Jump to content
Sign in to follow this  
Guest nem

At wit's end - WX download problem

Recommended Posts

Guest nem

I've got a very weird weather download problem here, which not only affects AS, but still maybe someone here can come up with some idea.I'm using FS9 with AS2004 Update 1. Until some weeks ago everything was working well. Then suddenly it wasn't. I can't for the life of me remember what I could have changed in my system configuration, except maybe I installed XP SP2 around that time, but I'm not sure anymore.Anyway, AS just refused to download weather, said there was a connection error. Now, and that's just one of the curious parts of this situation, I tried the MS waether download from within FS9 just to see if that was still working. It wasn't either. I reinstalled AS2004, no change. I installed a beta 2004.5 - now it stopped complaining about the connection but still wouldn't download the weather data. I even tried FSMetar, a really small and simple utility for real-world weather downloads - it said it fails to connect as well!What's even more curious: regardless if I had the router firewall turned on or off, I could reach all weather servers (hifisim.com, fs2k.zone.com etc.) via port 80 without problems (and far as I know the weather data is downloaded via port 80). Absolutely no problems here with other internet applications (no matter how exotic the ports they use), just whenever it comes to weather downloads for FS9 - nada.Just to find out what exactly was happening here I installed Ethereal and captured the net traffic that went on when I tried to download weather via AS, FS9 or FSMetar. Here's what I found: nothing. There ist absolutyle NO traffic going out from these applications, not a single TCP SYN request to anywhere, nothing at all. Ok, so that's why I get no weather but why are these three applications and these three alone refusing to communicate with the internet? What's the common denominator here?Just to make sure I tried out FSMetar from my notebook - same router, Firewall even turned on, Windows XP SP1 and no FS9 installed there. Clicked "download weather from VATSIM" - worked like a charm. So the center of the problem has to be somewhere in my workstation (or in front of it? ;)), but I'm absolutely clueless about what it might be.Any ideas before I completely reinstall FS9 and everything around it?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi Nem,I'm pretty sure that your problems are with the SP2 install.You mention that you have a firewall on your router - If you have no software firewall the SP2 installer will install the XP firewall for you on the computer. By default everything except port 80 is closed for traffic.Go to your control centre and select Windows Security Centre and see if your firewall is on. If it is try turning it off and see if that helps.If everything work and you trust your firewall on the router - than fine :) - otherwise you should configure your software to run with FS and Active Sky.Hope this helps :)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Guest nem

Of course the first thing I did after installing SP2 was to make sure that the Windows Firewall was turned off. ;) There is no other software with firewall functionality running on my system, the only one I have is in the router. If that was the problem, Ethereal would at least detect a TCP SYN request from my workstation to the router. Anyway, even if I turn off the firewall in the router it doesn't change the problem.Thanks for the suggestion anyway. :)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi,Strange. Ever use ZA (Zone Alarm)? It has been known to cause such problems and is pretty much impossible to totally get rid of without a windows re-install.Another possibility is you might have some spyware/adware preventing proper access, try a removal program like ad-aware from Lavasoft (free version available).Does this help?


Damian Clark
HiFi  Simulation Technologies

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Guest nem

Zonealarm? No, I don't use firewall placebos. ;)I'll give the spyware search a shot although- I surf with safe software- I keep my system up to date re patches- I don't use untrustworthy downloads without scanning them with an uptodate avast virus scanner- spyware blocking the communication woul IMO mean that I wouldn't be able to use web browsers as well, what with them using port 80 too.But any help is welcome so I'll try it out tomorrow anyway. :)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Guest nem

Ok, the system is free from ad-/spyware, viruses or anything else, so that wasn't the cause either.BUT: just for kicks I set up a new windows user account, logged in with that (while staying logged in with my usual account), tried FSMetar: WORKS! Tried AS: WORKS!So it's got to do something with my user account... any idea what this could mean? (Damien? Sudden inspiration? :))Well, if this leads nowhere seems I'll have to setup a new account and transfer my user settings... still better than having to reinstall FS9 and the whole bunch. ;)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi,Internet explorer security settings maybe? Check all the things specific to a user configuration. IE, internet options, general security, etc...


Damian Clark
HiFi  Simulation Technologies

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Guest nem

Did that, nothing. Compared user files in the applications & settings directory - nothing. Even checked the HKCurrent User tree in the registry - no idea.Well, I swapped acocunts now and so far it seems to be working again. I'll write this one off to major Billy-Voodoo and hope it doesn't happen again. Thanks for the input everyone and I hope this thread will help someone else in the future. :)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
Sign in to follow this  

  • Tom Allensworth,
    Founder of AVSIM Online


  • Flight Simulation's Premier Resource!

    AVSIM is a free service to the flight simulation community. AVSIM is staffed completely by volunteers and all funds donated to AVSIM go directly back to supporting the community. Your donation here helps to pay our bandwidth costs, emergency funding, and other general costs that crop up from time to time. Thank you for your support!

    Click here for more information and to see all donations year to date.
×
×
  • Create New...