[Android] Calibre Companion Not Connecting

[Pinkie]

Suddenly Calibre Companion on my Kindle Fire won't connect to my computer wirelessly.
When I plug it into the computer, Calibre can see the Companion on the Fire, but wireless connection isn't working.
I've installed Google Play on my Kindle Fire, and downloaded Moon Reader, which I prefer to the native reader.
The Fire has been working without a hitch until today, CC connecting wirelessly to Calibre on my computer. But now I can't connect wirelessly or using the Content Server. Companion just can't see my computer. I've tried putting in the IP address and port, but that doesn't work either. I've tried it with my firewalls down, even though the firewall is reporting that it has seen the Calibre connection and allowed it. I closed it anyway. No go.
I've restarted both devices, updated everything and it still won't work.
Since I've not changed anything, I'm baffled.

[chaley]

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Moved to CC forum

[chaley]

Originally Posted by Pinkie

Since I've not changed anything, I'm baffled.

Things change all the time without telling you. In particular, antivirus updates happen silently, and they can break calibre + CC.

You say that neither the wireless device nor the content server connections work. That means that the problem is at a level below calibre and CC. The usual suspects are:

• antivirus (this is by far the biggest culprit)
• firewall
• Problems with wireless router: guest mode, different wifi bands, wireless isolation, etc.
• The network connection on the windows machine is not "private".

Given that the content server connection does not work, you can take CC out of the picture by connecting from your device's browser to calibre's content server. The URL will look something like http://192.168.x.y:8080/. I don't think this will work, which tells us that the problem is outside the Fire but before the calibre program.

You can also try rebooting the wireless router. They usually don't get confused, but ...

[Pinkie]

Thank you, you gave me a clue!
I had to reset my connection (ethernet one) to get it to work. It was a lot of faffing about!
My other problem was that when I plugged the device into the machine, I could get it to connect to Calibre, but when I downloaded, made alterations and so on, it didn't work with CC's wireless connection. I would be okay with using CC wirelessly when I'm on the move, and directly when I'm at home, but the two methods aren't compatible. It has to be one or the other for updates, etc to work properly.

[Pinkie]

Disabling antivirus and firewall made no difference at all, even if I dropped everything and didn't use any (I'm on Windows, so when I disable Avast, Defender kicks in, but I tried closing that too. Needless to say I refuse to do anything without protection, so that wasn't an acceptable solution, but worth trying!)
I love Calibre and CC, but I think all these problems are stopping new adopters. It needs to be really easy to get going. I recommended it to somebody the other day, but when they tried it, they said it was "too confusing" and "They didn't have the time to get it to work properly." Which is a shame, because it's a terrific program.

[Pinkie]

And it's happened again. After trying everything I can think of, short of quitting my firewalls and security, it still won't connect. I got it to connect last night with a fixed port, but today it's not working again.
I don't want to spend hours fiddling about with settings, I just want it to work. So I think I'm giving up.

[P.Eric]

Same problem here.
I had to reinstal a clean Windows 10 and now absolutly imposible to conect CC.
I'm using Wifi synchronisation with MediaMonkey, and it work flawlessly.
I tried without Firewall (wich was never necesary), and CC doesn't detect my PC.

I'm not sure but I thing a new version of CC was released these lasts days, could it be a trouble with it?

If somebody can help, I would be grateful.

[chaley]

Originally Posted by P.Eric

Same problem here.
I had to reinstal a clean Windows 10 and now absolutly imposible to conect CC.
I'm using Wifi synchronisation with MediaMonkey, and it work flawlessly.
I tried without Firewall (wich was never necesary), and CC doesn't detect my PC.

I'm not sure but I thing a new version of CC was released these lasts days, could it be a trouble with it?

If somebody can help, I would be grateful.

Have you tried following the steps in our FAQ? In particular, check the "Network Location" (FAQ step 2.1). Windows 10 often makes networks "public". It must be "private" for CC to be able to connect to calibre.

[P.Eric]

Thank you Sir but that didn't work.
For a time I will leave CC.
The trouble is in the configuration of the PC, no in your app.

[Pinkie]

Yup. It suddenly started working again when I took off the fixed port. But I don't know how long that will last.
As I said, I don't have hours and hours to fiddle with it. First it's one thing, then it's another. It's too pernickety.

Originally Posted by chaley

Have you tried following the steps in our FAQ? In particular, check the "Network Location" (FAQ step 2.1). Windows 10 often makes networks "public". It must be "private" for CC to be able to connect to calibre.

[Pinkie]

I'm giving up. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. it was a fun way to list my books, and to mark them as read, but honestly, I don't have the time to keep fiddling with it.
Sorry! It was nice when it worked, but this is the last time I'm spending 2 hours trying to find out what's wrong with CC and what little adjustment I have to make now. I changed my antivirus and I suspect that might be it, but if other programs cope with it, CC should be able to manage it, too.

[Mel]

Avira antivirus is a problem. I can't find any way to convince the free version to let CC through. Swap to a different antivirus and I'm fine, reinstall Avira and no connection. Just letting others know about that specific software. Avira had enough other irritating quirks that this just pushed me to finally getting rid of it so I'm not looking for ways to sweet-talk Avira into letting CC connect.

[NSILMike]

Originally Posted by Mel

Avira antivirus is a problem. I can't find any way to convince the free version to let CC through. Swap to a different antivirus and I'm fine, reinstall Avira and no connection. Just letting others know about that specific software. Avira had enough other irritating quirks that this just pushed me to finally getting rid of it so I'm not looking for ways to sweet-talk Avira into letting CC connect.

Try Avast. Works great for me. Never any problems with Calibre or Calibre Companion. Also, Avast (free) is very highly rated by PC Magazine.

[Pinkie]

I thought it was Avira, but no. I'm using something else now, and in between, while I was researching antivirus programs, I let Windows Defender take over. Nothing I tried made any difference. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. But the antivirus programs let other wireless programs through, with no problems. Sometimes a program needed a tweak, but then it stuck and just worked. CC sometimes worked, sometimes didn't. So I'm plugging my device into my machine now and letting Moon+Reader manage my books on my devices. A shame, because when CC works, it works well.
I'd suggest digging down to resolve this, or conversely, making CC work alongside the other methods. At the moment you either have to use CC exclusively, because the files it downloads won't work with the drag-and-drop or imported by other readers methods.

[chaley]

Originally Posted by Pinkie

But the antivirus programs let other wireless programs through, with no problems. Sometimes a program needed a tweak, but then it stuck and just worked. CC sometimes worked, sometimes didn't.

Calibre is updated frequently. Some AVs decide that the updates are evil. Nothing CC can do about that. CC also can't fix WiFI networks perturbed by microwave ovens, thick walls, neighbors with routers on the same channel, cordless phones, overcharging, and the like.

I'd suggest digging down to resolve this

CC + calibre work fine for tens of thousands of users. I know that sounds defensive, but it is in fact the truth.

CC gets compared to things like iTunes, but the comparison is bogus. Apple needs to do nothing because the A/V people will do whatever it takes to let Apple products work. Not one of them is interested in little-ole-me, and it simply isn't possible for me to duplicate even a small number of the configurations out there to try to debug them.