Handheld not finding server?

[keithyoung89]

I have installed and tested Railmaster on my laptop (Windows 10) - all fine and working via my eLink. I am now trying to use the Handheld 'app' but it seems to be unable to find the server.

I go to www.powerpos.com/railmaster and see the initial home page and click to get to the settings page. As per the guide, I amend the IP for my computer (or, rather, my wireless router which differs from the default IP address) and change the port to Com4. But when I hit the Back button I just go back to the initial home screen. On return to the settings page, the port setting (Com4) has changed to NaN.

I've tried to sort this out on my tablet and my phone (both Android) - same outcome.

Any advice would be welcome. Thanks.

[keithyoung89]

... just to add ...

The addendum to the eLink installation instructions says that the device might be identified as a new USB Serial Port identified as Com[n] and to get it to display a port number to remove the USP cable and re-insert. I've tried this umpteen times but the device is only ever identified as Com4.

If you type in 'Com4' in setings, the 'NaN' that is returned stands for 'not a number' and is therefore invalid.

In Device Manager, there is a line that reads 'port_#0002_hub_#0003'. Using '2' as port number in settings it seems to take it and connect.

BUT even now when I hit the BAck button, I just see the Railmaster logo with 'Railmaster for Android 1.21' and a blue button that takes me to settings - nothing else. How do I get the thing to load?

[Fishmanoz]

Hi Keith, I have to admit to being somewhat confused by your question as I've been unable to distinguish between an HH problem and the setup of RM on your laptop.  The reason is your reference to com4, which relates only to the USB connection from the eLink to the main version of RM on your laptop, in the same breath as the HH software on your Android tablet/phone.  The HH connects to the laptop via wifi and requires the laptop to be connected using a static IP address, static address also being desirable with your tablet/phone.

 

May I suggest we start by making sure you have a stable and correct setup for RM on your laptop.  Please go to the Setting Up and Getting Started thread second from the top in this forum and make sure you have done everything there.  When you get to the last post in the thread from HRMS, the 2 lines in your ini file are particularly important.

 

Having made sure all of that is ok, you now have 2 sources for setting up the HH.  The first is the HH PDF that RM will have put onto your desktop.  The second is the separate site referred to in the top locked thread where AC has excellent coverage of the wifi setup.

 

Let us know how you go.

[Chrissaf]

Keith, it might help if you were to state what pages in the Hand Held User Guide you're referring to with regard to your question. That is to say, help us to understand WHAT instructions you are trying to follow and having difficulty with. I suspect that it is the lack of understandable detail in your question that is resulting in a lack of replies.

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As Fishy highlighted. The text in your question seems to be mixing up aspects of configuring RM on your PC with configuring an Android HH device. These are different separate activities. The reference to Com4 relates to the USB interface between your Windows RM PC and your eLink Controller.

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You say that you entered Com4 as a port number when trying to setup the Android device and got a NAN error (Not A Number error). You would get this error, as the Port number the Android device is asking for is NOT a Communications Port number, it is a TCP/IP Port number which is something completely different. A TCP/IP Port number takes the form of a 2 or 4 digit numerical number without any letters in it. You should also note the TCP/IP Port numbers are not something you will normally need to use in Windows Device Manager (DM), so I am not clear why you are using the Windows DM application to try and configure your Android device.

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I can't tell you what TCP/IP port number to use as I have never configured this HH function up myself. However, the HH User Guide mentions that port 30 is the Railmaster default. Therefore, I suspect that the number 30 is probably the port number you need to enter.

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If you go to forum member AC's web site as suggested by Fishy (click link below).

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http://www.octaviancs.com/railmaster/rm.php

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On the right hand side sub-menu there are three document links, namely:

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• What is an IP address - this link leads to a downloadable document titled IP Primer.
• Fixed IP address.
• Networking Railmaster.

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The 'IP Primer' document was originally written by me and edited by AC for publication on his site. AC wrote the Fixed IP address and Networking Railmaster pages.

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My IP Primer document is a high level overview of IP, whereas AC's Fixed IP address & Networking documentation relates directly to using IP addresses in Railmaster. You might benefit from reading all three topics in the order that they are listed above, before attempting to set up your Android HH again.

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PS - you wrote:

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In Device Manager, there is a line that reads 'port_#0002_hub_#0003'.

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This is a red herring, this line has got nothing to do with your issue. I suspect that this line appeared in DM with regard to a USB interface and relates to the PC motherboard hardware the interface is using.

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You also wrote:

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I am now trying to use the Handheld 'app' but it seems to be unable to find the server.

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The Server the HH app is referring to is not a server out on the Internet. The Server is software that is running inside the Railmaster application on your Windows 10 PC. The HH Android App and the Windows 10 Railmaster application have what is called in the I.T industry a 'client / server' relationship. The Android HH device is the 'client' and the Windows 10 Railmaster PC is the 'server'.

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Hornby recommend that the RM PC has a 'Static IP Address' so that the Android HH 'client' knows exactly at what IP networking address the RM 'server' can be found. Communication between the two devices is via the Wi-fi interface on your Broadband router (even if your RM PC is also connected within the home via Wi-fi). If the router is not accessible (turned off or out of range) then the RM HH feature will not work. The Android HH device does not need access to the Internet, just the router.

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The AC web site documents I mentioned above go into some depth about setting up 'Static IP Addresses'.

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This reply is an extremely long reply. If your intention is to reply to it, then may I suggest that you do not click the 'Arrow in Blue Box' embedded at the bottom of this text. This Blue button is not a 'Click Me to Reply' button. It is a 'Quote' button that will just replicate my long reply in a yellow text box. Instead, scroll to the bottom of the page and write your reply in the big empty 'Reply' text box and click the Green Reply button.

[keithyoung89]

Many thanks to Fishmanoz and Chrissaf for their comprehensive, helpful and patient replies to my post. Clearly, I had got my lines crossed and derailed myself! The IP address I was using (incorrectly) was the router IP address and I was confused re 'ports'.

I have now created the static IP address as per the instructions and, using the latter and port 30, all is now working! But read on ...

The HH is fine on my Android smartphone. However, on my (and my wife's) Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 tablets (7 inch visible screen) when in landscape orientation the screen has a loco control left-hand side, about 30% of screen width, and the remainder of the screen shows the track plan. If I then turn the tablet to portrait it shows only the track plan. Unlike on my smartphone, the tablet does not show the buttons to toggle between loco control and track plan. Also, the loco selection drop down menu covers 50% of the top two function buttons. I have tried this on Chrome 35 with the same result.So, if this is an issue to do with the Smasung tablet, I will have to use the smartphone for HH. If there is a way of sorting the tablet it would be preferable as it's a larger screen.

Anyway, thanks again for your help and interest.

[Chrissaf]

Keith, glad our replies were of help re: IP addressing and port numbers, and thank you for taking the time to update us with progress....few newbies do.

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I can't help you with your latest issue as I don't use HH and have no experience to draw upon. In order to help you get an appropriate response from the forum. I suggest you post a completely new topic in this Railmaster & Trackmaster forum section and give it a title that describes your new issue such as for example "Galaxy HH Portrait / Landscape Orientation issue". By all means 'cut and paste' the text as appropriate from your last post above to save extra work when creating the new topic.

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The reason for this suggestion is two fold. The topic title for this thread "Handheld not finding server" is not a descriptive title describing your new issue, thus the forum members that are in a position to help may not be reading this particular thread.

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Secondly, a new posted topic will generate more curiosity flyby readers who may have experience of using Galaxy HH devices.

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Either way, you stand a better chance of getting an answer if you post a new topic thread.

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I have a vague recollection of reading something similar regarding 'Landscape / Portrait' orientation on a previous post, from memory I think it was an inherent non fixable issue, but best to raise the question again and afresh.

[keithyoung89]

Thanks Chris - yes, I will start a new thread. Keith