I am having a networking problem since the upgrade of the main flight sim machine.  I have this lovely brand new i7-960 quad core kick butt machine which is running fs2004 (there are reasons it is not fsx) like a jackrabbit. It is running Win 7 64 bit and fs2004 runs just fine on it. Now I am trying to hook up the pit again.

I have the existing simpit wired up on a 10/100 Mbit LAN using an 8 port switch. It used to work just fine with the old XP main sim machine. The existing network is a combination of a few machines running XP and one still on Win 98 (yeah....98 !). All is hardwired. No network cable issues. Switch is fine.

The other machines can see the internet via the routing thru the network switch connected directly to the DSL modem. I don't run those machines to the net "through" the main machine. They currently work fine connecting to the net.

I am suddenly experiencing problems with SOME stand alone gauges on the networked machines that I NEVER had before. So I am suspecting some sort of network issue is at the root of this.

The whole "homegroup" business in Win 7 as opposed to "workgroup" seems to not be all that "backward compatible"...at least easily for a non-IT type person. Mucking about in this new version is difficult for me.

I can't get the Win 7 machine to add the computers to the "map". I can see the other computers when I click on "network" in Win 7.... but they are placed at the bottom of the screen in the Network center under a line that says it could not add them to the map. (Don't know exactly what that message implies?) I see the main Win 7 machine and the DSL modem and the internet icon at the top of the "map" all hooked together nicely.

I can "reach" two XP machines shared folders and copy files TO them. The Win 98 machine I can see the machine icon in Win 7, but if I try to access the shared folder there .... it does not accept requests.

If I try to see the shared folders back on the Win 7 machine from the XP or Win 98 machines..... I cannot see it from them. It says the Win 7 machine does not accept requests.

I have installed the very latest version of FSUIPC and WideFS (paid versions). I've been using FSUIPC/WideFS for YEARS and have had it working just fine. I am ASSUMING it is working fine now too. WideClient on both the XP machines and the Win 98 machines has the "connected" message in the top info bar.

But here is the kick.

With WideClinet showing connected, ONE stand alone gauge is connected to the sim and is displaying data correctly on an XP machine. Running right next to that gauge is another gauge that is connected....... but shows no data at all. If I turn off WideClient with the non displaying gauge still running.... it then shows the normal "INOP" display that is designed to indicate that it is not receiving data.
Same scenario on the Win 98 machine.

This situation is happening with two separate stand alone gauges from the same supplier (a PFD and an EICAS). (I am expecting the ND will possibly do the same....... haven't had time to test it yet.)

I am guessing this is happening because the network is only partially working correctly. Something is not getting sent...... and that "technicality" is what the second non-displaying gauges are depending upon for data.

Any thoughts / help would be GREATLY appreciated.

best,

.....................john

Hi Nick!  Wasn't expecting you to chime in here.  Thanks.

Believe it or not...... coming from this computer dummy..... I've already done everything that is listed on those threads. 

If I hit "See Full Map" I still do not get the other machines showing up the way I'd expect.  I see the main Win7 machine, the DSL modem and the internet icon at the top with a line linking them, and the other machines at the bottom of the screen under a line with a line that says it could not put them on the map.  Am I misunderstanding that function?

Also of REAL concern here (simpit is dead at the gate) I'm still having issues with the certain stand alone gauges.

Something kinda' weird is happening here on those gauges. 

See this thread for more on that stuff:

http://forums.simflight.com/viewtopic.php?f=54&t=80462&sid=68089356d41bdc524ba9a...

Working on it...... but it is slow going.


best,

................john

NickN wrote on May 24^th, 2010 at 11:17pm:


They other systems DO show down there......but that is not where I would have expected them..... I thought I should have seen them up on the "Map".

Hummmmmmm......... looks like this is going to be "fun".

Thanks for the thought.  Guess maybe I'll take two valium and call Microsoft when I can work up the gumption. 

Crap!

Thanks, Nick.

best,

.....................john

The #1 reason for the network map problem is the failure of MS in XPsp3 to install the service

===================================

Using the network map
The network map in Network and Sharing Center is a graphical view of the computers and devices on your network, showing how they're connected and including any problem areas. This can be helpful for troubleshooting. Before a computer running Windows XP can be detected and appear on the network map, you might need to install the Link-Layer Topology Discovery (LLTD) protocol on that computer. For more information, go to Network Map Does Not Display Computers Running Windows XP on the Microsoft website.

If the LLTD protocol is installed but computers running Windows XP still don't appear on the network map, firewall settings could be preventing Windows from detecting them. Check the firewall settings and make sure that file and printer sharing is enabled. To learn how to do this, if you're using Windows Firewall, open Help and Support and search for "Enable file and printer sharing." Open the Help topic, and then scroll to the end. If you're using another firewall, check the information that came with your firewall.
==================================


Here is the workaround

http://homecommunity.cisco.com/t5/Wired-Routers/SOLUTION-Windows-XP-computers-ar...

I am reading in a few places that W7 may not show the systems in the damn map no matter what you do but you DO need to make sure the responder service IS installed into XP and it shows in the properties of the network connection, and, you must make sure the responder is enabled on the W7 system under the network properties

As for the 98 system..   well,     I think that one is a MS question  LOL

I would disable both firewalls at first to see what happens too. Take all the firewalls out of the loop temp and check things

and by the way, if yuu are using a 3PD firewall on the XP system, I would get rid of that completely and just use the Windows firewall

NickN wrote on May 25^th, 2010 at 12:49pm:




also John  MAKE SURE you give the users for the SHARE folders FULL PERMISSIONS (everything) on both ends or you may be butting heads with a permission problem instead of a connection issue!

NickN wrote on May 25^th, 2010 at 12:45pm:


Already tried disableing the firewalls a while back..... no joy.

Will double chack that though to make sure that I tried BOTH off at the same time.

No thrid party firewall.

best,

.............john

OK...verified that there is NO LLTD installed on at least one XP SP3 machine. (Thanks Microsoft!  )

Will install XP hotfix per instructions.  Might get delayed a bit.... have an errand to run.

best,

....................john

OK... the "good news / Bad news" scenario:

The good news is that the XP machine that now has the Linked Layer stuff installed now shows up on the network "Map" in Win 7.

The bad nesw is that the gsuges still don't work.

On now to check the other potential issues above ........ sigh.

But one part of the networking mess is clearly now "down".  So that is good.  THANKS.

best,

....................john

So it takes a simpit builder to get your help now, Nick?  There goes my budget!  And my patience!  And what little hair I have left!  Sigh...

LOL...

John and Nick,

This thread helped me with my network connection issues.  I was recently given a copy of Win7 Ultimate by my brother-in-law.  He got it thru his employer when they bought a bunch extra and needed to unload them.  Got it cheap, loaded it, hated it and passed it down to me.

I loaded it (64bit) on my machine, an ASUS P5-KE, Intel Q8400, four gig Ram, all Vrap drives main PC and loved it immediately.  Once got it set up with Nick's Win7 tweak, I got a 5-12 fps FSX boost depending on where I was flying.  Hubs went from having to set traffic and scenery just so to getting VERY acceptable and smooth performance around them while leaving settings same as country flying.  "Out in the country" is smoother and better than ever.  I can now use some of those hd clouds.

But the fly in the butter was the networking issues.  I am running Vista x32 Home on my laptop, a second PC with XP Pro x32 and an old Gateway with Win98 SE for some of my legacy games and software that still entertain me or have some utility.  I used the laptop and XP pc to run stuff a weather radar addon and to run Saitek control panels and gauges.  Til this thread, I couldnt get the laptop or 2nd pc to talk to the big machine after loading it with Win7.  They all work together now.

Thanks guys...Lurking can pay off.

Good luck with you problems, John and thanks for still hanging around Nick.

Nick?  What makes Win7 as configured by your tweak run FSX so much better?  I notice 25-30% less memory usage at idle and about 20% less usage when simming with the extra stuff off-machined to the laptop and 2nd PC.  That it?  Better memory utilization and less crap running in backround?  Just courioser and courioser...

UnkieDude wrote on May 25^th, 2010 at 8:35pm:



What I posted in that list (just like with XP) is a methodology in which each step has defined goal and works in concert with each the steps after it. When people skip items they are breaking the chain and that includes the defrag operations on mechanical hard drives in which step 1 in using the reg edits right down to using the boot optimize tools defines how well the defrag program (with must be O&O exactly as I posted) works

Flight Sim uses a alphanumerical file system in calling files. The goal is to optimize the system so the file calls on the mechanical drives are read into physical memory as quickly as possible and with the least CPU time possible. Since FSX and scenery typically uses alphanumerical name system, O&O is placing your files in a perfect alphanumerical order meaning the head of the drive is hardly moving when it locates a chain of files O&O has placed in name order

As CPUs and video cards and memory amounts/types get better the less impact that aspect of a computer has and of course with SSD you do not deal with mechanical hard drive latency or the CPU it consumes, but most people are not using SSD and therefore the less time a system spends locating and calling files up, the more system time goes directly to the application in use for render.



Read this post about how hard drives work with RANDOM READ performance and how the CPU is effected

http://www.simforums.com/forums/forum_posts.asp?TID=34799&PID=202329#202329


And yes, we care cleaning the system of the fat, removing the ridiculous overbearing preload of applications that are not needed and giving those resources back to the application in use



I helped John start the build on his new system by getting him set up on the right parts and agreed to try help the transition from his old rig, to the new one as much as I could. John and I go way back and if anyone around here deserved my direct attention before I fade into oblivion, it is him.

NickN wrote on May 26^th, 2010 at 12:38pm:



Awww gawrsh, Nick  .  Thanks for the kind words as well as for all the help.

The main development guy for the gauges in question is on vacation.  But he and I have been conversing (he's on a beach  somewhere ) and he suddenly hit on a thought.  He it suddenly hit hime the state of the gauges looks like it is thinking that the Avionics buss in the aircraft is not turned on.  That would be the "normal" display for that situation. 

In the aircraft I originally tried, which were multiple differnt ones just to prevent a single aircraft incompatibility, all of the avionics were on and functioning.  SO that is not it.  But it is likely a very good clue toward what might be happening.  He hasn't gotten back to me yet, but I am again thinking it is a network traffic issue.

Good to know it is a simple click away to restore it.  Makes me more willing to try it just to see  . 

Still plugging away when I can.  "Life" is in the way so far today.

best,

....................john