What should my host address be?

[Will]

Looking at PSX > Instructor > Preferences > Basics, I see this:

This host address (main and boost): 192.168.1.253

When I go to the Command Prompt and type ipconfig, I get this (excerpt):

C:\Users\willc>ipconfig

Ethernet adapter Ethernet:

   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :
   Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::46bb:f309:c355:ec56%8
   IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.253
   Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
   Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :

Wireless LAN adapter Wi-Fi:

   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :
   Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::cdab:fc59:a47e:138a%14
   IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.4.239
   Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.252.0
   Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.4.1



Does this look right? On my current setup, I have two instances of PSX running together as server and client, and I have an FDS MCDU that is connected by an Ethernet cable. All of this works, these three items see each other and communicate as expected.

I'm having trouble connecting PSX.NET.MSFS.Router and PSX.NET.MSFS.Client, and I'm wondering if the IP address is the issue. The config files for each of those suggest a default IP address of 127.0.0.1, which I understand should be my own machine.

Should "host address" in PSX also be 127.0.0.1, or should it be 192.168.1.253, which I believe is my Ethernet network?

Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks.

[Jeroen Hoppenbrouwers]

127.0.0.1 = the machine you are now working on/looking at. Also known as "localhost". It is a fake address that always points at the same box it is typed into. You use it if you don't want to use the Ethernet (or WiFi) at all and just connect to whatever thing is running on the same machine. It is never assigned to servers, only typed into clients to find a server on the same machine as the client. PSX is right in reporting the Ethernet IP and not the localhost.

Your Ethernet network is everything starting with 192.168.1.x
Your WiFi network is everything starting with 192.168.4.x

You want to keep all sim stuff on the Ethernet.

[Will]

Okay, thanks. I have PSX and the cabled MCDU on 192.168.1.253, and I set that address into the config files for the PSX.NET.MSFS Router and Client, so I guess that's not the problem.

[Jeroen Hoppenbrouwers]

The cabled MCDU -- is that an Ethernet cable?  You cannot have two boxes on the same IP address.  If USB, no problem.

[Will]

The MCDU is connected to the PC by an Ethernet cable.

Should I be doing something different?

The MCDU, PSX Boost Server, and PSX Client are all functioning normally.

The last step in connecting MSFS to PSX is running the PSX.NET.MSFS2024 client, and when I run that, MSFS partially freezes. I have another thread about the issue, with more details. I was hoping with this thread to understand just the networking part.

Details of my issue: https://aerowinx.com/board/index.php/topic,7595.msg81890.html#msg81890

[Jeroen Hoppenbrouwers]

If both your PSX PC and your MCDU are on the same Ethernet (192.168.1.x) and on top share the exact same IP address (192.168.1.253), they conflict. Just as if you try to call KLM123 and there are two aircraft that think they are flight 123 -- they will both respond, and confuse the heck out of the network routing, and in the end probably one becomes invisible and things break down. In this case poor PSX.NET is the one getting the blame, because it cannot find the proper one of the two.

Either change the IP address of your PC, or the IP address of your MCDU. You have 253 options for that last number.
192.168.1.x
Do not use x = 0 (this is used for general network notation)
Do not use x = 1 (this is usually reserved for the gateway/router)
Do not use x = 255 (or greater) (255 is for broadcast and greater does not fit in 8 bits)
Anything in between is fine as long as there is just one of each.

If there happens to be something on the network that provides DHCP, such as a gateway/router (like your internet gateway) then you need to keep out of the range of numbers that this DHCP server claims to manage. DHCP works, simplified, by a machine yelling on the broadcast address for some sane IP to use for itself, and the DHCP server then throws one out of that set. It's usually not practical to use DHCP if you want to find the machine by IP address as it can move. But for non-servers, it's fine.

That both PSX and the MCDU seem to work correctly may be explained by looking at network traffic, but this is not so interesting. Don't have duplicate IP addresses on a single network, ever.

Which other network equipment do you have? Like an Ethernet switch, or internet router, or... Are the PC and the MCDU connected straight with a single Ethernet cable directly into both, or is there a switch in between?

Hoppie

[Will]

I misled you, Hoppie. I'm new at this and I wasn't thinking straight.

My mind got stuck on the concept that the IP address was the name of the network, not the name of the device. Hence I was reporting that the MCDU and PSX were "both" on the same address. I understand now that that's wrong.

It looks like the MCDU is at 192.168.1.200, and the computer is at 192.168.1.253.

I can verify this, I believe, by typing 192.168.1.200 into a browser, and when I do, I see the configuration page for the MCDU.

Meanwhile, ipconfig shows my Ethernet address of the PC as 192.168.1.253.

So this seems correct?

Each IP address seems to be confirmed in it's own way.

And they both see each other.

Must be some other reason, I guess, that PSX.NET isn't starting.

[Jeroen Hoppenbrouwers]

That sounds sane. You can even use a web browser to find PSX: aim it at 192.168.1.253:10747. It will run full of semi-readable text, which is not meant to be viewed by a human, but it demonstrates the connection is ok.

[Will]

Not sure if this is relevant to my problem, but typing 192.168.1.253:10747 into a browser returns an error:

This page isn't working
192.168.1.253 sent an invalid response.
ERR_INVALID_HTTP_RESPONSE

Anticipating your next question, this is the information from PSX > Instructor > Preferences > Basics:

This host address (main and boost): 192.168.1.253
Main network:
This client connects to: localhost
On port: [x]10747

[Jeroen Hoppenbrouwers]

Make sure you run PSX as a SERVER. What you posted does not state this, and
your web browser suggests PSX is running as CLIENT.

Go to Instructor >> Network and make sure that the thing is:

Main
The main server (start)

Boost (start)

The Basics page allows you to set up how PSX starts up; you want "Start with main server on"
plus "Starts with boost server on".

[Will]

I don't think that's the problem.

The first PSX instance has in the title bar of the window: SERVER | BOOST

And under Networking, it says "This Precision Simulator as a boost server" and "Client accepted."


The second PSX instance has in the title bar of the window: CLIENT

And under Networking, it says "This Precision Simulator should be: A main client" and "Connected."


But on Instructor > Preferences > Basics, both instances say "This client connects to..."

So I think that may just be the word Hardy used on that page...? Although if I've set it up wrong, maybe he'll let me know.

[Jeroen Hoppenbrouwers]

But your web browser clearly does not find a server on *.253

[Will]

Agreed. Maybe the browser doesn't return the expected answer because both instances are running on the same PC?

[Jeroen Hoppenbrouwers]

No that should not be a reason, PSX Server accepts many connections in parallel.
Ok guess: do NOT use HTTPS. Instead force flat HTTP:

http://192.168.1.253:10747

Else you try the encryption handshake and PSX obviously won't honour that.


Hoppie

[asboyd]

I get the same response on my PC when I try to connect to the port 10747 via my latest Vivaldi browser.
If I use an older version of Firefox (which does not have all the security crap in it) I get the info as mentioned.

I never use 127.0.0.1 in config files as it can cause some issues (especially when trying to debug ethernet apps).

I always use the IP address of my machine (so long as I have a cable connected to a switch

[Will]

Jeroen and Alex, thanks for the input, it's helpful. I think at this point I'll hope that Gary has any input, perhaps on the other thread where I asked the main question about MSFS freezing when Router and Client are connected. Unless you have anything to say there. (I don't want to repeat essentially the same question on two threads.) Thanks again.