SimConnect to remote pc, v234 not connecting

[nemoz2000]

I've made this a new topic - I do not have FSUIPC and cannot connect using any version of SimConnect.

Background:

Several weeks ago I had v4 build 228 working locally and remotely with SimConnect on the original release of MSFS
I stopped using MSFS for several weeks for unrelated reasons. Recently I came back and applied all the updates to MSFS. Am now running the latest, 1.11.6.0
The sim itself is working OK even with many remaining bugs.

Tried Plan-G v4 build 228 again and it didn't work. There was just no connection (not surprising I suppose).

After updating myself on this very busy forum, I read the "Quick Start" and installed build 234, on both local and remote computers.
It worked straight away on the local computer, built a new database, with no serious problems and plenty of improvements, thanks Tim.

Copied and pasted the new data files to the remote computer.
Checked that nothing on the two computers had changed, such as IP address, port nos, firewall ports open. Made some minor changes to the .xml and .cfg files, like layout and increase to MaxReceiveSize, now 41088.
Checked that SimConnect.dll from the new SDK is available on the local computer. Is this "Simconnect2", and does it also need to be available to the remote computer? If so, which version(s)?

v234 ran OK on the remote computer except there was no "connect" -  no aircraft icon on the map.
Turned firewalls off and on several times, no difference. Tried three methods of connection, SimConnect1, SimConnect2, BeatlesBlog.
Sometimes the connect simply timed out, with a chime and return to the Home screen. Sometimes it crashed to the desktop.
So, sadly, no success.
Copies of SimConnect.cfg, SimConnect.xml, and Plan-Gv4.log are attached

I hope it's something simple and that someone can put me right please.

[tim arnot]

Has the IP address of your sim PC changed since the time when it was working? Unless you have a reserved address for it in your router, it can get a different address every time it's restarted, which will need to be reflected in the cfg and xml files. There's so much more stuff competing for local IP addresses these days, from phones, tablets, consoles to TVs, media players, cameras, fridges & doorbells even!

edit: yes, you did say you'd checked. But it's still the most common reason for connection failures.

Aside from the possible address, both files look fine (presuming you changed the file extensions to .txt for the upload?)

The log confirms it's a failure to connect, and not a program error, but it can't say anything more specific. You could set up a simconnect.ini file for the sim PC, which will make MSFS generate a log file, and that'll show if the connection attempts are reaching the sim.
Simconnect.ini looks like this, and goes in LocalState (same place as the xml)

Code Select Expand

[SimConnect]
level=normal
console=1
;RedirectStdOutToConsole=1
OutputDebugString=1
file=C:\Users\ME\simconnect%03u.log
file_next_index=1
file_max_index=9


The only change I might suggest to the files is to drop the MaxReceiveSize back down to 4096. Plan-G doesn't require such a big buffer, and I think that's a case of 'just because you can, doesn't mean you must'. It should still work with the bigger buffer though.

Did you try connecting to the sim on the local PC? You said you built the database, but that doesn't require a sim connection. Local connections don't require the simconnect.cfg stuff.

[nemoz2000]

Thanks Tim, it's working again! :)
The final solution was to start again from scratch, and reinstall v234, whereupon everything worked.

I don't really know what caused the initial trouble but suspect missing ports in the firewall open lists on one or both PCs, as this is a bit of a jungle to me. From the great list of firewall rules incoming and outgoing it looks as if many programs just request to open "any" so I got started by doing the same for MSFS and Plan-G, then narrowing it down to what still worked. 

Also, possibly a subject for another topic: in going over everything I found a remarkable number of copies of SimConnect.dll on my C: drive, about 50 in all!
That included copies in three versions of the SDK, some with name prefixes like BeatlesBlog.SimConnect.dll, Lockheed.Martin.Prepar3D.SimConnect.dll, Microsoft.Flight.Simulator.SimConnect.dll, some in folders associated with FSX and FSXSE, and also leftovers from older Plan-G versions and folders used in unzipping etc., and some in the recycle bin and temp folders

I got rid of the obvious ones, but am left with 18 copies, for FSXSE and MSFS, and their SDKs.
Which begs the question - which simulators and addons require which versions? Are all these versions still required, or if not, is last-dated always best?   

[tim arnot]

No. Latest does not mean best. Specific versions are required by different programs. Some versions are 32-bit, some are 64. You can't tell just by looking, and if you delete the wrong one, something will stop working.

Welcome to what used to be called "DLL hell", but is now simply The New Normal!

[nemoz2000]

Thanks.
At the moment everything is working, I'll leave well alone.