IDEAL Group, Inc.

 

  

Fully Accessible, 508 Compliant, Online Conferencing Systems

IDEAL Conference®

 

Network Troubleshooting Guide

 

We understand that trying to identify and resolve network-related connection issues can be frustrating. 

It is for this reason that developed this network troubleshooting guide.  It can be very useful in helping you identify and resolve issues that are preventing you from connecting to an IDEAL Conference® server.

 

Connection Data:

 

Connection Data

Connection Type

TCP (client to server)

Server Port

443

Server Address

Same as room login page

Protocol

Non-SSL over port 443

Proxy

Uses proxy settings from Internet Explorer

Application Path

c:\program files\IDEAL_Conference\WebConferencePlugin.exe

 

1. Conduct a Ping test

2. Conduct a Telnet Test:

Once it is established that a server is pingable from your location, Telnet is next test to determine if you are able to connect directly to the server.

Open up a DOS Window from you Accessories menu.

Type the following command: telnet 70.87.156.18 443

 

 

Once the telnet command has been entered, the text Connecting To 70.87.156.18... appears very briefly while the connection is attempted.

 

 

When the connection succeeds, the command window will go blank. You can then return to the command prompt by pressing Ctrl+C. A successful connection using Telnet means that your computer can connect Directly to the IDEAL Conference® server (no proxy server required) and that no firewall is blocking your access. See the section on proxy servers to make sure that you are not configured with a proxy server.

 

 

If the connection test fails, you will continue to see the Connecting... message until telnet times out and displays a Connect failed error message. Proceed to the section on Firewalls.

 

3. Look at your proxy servers:

A proxy server is a middle-man between your computer and the internet. They are used by some institutions for security and monitoring purposes. Certain ISPs and so-called “download accelerator” products also (gratuitously) configure your computer with proxy servers. 

IDEAL Conference® retrieves the proxy settings configured for Internet Explorer (on Windows) and uses these settings to attempt connection to the server.

Unfortunately, not all proxy servers are created equal, and some of them prevent legitimate network connections.

If the telnet test was successful, then you may safely tell IDEAL Conference® to override the proxy settings specified on your system and connect directly, or you can disable the proxy server configuration under Internet Explorer as follows:

 

 

 

 

Internet Explorer proxy server settings shown with proxy servers completely disabled for Local Area Network (excludes wireless). 

To disable proxy on dial-up connection, double click on the dial-up connection name - if it exists. 

Attempt a normal login using IDEAL Conference®.

If the connection succeeds, congratulations! everything is set up.

If you still receive a connection error, then check out the section on firewalls, or consult with your network administrator or helpdesk to see what might be interfering.

4. Check out your firewalls:

A firewall is an Internet security product that restricts which applications have access to the network. This section will discuss firewalls in general, not any product in particular. For product specific help with firewalls, please contact the product vendor or your network administrator. Some firewalls are quite complex, and we recommend consulting a qualified professional prior to making changes and/or disabling a firewall. Neither Online Conferencing Systems, Inc. nor IDEAL Group, Inc. assume liability for any problems resulting from firewall [mis]configurations. 

In order to determine if your firewall is, in fact, blocking access to the network, you can try to briefly turn it off, then attempt the telnet test and/or attempt to log in using IDEAL Conference®. After the completion of your test, please turn your firewall back on. If it can be proven that the firewall is the problem, then work with the product vendor to obtain instructions to properly configure it to allow network access to IDEAL Conference®.

Many firewalls prompt the user go grant network permission the first time that an application is run. If permission was not granted the first time, or if the firewall must be configured specifically for an application, then configure your firewall to allow the IDEAL Conference® executable to access the network on port 443. The path to the IDEAL Conference® application is shown at the top of this page.

Some firewalls perform what is called Stateful Packet Inspection, or SPI. IDEAL Conference® uses port 443, and because of this some SPI firewalls expect its network traffic to use the SSL protocol. Such firewalls may block IDEAL Conference® from accessing the network because it does not use SSL. Therefore, SPI firewalls should be configured to bypass SPI for IDEAL Conference®, or to disable SPI completely. 

Though not technically firewalls, many add-on products such as download managers, download accelerators, browser add-ins, etc. can cause various problems. As a troubleshooting step, try uninstalling any nonessential software that modifies how your computer accesses the network.

Click this link to have a hackerwatch.org server attempt to open several common ports on your computer. The results of these attempts will be displayed on this page as Open, Closed, or Secure:

  • If your firewall is configured to block a port, and it is operating correctly, you will see Secure and an event will be logged on your firewall.

  • A Closed port indicates that the port is reachable but there is no program currently accepting connections there.

  • If the port is indicated as Open there is an application or service on your computer actively accepting connections.

  • The time to check each port will range from less than a second up to 20 seconds. Ports which are Secure will take the most time.

This is what a sample report looks like:
Secure
21 (FTP)

This port is completely invisible to the outside world.
Secure
23 (Telnet)

This port is completely invisible to the outside world.
Secure
25 (SMTP Mail Server Port)

This port is completely invisible to the outside world.
Secure
79 (Finger)

This port is completely invisible to the outside world.
Secure
80 (HTTP)

This port is completely invisible to the outside world.
Closed but Unsecure
110 (POP3 Mail Server Port)

This port is not being blocked, but there is no program currently accepting connections on this port.
Secure
139 (Net BIOS)

This port is completely invisible to the outside world.
Secure
143 (IMAP)

This port is completely invisible to the outside world.
Secure
443 (HTTPS)

This port is completely invisible to the outside world.

 

Test complete.

Reachable ports were found. If these ports were not deliberately left open, there may be a problem with your firewall operation or configuration.

 

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