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(public ID server) Connections Constantly Dropping

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Conrad, Support (Posts: 3060)
Apr 10, 2018 12:51:22 pm EDT

Chad Brandenburg wrote:

I am constantly getting drops, did a constant ping, and never took errors and was constantly around 30ms or less.. But sites just randomly disconnect for no reason.

Hello Chad,

I would recommend that you create a separate thread/topic devoted to self-hosted server connectivity issues. Or you can join this topicthat reports a similar issue.  We need to keep self-hosted server issues separate from public server issues as they are dealt with differently.

Thanks.
Greg Sullivan, User (Posts: 12)
Apr 11, 2018 10:08:16 pm EDT
Support level: Starter
Appreciate the effort in addressing the issue.

Sorry to report we too are also [still] seeing random disconnects, and frequent online/offline popups over the past two days.

In my experience, prior to v6.8.0.1, the issue was far less common.  Also, I do wonder if there's a "network health" component to the problem:
- With remote machines at two locations, the issue seems to be much worse at the location that has a lower bandwidth, and less stable connectivity.
- At this "worse" location (Eastern US time-zone), the problem is almost non-existent prior to 12:00 or 13:00, at which point it gets quite bad and remains so until around ~19:00.  Weekends are usually problem free.  I've wondered if net usage in local geographic area is a factor.
- It's a far less desirable configuration, but if I establish a VPN connection to this "worse" location, and connect to the remote station by local IP instead of Internet-ID, the issue is reduced (eliminated?).

Initially, I was planning on trying to get hardware pulled together to set up a local server, but this will be a challenge in the near term - and reading this thread might not solve the problem.

Again, thanks for trying to sort this for us!

- Sully
Conrad, Support (Posts: 3060)
Apr 12, 2018 4:34:25 am EDT
Hello Greg,

Thank you for the details.

- With remote machines at two locations, the issue seems to be much worse at the location that has a lower bandwidth, and less stable connectivity.

This might be a factor.  

- At this "worse" location (Eastern US time-zone), the problem is almost non-existent prior to 12:00 or 13:00, at which point it gets quite bad and remains so until around ~19:00. Weekends are usually problem free. I've wondered if net usage in local geographic area is a factor.

Yes, perhaps. Our servers can sustain far more load than they experience now so it is very unlikely that the time of day has any significance when it comes to servers themselves.

- It's a far less desirable configuration, but if I establish a VPN connection to this "worse" location, and connect to the remote station by local IP instead of Internet-ID, the issue is reduced (eliminated?).

Direct connection is a totally different thing than Internet-ID.
J Franz, User (Posts: 2)
Apr 12, 2018 3:02:34 pm EDT
Support level: Free or trial
I am experiencing this - the remote machine is online via a wired Ethernet connection to the router with a 500Mbps fiber connection.  The machine running the viewer is online via a 100Mbps fiber connection at my location.  I am connecting via internet ID.  This is not a new issue for me, as it has been happening for months - but reading this thread it should be fixed now?

My connection has dropped repeatedly today, and the viewer keeps notifying me every few minutes the machine is online. Sometimes, I cannot connect - the viewer will claim the machine is online.  I click to connect, enter my password and wait - only for it to flash to being offline, followed seconds later by it claiming to be online again.  When I do connect, some times the connection lasts only a few seconds.  Other times, I stay connected for a few minutes - 20 was the best I have seen today.  The internet connections at both locations are very reliable.
I am running 6.8.0.1 on host and viewer
Is there a way I can download an older copy of the viewer, as some have stated running an older version fixes this issue?  
I have logging enabled on both ends - according to the logs for the viewer there is a stack trace from a crash every few minutes.
Edited:J Franz - Apr 12, 2018 3:03:32 pm EDT
Conrad, Support (Posts: 3060)
Apr 13, 2018 4:50:43 am EDT
Hello Jon,

The Viewer log alone won't help us figure out the issue. We also need the Host's log and other information. If you wait a bit we will come up with  a detailed instruction in our knowledge base on how to collect the necessary logs and what to send to us. I will provide a link to the knowledge base article later today or tomorrow.

Is there a way I can download an older copy of the viewer, as some have stated running an older version fixes this issue?

Downgrading to an older version is not recommended. Besides, before we examine your complete logs we cannot be sure if your issue is the same as the one reported in this thread.

Let me draw an analogy - a high human body temperature is a sign that something is wrong, but it can be caused by many factors (specific illnesses). The same is true about a connectivity problem - on the surface it looks the same, but the cause might be different in each case, although there are not many of them actually.
Conrad, Support (Posts: 3060)
Apr 13, 2018 5:42:47 am EDT
Hello,

Here is an instruction I mentioned earlier:
https://www.remoteutilities.com/support/kb/how-to-collect-data-for-diagnosing-connectivity-issues/

It will save all of us time when figuring out the problem. Note that Remote Utilities is software of "dual nature". A connection involves at least two and sometimes (in case of ID connection) - three modules including an ID server. So we need logs from all of the modules along with the date and time of when the issue happened.  

Thank you.
J Franz, User (Posts: 2)
Apr 13, 2018 10:04:12 am EDT
Support level: Free or trial
Thank you, I am submitting per your instructions.  No Analogies are necessary.
Robert Whitacre, User (Posts: 4)
Oct 07, 2019 2:03:30 pm EDT
I'm having this issue with self hosted server.
the server is dual homed. (Two nics for access to second network) AKA Jump box.
as I have pc's on an isolated network for security reasons.
I emailed my logs in.
everything seems to connect to the server but the viewer is not connecting through the server to the hosts.
even with firewalls disabled.
Pauline, Support (Posts: 2872)
Oct 07, 2019 5:02:36 pm EDT
Hello Robert,

Thank you for your message.

We received your email along with the log files. I will forward the logs to our developers to ask for their input on the issue.

Meanwhile, could you please let me know what version of the self-hosted server is used?

Looking forward to your reply.
Robert Whitacre, User (Posts: 4)
Oct 07, 2019 7:40:44 pm EDT
Polina Krasnoborceva,
I downloaded and installed it last night so Version 2.7.9.0, April 16, 2019.   based on what the website says.

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