Just started with VATSIM & seems great if only I could get it working. 8 nights now and counting.When searching for a valid Multiplayer session never finds game. Details ...I followed 'VATSIM UK Pilot Training BASIC unit 1'. All s/w installs OK etc & have added 80.249.98.88 to ipaddr.tx OK. I can get FS2004 running OK. Then set up Multiplayer OK. HostSB runs fine. Problem occurs with SQBox (v2.3) which does not find the running game at all, just keeps searching. Tried 127.0.0.1 also. If I cancel it runs up OK with some error but appears to work from then. Obviously no connection though.Oddly it worked the 1st time I tried it but not since. Have tried:Disabling virus & Security.Re-installing s/w.Double checking all files in procedure etcNo joy & am very frustrated.Need some diagnostics to see why it can not find session if available.More details available if required.Win XP Home 3Ghz box.RegardsAndy Smith

Andy,I had problems similar to yours and here's what I do:1) Start SB Relay and allow it to setup the servers or whatever it does (you didn't mention this program, so you might need to download it)2) Start FS2004, go to multiplayer, put "127.0.0.1" in the box and hit search, click on the SBRelay session, then hit join3) Setup my a/c at the airport in FS20044) Load Squawkbox Host and Squawkbox main program5) Again, hit search for games and put 127.0.0.1 in the box and hit search, then select the game that comes up and join...That's all I do and it seems to work every time. I don't use any other software and I don't know what you mean about putting stuff in ipaddr.txt... I think what works depends on your system and other settings, but this was the only method to use to solve my problems, so hopefully it'll work for you!Good luck,Marc

Thanks for your suggestions. In the end I had to follow VATSIM 103 - VATSIM Software Setup guides in the Pilot Resource Centre (PRC) at this page http://www.vatsim.net/prc/course/view.php?id=17. These manuals had more info than others I had read & things started to work.My main problem now is voice from others being distorted but I reach them OK. Could be data rate or processor too busy but need to work on this. Have set sound to 'WAV' as someone suggested but still no joy.RegardsAndyThanks for reply