Hello,
I hope everyone is well! I have a fairly simple question, per the PSX manual, it states that if one uses more than 2 computers with PSX, one has to connect them via a switch (layer 2). However, I'm curious if I can replace the hardware based switch with the psxrouter software? So, I'd have 5 computers total, 4 running PSX and one running the PSXrouter software among other PSX utilities. Thank you in advance!
Regards,
Jason Tutwiler
Hi Jason,
but, if you're using 5 computers, you have to connect them through some layer 2 ( at least ) device, right ?
Or do you have a vitualization platform and those are all virtual machines ?
Jose is correct. PSX does not care about anything really, but you will need to make a physical connection first. This is what is meant by "switch". What you cannot do, for example, is physically split the wires and connect all five computers in parallel to one Ethernet output of your PSX server. You need something to make that split at the electrical (layer 1) and link (layer 2) levels. You can as well use an Ethernet/IP router, but you won't use most of its features -- unless your PCs get their IP addresses via DHCP from this router.
If you use a WiFi/IP router, the WiFi links replace the Ethernet links, so you still have the same solution, even if you don't see wires. Note that WiFi may not be as reliable as Ethernet, depending on how saturated your radio spectrum is.
A "PSX Router" actually lives at the Application layer. It knows what kind of data it relays and provides services that build on top of that, caching and filtering PSX data for its clients. It thereby relieves PSX from data pressure if a significant amount of clients needs to connect to it. On top, it can shield PSX from slow network links such as internet long-distance links, that would otherwise be able to lock up PSX if they don't sink the data fast enough.
In general you don't need a PSX Router if all computers are on the same local, fast, reliable network.
Hoppie
there's also Simstack Switch, not sure what that does compared to PSX Router.
"SimStack Switch is a Java application that acts as a software switch between SimStack Foundation Boards and your Simulator Software."
It is hardware controller thing, has nothing to do with Ethernet, PSX Router, or any connection between computers. You need it only if you have SimStack boards.
Just to clarify Hoppie's previous statement - SimStack Switch is a software switch used to pass data between Simulator Software (PSX in this case) and clients via a TCP port.
Those clients can be other software applications or hardware devices like SimStack Foundation boards.
SimStack Switch does have some features built in to facilitate communication between clients and to filter data.
If anyone has any further questions, please message me through the forum.
Rod.
Hi Hoppie,
When running PSX Router, I'm getting the errors below. Hopefully you can shed some light onto them?
BACKGROUND ERROR
Sun Jan 03 10:15:38 GMT Standard Time 2021 V0.4
error writing "sock752": software caused connection abort
while executing
"puts $ch "Q$key=$CACHE(Q$key)""
(procedure "router::listener.newConn" line 29)
invoked from within
"router::listener.newConn sock752 192.168.10.22 60212"
END BACKGROUND ERROR
BACKGROUND ERROR
Sun Jan 03 10:16:09 GMT Standard Time 2021 V0.4
error writing "sock768": software caused connection abort
while executing
"puts $ch "Q$key=$CACHE(Q$key)""
(procedure "router::listener.newConn" line 29)
invoked from within
"router::listener.newConn sock768 192.168.10.22 60219"
END BACKGROUND ERROR
BACKGROUND ERROR
Sun Jan 03 10:17:41 GMT Standard Time 2021 V0.4
error writing "sock776": software caused connection abort
while executing
"puts $ch "Q$key=$CACHE(Q$key)""
(procedure "router::listener.newConn" line 29)
invoked from within
"router::listener.newConn sock776 192.168.10.22 60229"
END BACKGROUND ERROR
BACKGROUND ERROR
Sun Jan 03 10:17:42 GMT Standard Time 2021 V0.4
error writing "sock772": software caused connection abort
while executing
"puts $ch "Q$key=$CACHE(Q$key)""
(procedure "router::listener.newConn" line 29)
invoked from within
"router::listener.newConn sock772 192.168.10.22 60237"
END BACKGROUND ERROR
BACKGROUND ERROR
Sun Jan 03 10:17:43 GMT Standard Time 2021 V0.4
error writing "sock780": software caused connection abort
while executing
"puts $ch "Q$key=$CACHE(Q$key)""
(procedure "router::listener.newConn" line 29)
invoked from within
"router::listener.newConn sock780 192.168.10.22 60242"
END BACKGROUND ERROR
BACKGROUND ERROR
Sun Jan 03 10:18:11 GMT Standard Time 2021 V0.4
error writing "sock760": software caused connection abort
while executing
"puts $ch "Q$key=$CACHE(Q$key)""
(procedure "router::listener.newConn" line 29)
invoked from within
"router::listener.newConn sock760 192.168.10.22 60250"
END BACKGROUND ERROR
The easiest answer is to stop using PSX Router -- I had forgotten it was still available, to be honest. After this particular piece of software had been developed (early in the PSX life), other people crafted better suitable programs.
The more complex answer is that some other program (a PSX Client) closed the connection unexpectedly. This can be for many reasons. It's not an error inside PSX Router itself, but the fact that it appears in this way definitely suggests something goes wrong somewhere. Some client just blows up and PSX Router is left with the pieces. The PSX Router is/was meant as a debugging aid as well, so you get exact event logs, instead of "please restart the computer."
I've not even looked at this program for over five years and the last revision was in 2010 -- I'd rather take it off the web site. Anybody else still using it?
Hoppie
I may have invented a new class of software. Next to abandonware we now also have forgetware.
Quote from: Jeroen Hoppenbrouwers on Sun, 3 Jan 2021 12:09
Anybody else still using it?
I am (when I need to check what a var does when I check someone problem or when I modify CMC-PSX) but I can live with what I have.
It is still a great software for developers.
Cheers,
Ah good -- that also means that it still works as intended, after a decade. Well the PSX Network didn't really change, I believe. There may be issues with Win10 though, I've seen "interesting" effects with the network while doing Ethernet at work.
Hoppie
Thanks Hoppie, that's no problem ;D
Quote from: AviI am (when I need to check what a var does
+1 as they say in Newspeak.
Especially the "VarList" window is indeed still very useful to catch vars and their vals in flagranti, without having to fight against all of the data stream, as the window stems that tide very nicely.
(And that does still work under Windows 10, too.)
Cheers,
Martin "PiBaHeAlTas" E.
I agree with Martin and others that the PSX router is useful for learning about PSX internals. I'm glad I don't need a hardware switch because all I have is an old HP 100 mbps switch. It would be quick enough, I'm sure; and, I do use it for my SPARC T4-4. However, my main computers are hooked into a router running custom firmware. I hope all are healthy and well!
Cordially,
Jason
Are there any alternative software routers, now that PSX Router is end of life and Simstack Switch is only available to hardware customers?
Bump! Interested in a PSX Router alternative, too.