PC Helpware suddenly stops working

[w9smith]

Hi
Thank you for making PC-helpware available to us for free. I have had a problem connecting in the last two weeks and I am at my wits end figuring it out. Here is the setup
- PC-Helpware version 1.0.0 has been working for well over a year without issue
- using DIRECT CONNECTION
- have entry in Windows Firewall to allow PC-HELPWARE
- have port forward 5500 in my router to a static internal ip on my viewer computer
- Using AVG anti virus paid version without the AVG firewall
- in April it stopped connecting to the server. A few weeks later it started working again. I made no changes during this time.
- in mid June it stopped connecting to the server again.

What I have checked
- CCleaner to get rid of all system temp files
- MalwareBytes full scan in Safe_Mode_with_Command_Prompt boot. No infections. Then normal reboot for tests below.
- PFPortChecker and confirm port 5500 is port forwarding on viewer computer - successful
- Ping my IP from the server computer - successful
- confirm by ping that my DynDNS alias is working. I have dynamic IP from my ISP.
- System Internal TCPView and TCPvcon to monitor TCP traffic. I did not see anything to help me in these two monitors.
- on viewer computer: turned off Windows Firewall, AVG anti virus realtime scanning
- on server computer: turned off Windows Firewall, Microsoft Security Essential anti virus realtime scanning
- rebuild server and run viewer with DEBUG option.
- test using this server to connect viewer and server thru Internet - no errors in DEBUG window
- same error as regular Internet test below
- local test
- rebuild server to use internal ip address behind my router
- test using this server to connect viewer and server on my local network - successful
BTW, this works with Windows Firewall and AVG anti virus on

The error (on server side in the PcHelpware Info Rel dialog box) when I try to connect over the Internet is
"Failed to connect"
"No connection could be made because the target machine active"*
"Init Network failed"
*note: rest of message off edge of dialog box. Unable to enlarge dialog box.

Since I have made no changes since PC-Helpware stopped connecting, I suspect a Windows Update or something at the ISP, or higher, level. Here are my questions:
1) Is anyone else having this issue?
2) Does anyone have any suggestions how I can diagnose this?
3) Does anyone have a work around for this issue?
4) Does anyone have other advise to get PC-Helpware to connect

Thanks in advance.

[w9smith]

Hi Everyone
OK, PC-HELPWARE is working again. Here is what happened between PC-HELPWARE non-working and working.

Windows downloaded 14 security updates. And I rebooted the computer.

I put my DSL modem into BRIDGE mode and then RESET it back into regular mode, and re-entered the 'forward all ports' into the modem. The DSL modem only has one cable port, so I must use a stand along router to get access for all my devices and to get WIFI service. My DSL modem MUST be in regular mode as this is the only way my ISP can provide an address to my stand alone router. Yes I know it sounds crazy. I worked with them 4 hours one day and could not get DSL Modem in bridge mode to work. The only way to get things to connect was to make the DSL Modem one network (eg: 10.0.0.1 for the modem*) and to make my local router a separate network (eg: 10.0.10.1 for the router*). BTW, the connection issues started in April 2013 when Verizon (they own the wires in my area) had a 2 day outage or system upgrade or something. No one would tell me what or why the outage. The ISP bridged router and my local router worked well before the outage.

BTW, I discovered an issue in testing PC-HELPWARE. If I create the server to use my Internet address, and the viewer runs on one computer on my network, and the server on another computer on my network; PC-HELPWARE will never connect. I was hoping the server would reach outside my network to the Internet and then bounce back into my network to my viewer. It will not. If the server is on a different network, the Internet configured server work correctly. I have proven this by empirical experimentation.

*these are not my real address range numbers.