I have read, re-read, and read again all posts about SimConnect and the problems that can occur when people are using Active Sky in a network environment. The problem I'm having is most peculiar and I'm unable to find a resolution to it.I have a laptop running Active Sky Evolution and going thru the ASE document properly configured the client and the server and was able to run ASE successfully. A few days later while running FSX I noticed weather wasn't updating properly and sure enough, ASE wasn't able to connect (the easiest way for me to verify is by going to the map in ASE and clicking the "Lock to FS position " checkbox, when ASE can't connect the checkbox never enables. I have looked thru the document again to ensure nothing has changed in the configuration files and unfortunately they are the same as they were when I did the first install/configuration of ASE. I have run a few of the SimConnect samples and they all open a prompt with the words "Connected to Flight Simulator". I did notice that the SimConnect output window (dos window) does not update to show a connection was made/attempted).I have verified that the MS (the only software firewall installed) is completely disabled. The only changes made to the machines is a few aircraft installations (server) and any Microsoft patches that have ben sent in the past few weeks.I would appreciate any help as this is most frustrating. I will also avoid a re-install of FSX as that would be a tremendous burn of effort (entailing hours upon hours of work as I have many addons and scenery additions). I also feel a re-install simply may make the problem go away, today, but the underlying issue is bound to pop back as the source would never have been found or dealt with (most likely).The latest attempt produced the following ASE_SimconnectionLog.txt file:12:55:16 PM:0142 - Pre Connect FS_Connected = False12:55:16 PM:0142 - FSX Connect Pre Attempt: Instantiated = True / mConnected = False12:55:16 PM:0142 - Sim general message:Sim Msg: fsx_simconnect is NOTHING ...12:55:16 PM:0142 - Sim general message:Sim Msg: Connection request sent ...12:55:16 PM:0142 - Sim general message:SimConnect Msg: Data request sent ...12:55:16 PM:0157 - FSX Connect Post Attempt: Instantiated = True / mConnected = False12:55:16 PM:0173 - FSX Connection Attempted12:55:16 PM:0173 - Post Connect FS_Connected = False

Just a thought; this is not something like the IP address changing due to a lease expiry is it?The reason I ask is that I have had problems in the past when my machines have been switched off for a while. Once they are then switched back on the order that the machines are powered can change the actual IP address allocated to each machine. Net result being that the config is then wrong based on the new IP addresses allocated and simconnect won't work.Don't know if this is the situation for you but it did catch me out (more than once).OldBadger

Hi,When this happens, run the AI Traffic Utility with FSX running and see if they connect and the utility stays running.It does look like a network IP address change that is causing this. Remember, this is not the same as your IP address. Network addresses usually begin with 192.

Thanks for the replies; unfortunately the weirdness continues. The IP address is static on the machine so I have now worries of having that change on me. The problem I have now is it "magically" works again (yes, that is a problem :) ). Nothing changed, no reboot, no configuration changes. Being a software developer I'm too used to having defects disappear by themselves as they will always reappear just as quickly! I prefer to find the root of the problem so I can anticipate/mitigate the issue.At this point I can just hope thing continue to work; it's too bad I have to constantly question if things are working each time I run FSX/ASE.Thanks again,Andreas

Hi,It's not your IP address but your network address that might be changing. Like when you add another computer to your network or take a computer off your network. the nwtwork IPs may change. Then you need to re-set the Simconnect config files

Hi,It's not your IP address but your network address that might be changing. Like when you add another computer to your network or take a computer off your network. the nwtwork IPs may change. Then you need to re-set the Simconnect config files

Unfortunately that isn't the case; my IP has not changed and is one of the first things I check for when my connection fails. I have had a day of successful connections and then the dreaded inability to connect again. It appears that if I reboot both machines the connection via SimConnect succeeds (the first time FSX is run). I use the traffic sample provided by the SimConnect SDK and learned that the "Connected to Flight Simulator" isn't a valid connection message, the true message indicating that SimConnect is successful is the subsequent "Received: 2" message. Upon receiving that message ActiveSky works perfectly. If I close FSX and re-launch 9 times out of 10 I can no longer connect via SimConnect.I've turned on logging on the server (for SimConnect) but there is nothing that shouts out that a problem exists.I'm running out of ideas. I definitely don't like having to reboot my machine to kick start it to work again. Hopefully there is some gotcha I'm overlooking.

Unfortunately that isn't the case; my IP has not changed and is one of the first things I check for when my connection fails. I have had a day of successful connections and then the dreaded inability to connect again. It appears that if I reboot both machines the connection via SimConnect succeeds (the first time FSX is run). I use the traffic sample provided by the SimConnect SDK and learned that the "Connected to Flight Simulator" isn't a valid connection message, the true message indicating that SimConnect is successful is the subsequent "Received: 2" message. Upon receiving that message ActiveSky works perfectly. If I close FSX and re-launch 9 times out of 10 I can no longer connect via SimConnect.I've turned on logging on the server (for SimConnect) but there is nothing that shouts out that a problem exists.I'm running out of ideas. I definitely don't like having to reboot my machine to kick start it to work again. Hopefully there is some gotcha I'm overlooking.

Andreas,I have just read about your problem.Funny thing indeed and there was a time I had to deal with the same issue.In fact I still do...Maybe my problem is different to yours but I can only connect ASE with my network by first opening the mounted rives on which I installed and shared Flight Simulator.Without opening at least once every mounted drive, ASE will not connect. When I do open those drives in windows explorer, all is well and ASE connects without issues.Somebody told me it could be caused by the different OS. I still use xp on the laptop and Win 7 on the main rig.just my experience...Luc BrusselmansBelgium

I'm running out of ideas. I definitely don't like having to reboot my machine to kick start it to work again. Hopefully there is some gotcha I'm overlooking.

Hate to beat a dead horse here but could you clarify a few things - How are you connecting the laptop to your FS system? Direct cable connect or through a router? If a router - which brand/model#?What OS?What is the IP address of your laptop and your FS system - open a command box and run IPCONFIG and post results.When it STOPS working - run IPCONFIG and see if anything looks differentThanx

Hi All,If you shut down FSX and keep ASE running and try and re-start FSX, then SimConnect does not always re-connect. We looked into this and there is nothing more we can do about this. When this happens you must shut down ASE and re-start ASE in order to re-establish the connection. So if you close FSX, also close ASE and then re-start ASE then FSX. Re-booting your computers should not be necessary.

Hi All,If you shut down FSX and keep ASE running and try and re-start FSX, then SimConnect does not always re-connect. We looked into this and there is nothing more we can do about this. When this happens you must shut down ASE and re-start ASE in order to re-establish the connection. So if you close FSX, also close ASE and then re-start ASE then FSX. Re-booting your computers should not be necessary.

I always restart ASE after a restart of FSX (as I thought it would remedy the SimConnect issue). It didn't appear to make a difference. I also verify my IP address has never changed, before and after the connection problems.However, I think I may have come across the catalyst to the problem: I tend to put my Vista 64bit machine into sleep mode when I'm done using it and after a few tests it appears that the connection can not be re-established properly after the computer has been "woken up". The connection still shows "Connected to Flight Simulator" but no information is passed to FSX (the "Received: 2" message is not displayed). A reboot or trying to launch multiple times without putting the computer to sleep (after a reboot) seems to solve the problem.It seems like odd behaviour to occur simply because the computer was put to sleep. I know that SimConnect isn't kept resident in memory as it is a DLL being loaded only when FSX is run and when the client tries to connect while FSX isn't running (i.e. the SimConnect program isn't loaded) no "Connected to Flight Simulator" is displayed.Very odd.Andreas

Andreas,I have just read about your problem.Funny thing indeed and there was a time I had to deal with the same issue.In fact I still do...Maybe my problem is different to yours but I can only connect ASE with my network by first opening the mounted rives on which I installed and shared Flight Simulator.Without opening at least once every mounted drive, ASE will not connect. When I do open those drives in windows explorer, all is well and ASE connects without issues.Somebody told me it could be caused by the different OS. I still use xp on the laptop and Win 7 on the main rig.just my experience...Luc BrusselmansBelgium

Hey Luc,Thanks for sharing your experiences. I've noted the same thing as the drives I have mapped have to be opened or navigated to as I need to enter my userid/password to connect. If I forget to do that upon opening ASE will throw an exception and prompt for the path to the FSX directories. I've had many an oops moment when I had to go open the connections and restart ASE. After I do that ASE works fine. However, I've noted that the problem seems to show itself as soon as I put my server (the FSX machine) in sleep mode. Andreas