Can't connect to the server

[faithie999]

I haven't used RailPro Assistant in the better part of a year, and the last time I did, I had no problem connecting to Ring's server.  however, today, I get the dreaded "Can't connect to Ring's server" message.  has something changed?  I am using the same laptop that I used successfully months ago, and I do have internet connectivity.

I am able to connect by using my iPhone as a hotspot, so that is an acceptable workaround for now.

thanks

Ken

[nodcc4me]

I was able to connect just now, so it's not a server problem. Did you get any MS updates recently? They can sometimes create havoc on a pc.

[faithie999]

yes, I'm sure I have updated windows 10 on my laptop since the last time I connected to Ring.

[nodcc4me]

Somewhere on here there is a thread that deals with settings that could cause that error message. If one of those got changed that could be the problem. I don’t know enough about them to be of more help, but if our resident computer guru, Tim, sees this maybe he will chime in.

[faithie999]

thanks.  since I can connect using my iPhone as a hotspot, it's not a critical issue but would be satisfying to determine what has changed in my windows configuration.

[William Brillinger]

Make sure you are using the latest version of the RPA software, and as I recall Avast Antivirus has issues in case you are using that.

Failing that, call Ring - they will help you.

- Bill

[G8B4Life]

This sounds awfully like a routing issue, or perhaps a dropped packet issue. The fact that you can't connect using your normal internet connection but you can connect by using your phone as a hotspot rings the alarm bells it's a routing or dropped packet issue and not Win10 or other software or setting on the Laptop (but of course we can't rule anything out until confirmed).

Is your internet provider and your mobile provider (cell provider) the same or different companies?

We can test routing / dropped packets a couple of ways. Get the UDP Test Tool from the files section here at RPUG. Run it as administrator and using your normal internet connection (not hotspot) :

First do a PAT test to Ring Engineering (you don't need to open the test page, just click the start button). If you get a reply from Rings server then you can stop and try RPA again. If RPA still doesn't connect then something else is wrong.

If you don't get a reply from Rings server when doing the PAT test then do a traceroute. The trace might not complete but in this case a close enough is a good enough, the last entry that the traceroute should resolve should be an sbcglobal.net address (if you do a traceroute and are unsure just copy the trace and paste it in a PM to me).

You can also try a PAT test to the rptools server (you'll need to open the test page for this one). This will let you know if packets are indeed making it out and back again.

There are instructions for the UDP test tool, you may wish to read them before using it.

- Tim

[faithie999]

the windows 10 firewall was turned on. thanks to the instructions you wrote for the test tool, it reminded me to turn the firewall off. 

I haven't used RPA in almost a year.  I also seldom use the PC I use for RPA (I'm a Mac guy!), but somewhere along the line windows updated itself and apparently turned the firewall back on.

so I turned the firewall off, started RPA and it connected.  I closed RPA, turned the firewall back on, restarted RPA and it connected.  I suppose having established a connection with firewall off, windows defender allowed access to the Ring server after I turned the firewall back on?

anyway, I'm in business.

thanks

[G8B4Life]

... I suppose having established a connection with firewall off, windows defender allowed access to the Ring server after I turned the firewall back on?

Well almost any scenario is possible with Windows but this one is probably not the case because you could connect using the hotspot even though the firewall was on. I quite sure it was more than likely a simple routing issue; probably a router between you and Rings server was not responding and in the time you first tried and reported here and when you tested now the router was rebooted/replaced (another possibility was it had incorrect routing in it's routing map which in the same timeframe would have been updated). Using the hotspot would have used a (slightly) different route between you and Rings server so the faulty router was not in the path.

- Tim

[faithie999]

you're right--I closed RPA and then upon reopening, no connection.  fiddled with firewall settings to no avail.

turned firewall back on and connected via iPhone hotspot.

so PERHAPS I got a false positive a while ago, somehow!

the PAT test in the test tool times out.

but, let's not worry about this since I can connect via my iPhone.

my internet is Metronet, which uses CGNAT.  we worked on this last year, and after Ring made some changes, I was able to connect.

my cell service is via Spectrum (formerly Time Warner), who uses the Verizon network.

thanks for your help

ken


update:  10 minutes later, with firewall back on, I can connect via my ISP (not using iPhone).  as you said, likely was a server somewhere along the line that was on break.