Retrospect can't "see" client

[JohnCMoore]

I have a problem with Retrospect 6.5 for windows. I have installed Retrospect Client on two of my home networked computers. When I try to Add the client, the program searches for the clients but cannot find either one. I have shutdown firewalls, uninstalled and reinstalled the clients to no avail. I spent an hour with support yesterday and they are clueless. Outside of Retropect, I am able to move files over the network, so I know the computers can "see" each other. Anyone else have this kind of problem?

 

Thanks,

 

John

[natew]

Hi

 

Are all of the machines on the same subnet? Are you using multiple network cards or VPN software? What networking hadware is between the machines? Have you tried connecting them directly with a crossover cable?

 

Kind regards,

 

Clueless

[pmauro]

I am having the same problem (and tried the same troubleshooting steps) described in the original post. For my particular case, I would add:

 

- When I ping the client machine with the IP address using the "test" function, it reports back the retrospect client software and version number.

 

- I have the cisco VPN software installed on my client machine but I was not using it (e.g. logged in) to access my corporate network

 

- The client has one network hardware adapter (MOBO)

 

- The LAN is connected via linksys DSL router

 

- I have not tried connecting them with an x-over cable. that would be really difficult (and I hope a last resort) becuase my server is in a really small closet in my baby's room

 

thanks in advance for your help,

 

pete

[natew]

Hi

 

Make sure your linksys router forwards multicast packets internally. If you haven't already make sure that any firewalls allow access on port 497 for both UDP and TCP.

 

What OS is your client running? As a test you might want to install Retrospect on the remote machine and Retrospect client on the primary machine. If they connect then you know the problem is not network hardware (i.e. no need to try the crossover cable)

 

Nate

[pmauro]

Hi Nate -

 

It took me a while to get back to this becuase when I tried to upgrade my router firmware I destroyed it and had to buy a new one!

 

In my new WRT54G router I allowed access on port 497 for UDP and TCP. However, I have not idea how to forward multicast packets. There is no reference in any of the linksys documentation with respect to multicast either.

 

One thing that I should have mentioned. My other computer, running on the same network, has no problem being detected by retrospect.

 

I am running XP home on the client and Pro on the server.

 

It seems like a lot of folks on this board are having issues with client detection. It would be great if there was a knowledge base document on this. (In my case, I am NOT using SP2 and I turned off all software firewalls).

 

Like everyone else, I am trying to avoide paying $70 for a support call. This is twice the price of a new client license. It makes more sense to buy the another copy of the product in order to get the free support!

 

pete

[natew]

Hi

 

Bummer about your router.

 

Just to clarify: Both machines are connected to the router with a wired connection right? Or is one wired and the other on wireless? Or are they both wireless?

 

Your operating system usually picks one interface to send out replies to multicast packets. If you have multiple network ports on your machine its quite possible that client discovery replies are being sent to the wrong place. As a result they never get back to the server and the client never gets recognized.

 

You're right, there are a lot of posts about this on the forum. Thats because there is a lot that can go wrong on a network to foul up client communication. There is a lot of documentation on this at the Dantz support site. It just takes a while to wade through it all.

 

Thanks

Nate

[cmukai]

Has anyone found a solution to this issue? I just purchased Retrospect Professional and I am unable to connect to the one other client on the network. Using the "Test" feature I am able to verify that the host does have the client installed and running. In my Linksys router configuration multi-cast pass through is enabled. I am running Norton Internet Security, which I tried turning off on both the backup and client computers but that did not work either. Is there something else to try?

[jhg]

Check the binding order of the adapters on your systems, per the following Microsoft

KB article:

 

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;266771

 

Make sure the adapter that connects you to the clients is first in the list.

See my postings in the General Discussion/Networking and Clients section.

[pmauro]

Since I have two network interfaces, I will try to disable the one on the MOBO in the firmware to see if that works (eventhough the binding order correctly lists the one I would like to use first).

 

I just found this KB article at linksys that concerns my WRT54G router:

 

http://linksys.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/linksys.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=1383&p_created=1088126759&p_sid=qQGPkcoh&p_lva=1383&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPTEmcF9zb3J0X2J5PSZwX2dyaWRzb3J0PSZwX3Jvd19jbnQ9NCZwX3NlYXJjaF90eXBlPXNlYXJjaF9ubCZwX3Byb2RfbHZsMT0mcF9wcm9kX2x2bDI9JnBfc2NmX2xhbmc9MSZwX3BhZ2U9MSZwX3NlYXJjaF90ZXh0PW11bHRpY2FzdA**&p_li=

 

It says that there are "issues with multicast packets" and it will be addressed in a future upgrade. Argh... I wonder if this is it.

 

I guess I will have to move my desktop machines next to each other and doo a xover cable hookup to really troubleshoot this. I am just too lazy to reloate my computer to try it.

 

pete

[pmauro]

I forgot - I also reinstalled both the software and the client with the latest versions from dantz.

 

pete

[cmukai]

It was the binding order. As soon as I changed that I was able to get a connection to the client. Thanks a bunch. BTW, the W2K procedure for changing the binding order also applies to XP.

[Jtummon]

Do you have the XP service pack 2 installed on any machines that can't be seen? If so, you have to ensure the Windows Firewall also allows exceptions for TCP and UDP traffic on port 497.

J

[stevew]

I am having the same problem described here. I used Ethereal to look at the network traffic and found that I can see both the burst of multicast packets probing for clients AND a response from the client. Retrospect is on 10.1.1.101 and the client is on 10.1.1.13. Apparently the reply from the client is making it back to the computer but not to Retrospect. This is what I saw:

 

No. Time Source Destination Protocol Info

1 0.000000 10.1.1.101 224.1.0.38 UDP Source port: 1089 Destination port: 497

2 0.109513 10.1.1.101 224.1.0.38 UDP Source port: 1089 Destination port: 497

3 0.218912 10.1.1.101 224.1.0.38 UDP Source port: 1089 Destination port: 497

4 0.219220 10.1.1.13 10.1.1.101 UDP Source port: 497 Destination port: 1090

5 0.328312 10.1.1.101 224.1.0.38 UDP Source port: 1089 Destination port: 497

6 0.437550 10.1.1.101 224.1.0.38 UDP Source port: 1089 Destination port: 497

 

Since people are having so much trouble with the multicast search for clients it would be really nice if we could enter the client information manually. It's not like we don't know where the clients are installed.

 

Does anyone know where Retrospect keeps the client information? It would be great to be able to just enter it into the registry or a file.

[tlemons]

Hi

 

I'm having yet another manifestation of this problem. I have three Windows XP SP2 backup clients. I've added the firewall exception information to all three systems. I can add a client for, and backup, only one of the three systems.

 

On one of the two failing systems, I can:

 

- ping the client from the server, and the server from the client

- the Retrospect server lists the two clients I need to add in the Backup Clients Database -> Add ... Live Network screen.

- on the client, the Retrospect service is started, and I can see retroclient.exe in the Task Manager Processes list

- yet, on the backup client when I open the 'Retrospect Client' Control Panel applet, nothing happens for, maybe, 3-5 minutes. And then, I just see the outline box of the Retrospect Client, with nothing filled in. If I stop the Retrospect client service, then the Retrospect Client gets text filled in to it immediately, and says that the service isn't running.

 

So, it seems to me that the client program and the service aren't communicating. What can I do to diagnose this?

 

Thanks

tl

[tlemons]

Okay, I'm a little further with my problem. When I de-installed ContentProtect Suite v1.8.1, I could then communicate with my backup client software from my backup server. So, the next challenge will be to see if I can get ContentProtect and Retrospect to work together.

 

tl

[pmauro]

6 Months later I finally fixed my problem. Linksys tech support helped me solve the problem by advising me to shut down Zone Alarm AND Norton Anti-Virus. I think I only tried Zone Alarm before...

 

QUESTION: Now that I can back up over my network, is there any way to configure Zone Alarm and Norton Anti-Virus Professional to work with Retrospect?

 

thanks in advance,

 

pete

[natew]

Hi

 

Make sure port 497 is open for UDP and TCP access. Thats all you will need.

 

Thanks

nate

[awnews]

This thread was timely for me in that I was also having a problem being unable to see a 7.0.106 client on an XP SP1 PC from the 7.0.x MS server. The client would respond to an R7 Test based on IP and all other network functions seemed to work (access servers, pings, web, etc.). It only has one NIC so there was no binding order problem. And all machines are on the same 10.x.x.x LAN (no routers other than common gateway, only 10/100 switches and hubs).

 

Since the machine wasn't SP2 and didn't have a separate SW/HW firewall, I thought that it *couldn't* be a firewall issue. And the domain controller is also set up to automatically disable the Windows firewall. However, I discovered that *somehow* the SP1 firewall network setting had been checked *on* and this was causing the problem. Once I turned it off I was able to Piton-scan and see the R7 client.

 

One suggestion. Until I stumbled across the firewall setting, I could only access the R7 client via the IP-specific Test function. Access by IP wasn't going to do me any good since since the network is run with a very short 2-hr DHCP lease and IPs change constantly. I have heard about a newfangled thing called a "Dee Enn Ess" that allows a user to specify a *name* for a machine that allows the system to look up the IP address from the name even if the IP changes. Perhaps R7++ could take advantage of this new high-tech feature to allow a client to be specified by name rather than IP....

[dwette]

I've been a big fan of Retrospect since Mac v1.0, and have a lot of experience with the product, including the Win version since its initial release. I was even a beta tester for many years, including the original Mac & Win remote clients. But I'm quickly changing my tune.

 

This is unacceptable. It shouldn't be this hard. I can't get remote backup to work either.

 

I have a Dell Inspiron XPS running Retrospect 7 and a Dell Inspiron 8200 running the client. Both with Windows XP Pro SP2 and ZoneAlarm Security Suite. Both connect to the LAN with 802.11g wireless via a Linksys WRT54G Wireless G router.

 

Everything else about my LAN works just fine: internet access, sharing, etc.

 

I've configured my router to allow multicast, and ZA to open TCP/UDP port 497. I've also tried with ZA disabled on both machines, so my firewall settings aren't the problem (Windows XP firewall is disabled).

 

My XPS can see the client running on the 8200, but here's what happens when I try backups. It starts OK, but after backing up about 5-7 MBs from the client, the backup stalls, and then after a few minutes it fails with: error -519 (network communication failed).

 

Not only that, but my entire LAN communication gets hosed and I have to restart my router before networking is functional again.

 

Someone from Dantz/Cisco needs to address this because I'm going to stop recommending the product and start looking for other solutions otherwise.

 

Dean

[ajc]

I have an IT client that has just updated from WinXP1 to SP2 !

- AND

... I am unable to see the client PC without shutting down ZoneAlarm Pro (latest ver).

... even after enabling TCP/UDP port 497

 

- I've just read Nate's suggestion re checking the binding order ... so will let you know if it works.

 

- it does appear that the issue has been caused by the update to SP2 ... as ZAPro was working fine before.

 

- Nate, out of interest, when selecting the client's backup volume, I can either access it via the loca network, or via the client section - > should this make any difference ?

 

 

Ajc

PS. using Netgear DG834 router (which allows multicast etc.)

[ajc]

- oops one thing that I forgot to clarify ... one the client PC when ZAPro is running, all of the options "grey out" ... and the client 'switches' to off ! (control panel/retrospect client)

 

- with ZAPro closed, all options on the client are available again ...

 

Ajc

[ghostroller]

I've got Retro 6.5 on a 2003 Server SBS and I have no problems seeing clients when only one network connection is active. However, when I turn on my wireless access point, retro can't find clients if both hard and wireless connections are active. I have DHCP reservations set up for the hardwire connections. My tech consultant had me turn off "Automatic metric" in the TCP/IP settings of each connection and set the metric for the hard to 1 and the wireless to 10 to no avail. As soon as I turn on the wireless access point, retro can't see any of my laptops. Any help would be much appreciated.

 

Thanks

[awnews]

Some random thought (some mentioned in this thread): binding order, firewalls (in OS or added by the user), broadcast domains [what are IPs and subnet masks when wired and wireless?]. Can you ping the clients when wireless? Any VPN in the mix? Are broadcasts OK (send & receive) over the wireless? Can the Retrospect "Test" function see the clients? You're sure your connected to the WAP you think you are (dumb idea but...).

[rlittle]

This is a message I originally posted to a MS newsgroup (it never got a resonse):

 

First, let me describe my setup. I'm running WinXP Pro SP2. I've setup a

network storage link (Linksys NSLU2) with an USB hard drive attached. My

DSL modem and PC are attached to a router (Linksys BEFSR81). Also, wired

into this router is a wireless (and wired) router (Linksys WRT54G). Wired

to the wireless router is the network storage link. This is a new computer

and there's only one use (with Administrative privileges of course) and I

don't need a password to logon. UPnP has been enabled.

 

When I enter the IP address of the storage link into Windows Explorer it

works just fine and the hard drive is visible (Z:) under My Computer.

However, when I try to find it in the workgroup (under My Network Places) I

get an error message:

 

----------------

<workgroup> is not accessible. You might not have permission to use this

network resource. Contact the administrator of this server to find out if

you have access permissions.

 

The list of servers for this workgroup is not currently available.

---------------

 

One problem this creates is that the backup software I'm trying to use

(Dantz Retrospect Express) can't see it either (it can't even see Z:).

 

Ray

[awnews]

One thing that jumps out of me is the "don't need a password to logon" (you you have a <blank> password or just an autologin?). Some systems & networks insist on having *a* password (with matching password logins, domain or workgroup) before they will allow access. Retrospect is picky that way (running under a Prefs->Security account) although it sounds like your issue is with Windows and the network before Retro even gets involved.

 

If you're running under a Windows workgroup, to use My Network Places to access a remote location (and maybe a local location) you need to have the *same* account (name and password) at both ends, with both machines set up with the same workgroup name.