Assistant

[ronp]

Most often when opening RP Assistant it does not connect to Ring.  I cycle the program on/off and every now and then it connects. So far this morning I have been unable to connect.   I was hoping someone might help me to be more consistent.
Ron

[G8B4Life]

Been a while since someone reported having trouble connecting to Rings server.

Firstly, are you are using the latest version of RPA (v4.01)? If not download the latest version and try again.

Secondly, if you have a firewall you can try turning it off while trying RPA and see if you can connect first time every time when the firewall is off. If it does the firewall may need an explicit rule to allow RPA access out.

Also, if your trying to do this over WiFi then if you can also try with a wired connection (ie, network cable between the computer and router); WiFi can just sometimes be flaky.

If your using the latest version of RPA and if you have a firewall and it's set up properly to allow RPA access out then we'll need to delve further.

- Tim

[William Brillinger]

Also, what anti-virus product are you using? Avast is know to cause issues with Ring's software.

[ronp]

Thank you for the responses and the fixes.

-Revision 4.01 is installed
-security is malwarebytes on windows version 10.0, I do get thru to RE sometimes, but most often not
- I have not tried turning the firewall off, that will be my next effort
- I am using wifi so I will also try a wired connection...I'll have to obtain an ethernet cable.

When I do get connected the downloads seem to run just fine.

[ronp]

i checked my firewall.  It is on and has ring engineering ap listed to let thru

[G8B4Life]

Hmmm. So if MalwareBytes isn't preventing RPA from running and the firewall is set to allow RPA to communicate out then there's only a few things left.

We can try a couple of tests. Download and run the following programs (you don't need to install them, just unzip to somewhere like a folder on your desktop and run them):

https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/cports.html, https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/live_tcp_udp_watch.html

and once they are running then run RPA. If RPA doesn't connect then look at the Current Ports program and see if the RPA process (RingEngAssistant.exe) has port 4608 set as the local port (it will also have port 6768 but that's not the one we are interested in). If it doesn't have port 4608 see if another process on the screen has port 4608.

If RPA does have port 4608 then look at it's entry in the LiveTcpUdpWatch program. It should be sending to remote port 4608, and you should see values for Sent Bytes and Sent Packets (but nothing for Received Bytes and Received Packets as RPA didn't connect).

Let us know the results.

- Tim

[ronp]

Thank you Tim, I'll try the download tonight.

[ronp]

It appears that this part of the solution is over my head.  I simply wasn't able to follow along. 

[G8B4Life]

Not to worry, We can do some pictures!

After downloading the two programs to somewhere like a folder on your desktop (choose which version you need depending on if you have a 32 bit or 64 bit version of Windows)

Direct link 32bit versions:
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/cports.zip
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/livetcpudpwatch.zip

Direct link 64bit versions:
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/cports-x64.zip
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/livetcpudpwatch-x64.zip

Unzip them and run them. * Then * run RailPro Assistant.

If RailPro Assistant does not connect (the test is pointless if RPA did connect) then look at the Current Ports screen. You want to check that the RingEngAssistant process has local port 4608 as shown in the screenshot below. If it doesn't have local port 4608 then look to see if some other process on that screen has local port 4608 because RPA needs it to be able to connect.


Click for larger view

If RPA does have local port 4608 then look at the Live TcpUdp Watch screen and look for the RingEngAssistant process. The Remote Port and Remote Address should be as shown in the screen shot below but what you are looking for is the Received Bytes, Sent Bytes, Received Packets and Sent Packets values.

Sent Bytes and Sent Packets should have values because RPA tried to connect out to Rings server but if RPA could not connect Received Bytes and Received Packets will most likely not have any values. What we need to know is if those 4 categories (Received Bytes, Sent Bytes, Received Packets, Sent Packets) have values or not when RPA can not connect.


Click for larger view

- Tim

[ronp]

Thank you for the detailed process.  I downloaded both programs and put them on on the desk top.  I've opened both programs and RP Assist.  Assist. has connected to Ring.  The programs seem active but I don't know if they are running.

Ron

[ronp]

On CurrPort Ring comes up twice....once w 4608 then also 6768
after each under LocalA 0.0.0.0.

[G8B4Life]

On CurrPort Ring comes up twice....once w 4608 then also 6768
after each under LocalA 0.0.0.0.

This is correct, RPA should have both of those ports but 4608 is the one we're keeping an eye on as it's the one used to communicate to Rings server.

...I've opened both programs and RP Assist.  Assist. has connected to Ring.

If RPA connects then the test is isn't going to give us what we want to know. We are trying to find out what's happening when RPA doesn't connect.

...The programs seem active but I don't know if they are running.

The programs run in real time so if they show the RingEngAssistant process after you run RPA then they are working.

I have some further testing to do; I've just noticed some very odd behavior by RPA I never noticed before. Fun!

- Tim

[ronp]

OK, I guess I misread.  I will look again tonight w RPA not connected.
Thanx again
Ron

[ronp]

With the RPA indicating not connected this is what I read off LiveTcpUdpWatch

Received = 0
sent bytes = 451
Received = 0
sent Pa = 11

hopefully this is the info that you wanted

Ron

[G8B4Life]

Almost all the info. I would like to see what Live TcpUdp Watch reports the local port for the RingEngAssistant process is when RPA can not connect. I figure it's correct every time but just want to be 100% sure

Anyway, what the info you provided says is that RPA was trying to connect but it wasn't receiving any replies back from Ring's server. This doesn't mean that Ring's server isn't replying but it mostly likely means that the packets of data coming back to you from Ring are being dropped somewhere. As this is such an intermittent issue I'm strongly suspecting your wireless router is the culprit. Do you sometimes have trouble loading websites as well?

I really suggest picking up (even borrow from a friend / good neighbor) a network cable and seeing if you have better connectivity with RPA by using a wired connection. I'll have to think if I can work out how we can do another test to see what's going on after the packets leave your computer.

- Tim