Topic: Virtual VP TCIP drops connection

[Garth Bock]

I recently upgraded from Win7 to 10 on the weather station. Switched VVpro from comm to TCIP. My weather station is running 1.90 firmware. I am currently running Cumulus, Virtual Weather Station, and WLink. I lost my number to VVpro so I am using the free number from his website. Every 2 days on the average I find that all weather programs have lost connection. If I start VVpro and all the weather programs everything runs again for about 2 days and then I have to do it again. Any ideas ? Please do not say I need Startwatch. Everything ran fine on Win7 on the same computer. I have checked my serial port driver and settings and that doesnt seem to be it. What serial port program is everyone using to keep multiple programs running and is there a screen shot of how to configure it ? I moved to Missouri from the screwed up corrupt state of Illinois and I want to get my website up and running but cant if the weather software keeps dropping.

[saratogaWX]

The VirtualVP page has a key that should work indefinitely, and that should fix the shutdown every 2-days issue (I think).
I'm using Eterlogic VSPE paid version for 64bit Windows (only the 32bit version is free, but doesn't work on Win10 as they've turned off 32bit drivers).  Also, if your station is really USB, check the drivers there.. they may need an update.  Real serial port drivers should be fine as built-in to Windows 10.

[Garth Bock]

The VirtualVP page has a key that should work indefinitely, and that should fix the shutdown every 2-days issue (I think).
I'm using Eterlogic VSPE paid version for 64bit Windows (only the 32bit version is free, but doesn't work on Win10 as they've turned off 32bit drivers).  Also, if your station is really USB, check the drivers there.. they may need an update.  Real serial port drivers should be fine as built-in to Windows 10.

Forgot to mention that my weatherlink is serial. The key I used was off the softwx site. I will try the etherlogic drivers. I would like to go back to using comm ports. Everything was working fine with that.
 

[Garth Bock]

The VirtualVP page has a key that should work indefinitely, and that should fix the shutdown every 2-days issue (I think).
I'm using Eterlogic VSPE paid version for 64bit Windows (only the 32bit version is free, but doesn't work on Win10 as they've turned off 32bit drivers).  Also, if your station is really USB, check the drivers there.. they may need an update.  Real serial port drivers should be fine as built-in to Windows 10.

Thanks for the tip. Running VSPE and everything is stable now. Working on getting a website up and running. Looking over Meteo and FreshWDL but havent decided yet. So far here on the MoArk border we have had 7 inches this month with 17 inches of rain since January 1st.

[andro700]

I have the same issue due to using TCP/IP. I have firmware version 3.80 so I have to use the TCP/IP settings. I have USB and all my drivers are updated to the latest version. Just wondering is there anything I can do to fix the dropping connection issue.

Chuck

[stevendt]

Hi,

I know that this is an old topic, but it’s the issue that I’m having at the moment.

My weather PC (Windows 7 Home) failed recently and I have just replaced it with a Windows 11 Pro NUC. I have not got virtual serial ports sorted yet, so wanted to use TCP\IP connections.

Installed Virtual VP (1,2,5) and seemed to get things working OK, talking to the WeatherLink program and VWS. Things work OK for a while, but after a few hours, the VVP links to the weather programs stop responding. I am using the WiFi logger dongle in the Vantage Pro 2 (FW 1.90) and the logger continues to respond through its web interface, it “just” the TCP/IP outputs from VVP that hang.

So, has anyone got reliable TCP/IP links from VVP under Windows 11?

Or do I need to find a Virtual Serial port solution and g9 back to using the serial connections?

Regards
Dave

[Garth Bock]

I have been using VVPro for a long time without problems. Last year I moved everything over to Windows 11 and everything is working fine with exceptions, On my test computer I was feeding the same setup from my Wifi logger without problems. As you can see I am using VPSE by Etherlogic to break out the serial ports for each program. This computer is being fed from an Envoy with a serial logger. I think I am running all Windows based weather software through VVPro with the exception of Weatherview 32 (I only have V7 but would like V8), VWS which is now receiving data only from the WiFiLogger and CumulusMX (haven't gotten around to installing it yet).

The exceptions I have is what you are describing...if I have WL and VWS connected to VPSE/VVPro...after about 2 days of running both VWS and Weatherlink stop logging data. All the other weather programs continue working. I have tried running them on VVPro comports instead of TCP with no other weather programs running and still get about 2 days before they just stop. So it isn't a TCP problem. All the other programs run fine as you can see. No errors are logged. This only started after the move to Windows 11. I am going to be setting up a Win 10 or a 7 test computer next week to see if this has something to do with Win11 only. I have just rebooted the weather computer and am going to check to see if there is something happening with VPSE as well.

[chief-david]

Garth knows what he is doing.

[Garth Bock]

Garth knows what he is doing.

Thanks for the vote of confidence. I maintain a test computer for things like this. To clarify some things....when WL or VWS are on a direct computer comport they run fine. I noticed this problem after the switched to Win11. VWS, WL, VVPro are as one put in it a past post...no longer supported and are obsolete. I have have been asked why I am trying to run so many programs and my answer is because I can and its fun to push the envelope. Also I like VWS because with drag and drop you can configure your own weather desktop. Weatherview32 is the same way but doesn't do solar or UV and Dave Heider has suspended any work on V9.

 I thought that there might be interaction or some kind of time-out happening due to the multiple programs but when I only run VWS and WL on VPSE/VVPro the same thing happens. It doesn't matter if they are on a Virtual Comport or on TCP. So this week I will be running tests with a separate computer to see if I can root out the problem.

[stevendt]

Hi Garth,

Thanks a lot for the info.

When I read your first message, it sounded like you only saw the issues when WeatherLink AND VWS were connected at the same time. I would like to keep VWS too, but if it came to it, would be prepared to lose it, provided that WL was stable. So today, I tried just WeatherLink on TCP/IP, but it also stopped communicating after some hours.

Thanks for the pointer to VPSE. I am going to try that, but from what you say, it’s not going to solve the issue.

I’d be really keen to hear the results of your testing with W10.

I don’t want to ditch W11 unless I have to, but will if it cures the issues.

I’m thinking of trying Windows 10 in a VirtualBox VM, I I’ll try that tomorrow, but am not very confident of it working in a VM

Regards
Dave

[stevendt]

An update . . . . .

Configured a 64 bit Windows 10 VM under virtualbox on the 64 bit Windows 11 machine, installed VVP and WeatherLink (with a TCP/IP connection to VVP). That configuration has been running for a few hours now, so things are no worse that before anyway.

I'll let it run overnight, and then, if it's still working, try adding VWS to the mix (again, with TCP/IP).

I should probably have installed 32 bit Windows 10 though, as I see that the VPSE 32 bit version is FREE, that would give me a little more flexibility to add virtual serial ports if needed (the 64 bit version of VPSE isn't free)

regards
Dave

[Garth Bock]

I have set up a full install of Win10 on a Dell Optiplex 3050 i5. So I will let you know what I find. I am running the 64 bit version of VPSE but I will set it up with just VVPro so I can parallel your setup. On my weather computer I have Weather Display on a TCP port and when WL and VWS fail, WD keeps going.

One thing....what is connected to your computer ? A USB or Serial Logger ? If it is a USB Logger, remember, you have to turn off power management to the USB port. In Win10 it is in Power and Advanced Settings. In Win11 you have go to the Device Manager and then each USB device near the bottom of the hardware listing and right click on each of them, select Properties and if there is a Power Management Tab you need to go there and uncheck the power management box.

Also, when I get time I am going to run TCP diagnostics that M$ has to see what is going on there. Typically, WL and VWS run about 12-24 hours before stopping. 

[stevendt]

Hi Garth,

thanks !

I used to have the Davis IP logger, but it failed a few years ago. Since then, I have been using Wifi-Logger (V2), it seems to work really well.

My run times vary quite a bit, in the limited testing so far, anywhere between 6 and 18 hours I think


regards
Dave

[stevendt]

Another update . . . . .

Oh well, the 64 bit Windows 10 VM made no difference (it's running under VirtualBox on the Windows 11 PC). the TCP/IP comms failed after about 18 hours again. I'll probably try a 32 bit VM next, but I don't have much confidence in it working.

Garth, is your Window 10 test system 32 or 64 bit?

regards
Dave

[Garth Bock]

64 bit with WL 6.0.5. I have some basic findings but need another day to get more info.

[andro700]

I am running VSPE 64 bit paid version with Davis USB on Windows 10 64 Bit. I am running VPLive using TCP/IP with no issues. I kinda recall an issue similar to yours but that was before I updated the VSPE 64 Bit. I am using CumulusMX Version4, Weatherlink, Weather Display, Cumulus Version one on the Com Ports. Not sure if this helps or not. This using VVP as well. I run everything with run as admin rights enabled.

Chuck

[stevendt]

Thanks Chuck

Any information always helps!


(The logged on user has full admin rights here too.)

Regards
Dave

[Garth Bock]

I might have a solution because of something I noticed. On my weather computer after moving to Win11 WeatherLink  program would only run for about 24 hours and then the bulletin would stop/shutdown. This is when it was receiving data from VVPro either through comport with VPSE 64bit or through TCP. On the weather computer it was set with full admin rights. I set up a test computer with Win10, VVPro Weatherlink program WITHOUT admin rights on TCP. It ran for 36 hours straight until I screwed up. (My old washer started skipping cycles so to reset it...I flipped the wrong breaker). So it's not admin rights but something else. I applied the same change to the weather computer and the WL program on it went 36 hours as well but it was on the same circuit. I won't have time until Sunday to fine tune my change and to find out the why. Will post then.

[stevendt]

Hi Garth,

thanks a lot for the update. I'll wait with bated breath for another update

regards
Dave

[Garth Bock]

Hang on. I am still trying to understand what I am seeing. I have made several setting changes that may be fooling me. I also have an error that VVPro reports when this happens.