Manual sync aborts with network error

[ableeker]

Hi,

I haven't seen anything like this here, so that doesn't bode well, but here goes...

I have an Aura HD, and since 3.12.1, or so, every manual sync fails every time with a network error. It may have been introduced in an earlier version, 3.12.0 or 3.11.0, but I haven't seen it before these versions. I did have the issue with the WiFi connection introduced in version 3, but that was solved in a later version. So, apart from version 3, the Kobo's have worked fine before with the WiFi we have here, as have the phones and tablets.

What happens? I start on the home page. Then I do a manual sync by tapping the Sync tile. It starts, and says Loading content. Then it briefly says Loading dictionaries, but at this very moment it will always fail, and show the following:

Network Error
Oops, something happened to your internet connection and we couldn't finish your update. Please check your connection and try again.
OK

I tap OK, and it returns to the home page.

The network connection is of course working fine for everything but the Aura. I can browse the internet, and also visit the Kobo Store without problems.

However, on the home screen I see in the Sync tile:

Last sync:
12:36 AM

Maybe the automatic sync does work?

I've tried switching WiFi on and off, removing the connection, and setting it up again, shutting down and restarting, even a factory reset. Nothing works.

And now for the weird part. I recently got an Aura H2O, and set it up fresh out of the box. I then tried a manual sync, and the H2O failed as well at the same point with the same network error message! The wife's Kobo Glo works however.

So could it be a bug introduced in 3.11, or 3.12, caused by the interaction between the Aura HD or H2O, and the router, a Fritz!Box Fon WLAN 7360?

Or does anyone have an idea to fix this issue?

Thanks!

[robko]

1st thing I would check is that the time on your Kobo is correct.

[ableeker]

@robko, thanks, that's a good tip. Unfortunately the time is correct. But there has been a new development.

You can knock me down with a feather... It's working now!

So what's different?

Yesterday I've gone to the Kobo Store to check if the Kobo could connect at all. It could, which I already knew. While there I noticed an interesting offer, so I've downloaded the preview. I'm not sure that did the trick, though.

This morning I decided to try again. First I wanted to see if the connection still was working, so I started the web browser. Then I wanted to check the settings, so I hit the menu button, and then I wanted to tap Settings. I say "wanted", because I missed it, and hit Sync instead. Oh well, no problem...

But to my surprise I noticed the Kobo was displaying Loading dictionaries without failing this time! And a short while later, it said Sync complete.

To see what had happened, I then checked the router. And in the system event log screen, in the WLAN tab, a new message caught my eye:

15.03.15 11:11:49 New wireless LAN device registered for the first time.

Registered a new device? I could tell by the MAC address that this was the H2O, even though it had connected before. Since this message manual sync has worked every time, while it failed every time before. Even after switching it off an on again.

I think it's a bug introduced in the new version of the firmware that fails to register a new device, and I think a device updated with the new firmware also counts as a new device. And I believe manual sync was working this time, because earlier I started sync from the home screen which had to start a connection, which failed to register, while this time I had started a connection first, and then started the sync.

I do hope Kobo will fix this bug in a later release, but so far it seems my issue has been fixed.

[jackastor]

I had something similar with my Aura HD and it turned out it was due to corruption of the data base. Now that's only what I am assuming. In my case it was definitely working after I logged out of my kobo account and reclogged in. Rebuilding the data base.

At any rate it might of just been a server error on Kobo's end.

regards

Jack

[ableeker]

Sorry I didn't mention it, but I had already tried that, and it didn't work...

A server error is possible, but it occurred over a period of say a week, and I haven't seen any other complaints. At least I have fixed it, it seems.

[ableeker]

Heh, I was too quick to think I had solved the issue, it happened again later. I tried signing out of my account, and it has worked this time. I've just resynch'ed manually, and it did just that without errors. Hoping I've got rid of this "feature"!