.

FSX not only has to be installed but also running, with the WideServer registered and enabled.

I've edited the WideClient.ini to point to the FSX installed PC, first using "ServerIPAddr=" then I used the "ServerName=". None of these worked. I've opened the TCP ports 8002 as recommended in the documentation. This also did not work.

You didn't to read the advice about getting your workgroup names the same, then? If you do that you've really no need to edit any INI files. The connection should then be automatic provided your firewalls allow.

If you do provide the ServerName or IPaddress details you must also specify the protocol (Protocol=TCP or Protocol=UDP).

For automatic connection both 8002 and 9002 are used. On both PCs. Did you try disabling the firewall on both PCs just to check you had these "opened" correctly? I thought firewalls worked by stating which programs were allowed to breach them? (FSX.EXE and WideClient.exe in this case)? I've never used any firewalls outside the one on my router as they are always a real pain in a home network.

For any further help I need to see the Log files:

FSUIPC4.LOG and WideServer.LOG from the FSX Modules folder

WideClient.log from the folder in which you placed and ran Wideclient.

Just paste them all into a message here. Please make sure both FSX and WideClient are closed down first.

Pete

[Gpruitt54]

WideFS has two parts -- the Server and the Client. The Client is the same for all versions of FS, from FS98 through to FSX. That is currently 6.78 on the main release site, with a later one (6.841) available here in the Download Links subforum.

The WideFS6 / WideFS7 difference is to distinguish the Server end, which is the part you purchase a license for. On FS9 and before, the Serving is performed by WideServer.DLL which is now up to version 6, whilst on FSX and ESP (and Prepar3D) the server functions are instead incorporated into FSUIPC4 and go by the version 7 label for purchasing purposes.

FSX not only has to be installed but also running, with the WideServer registered and enabled.

You didn't to read the advice about getting your workgroup names the same, then? If you do that you've really no need to edit any INI files. The connection should then be automatic provided your firewalls allow.

If you do provide the ServerName or IPaddress details you must also specify the protocol (Protocol=TCP or Protocol=UDP).

For automatic connection both 8002 and 9002 are used. On both PCs. Did you try disabling the firewall on both PCs just to check you had these "opened" correctly? I thought firewalls worked by stating which programs were allowed to breach them? (FSX.EXE and WideClient.exe in this case)? I've never used any firewalls outside the one on my router as they are always a real pain in a home network.

For any further help I need to see the Log files:

FSUIPC4.LOG and WideServer.LOG from the FSX Modules folder

WideClient.log from the folder in which you placed and ran Wideclient.

Just paste them all into a message here. Please make sure both FSX and WideClient are closed down first.

Pete

Hi Pete,

Thank you much for your reply. I can take it that I have downloaded the proper version of the applications.

Yes, both FSX and the WideClient are running on their respective machines. FSUIPC (running under FSX) shows that WideClient is running and that both are running and registered.

Regarding the firewalls, the only firewall running is the NAT firewall built into my router. I am not running any software firewalls, I will double check to make sure there is no software firewall running on the laptop.

Thanks

Greg

[Pete Dowson]

Regarding the firewalls, the only firewall running is the NAT firewall built into my router. I am not running any software firewalls, I will double check to make sure there is no software firewall running on the laptop.

The router one shouldn't be interfering, but don't forget that XP, Vista and Win7 firewalls are active by default.

If you can't figure it out, do let me see the LOG files I mentioned. And try ensuring the the Workgroup names match -- XP has a different default workgroup name to Vista and Win7.

Regards

Pete

[Gpruitt54]

The router one shouldn't be interfering, but don't forget that XP, Vista and Win7 firewalls are active by default.

If you can't figure it out, do let me see the LOG files I mentioned. And try ensuring the the Workgroup names match -- XP has a different default workgroup name to Vista and Win7.

Regards

Pete

Good call with the suggestion to disable software firewalls. I did that and I can now connect FSX on my Win7 machine and Plan-G in my WinXP laptop. I can see my plane and I can see traffic. But I cannot see any of the nav data that is typically displayed in Plan-G. I seems that there is no data coming from FSX. So, this is partly a success.

[Gpruitt54]

The router one shouldn't be interfering, but don't forget that XP, Vista and Win7 firewalls are active by default.

If you can't figure it out, do let me see the LOG files I mentioned. And try ensuring the the Workgroup names match -- XP has a different default workgroup name to Vista and Win7.

Regards

Pete

Hi Pete,

In getting WideSF to work, some have indicated that both FSUIPC and WideSF should match. Don't ask me what that means, it's something that someone on another forum suggested. Is there anything to this?

When I purchased FSUIPC, I did not also buy WideFS. I purchased WideSF only recently. I bought FSUIPC sometime early last year. Given that I've been having a great deal of trouble getting the two applications to work, I wonder if there is something to this?

[Pete Dowson]

I can see my plane and I can see traffic. But I cannot see any of the nav data that is typically displayed in Plan-G. I seems that there is no data coming from FSX. So, this is partly a success.

Sorry, I don't understand. You seem to contradict yourself. You can see your plane and traffic (in what?) but yet you say there's no data? Plane and traffic positions are data. Please clarify. Perhaps you are talking about scenery data which Plan-G has to read directly from FS, nothing to do with FSUIPC or WideFS? Check its documentation -- you probably have to share some folders, or maybe run a program on the FS PC then copy files across. I don't know the program I'm afraid., but i know you have to do that with programs like FS commander.

In getting WideSF to work, some have indicated that both FSUIPC and WideSF should match. Don't ask me what that means

It doesn't really have any meaning. You should be using supported versions -- at the earliest those available on the Schiratti download site, but there are usually later versions in the Download Links forum here (much later at present as this year's updates haven't been finalised for the Schirati site yet).

When I purchased FSUIPC, I did not also buy WideFS. I purchased WideSF only recently. I bought FSUIPC sometime early last year. Given that I've been having a great deal of trouble getting the two applications to work, I wonder if there is something to this?

No. I've no idea why you have had a "great deal of trouble". The only trouble so far has been the firewall, which is a Networking problem not a WideFS one. You've not given any information about any other problems, yet.

Pete

[Gpruitt54]

Sorry, I don't understand. You seem to contradict yourself. You can see your plane and traffic (in what?) but yet you say there's no data? Plane and traffic positions are data. Please clarify. Perhaps you are talking about scenery data which Plan-G has to read directly from FS, nothing to do with FSUIPC or WideFS? Check its documentation -- you probably have to share some folders, or maybe run a program on the FS PC then copy files across. I don't know the program I'm afraid., but i know you have to do that with programs like FS commander.

It doesn't really have any meaning. You should be using supported versions -- at the earliest those available on the Schiratti download site, but there are usually later versions in the Download Links forum here (much later at present as this year's updates haven't been finalised for the Schirati site yet).

No. I've no idea why you have had a "great deal of trouble". The only trouble so far has been the firewall, which is a Networking problem not a WideFS one. You've not given any information about any other problems, yet.

Pete

Hi Pete,

What I mean to say is, after a lot of tinkering (you are right about the firewall), I am running FSX with FSUIPC and WideFS running as registered versions. I next run my laptop and start WideFS Client. flight sim connects with the client. The confirmation is displayed at the top of FSX. I start Plan-G on the laptop. I see my own plane and local traffic.

I can see the map but no terrain details. I cannot see airport data, ILS arrows, VOR stations, etc. When I say I cannot see any data, this is what I am referring to. I'm talking about the many information points that are usually displayed on top of the map in Plan-G.

[Pete Dowson]

I can see the map but no terrain details. I cannot see airport data, ILS arrows, VOR stations, etc. When I say I cannot see any data, this is what I am referring to. I'm talking about the many information points that are usually displayed on top of the map in Plan-G.

It won't be using WideFS for any of that sort of static data. It will be referring to a database, not getting it "live" via WideFS. It only uses FSUIPC and WideFS for the aircraft positions and so on, the things that are changing. I already told you that scenery data, which is what you are missing, must come from elsewhere, possibly directly from the FS files.

Sorry, but i don't know Plan-G and cannot support it. If it doesn't give you any instructions onhow to set it up then I can only suggest you refer to its author or support site, if any.

Regards

Pete