I just can't get it...

[TalkShowHost]

Man, I tell you all this setting up with FSX is getting on my nerves...

Now I can't seem to be able to connect my netbook to my FSX PC. I always get the "timeout" option. Granted I'm no experienced user but I have tried everything. IPv4, IPv6, different addresses, IPs, Auto and Simconnect choices in Plan-G, I allowed the program through my netbook firewall, checked that IPv6 are both enabled in my network setup, I even allowed my entire FSX PC HD to be shared through the network. I'm running Windows 7 on both computers and the simconnect file is in the Appdata/Roaming/Microsoft/FSX folder, along with FSX.cfg.

I just don't know what to do. I just want to have my plan-g in me netbook and fly properly in my main PC. Why on earth is this so difficult? What am I doing wrong? I know it's probably something simple that I can't pinpoint due to my inexperience but it's really irritating. The manual hasn't helped, other posts haven't helped...

Can someone offer me some help? (also, how do you extract the network info I have seen people here do?)

edit: I even used the tool with no result.

[tim arnot]

1. Is your FSX patched to SP2 or Acceleration?

2. Can you connect if Plan-G is on the same PC?

[TalkShowHost]

1. Is your FSX patched to SP2 or Acceleration?

2. Can you connect if Plan-G is on the same PC?

FSX is patched with Accelaration, Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit, all patched and ready to go.

I can connect fine in my FSX PC when I run plan g.

I've mapped the two HD drivers to network drives in each machine (laptop and PC running FSX), with "read" privilages on both. Plan G is on my netbook is allowed through firewall and I've also added it to the allow list of my FSX PC.

edit: I only need a simconnect file in the PC I'm running FSX, right? I've put it to Appdata/Roaming/Microsoft/FSX.

[tim arnot]

edit: I only need a simconnect file in the PC I'm running FSX, right? I've put it to Appdata/Roaming/Microsoft/FSX.

That's correct. If you post your simconnect file here, along with the log file from Plan-G, I can take a look and see if I can spot anything.

[TalkShowHost]

edit: I only need a simconnect file in the PC I'm running FSX, right? I've put it to Appdata/Roaming/Microsoft/FSX.

That's correct. If you post your simconnect file here, along with the log file from Plan-G, I can take a look and see if I can spot anything.

This is my SimConnect (copied from the manual and changed according to my network details):

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="Windows-1252"?>
<SimBase.Document Type="SimConnect" version="1,0">
<Descr>SimConnect</Descr>
<Filename>SimConnect.xml</Filename>
<SimConnect.Comm> <Disabled>False</Disabled> <Protocol>Auto</Protocol> <Scope>link-local</Scope> <MaxClients>64</MaxClients> <Address>fe80::59ec:9e42:90c1:5b5f%10</Address> <Port>4096</Port> </SimConnect.Comm> </SimBase.Document>

And this is my log file from Plan-g:

I really appreciate your help.

ps. What I'm not so sure of is the port. But I tried another one and didn't work either. I used ipconfig to find a "listening" port, picked it and entered it to the xml and the plan g options. No luck. :(

[tim arnot]

Ok,

Protocol needs to be IPv6, not Auto.

Take off the %10 from the end of the address -- that's a checksum and isn't part of the actual address.

It could also be that something else is using that port number. Low numbers tend to get used up pretty quickly. Try putting a 1 in front of it (i.e. 14096), or a 2... just to take it well out of the low range.

If those don't work, then it could be a firewall or AV is blocking it.

[TalkShowHost]

Ok,

Protocol needs to be IPv6, not Auto.

Take off the %10 from the end of the address -- that's a checksum and isn't part of the actual address.

It could also be that something else is using that port number. Low numbers tend to get used up pretty quickly. Try putting a 1 in front of it (i.e. 14096), or a 2... just to take it well out of the low range.

If those don't work, then it could be a firewall or AV is blocking it.

Nope, nothing works...

I have put plan g in the allow list of windows firewall, in both the netbook (where my plan g is running) and my FSX machine. For AV I'm using Microsoft Security Essentials - it doesn't seem to be possible to block any program.

Maybe I have made a mistake on setting up my home network?

I set up a homegroup in my FSX machine and joined the homegroup with the netbook. I have mapped the 2 HD to 2 network drives and they communicate fine (I can open files through the network).

This is starting to get on my nerves in a major way! It just doesn't make any sense!

Any advice would be welcome as I can't play FSX happily without this. I really don't like to alt-tab or fly in window mode...

edit: just to be sure: I'm using my FSX machine's IPv6 address for the simconnect xml and not the notebook's IPv6 (which will actually run g-plan to connect). Is that wrong?

[tim arnot]

edit: just to be sure: I'm using my FSX machine's IPv6 address for the simconnect xml and not the notebook's IPv6 (which will actually run g-plan to connect). Is that wrong?

That's correct. But double-check that it is the link-local address you are using (Link-local means it's restricted to your LAN and can't propagate out through the router to the Internet). Link-Local addresses start with FE80, so it looks right. But some PCs have more than one network adapter, and sometimes even a virtual one too, so there is potential to get the wrong address. You could try pinging it from the laptop to verify the connectivity. Same thing with the ip4 address.

The homegroup and drive mappings shouldn't matter, since this is TCP/IP, and goes below the radar as far as that is concerned.

[TalkShowHost]

edit: just to be sure: I'm using my FSX machine's IPv6 address for the simconnect xml and not the notebook's IPv6 (which will actually run g-plan to connect). Is that wrong?

That's correct. But double-check that it is the link-local address you are using (Link-local means it's restricted to your LAN and can't propagate out through the router to the Internet). Link-Local addresses start with FE80, so it looks right. But some PCs have more than one network adapter, and sometimes even a virtual one too, so there is potential to get the wrong address. You could try pinging it from the laptop to verify the connectivity. Same thing with the ip4 address.

The homegroup and drive mappings shouldn't matter, since this is TCP/IP, and goes below the radar as far as that is concerned.

When you say "try to ping it from the laptop" what do you mean exactly? Is "ping" what I have to type in the command prompt and what kind of information should I be looking for?

edit: And another thing. In my "Local Connection Status" it says "IPv6 Connectivity...... No Internet Access". Does that mean anything... bad?

edit 2: I think it worked. I tried allowing every add on I have for FSX through the firewall and now it seems that it's working. I'm gonna test and report back.

Thanks for your patience.

[tim arnot]

Yes. Type ping followed by a space and the ip address. "ping /?" will get you help on the command. Ping is a bit like sonar, or echo-location for your network - you fire off a ping and the echo comes back if the connection is good.

IPv6 Link Local is restricted to the LAN side of your router (as I mentioned before), so it can't see the Internet, hence the no Internet access status.

[TalkShowHost]

Yes. Type ping followed by a space and the ip address. "ping /?" will get you help on the command. Ping is a bit like sonar, or echo-location for your network - you fire off a ping and the echo comes back if the connection is good.

IPv6 Link Local is restricted to the LAN side of your router (as I mentioned before), so it can't see the Internet, hence the no Internet access status.

It seems everything connected fine finally. I just had to allow access to all my addons so it could work. Plan-g worked a treat, updating in real time while I was flying, notices and all. Really great. :)

Just one thing, is it compatible with Active Sky 2012 or does it only get weather updates from the in game weather program?

Greatly appreciate your help. :)

[tim arnot]

Glad you have it working. :)

Plan-G will display current weather from NOAA, or from in-game if you are connected to FS.