Community


Some viewers see some connections on-line others off-line.

Links used in this discussion
Douglas Crawford, User (Posts: 75)
Dec 03, 2021 2:42:33 pm EST
Support level: Starter
Hello:

I'm about to deploy 4 computers to a remote location but access to them has become strange
and I cannot deploy them until this is resolved.

Three of the computers are running a video play-out system that is streaming video out to the web.
The 4th system is a file server which the other three systems are reading video files from.
The file server will also serve as an on-site RU head for the three play-out computers.

These four computers are connected via a managed switch that is in its factory default configuration.
Presently this switch is connected to a Comcast business network. that has a few other switches on it
and has web access.

All four of these computers run the host software and are therefore "View" able from on the local area
as well as the web.

However,  Only the File Server, which I can operate remotely, can see all three of the streaming PCs.
#1 and 3 are "Viewable" from off site, but #2 shows offline from either anywhere but the file server
on the same switch.  Presently I am off site accessing the file server, and it is running well and CPU is lightly
loaded. My viewer shows #1 and #3 online, #2 offline.  The viewer on the File Server shows
all three on-line, and can connect to them, but performance is very very sluggish or the screens are not updating, as sometimes clicking off the current tab and back again updates the screen.  Also data entry in fields drops characters.

Task Manager can be launched on the file server and streamers and determine none are CPU bound.
The 100Mbps network activity is low, as can seen in the photo of the file server task manager.

If I directly connect from the web to server #1 and #3, which show online from across the web, performance is very good. Though sometimes the time to connect is excessive.
However, right now on each of these the mouse pointer is a small square instead of an arrow.  It does
function, but it looks wrong.

Web view performance to the file server has been poor, and at time thought on-line, I cannot connect
to it from the web showing "Connecting to File Server. Please wait..." for long periods of time if not infinitely.
#2 is offline- and this is the most concerning part of this, because inability to connect remotely is a show
stopper.  The curiosity is why the file server on the switch with the #2 streamer says its online, when the
world see it as offline.  The off-line status from the web can be seen in the attached screen shot "status
from the web:"

All are running 7.0.2.0 and all use internet IDs to access one another.

I can collect data to help diagnose this, but I would also be willing to share internet IDs with
Remote Utility developers to access to diagnose.

Thanks!
Attached Files
Some viewers see some connections on-line others off-line. Some viewers see some connections on-line others off-line.
Pauline, Support (Posts: 2874)
Dec 03, 2021 3:58:33 pm EST
Hello Douglas,

Thank you for your message.

Could you please provide us the Host log files from all four remote Host machines (or at least from the "file server" and one of the other remote Hosts) for examination? You can locate the Host log files in the following folder:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Remote Utilities - Host\Logs\.
Please do not post the log files on the forum as they might contain personal information. Instead, please send the log files to support@remoteutilities.com.

In addition, here's a related KB page that might also provide some helpful information.

Looking forward to your reply.
Douglas Crawford, User (Posts: 75)
Dec 03, 2021 4:42:03 pm EST
Support level: Starter
Addendum:  The 4 remote PCs are all running Windows 10 Pro.  
The PCs have varying compute platforms.  The Problem #2 Streamer has a i5-2600.  
The File Server is a Core 2 Duo as can be seen in the photo of its screen.
The Streamer #1 is a AMD A10, Streamer #3 is a i5-920.  
From out on the web I'm on a AMD  Phenom II X4 3.20 still running Win7.
Douglas Crawford, User (Posts: 75)
Dec 03, 2021 4:43:07 pm EST
Support level: Starter
Hi- just saw your response, Thanks Pauline- will send those logs asap.
DC
Douglas Crawford, User (Posts: 75)
Dec 03, 2021 5:27:38 pm EST
Support level: Starter
Logs sent.
Douglas Crawford, User (Posts: 75)
Dec 03, 2021 6:12:21 pm EST
Support level: Starter
Pauline:  I read the related KB page regarding slow performance.
Given that these four computers are all plain vanilla and exactly the same windows 10 configuration,
all running the same version of RU, I think it points to a bug related issue for RU in how the Host
program operates on the different machines.  It gets uniquely tripped up on the #2 playout computer, it seems,
and it should not.  Or perhaps it IS an issue with the hardware of that computer that is impacting
either the way that the network system runs.  Please explain here how the RU system determines that
that a host is Off-line: does that determination related to a host program not answering a request- or does
it include repeated answers that take too long?  And is this termined by each viewer or by the RU server?
It is curious to me why one viewer sees the participant as ON-LINE and another viewer sees that same
computer as OFF-LINE.  Suggests to me the determination is made by the Viewer and not the RU server.
Douglas Crawford, User (Posts: 75)
Dec 03, 2021 6:21:47 pm EST
Support level: Starter
Here is my evaluation of the subjects discussed in the KB page:


Internet connection slow - Issues occur on both the internet and local area network. Neither is slow.

Direct connection vs. Internet-ID connection - using Internet ID, but performance issues only happen to
some hosts, many are performing great from the same viewer.
Default Internet-ID server vs. Self-hosted server - We are using your server, but only some connection are behaving badly.

High color depth
Visual effects
I would classify these as saving clock cycles on the visual side of windows- these are set the same across the 4 machines,
and so I'm not inclined to point to these as a problem here.

Economy mode - It could be that the there is something wacky on the Ethernet hardware, so I will consider that.
I may try this setting to experiment and may substitute a NIC card for the motherboard NIC.  But this
would be for the sake of RU because the streaming coming from this PC is running perfectly.

Low-end or outdated CPU - The problem PC is the fastest of the four.  All are multi-core 3Ghz or above.
High CPU load - none of the machines have a high CPU, Memory, or Ethernet load according to Task Manager.
Pauline, Support (Posts: 2874)
Dec 06, 2021 3:14:36 pm EST
Hello Douglas,

Thank you for providing the log files.

I've examined the files and here's what I noticed:
The Host #3 log file contains multiple error entries:
Internet-ID: Unable to connect to ID server. Address: id70.remoteutilities.com; Port: 443; Socket Error # 11001 Host not found.(EIdSocketError)
This error means that this Host cannot connect to our intermediary server, most probably due to the ports being blocked. Please note that in order for the Internet-ID connection to work properly you need to have outbound TCP ports 5655 and 443 (or at least one of them) to be opened. Please double-check if the required ports are opened on remote Host machine and are not used by other software. For more information on ports used by Remote Utilities please see this page.
However, I have also noticed in the same log file that you were able to connect to the same remote Host.

Could you please confirm that all of these Hosts are located in the same network, correct? If this is the case, could you please try connecting to some Host located in another network (another building, ISP provided or even mobile network) from the same Viewer you usually use and see if the same issues occur this time?

"Connecting to File Server. Please wait..." for long periods of time if not infinitely.

As for this issue please try enabling the Use legacy capture mode feature in the Host Settings -> Other tab and see if this helps to resolve the issue. After enabling the checkbox please make sure to restart Host in order for the changes to be applied.

Looking forward to your reply.
Douglas Crawford, User (Posts: 75)
Dec 08, 2021 10:15:00 pm EST
Support level: Starter
Hi Pauline:

Unfortunately, though #3 has an interesting error, it is not one that is misbehaving.
I was hoping the log from #2 would have told us something.
I'm going to make a drawing of the topology, as it is hard to form a picture in your mind
I think from my description.
One more time though- File Server, and #1, #2, & #3 play out computers are on one switch.
That switch is on a network with some other computers, one of which has viwers set up for all four of those
computers. Lets call this monitor 1.  I am off site across the internet lets call this monitor 2.
(all running 7.0.2.0 utilities. )
Here's the situation right now
(which is supported by the two image files of screen captures)
From Monitor 2,
 - File Server is online, but connection never completes
 - File Server can be connected for file transfer.
 - #2 is offline.
- #1 & #2 are online and can be connected full control.

From Monitor 1 (Controlled from Monitor 2, as I am off site)
 - All of the 4 computers behind the switch are seen as online.
 - The File server and #1 will not complete full control connect.
   but they show as logged on.
 - #2 and #3 complete the full control connection

Since I cannot get full control connection to the File Server,  from either monitor location,
I cannot check what the situation is right now behind the switch.

Computer identification is in order... we call #1 Ch 22, @2, Ch28, and #3, Ch 98
Again, if you would like access to these machines, that can be arranged.  
This is a test bed; there is nothing here that we are concerned about security wise.

I will check to see of the legacy capture mode helps get access to the file server as it is at least
showing ONLINE from Monitor 1 and 2.
Attached Files
Some viewers see some connections on-line others off-line. Some viewers see some connections on-line others off-line.
Douglas Crawford, User (Posts: 75)
Dec 08, 2021 10:17:04 pm EST
Support level: Starter
Looks like the PDF didn't make it... here's a graphic.
Attached Files
Some viewers see some connections on-line others off-line.

* Website time zone: America/New_York (UTC -5)