hello,look at the following images.why does a gauge of the PMDG737NG try to access the internet ???http://home.t-online.de/home/gerson.nerger/ZA_Alert_1.jpghttp://home.t-online.de/home/gerson.nerger/ZA_Alert_2.jpggerson nerger

Copyright protection?Cheers,

I can not answer this but I have noticed that a lot of the gauge files, add on and default seem to want to access the internet. If you look under program control and then click the components tab in Zone Alarm you will see quite a few gauges listed. I do not know why this is or if Zone Alarm is just getting "confused". It may be some copyright protection thing for some, but I do not think that this is the case for all of them. Does any one else have any ideas?Thanks,Philip Olsonhttp://www.precisionmanuals.com/images/forum/supporter.jpg

BumpYours,Martin Georg/EDDFVACC-SAG PR & Events Coordinator *** mailto:[email protected]http://vatsim.pilotmedia.fi/statusindicato...r=SAG01&a=a.jpg

It would be interesting to see what IP number the gauge wants to connect to. Can this be displayed in ZA?I would really like to hear a statement from PMDG regarding this. If the 737NG has a "phone home" function, I would accecpt it, but I would also like to know about it!!!VOlker :]

Bump again ...I would still like to hear a statement from an PMDG official. At least I want to hear from them that they don

I have this on a number of gauges including the PMDG ones. So it is not just PMDG.Manu of the gauges are written in XML and I wonder if it is the "XML Engine" that is causing it.RegardsRussell Jourdain (NZL007/ZK-RHJ)

Well I've used PMDG737 alot of times with the cablemodem off and allways was able to use it, so I don't think it's a "phone home" verification system, even if it was I believe that PMDG has the wright to defend they copyrights as long as it isn't invasive (doesn't colect ANYTHING other than an watermark signature or serial number...) limiting (in number of installs, uses, time, machine specific...) and/or hiden (not letting the users aware of such a system hiden in the computer...).So to sum it up I dont mind AS LONG as I know about it. So PMDG please clarify this issue. Thank you.EDIT: just to add that when I've bought the product, in the first or second day in the market, I was aware of a verification system, altough not fully agreeing with it, it was public knoledge. Later, at users sujestion they removed THAT kind of protection, to a complete absence of protection, or some kind of other one, this I don't know but lets just ask about it ;)NOTE: I'm satisfied with this product as is.Jos

I dont know if this has anything to do with it but are you on a network behind a router? Ive had that same gauge try to "connect to the internet" but when I look at my firewall (Sygate personal firewall pro) to see where its trying to connect I see that its 192.168.1.1 which is my routers Ip on the network, an internal one not visible to people outside the network. I have all my pcs networked so they might be comunicating to each other don't know for what though, I usually just block anything that tries to connect to the internet from connecting to the internet unless Ive told it too or if I know why its trying to connect.Andrew

I wonder if PMDG is having each guage phone home with it's current settings, so they can find out which pilots are following proper procedures. Perhaps they are secretly building a team of crack pilots for a special mission using 737s! The possibilities are exciting! Captains, put your best foot forward and fly by the numbers. Who knows, maybe you'll be picked! :) :)Seriously though, could it be possible that ZA is picking up the weather update requests, and it gets attributed to the guage due to a bug or timing error?To find the IP it's trying to access, run "netstat" in a dos box. That will show the state of any socket connections. If the socket only stays open for a short time, it might be hard to catch it, though.

Gents-I will not comment on the methods we use for copyright protection.... obviously...Currently PMDG is filing legal paperwork to promote criminal and take civil action against nearly 100 individuals and (unfortunately) some well known flight simulator based organizations for the illegal distribution and theft of PMDG intellectual property rights....Our intent is to make it horrendously painful for those who wish to traffic in stolen PMDG products... and to date we are succeeding effectively.As to the original quesiton: I think Zone Alarm is sensing something completely unrelated. The throttle console gauge seeks nothing outside your local machine.... it does communicate with about 15 other gauges in the airplane, and with FS itself....Might be a zonealarm setting on your end.....(I wrote the gauge...so....my expertise is certain on this topic! ;-) )Hope that helps a bit....BTW: If you know someone operating stolen PMDG software- you might want to have the purchase the license. If our legal team gets to them before you do..... it will be unfortunate...... and expensive....Now....lets go back to enjoying the hobby, shall we?

I say bravo to PMDG for doing this legal action. I hate it that I (and many others) buy it legally with our hard earned cash and a bunch of petty crooks steal it somehow and use it for nothing. I see this kind of crap everyday I go to work (law enforcement officer when I am not flying:) ) like retail thefts and what not. I hope nothing but success for PMDG in this endeavor.

...>As to the original quesiton: I think Zone Alarm is sensing>something completely unrelated. The throttle console gauge>seeks nothing outside your local machine.... it does>communicate with about 15 other gauges in the airplane, and>with FS itself....Hello Randy,thanks for clarification!Yours,Martin Georg/EDDFVACC-SAG PR & Events Coordinator *** mailto:[email protected]http://vatsim.pilotmedia.fi/statusindicato...r=SAG01&a=a.jpg

More than likely it is trying to contact either 127.0.0.1 or the local IP. I'd check the log and see.ScottYBTL

>>Currently PMDG is filing legal paperwork to promote criminal>and take civil action against nearly 100 individuals and>(unfortunately) some well known flight simulator based>organizations for the illegal distribution and theft of PMDG>intellectual property rights....>I love it! It would be funny if you recover enough dollars from these *$%^$^%$ to give us who pay for our software then next version for free at their expense. That would be the ultimate justice!Ray