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riccardo74

Active Sky Next and networked configuration

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Yes it is the XML for the server side only.

You don't need a XML on the client at all.


“Flying should not be a journey to the destination with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved Aircraft,

but rather to skid sideways in a cloud of smoke down the runway, engines on fire, passengers screaming, physically worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! That was one hell of a Ride and we're on Schedule!”

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There must be something I've completely misunderstood then.

I followed a video on YouTube by Frooglesim and in his video he makes the xml file on the server pc. But he then copies it inside his ASN folder too on the client pc. More specifically in the simconnect files folder which resides inside ASN.

But of course I can now see what you mean, if both my client and my server are configured with the xml then it's bound to cause a conflict.

I will give it a try without the xml on the client pc and see if that works.

Thank you again for the support.

 

 

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

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Okay so I reinstalled ASN again and this time I didnt install any xml file on the client pc, despite the simconnect.cfg file which I know has to reside in the My Documents folder on the client pc.

I can now confirm to you, that this does not resolve the problem. The problem remains exactly the same, and the behaviour too.

First time launching FSX, ASN connects perfectly. But once you try to relaunch them then they never get connected to each other.

 

Iv'e taken the problem to a higher level at the Hifi Tech support, which I hope they will be able to sort out.

As soon as I have a real solution for the problem then I will report back.

The same problem is discussed in the Hifi Tech forums started by me.

 

I am still open for suggestions though, more eyes on the problem will only speed up the process in resolving this issue.

 

Regards

Francesco

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Hi again,

Just wanted to add my simconnect log file from my FSX server pc.

0.00000 SimConnect version 10.0.61259.0

0.00197 Server: Scope=local, Protocol=Auto, Address=::1, Port=49861, MaxClients=64
0.00377 Server: Scope=local, Protocol=Pipe, Name=\\.\pipe\Microsoft Flight Simulator\SimConnect, MaxClients=64
0.00454 Server: Scope=local, Protocol=IPv6, Address=::1, Port=49862, MaxClients=64
0.00533 Server: Scope=local, Protocol=IPv4, Address=127.0.0.1, Port=49863, MaxClients=64

As you can see there is some strange behavior, each time I restart FSX it generates a new port to be used, despite the fact that I specifically choosed port 500 to be used in my .xml config file.

So in a way or another FSX is not using the port I am specifying it to use.

Another thing I noticed using CurrPorts program.

When starting FSX the first time, the FSX.exe uses port 500, but once i restart FSX it will use a different port, like shown in the simconnect log.
Funny thing though is that looking at currport, it looks like the laptop gets connected to port 500 on the server.
The connection always gets established. It's somehow FSX which doesnt redirect the system port to itself. If that makes sense in any way...

Anyways I will get to the bottom of this. I am here with a friend who is a developer, so hopefully we can sort this out faster since we are more people coming with suggestions.

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Hello everyone,

After some rough days iv'e finally fixed the problem, with the help of the tech support at Hifi Tech Inc. They sent me a beta update for an upcoming fix, which seemingly fixed the problem permanently.

The only catch to it is that you need to run FSX FIRST and not ASN.
So everything is fixed and I am a happy pilot haha.
Look out for the upcoming patch fixing this.

Regards
Francesco

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Hello Flight simmers

I would like to share my experiences with a networked Active sky next SP1 connection over a network. I'm no pc wiz by any means and setting up a network isn't easy, there are tutorial's on the internet which I found useful. I too have been having trouble with getting active sky to connect to my server (fsx flying simulator) I have only just upgrade to SP1 after trying the beta version which didn't seem to work for me now its a full release not beta. What I've discovered today is what seems to be the correct way to start active sky next and shut down procedure. I had ASN running fine on Saturday then I shut fsx down and ASN said fsx connected still. As Francesco has found out, you DO have to start fsx up first and wait till you have the default trike spinning around THEN start Active sky next. For shut down, I have discovered that if you shut active sky next down first then fsx, the next time you want to use Active Sky Next it should connect if the correct start up and shut down is followed as I have described above. I repeated the process twice to see if it would connect to fsx which it did. :rolleyes: I am waiting on a confirmation email from Hifi to confirm if I'm right, so far so good if they say otherwise then I will repost. I am using Windows 7 64bit on both server and client. One thing to watch if you don't get a connection is to check the ip of your server (FSX) to do this type in cmd into the search programs and files  bar on windows 7 then once this is open next to the flashing cursor type ipconfig then hit enter on your keyboard. you will then see 2 sets of ip numbers the first one will be the ip of your pc and the last one the ip of your modem router. IF this has changed you will need to edit the xml file in address section and ALSO the simconnect cfg file on you client pc to match the new ip of your server pc (FSX) Make sure to close the cmd before editing any files. This may happen after a power blackout, I has to me as we had one last night and I had to edit the last number in the xml file to 6 instead of 7 and like wise the simconnect cfg file in the address section on the client pc to the same number 6 instead of 7. Hope this helps and make sense. Its frustrating when you buy a program and you find it hard to get it to work. :( Cheers Q Captain :rolleyes:


Hello again I should have made it clear that your computer pc can change not the modem router this is the first number eg 192.168.0.9 this is then typed into where it says address in the xml file and also on the client pc simconnect CFG file where you have active sky installed.

The number I have given WONT be your number its only as an example.

 

Hope this is clear .

Cheers Q Captain.

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Hello Flight simmers

I would like to share my experiences with a networked Active sky next SP1 connection over a network. I'm no pc wiz by any means and setting up a network isn't easy, there are tutorial's on the internet which I found useful. I too have been having trouble with getting active sky to connect to my server (fsx flying simulator) I have only just upgrade to SP1 after trying the beta version which didn't seem to work for me now its a full release not beta. What I've discovered today is what seems to be the correct way to start active sky next and shut down procedure. I had ASN running fine on Saturday then I shut fsx down and ASN said fsx connected still. As Francesco has found out, you DO have to start fsx up first and wait till you have the default trike spinning around THEN start Active sky next. For shut down, I have discovered that if you shut active sky next down first then fsx, the next time you want to use Active Sky Next it should connect if the correct start up and shut down is followed as I have described above. I repeated the process twice to see if it would connect to fsx which it did. :rolleyes: I am waiting on a confirmation email from Hifi to confirm if I'm right, so far so good if they say otherwise then I will repost. I am using Windows 7 64bit on both server and client. One thing to watch if you don't get a connection is to check the ip of your server (FSX) to do this type in cmd into the search programs and files bar on windows 7 then once this is open next to the flashing cursor type ipconfig then hit enter on your keyboard. you will then see 2 sets of ip numbers the first one will be the ip of your pc and the last one the ip of your modem router. IF this has changed you will need to edit the xml file in address section and ALSO the simconnect cfg file on you client pc to match the new ip of your server pc (FSX) Make sure to close the cmd before editing any files. This may happen after a power blackout, I has to me as we had one last night and I had to edit the last number in the xml file to 6 instead of 7 and like wise the simconnect cfg file in the address section on the client pc to the same number 6 instead of 7. Hope this helps and make sense. Its frustrating when you buy a program and you find it hard to get it to work. :( Cheers Q Captain :rolleyes:

 

Hello again I should have made it clear that your computer pc can change not the modem router this is the first number eg 192.168.0.9 this is then typed into where it says address in the xml file and also on the client pc simconnect CFG file where you have active sky installed.

The number I have given WONT be your number its only as an example.

 

Hope this is clear .

Cheers Q Captain.

The only problem with doing this is that the IP address of your server and client computers can change from day-to-day, if (as is most likely in your system), you are using DHCP.

 

DHCP is a protocol built into your router. It tells each computer on your network what IP address to use each time it boots up. DHCP is very common on home networks, and makes basic networking easy - pretty much "plug and play" - but it has disadvantages when using a program like ASN in client/server mode, which is looking for specific computers to have specific IP addresses.

 

The problem with DHCP is that a specific computer may not always be assigned the same IP each time, which in the case of ASN running on the network would require you to edit the simconnect config files every time the server or client IP changes.

 

A better solution would be to use "Static" IP addresses. This requires you to edit the network adapter properties in Windows for each computer on the network. Rather than letting DHCP from the router assign IP addresses, you assign them yourself. The advantage is, that once set, a given computer's IP will never change, even after it is powered down and re-started.

 

You can find a lot of good info online - just Google "Setting static IP in Windows"


Jim Barrett

Licensed Airframe & Powerplant Mechanic, Avionics, Electrical & Air Data Systems Specialist. Qualified on: Falcon 900, CRJ-200, Dornier 328-100, Hawker 850XP and 1000, Lear 35, 45, 55 and 60, Gulfstream IV and 550, Embraer 135, Beech Premiere and 400A, MD-80.

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Hello Jim

I do think you are right as I said Im not a pc wiz at all, I realise everyone's system is different, Im sorry I should have made that comment also glad you bought my attention to it and for others to see.

 

I have a netgear router and am on ADSL 2 + in Australia. Its only what I have found that has fixed the connection issue for me if simconnect doesn't work or active sky isnt connecting, that's the first place I look at. I only check my servers IP not the client. If it has changed as Ive mentioned then to get simconnect to work that's how I go about fixing the problem.

 

I guess the main reason for my post was finding the correct start up and shut down procedure for Active Sky Next. so it works how its meant to over a network. My IP usually stays the same on the server unless as Ive mentioned we had a power blackout last night which changed the ip. I run the client wireless and yes that does change, I know this from when I used to have a server set up for flight simming online if someone couldn't connect then it was usually the ip had changed on that pc and I had to edit the ports in the modem router.

 

Thanks again Jim

 

Cheers Q Captain

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Hello Jim

I do think you are right as I said Im not a pc wiz at all, I realise everyone's system is different, Im sorry I should have made that comment also glad you bought my attention to it and for others to see.

 

I have a netgear router and am on ADSL 2 + in Australia. Its only what I have found that has fixed the connection issue for me if simconnect doesn't work or active sky isnt connecting, that's the first place I look at. I only check my servers IP not the client. If it has changed as Ive mentioned then to get simconnect to work that's how I go about fixing the problem.

 

I guess the main reason for my post was finding the correct start up and shut down procedure for Active Sky Next. so it works how its meant to over a network. My IP usually stays the same on the server unless as Ive mentioned we had a power blackout last night which changed the ip. I run the client wireless and yes that does change, I know this from when I used to have a server set up for flight simming online if someone couldn't connect then it was usually the ip had changed on that pc and I had to edit the ports in the modem router.

 

Thanks again Jim

 

Cheers Q Captain

Yes, one DISadvantage of static IP for machines that you may use on more than one network (like a laptop) is that once you set a static IP, the computer may no longer connect to other wireless networks at other locations.

 

As long as you know how to use ip config, and how to edit the simconnect config if necessary, you should be good to go.

 

When ASN was originally released, I would always start it first, then FSX - but since the beta builds started coming out, I found that I have to start FSX first, then ASN. I have to do this even when both ASN and FSX are both on the same machine, with no network involved.


Jim Barrett

Licensed Airframe & Powerplant Mechanic, Avionics, Electrical & Air Data Systems Specialist. Qualified on: Falcon 900, CRJ-200, Dornier 328-100, Hawker 850XP and 1000, Lear 35, 45, 55 and 60, Gulfstream IV and 550, Embraer 135, Beech Premiere and 400A, MD-80.

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Thanks Jim

That's very interesting, I do have my active sky next set up on the laptop and I only have the one network in the house which only has 2 pc's shared, the laptop and the desktop-which is where my FSX is installed on, I guess ,only guessing that if I had an Ethernet cord plugged into my laptop like the desktop pc is then the IP of the pc's would rarely change, please correct me if I am wrong. Yes you do have to know how to use the CMD I only know a small portion of how to use it, mainly the ip config part as mentioned. Much appreciate your help with confirming the start up procedure with Active Sky Next, do you do the same for shut down as well, shut ASN first then FSX? I don't want to mislead others as I have only had ASN for around a month to 6 weeks and have been scratching my head for solutions to get it to work every time for me and I think I may have it sorted, time will tell.

 

Cheers Q Captain

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Just had a look at how to set up a static ip and it looks fairly easy :smile: Ill sort that tonight, may need some help from my ISP

 

Many Thanks Again

Cheers Q Captain

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Thanks Jim

That's very interesting, I do have my active sky next set up on the laptop and I only have the one network in the house which only has 2 pc's shared, the laptop and the desktop-which is where my FSX is installed on, I guess ,only guessing that if I had an Ethernet cord plugged into my laptop like the desktop pc is then the IP of the pc's would rarely change, please correct me if I am wrong. Yes you do have to know how to use the CMD I only know a small portion of how to use it, mainly the ip config part as mentioned. Much appreciate your help with confirming the start up procedure with Active Sky Next, do you do the same for shut down as well, shut ASN first then FSX? I don't want to mislead others as I have only had ASN for around a month to 6 weeks and have been scratching my head for solutions to get it to work every time for me and I think I may have it sorted, time will tell.

 

Cheers Q Captain

Yes, I start ASN after FSX, and shut it down before. I'm pretty sure the docs for ASN when it was first released recommended to start ASN before FSX - at least when both ASN and FSX were installaed on the same machine. That did work fine - at first.

 

But, at some point after I began using the new SP1 betas for ASN, it would not connect to FSX unless I started FSX first, and then ASN. Have been doing it that way for several weeks now, and it works well in my installation.


Jim Barrett

Licensed Airframe & Powerplant Mechanic, Avionics, Electrical & Air Data Systems Specialist. Qualified on: Falcon 900, CRJ-200, Dornier 328-100, Hawker 850XP and 1000, Lear 35, 45, 55 and 60, Gulfstream IV and 550, Embraer 135, Beech Premiere and 400A, MD-80.

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Thanks for the info Jim

I'm sure it will help others as well. I had a reply from Hifi this morning and they said to start FSX first then Active Sky Next and shut down FSX  first  then shut Active Sky Next.

 

I have just tried the recommended way as mention above by Hifi for start up and shut down, 4 times and each time its shut down and then re started it connects to FSX. I don't shut active sky down if its downloading weather or even attempt too, I know it wont shut anyway but to be on the safe side I let it finish downloading first. I also wait till fsx has shut completely and ASN says waiting for simulator in orange text. I think I will follow Hifi recommendations and see how we go.

 

For those that have Ezdok camera set up like I do, sometimes it stops working I have got around this by having the launch icon in my task bar so I can re launch it, this doesn't happen always only sometimes, I have V 1.17.

 

As to IP change in the PC that fsx is on, a static IP will be the way I will go I need to do this today, for those that don't have a static IP like myself yet.

 

You can go to the control  >network and sharing centre, then click on local area connection then click on details, in the IPv4 section this is the address of your pc, which if has changed then you need to edit this in the XML file on the server as well as the simconnect  on the client in my documents flight simulator files if you as familiar with it a Jim says.

 

IPv6 maybe listed there as active as well, I go by the IPv4  That should be your FSX computers IP even though to get my network to work I had to get my ISP to enable IPv6.I thought I would put this other way of finding out your PC's IP if you are not familiar with Command prompt (cmd). Jim may like to add a comment here as well for the IP subject as he knows more about this than I do.

 

 

 

Thanks for your support Jim

 

Hope these posts help other having trouble with Active Sky Next.

 

Cheers Q Captain


In my post above it should say control panel > network and sharing centre......etc sorry

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Hey guys..

 

there is a very simple way to get around the ip address changing....

 

instead of using the IP address put inthe name of the computer. this should never change! unless you change it.......

 

hey presto no more ip cofig......

I say this with confidence however i have not tried it. I have just been told about it from a reliable source who uses this method with great success.

 

Let me know if you guys get it to work.....

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simconnect.xml is for the server only not the client.  

Server is the computer running ASN ? client is the computer running FSX/P3d..??????

regards

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