Need help with MediSoft

We have two desktops in our front office PC1 is the server, and PC2 is the client. I'm using a cross over cable in the back of each tower for medisoft. I'm also using Advantage Database Server on PC1. When I try to connect to the server (_Advantage_Database_Server_) using pc2 it generates an *error code 6420*

error 6420 means this --

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A 6420 error indicates that the Advantage client's process for finding the Advantage Database Server has failed. To communicate with 32-bit applications via IP, the Advantage Database Server creates two sockets and listens for specific multicast and mail (NetBIOS mailslot) packets. For IPX networks, the Advantage Database Server uses SAPs for discovery. Generally, a 6420 error is caused by a network device blocking these discovery packets or by a server not responding to the packet requests.

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I did a quick google search and found this;

http://inborne.mykb.com/Article_ADF71.aspx
&
http://devzone.advantagedatabase.com...hKeyWords=6420

but IM having no luck. And technical support is 89.00 for 30 minutes.
Both systems are running Windows XP with (SP_2)

All help is greatly appreciated.

Hi CN22,

Please don't be offended, but this is the sort of thing I might screw up with:D

Do you have any security software running on these two boxes? OK I am sure you would have taken care of any firewalls, but other stuff can block things, or fart about so long looking at them that they time out.

What makes me suggest that is the warning about multiple instances.......... I guess that could be timing out?

Just a thought :)

I'm assuming you did the basic connectivity tests?
Can you ping PC1 from PC2 and the other way around?

Assuming it is that the pc's can't talk at all, are they both on the same subnet? do they both have IPs assigned? been a while since I did a crossover.

IPX protocol installed? NetBios installed?

Permissions for file access set correctly on both pcs? shared correctly?

Software is looking in the right place?

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Do you have any security software running on these two boxes? OK I am sure you would have taken care of any firewalls, but other stuff can block things, or fart about so long looking at them that they time out.

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I myself installed avg, spybot & adware & hijack this did a scan with each software (not at the same time) and cleaned out the PC. Only firewall I do have is the windows firewall turned on and the security provided by the netgear router.
I think its something simple. Like someone disabled something in services.msc to cause an errror like this. Does SSDP uses netbios in any way shape or form? I myself turned off system restore.

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What makes me suggest that is the warning about multiple instances.......... I guess that could be timing out?

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I think its definetly something with a network setting. I was very careful with what I removed with those applications mentioned above.
It's just the client is not connecting to the server. Also, IM not at the office right now but Im going to have to spend my 4th of July fixing this problem at the office. When I get to the office I will be able to give more detailed information since I will be on the network at hand.

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I'm assuming you did the basic connectivity tests?
Can you ping PC1 from PC2 and the other way around?

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Actually I was running late cause this issue didnt come up until 5 minutes I had to be somewhere else so I am trying to fix it now before they have to go to work tomorrow.
I will do tests and let you know. I can go to the server(PC1) and double click on medisoft on the desktop and loads right up. But when I go the client it act like it will load then it displays error code 6420.

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Assuming it is that the pc's can't talk at all, are they both on the same subnet? do they both have IPs assigned?

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They are both on the same subnet and DHCP assigns the IP addresses to the computers on the network. 10.0.0.2,3,4,5 etc... all in sequential order.

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IPX protocol installed? NetBios installed?

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We are running File and printer sharing and using netbios. We are not using IPX protocol at the moment.

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Permissions for file access set correctly on both pcs? shared correctly?

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Yes share permissions are set correctly. Also, I can pull resouces from PC1 to PC2.

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Software is looking in the right place?

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Yes. nothing has been changed with the medisoft software or the Advantage database server.

all help is greatly appreciated. cn22

In your first post you said PC1 and PC2 were connected to each other using a cross-cable, now you're talking about a router?!? Shouldn't matter though, both client and server will be on the same subnet either way. With a cross-cable you'll get IPs in the 169.254.0.0/16 range.

SSDP uses UPnP (ports 5000 and 1900) and has nothing to do with this.

Turn off the firewall on the Server (PC1) or open the ports that are needed. That's the reason the client cannot connect to the server.

Nice one! SirDice, the Windows firewall?

As for the security software, AVG should not be a problem. AdAware and HijackThis should be "on demand" so won't be running. SpyBot S&D is the one to look at if you have activated "Teatimer" (the resident shield) I have known that not play nice with other applications............... and these are rather specialist ones that it might not know about?

Happy 4th July CN22................. I will rush your application to rejoin the Commonwealth through; then you can celebrate the Queen's birthday instead.

:p:D:drink:

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Originally Posted by nihil

Nice one! SirDice, the Windows firewall?

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Aye :)

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Originally Posted by Computernerd22

Only firewall I do have is the windows firewall turned on {...}

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In your first post you said PC1 and PC2 were connected to each other using a cross-cable, now you're talking about a router?!? Shouldn't matter though, both client and server will be on the same subnet either way. With a cross-cable you'll get IPs in the 169.254.0.0/16 range.

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Both towers are connected to each other using a cross over cable. There are 2 NIC cards in the towers. 2 are for medisoft, the other two are for the Netgear router.
SSDP uses UPnP (ports 5000 and 1900) and has nothing to do with this.

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Turn off the firewall on the Server (PC1) or open the ports that are needed. That's the reason the client cannot connect to the server.

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The windows firewall has always been on and never has been an issue before. However, I will for *trial and error* purposes it give it a shot and see what happens.

BTW, I found this article. Im leaving soon to go fix this.

Hi CN22,

As it is a holiday, just make sure you are not connected to the internet and switch off ALL security software............ it will almost certainly still fail, but we will have eliminated that possibility. Hey, don't forget to turn it back on when you are done :shocked:

Next, test communication across ports 1743 (TCP) and 47 (UDP) in both directions.

Then try assigning static IP addresses to the two boxes.

:)

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Originally Posted by Computernerd22

There are 2 NIC cards in the towers. 2 are for medisoft, the other two are for the Netgear router.

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Why? There's absolutely no need for that and may also be a cause of your problem.

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Originally Posted by SirDice

Why? There's absolutely no need for that and may also be a cause of your problem.

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I agree, I bet there is a default gateway configured on each interface and the workstation is sending the traffic out the wrong interface.

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Why? There's absolutely no need for that and may also be a cause of your problem.

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But their is a need to have 2 NIC cards in each tower. Again, a cross over cable is connected to one of the NICS in each tower for Medisoft & Advantage Database Server. Also, the other set is for the netgear router to get online.

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I bet there is a default gateway configured on each interface and the workstation is sending the traffic out the wrong interface.

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I bet you're completely wrong. :)

Anyways, I just wanted to say thank you for recommending to disable the windows firewall on PC1. As soon as I did this, the client (PC2) was able to connect to the server.

So I hooked up and secured their wireless network and got there new dell notebook added to the network and added the network printer to it. Also, cleaned out all PC's in the office. All workstations are up-to-date, spyware/malware/virus/worm free.

CN22, shame on you!

I will quote from my first response: (second post in this thread)

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Do you have any security software running on these two boxes? OK I am sure you would have taken care of any firewalls, but other stuff can block things, or fart about so long looking at them that they time out.

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You had not, had you? :D

Yeah! :dunce:

You owe us all a beer :drink:

surely....if both pcs are plugged into the router, they can just talk via that? I mean, that is what routers are for....

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You had not, had you?
Yeah!
You owe us all a beer

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Actually I tried to disable the windows firewall but I wasnt able to. It was all greyed out the on & off button was not an option. I Just remembered it was being associated with the (GPO) Group Policy Object so anyways, I opened services.msc as soon as I did this I went down to windows firewall and disabled the service. Went to client (pc2) opened medisoft just perfect. Next time IM on that side of the world I'll take you up on that offer. ;)
BTW, This is my first time ever using the medisoft & advantage database server software so it turned out well. My GF called the doctors and let them know its all completed now they want me to do the other doctors office. Thats my weekend project. :)

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surely....if both pcs are plugged into the router, they can just talk via that? I mean, that is what routers are for....

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btw, Just for the record there 'previous tech' tom came up with get 2 nic cards and plug the crossover cable into the network card on both systems and that will run medisoft & advantage database server. Then use the other network card and plug your network cable (cat5) into it and plug the other end into the router.
It's setup like that for sharing purposes and for medisoft & advantage database server aswell.
IM curious though, you state it's pointless or useless but how would you set it up? You seem reather intelligent with this stuff so how would you have set it up and configured it?


Maybe IM not explaining it properly idk, either interested with the replies.

cheers, cn22

You would just set it up just like you did now. There's no change. Except there's one less NIC in each machine.

I'm betting the software actually communicates via the router and not via the crosscable.

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I'm betting the software actually communicates via the router and not via the crosscable.

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I don't think it does. When I issue ipconfig /all
it shows LAN1 (MEDISOFT) it's states DHCP is 'not' enabled. Also, IP address is something like 169.254.x.x instead of 10.x.x.x

However, with the netgear router I'm using an ip address scheme of 10.x.x.x with DHCP enabled. I let the router assign the IP addresses to the computers on the network not me. ;)

Is there actually a way to determine this? If it is actually using the router instead of the cross-over cable?

unplug the cable...see which one works??

MLF

morganlefay took the words right out of my mouth!

Anyway, I don't recall if you said if you are using NDCMedisoft Advanced or NDCMedisoft Network Professional, but it appears there is a difference:
Information: Getting Started with NDCMedisoft.

Can I use a crossover cable to connect computers using Medisoft Network Professional? . :confused:

Or maybe this will help

Error 6420: Unable to discover the Advantage Database Server

Guess you already found this one
Information Concerning XP SP2's Firewall. . ;)

But if it is working now ....?

.

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morganlefay took the words right out of my mouth!

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Thats cause great minds think alike :bigsmile:


MLF

Well,

I wonder if this is just another case of those things that, like Topsy "just growed" ?

I worry about my friend CN22................ this is a medical practice and HIPAA applies?

Perhaps that is a reason for the somewhat "strange" configuration?

CN22................. yo make good'n damn sure yo cover that pretty a$$ o yor'n

:shocked:

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I worry about my friend CN22................ this is a medical practice and HIPAA applies?

Perhaps that is a reason for the somewhat "strange" configuration?

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Exactly.

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CN22................. yo make good'n damn sure yo cover that pretty a$$ o yor'n

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Will do. BTW, how did you know I had a pretty a$$?

Cheers,cn22

Ah.. Didn't think about regulations just technology :)

But if it must use that cross-cable you should verify if it really does use that connection and not the one via the router. One way to do it would be to install something like wireshark and sniff the traffic on the cross-cable connection. That would quickly determine which NIC gets used. Unplugging the cable could be an option too but there's a risk the application will still work because it would 'silently' switch to the other connection.

Indeed, in both cases what SirDice said. Certainly the entire point of routers is to NOT have a crossover cable going between every PC that wants to access a shared resource. Although, I must admit the idea of each pc having 200 NICs and all the network cables running round this building amuses me.

Actually, now that I think that....heres why a crossover cable is ridiculous. What do you do if you want a third pc to access this DB? a fourth? a fifth?
Maybe that will never happen, but to be fair if the security on your router/internet connection is good enough then you are fine either way. If they can breach your firewall etc, then it doesn't matter that its supposed to be using the crossover cable, chances are they will get in.

I would suggest using a single cable on each pc connected to the router, so one NIC in each PC. Set each NIC to use DHCP via the router. This will ensure they are on the same subnet and using the same default gateway.

On the Router, make sure all required traffic is allowed communicate between the lan.

On the Server/Client software make sure they are set to use the name of the PC (Server) as opposed to the IP Address, since they might be set to use the old "cross-over cable" IP Address range.

On the client PC, do an nslookup of the server's name to make sure it resolves with the correct IP Address.

Wolfe.

Hi CN22,

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Will do. BTW, how did you know I had a pretty a$$?

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Your gf told me............. she is the "megadethslayer #23" that I speak to on IRC? :p

Hey old pal.................. have you noticed that the European Union has closed ranks and fixed bayonets in your support?

Cheers :D

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Your gf told me............. she is the "megadethslayer #23" that I speak to on IRC? :p

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She probably did, however, not on IRC it would be on *myspace* lol ;).

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Hey old pal.................. have you noticed that the European Union has closed ranks and fixed bayonets in your support?

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Now thats what IM talking about. Pimp the game baby, pimp the game.

;)

Cheers, CN22 ;)