MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - Cannot connect as Wireless Device or to Content Server

DavidGB · 03-07-2019, 05:08 PM

After two days trying to figure this out I'm completely stuck. (Sadly, since becoming disabled and permanently medicated, I can't think clearly, keep forgetting what I was trying to do, and now often miss the blindingly obvious.)

Back in 2017, when I finally gave in and bought a (cheap) android smartphone, I also bought Calibre Companion and FBReader Premium - really just as a backup as I've been using a Kindle to read on for years, with Calibre on my PC to organize my ebooks and convert formats etc, connecting to the Kindle with a USB cable. Both CC and FBReader connected via WiFi to the Calibre server on my then laptop (2010 vintage Windows 7) easily and without any problems, and CC also connected easily as a wireless device.

Last summer I bought a new Windows 10 laptop, and despite my worries beforehand, both CC and FBReader connected to Calibre on the new laptop without issue. The last time I had reason to connect was 5th Feb.

Two days ago I bought a new Android Phone (Alcatel 3V). Setting up and transferring things has otherwise gone well, except CC won't connect with Calibre, either as a wireless device or to the content server. Neither will FBReader. And when I eventually picked up the old phone and tried on that, intending to check the settings on it, i found that CC and FBreader on the old phone now won't connect to Calibre on the laptop either, whether to the content server or as wireless device.

Now, I think the fact that FBReader is affected too means it's not an issue with CC. And the fact that CC on the old Marshmallow phone now isn't connecting too means it's not an issue with the new phone being Oreo (8.0). I haven't changed any settings in my laptop Firewall and Antivirus (Comodo Internet Security Premium 11), and there are no messages in Comods's logs about any incidents connected with the CC to Calibre connection attempts (it just shows the incoming connections to Calibre being allowed through, but no outgoing replies), and I've always had Calibre as a 'trusted' app.

The only 'big' change on my laptop since Feb 5th and now is that it finally got the big delayed Windows 10 'October update' later in Fenruary - but I didn't see anywhere that that would - or even might - create problems of this kind.

Symptoms:

Attempts to connect as wireless device just produce the white rectangle with 'Wireless device connection' in it and the spinning circle, until it gives up and goes to a 'Failed to connect' screen.

Attempts to connect to the Content Server actually appear to show an initial success, with 'Trying to connect to the content server ...' at the top of an otherwise blank page giving way to 'Index of content server' - but the rest of the page stays blank, and after a few seconds I get a 'Content Server not running' screen.

I get the same results with the default automatic connection settings, and after configuring wireless device and content server connections manually to the IP address of the laptop and the 8080/9090 ports. (And just to be clear - I HAVE started the content server and wireless device connection in Calibre on the laptop.)

Things I've looked at:

It's not SSID isolation - that is and always has been turned off in my router.

No other devices are connected via USB. The only other USB items plugged in are two HDDs, but I tried unplugging them anyway and it made no difference.

In the Calibre server logs, lines to do with earlier, successful use start e.g. 192.168.1.7 port-33565 - 05/Feb/2019:17:11:56, but all those to do with these new failures start e.g. 127.0.0.1 port-58637 - 06/Mar/2019:21:35:54. I have no idea why the log lines for the old connections start with the actual IP address of the (old) phone, but all the new attempts from either the new or old phone start with the localhost 127.0.0.1 instead.

Any ideas what the problem might be?

Thanks.

03-07-2019, 05:08 PM	#1
DavidGB Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2019 Location: Wiltshire UK Device: Kindle 8th Gen and Alcatel 3V	Cannot connect as Wireless Device or to Content Server After two days trying to figure this out I'm completely stuck. (Sadly, since becoming disabled and permanently medicated, I can't think clearly, keep forgetting what I was trying to do, and now often miss the blindingly obvious.) Back in 2017, when I finally gave in and bought a (cheap) android smartphone, I also bought Calibre Companion and FBReader Premium - really just as a backup as I've been using a Kindle to read on for years, with Calibre on my PC to organize my ebooks and convert formats etc, connecting to the Kindle with a USB cable. Both CC and FBReader connected via WiFi to the Calibre server on my then laptop (2010 vintage Windows 7) easily and without any problems, and CC also connected easily as a wireless device. Last summer I bought a new Windows 10 laptop, and despite my worries beforehand, both CC and FBReader connected to Calibre on the new laptop without issue. The last time I had reason to connect was 5th Feb. Two days ago I bought a new Android Phone (Alcatel 3V). Setting up and transferring things has otherwise gone well, except CC won't connect with Calibre, either as a wireless device or to the content server. Neither will FBReader. And when I eventually picked up the old phone and tried on that, intending to check the settings on it, i found that CC and FBreader on the old phone now won't connect to Calibre on the laptop either, whether to the content server or as wireless device. Now, I think the fact that FBReader is affected too means it's not an issue with CC. And the fact that CC on the old Marshmallow phone now isn't connecting too means it's not an issue with the new phone being Oreo (8.0). I haven't changed any settings in my laptop Firewall and Antivirus (Comodo Internet Security Premium 11), and there are no messages in Comods's logs about any incidents connected with the CC to Calibre connection attempts (it just shows the incoming connections to Calibre being allowed through, but no outgoing replies), and I've always had Calibre as a 'trusted' app. The only 'big' change on my laptop since Feb 5th and now is that it finally got the big delayed Windows 10 'October update' later in Fenruary - but I didn't see anywhere that that would - or even might - create problems of this kind. Symptoms: Attempts to connect as wireless device just produce the white rectangle with 'Wireless device connection' in it and the spinning circle, until it gives up and goes to a 'Failed to connect' screen. Attempts to connect to the Content Server actually appear to show an initial success, with 'Trying to connect to the content server ...' at the top of an otherwise blank page giving way to 'Index of content server' - but the rest of the page stays blank, and after a few seconds I get a 'Content Server not running' screen. I get the same results with the default automatic connection settings, and after configuring wireless device and content server connections manually to the IP address of the laptop and the 8080/9090 ports. (And just to be clear - I HAVE started the content server and wireless device connection in Calibre on the laptop.) Things I've looked at: It's not SSID isolation - that is and always has been turned off in my router. No other devices are connected via USB. The only other USB items plugged in are two HDDs, but I tried unplugging them anyway and it made no difference. In the Calibre server logs, lines to do with earlier, successful use start e.g. 192.168.1.7 port-33565 - 05/Feb/2019:17:11:56, but all those to do with these new failures start e.g. 127.0.0.1 port-58637 - 06/Mar/2019:21:35:54. I have no idea why the log lines for the old connections start with the actual IP address of the (old) phone, but all the new attempts from either the new or old phone start with the localhost 127.0.0.1 instead. Any ideas what the problem might be? Thanks.