Can’t connect to Ring Servers

[KB02]

I have been trying to upgrade the software on my HC-2, but every time I open Railpro Assistant, it can’t connect to the server. Anyone else having this issue?
I can’t get software, pictures, sound… nothing. 

[G8B4Life]

No problem connecting here.

Before we delve deeper, does it connect now; it's been while between your post and my post. If still not connecting, what version of RPA are you using? Have to ask that first as quite a while ago Rings IP address changed which means older versions of the software can no longer connect (that was ages ago but still some people still have old copies installed).

- Tim

[KB02]

Yeah, still can't connect. I'm using version 4.01. I even uninstalled and reinstalled the program. Still no luck.

[William Brillinger]

What kind of anti-virus software are you running?

Is the software running as administrator? (right click, run as administrator to test)

Is the RPA being blocked by windows firewall?

• https://www.windowsdispatch.com/check-windows-firewall-blocking-ports-programs/
• Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Windows Defender Firewall\Allowed apps

[KB02]

Same problem running as admin or opening regular.
As far as I can tell, it is being allowed through firewalls.
Still get either “Can’t connect to RE Server,” or “Could not read file from RE Server: RE Product Program List” (or category list, etc.)

BUT -
 I can at least report this: the problem is with my computer. After going through the above, I dug out my old, outdated, still running XP, laptop - which also happens to have Railpro Asst. downloaded it, and that is working perfectly fine and my HC-2 is currently updating as I try this.
Gonna have to keep digging to figure out what’s going on with regular machine.

[William Brillinger]

Try rebooting your router and your PC, sometimes a corrupt DNS cache can lock out individual machines from individual targets on the "interwebs."
Do a full shutdown of the PC, and turn the router & modem off for 5 minutes. Fire it up again and see if the problem persists.

[G8B4Life]

No DNS involved with RPA, the IP address of the server is explicitly hard coded into RPA (which is why he needs to put out a new version every time his IP address changes).

KB02, on the problem machine, does the blue info box with the RE logo -> Earth  -> Computer picture say connected in green text or not?

My guess is that it is the firewall blocking the outgoing packets. Less likely is that something else has the port that RPA wants already.

- Tim

[KB02]

Its weird. When I first open the program, it shows as connected. When I click on any of the products, it thinks for a few seconds, gives me the can't connect messages, and then shows as not connected.

Just about any place I have ever worked, I have always become known as the "tech guy." I've never had any formal training and am certainly not any kind of computer engineer. I've just always been able to figure stuff out. This one is baffling me, though. The firewall blocking outgoing packets seems like the most likely explanation, however, even when I turn the firewall off completely, I am still getting the same issue. - Don't worry, I turned it back on after this test and restored defaults.

[G8B4Life]

Ok, that is weird!

So what is happening is that when RPA starts it contacts Rings server, which responds and RPA shows that it is connected (green connected text is shown).  Subsequent packets for some reason are either not making it to Rings server or the responses are not making it back.

What makes the scenario bizarre is that if it is firewall related it's letting the initial communication through and then blocking further packets.

We'll have to sort out the firewall first. You'll need to make sure RingEngAssistant.exe has unfettered access to the internet through the firewall. What AV/Firewall are you running? There's a few guides here I wrote quite a while ago now on letting RPA through various firewalls but they might not be of any use anymore, and I don't have access to a Win10 machine to write one for Windows Defender.

Edit: Ok, I just reread what you wrote and you said you tried with the firewall disabled completely. That does change things a little bit. I'll need to think some more.

- Tim

[William Brillinger]

What AV are you running?

[KB02]

What AV are you running?

AV? Anti Virus? Not one at the current point in time. (I know. Bad me.) Malwarebytes is the only anti viral type program that we have currently.

And I should have stated that its a windows 10 machine with Firewall Defender.

[G8B4Life]

No antivirus? well that's not ideal but it does eliminate it from being the problem; MalwareBytes shouldn't block anything by itself unless it's changed in functionality in the years since I've used it.

I can't think of any good reason for the bizarre behavior except for Windows Defender, which you say you tried disabling. I'd like to find out for sure though. As mentioned I haven't done a guide for allowing RPA through Defender, so you can follow this one:

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/70903-add-remove-allowed-apps-through-windows-firewall-windows-10-a.html

On the "Allowed Apps" screen you'll need to scroll though and find the RPA entry. This may show as "RailPro Assistant" but more than likely it'll show as "RingEngAssistant.exe" (hopefully someone will confirm this for us). If it's there make sure at least the private checkbox is ticked. If you don't find either "RailPro Assistant" or "RingEngAssistant.exe" you'll need to add RPA as an exception as per the tutorial. It's location will be c:\Program Files (x86)\Ring Engineering\RailPro Assistant\

Once you've confirm that it's allowed through the firewall if it still doesn't work we'll have to go further down the rabbit hole.

- Tim

[KB02]

Yes, I have ringengassistant set as an allowed app for both public and private networks in Windows Defender firewall.

Unfortunately, I'm going to have to leave it there for a few days. I'm heading out of town until Wednesday.

[G8B4Life]

For when you get back...

So we know Defender is apparently set properly, that's good. Some cursory research says that MalwareBytes has changed since I last used it, and if you have a paid version it includes realtime protection. That could be the problem, though MalwareBytes is supposed to tell you when it blocks something.

If you have a paid version (or are still in the trial period) of MalwareBytes, as opposed to the free version (when the trial expires) you may need to add an exception for RingEngAssistant.exe to MalwareBytes.

Unfortunately I can't test this one before you get back, I don't think I have enough ram to spin up a VM anymore.

- Tim

[KB02]

Well... I am still in the free trial period of MalwareBytes, and I already have RingEngassistant.exe set as an exception. Once again I turned EVERYTHING off (MalwareBytes and the firewall - this made my computer somewhat cross with me) and still no luck.

Maybe we're just looking at this from the wrong angle... Is there some way I can look at the background actions the computer is taking to see what/where the hang up is?