RM v1.65 Available

[Fishmanoz]

Knap, would you like to provide a little more detail please?  Are you saying that Rm locks up your system when it does the auto check for updates when it starts?  Or that this happens when you try to access the update from the link at the top of the Rm forum, or what?

 

And what is the Windows firewall issue, are you saying it is blocking you from downloading, or installing (which doesn't make sense)?.  Also, given you are running RM as administrator, and you must be for it to work, it is irrelevant whether you run an update as administrator as it retains your original setting here when updating.

[KNAP]

When RM starts it goes to a check for updates the system locks.

RM is an allowed app for Windows Firewall but the download  needed permission before it could be installed, which is not usually the case with an update.

[HornbyRailMasterSupport]

RailMaster should not just hang, even if it is being blocked by antivirus or firewall software.  Checking for updates norally takes aruund a second however if the program is being bocked then it will time out after 30 seconds.  If this is staying on screen permanently then something else is wrong, perhaps a corrupted installation.  If that may be the case (although rare) just over-install the program by downloading and installing from the file at www.rail-master.com/rm_setup.exe

The fact that it is sitting on checking for updates and also asked for permission to install the update suggests that something is interfering with the program - usually antivirus software.

[KNAP]

Once the permission was granted the file downloaded as usual and installed without problem.

When RM starts permission is always requested, it then loads but is freezing on the checking for updates.

Obviously when loading 1.64 there was not a problem going past the checking for updates point in the load, and 1.64 had already loaded correctly today.

I've already tried an over install from fiile at top of forum.

[Fishmanoz]

You mean 1.65?

[KNAP]

I appear to have solved this by re adding RM to Deep Guard.

Why in the 5mins between 1.64 loading correctly, and exiting and installing 1.65, both the Firewall and Deep Guard settings needed RM to be re added is a puzzle, as the only change was an update. 

[Yelrow]

Knap, hi, there is a lot on the net about  reduction in internet speed, by those using/ purchasing Deep Guard. I know nothing about the product, but this might account  for part of your problems, not only now, but perhaps in the future. Might be worth investigating. john

[KNAP]

Deep Guard is just part of anti virus software - internet speed is over 50MB

[Augustus Caesar]

Deep Guard - which is an F-Secure product - has been causing issues for a long time.

What it does is this:

When a program is started (by whatever means) Deep Guard is invoked and as the program starts DG scans the execute file for exploitation code. It sends data about the code to its cloud based database and only allows the program to continue to run if the code is deemed safe.

However, while the program runs DG is STILL scanning the code for hidden exploits... which consequently means it is STILL sending data through your stream/broadband to the cloud checking all the time for malicious content.

While this is deemed a good thing by some who are over protective of their content (stated loosely) what they sometimes fail to realise is that when something is sending and receiving data on a constant basis like this then the usual port for Internet traffic is being hogged. That port is port 80. Now, that port can be changed by the user but it won't make a difference in these cases as whatever port you choose will be used by this program... unless you block the program. In which case... why have it?

The part of the data stream that is not being used by other traffic if on high speed broadband (or ordinary for that matter) will be taken up by the likes of DG as it sees it as spare bandwidth not utilised by the browser for example and it will then take up the slack making your program run 'faster' all the while the bandwidth is being narrowed.

 

Speed in Internet download talk is not strictly what should be talked about... it is bandwidth. Take two water pipes and let's say one is one foot in diameter and the other two feet.

Now let's push water through both at the SAME speed although we know you will get more water in the wider pipe. When that water is delivered at the other end we now get twice the volume of water from the wider pipe. In data terms it is twice as much data (bandwidth is wider) at the SAME speed.

Before anyone then asks why is broadband faster on a narrower fibre cable than copper... well,, yes copper is wider but the reliability of fibre is far superior and the signal does not break up as much over distance... therefore more data can be transmitted. Now I am not going into the technicalities of that as it could literally take pages to explain it all. Plenty stuff on the Internet if you wish to seek it... :-)

At least this may go some way to explain why data streams are 'slow' when using certain utilities. Personally I would not touch this kind of software at all where it constantly mistrusts the software the user is running and really is saying the user doesn't know better. Apologies if that looks like me having a dig but it really isn't. This is how software houses see the public unfortunately and especially businesses where IT support is lacking. They actually exploit the user but in a different way to the hackers and data thieves.

[RDS]

... sends data about the code to its cloud based database ...

 

I am instantly suspicious about anything like this as you really have no idea what it is actually sending.

[Fishmanoz]

AC, you are going to get 4 times as much water through your 2' pipe, not 2 times.  And ignoring losses etc, the reason for the much higher bandwidth with optical fiber is that bandwidth is a fraction of carrier frequency and optical frequencies are so very much higher than standard electromagnetic transmission frequencies that can be used with copper, so a fraction of them is enormous compared to copper.

[Augustus Caesar]

@RDS

One would think the data sent is just what SHOULD be... but it never is. Data is money and to companies like this and especially the likes of Giggle etc. it is gold dust!

 

@Fishy

You're right... the volume of water through the wider pipe is wrong. Here's me with one of the best maths brains at my school too (when I was younger of course) and I failed to do the simple calculation which is a dead easy one as well... tut tut... but well spotted! Tough on me for rushing the typing and not thinking straight... lesson learned sir... 😳

As for fibre and copper... well, I did say I wasn't going into the technicalities of it all 😛

[KNAP]

I am not sure why RM causes problems yet I do not have a problem with Steam downloads.

Also now concerned that RM is using internet access, apart from checking for updates, as I was asked to report a Decoder RM did not recognise.

[Yelrow]

Knap, no it isnt, i do not have it, where my layout is. When you enter a loco, and read cv, if it is not on the built in list, Rm, always asks for that. john

[Fishmanoz]

As John says, RM doesn't access the internet generally, only specifically for checking updates on startup, activating/deactivating and sending emails from within Help.

[Yelrow]

Fiishy, happy new year. Nice to receive a friendly comment. john

[Augustus Caesar]

@AusMod... specifically...

...but also those who are interested by following this thread.

 

One thing I picked up from a server fault this morning when a network issue was causing all sorts of problems (like page not found, crashing and corrupted downloads and other minor stuff) was that a reset of a network card made a massive difference to everything bar one small annoying problem that resulted. That problem was solved this afternoon.

 

One of the issues was that the network adavanced sharing profile was set up as Public by a spurious error. I couldn't change this to private for a prolonged period and Domain was simply not showing. Even a registry hack that usually works wouldn't fix this permanently.

 

I eventually recalled having to do a network card reset a few years ago with success and tried this. Again success. The network now has Domain connection which is the way it should be for a server based environment. Home users require Private. Public should never be set as your home profile as outside access to your equipment is a doddle to exercise.

 

This may have something to do with your problem AusMod. Not having a server doesn't matter here. So, just a thought and as all else doesn't seem to work this might just do it.

 

How to reset your network card (any Windows version from 7 up)

 

Open a Command Prompt with Admin privileges and type each of the following (commands in bold and include the spaces) pressing Enter/Return after each line... (don't worry about the techie details I have included in italics - these are for the curious and interested). The order doesn't really matter but best to follow the order given really.

 

netsh advfirewall reset

Restores Windows Firewall with Advanced Security policy to the default policy.

 

netsh branchcache reset

Resets BranchCache service while flushing the local cache. All config parameters of BranchCache will be reset to default values.

 

netsh int ip reset

Resets TCP/IP and their related components to a clean state.

 

netsh int ipv6 reset

Resets IPv6 configuration state. (Although we don't use this the network card still requires it)

 

netsh winsock reset

Resets the Winsock Catalog to a clean state. This does not affect Winsock Name Space Provider entries.

 

Give these a shot and see what happens. At least it will give the network card a shot in the arm if nothing else.

They are perfectly safe commands to use unless something else is drastically wrong... which there can't be as you can access other sites.

Hope this helps... and, if not, at least it was worth a try.

[KNAP]

It is a little odd that I've been using a Zimo 645R for sometime, but never received this message until yesterday for a different decoder.

[Chrissaf]

If RM doesn't get a good connection first time to the programming track, then CV7 / CV8 can be misread. RM then doesn't recognise the returned CV value and instigates the decoder not known message. This would account for why sometimes you get this message and sometimes you don't, even on the same decoder.

.

Now resolved, but my set up systematically gave this message when trying to read my Loksound V4 decoders that I know for a fact are in the Hornby RM decoder database. Now that Elite firmware 1.43 seems to have fixed my CV reading issues, my Loksound V4s are correctly recognised and populate the CV tables in RM correctly.

[Fishmanoz]

Thanks John, and a happy and friendly new year to you too.

[AusMod]

Hi AC thanks for your help with my problem.

I've followed you list of resets. I've typed in the computers response in italics. It still hasn't solved the problem. I've also tried accessing the RM web address using a tablet running Android.....no luck. I'm wondering if the problem is with the modem/router. I borrowed another and tried that, but no luck there either. I'm hoping this list of results may give you a clue as to what's wrong.

 

netsh advfirewall reset ok.

 

netsh branchcache reset

The following command was not found: branchcache reset

 

netsh int ip reset

Resetting Interface, ok!

resetting Unicast Address, ok!

Resetting Neighbor, ok!

Resetting Path, ok!

Resetting , failed.

Access is denied.

Restart the computer to complete this action.

 

netsh ipv6 reset

Resetting Interface, ok!

Resetting Neighbor, ok!

Resetting Path, ok!

Resetting , failed.

Access is denied.

Restart the computer to complete this action

 

netsh winsock reset

Sucessfully reset the Winsock Catalog.

You must restart the computer to complete this action

[96RAF]

This may be a vital clue or a total red herring, but in my part of the world IPv6 is not used, we use IPv4 instead as our default gateway for internet access.

Trying to use IPv6 gets me nowhere with flags popping up suggesting I contact my provider for assistance.

Rob

[Augustus Caesar]

@AusMod

Those commands which gave 'failed' notices could be that Admin rights were not used... however, they are also normal. Nothing to worry about.

The missing branchcache is also not to worry about. Different cards different results because of different chips.

 

What I suspect now is if you are getting all these results with different browsers, different modems/routers, different machines (inc. the Android) and the rest of everything you have tried then there is NO issue at all with the router, PC, tablet or whatever else you are using.

This HAS to be ISP based or something is definitely being lost during download of the site page/s and file. There are far too many variables being introduced to have the same error all the time with different equipment and all the error trapping and fixing we have asked you to implement.

 

1. If you can ask your friend to connect one of YOUR machines to THEIR network/broadband and attempt the same download and it works then your ISP or your line used is at fault.

2. If the download works on THEIR equipment and THEIR line then this further proves the case here.

3. If the download does NOT work with YOUR equipment on THEIR line then a general failure on the host site for Hornby could be to blame.

 

Give these a go if you can and let us know how you get on....

[Augustus Caesar]

@RAF

The IPv6 protocol is not widely implemented for use with the general public as yet.

However, some providers need this to be enabled on your network cards as protocols are required for IPv4 to continue to work. On servers if I turn off IPv6 the the network can break altogether even though this protocol is NOT used for broadband etc.

So, you are only using IPv4 at this point... guaranteed.

[AusMod]

 @AC Yes, it seems the only answer left is that the fault lies with my ISP. I've been in contact with HRMS and there is no problem at their end. If there was then other people would be having this problem. I've also contacted my ISP, but they deny any fault and say it's at my end, in other words no help there!! Since the company (ISP) changed hands they have a well earned reputation for taking the money without any service.

 

It will be a few days until I can take the laptop to my mates house and test it there. He's with a different ISP, and my guess is it will work. I will report back here on the result. If it does work I'll be looking at changing my ISP.

 

Thanks AC

Norm