License Required Message

Ron Schwartz

Ok.  someone had to have an install issue...

I removed earlier versions of SmartSDR and its subsystems using the complete instructions provided by Flex.  I downloaded V2 and installed it with no issue.  Both the PC (running Win7) and the Flex 6500 were power cycled (with the Flex DC power removed).  I purchased the license and have the confirmation email (the radio ID matches the radio).  

The radio is directly connected to the PC and the SmartSDR program sees the 6500 as available.  It has been 15 minutes and a refresh of the login on the PC still shows the license as being required.

Is the license server still up or overloaded?

Thanks, Ron
K2RAS

Tim - W4TME

No, the license server is not overloaded (although we would love to have that problem).

I have converted this topic to a support HelpDesk ticket (http://helpdesk.flexradio.com) for expedited issue resolution. 

Mark WS7M

It took me two tries.  First time was unsuccessful.  Second try worked.

Ron Schwartz

Just curious, what did you try two times?  I have power cycled the radio and PC a couple of times.  Since I have the confirmation email of the license purchase I don't think that I want to purchase it again.

Ron

Mark WS7M

After I purchased and Paypal went through I went back to SSDR and hit refresh.  It wanted me to login.  I did, it came back and said license required.

I hit refresh again and got a "server request unsuccessful".  I hit refresh one more time and it immediately said "success" and registered.

Ron Schwartz

I have hit refresh many times and the problem remains.  I continued the login process at the top of the SmartSDR screen and established my account, but I cannot continue since the license server reports that the license is required.

Richard

Ron I too have the same issues.   Paid with PayPal and that took some time.  Worked with Flex and that is taken care of but still I hit "Refresh" and still does not recognize that the purchase is complete.  I have a help ticket, as I am sure that you do, to into Flex.  FYI... From my first comment it took 3 minutes before someone called me from Sales... Pretty quick but now it is on the technical side.

Richard "****" Griest - N4RWG

Mark WS7M

I will say that the getting started guide was very helpful.

There seem to be two major parts to this:

1) Getting the license.  For this you have to pay and I think that involves a login as well.  I could be wrong on this.

2) Setting up for Smartlink (if you plan to use it)

For me doing #1 was pretty easy except for my need to do the refresh twice.  After that I could run SmartSDR locally and everything was fine.

Since I was at work I wanted to try the remote access.  This is where the getting started guide helped.  I had to hit the setup button for Smartlink and it logged in but then wanted me to key the radio.  

The guide talks about why this step is required.   Since I was remote I used a CW program to key my USB WinKeyer and that did the trick.  I sent my call sign and SSDR flashed to the next step.

Almost immediately on my copy of SmartSDR at work I saw my radio appear.

So I could have some things out of order here but for me the first step was critical.  Get paid, get licensed and logged in.  Once you do that SmartSDR works locally just fine.

But if you want the remote access stuff then you really need to follow the guide and setup SmartLink.

I have had zero time to play but what one thing I was expecting and perhaps wrongly so was that I could make my radio available to people.   It seems there is no "server" where a list of available radios shows up.  I'm not disappointed but from the recent HamVention and demos I got the impression there was a list of radios you could see from a server.

It appears that if I want to share my radio I have to send specific people my SmartLink login/password.

I do hope this changes at some point in the future.  Ideally I'd like a SmartLink login/password for me as the radio owner and I'd like to be able to publish my radio so to speak and another user that wanted to use it would ask me for permission.  If I grant it they would not require my login/password but a guest or user login/password I give them.

Anyway maybe that is a future item.  Who knows.

Michael - N5TGL

Same problem here.  I've got a ticket in with the help desk, just waiting to get it resolved.

*drums fingers*

Ron Schwartz

Glad to see I have good company.  I also have a help ticket.  Good luck to both of us...

Ron

Tim - W4TME

All of the radios at Hamvention shared a common login.

Mark WS7M

Ok that explains it.  Thanks Tim.

David Decoons, wo2x

Ron, you mentioned the radio is directly connected to the PC. By chance is your PC set up to use WiFi for Internet and the Ethernet port direct to radio? That might be the issue. Dave wo2x

Ron Schwartz

Yes the PC was on the WiFi.  I direct connected the PC and the radio to the Ethernet switch and that solved the problem.  Once the connection was established once, I disconnected the PC and put it back on the wireless and it now connects.  

I have a UPnP port issue when connecting remotely but I can presumable solve that.  Thanks for the suggestion.  Why is the wireless an issue on the initial connect?

Ron

Ria

Sometimes your computer will get confused as to which route to take to get to the Internet, and your radio as well. The best configuration is to have the radio go direct to a network switch or your router, rather that direct connect to a PC. 

In fact, I hope that Flex would start recommending against direct connect to a PC except in very limited circumstances. 

David Decoons, wo2x

The wireless gets an IP on your local network from the DHCP server in the router. When you also connect the radio direct to the PC Ethernet port there is no connection to the router so the radio and the PC Ethernet port use a 169.254.x.x IP address scheme. That will not allow the radio to talk to the SmartLink server which is mandatory for SmartLink operation. Dave wo2x

Michael - N5TGL

Thanks Dave, this fixed it for me.  Ria, thanks for the explanation, it was a DUH moment after I read your post.  I hooked up a switch to go across the room with one cable, connected radio to the switch, took computer off of wifi, plugged into the switch and **** it worked.

Kevin LaFata

I'll add a "me too" in there. I am off today so I was pretty excited I might have time to try out 2.0.  I downloaded, installed, and paid (via regular credit card, not the pay pal option).  My credit card has a record of the charge, but I have installed twice, two different computers, and I still am not able to authorize the license.  I think I have a ticket open, but all I've received is a robo-email .  Kinda bummed out after waiting and paying. 

Tim - W4TME

Kevin,

If you do not have a confirmation e-mail from the HelpDesk, you do not have a ticket.  For details on how to submit a HelpDesk support ticket, please refer to the following URL: http://helpdesk.flexradio.com/hc/en-us/articles/202118688-How-to-Submit-a-Request-for-Technical-Supp...   

I do not see a HelpDesk ticket for anyone with the email you use on the Community.

You need to get a ticket entered.

Kevin LaFata

Tim..  I think there is a ticket open: Request #18815  ..  Does that sound right ?  I tried to open it around 11am CDT today.   How long is the backlog to resolve ?

Eric-KE5DTO

Give it another try now.

Tim - W4TME

Kevin, yes, you have a ticket in the system now.  I just sent you an update.

Michael - N5TGL

Ron, you mentioned that your flex is directly plugged in to your computer.  I'm assuming you computer is on wifi back to your router.  That is likely the source of your problem and exactly what had happened to me.  The Flex needs to be plugged in directly to the router, not the computer.  I'm pretty sure it'll work fine then.  I took the extra step of plugging the computer in direct too.  At any rate, mine works fine now.

Michael - N5TGL

Ron, you mentioned that your flex is directly plugged in to your computer.  I'm assuming you computer is on wifi back to your router.  That is likely the source of your problem and exactly what had happened to me.  The Flex needs to be plugged in directly to the router, not the computer.  I'm pretty sure it'll work fine then.  I took the extra step of plugging the computer in direct too.  At any rate, mine works fine now.

MichaelC

Ok,  So I've got the same setup.  My 6500 is connected directly to my computer.  My computer is connected to the network via WIFI.  I have no plans on ever running this radio remotely.  If I'm out someplace in the world on a business trip, I bring a radio/antenna system with me and I operate with a local call sign of the country that I am in, i.e, HL1ZAI, when I go to Korea, which is about once a month.  So if I have no plans on operating this radio remotely, does it still have to have a connection to the network, just to upgrade software?  If so,  I'll be staying with the version that I'm on, since I have no intentions of extending a cabled network into my radio shack.

W7WRJ
Mike Chasse

Tom N5MOA

My internet is via an ATT WIFI, or I turn on the hotspot on my phone. I have no router to connect to, the 6500 connects direct to my computer.

From what I'm reading, my radio couldn't talk to the Smartlink server as configured if I wanted it to.  Still debating if I want to. :-)

I'm pretty much a computer/IT dummy.
Is there a switch or router that will connect to my WIFI and allow ethernet connection to the radio/computer?

David Decoons, wo2x

Tom, that would be a lot more complicated to set up the computer for bridging between the Ethernet port and the WiFi. You mention AT&T WiFi. Can you plug in a router into the broadband connection? That is by far the easiest solution.

Dave wo2x

Tom N5MOA

this is my AT&T WIFI, pretty well covers the house.


There is nothing plug into it other than a charging cable.

David Decoons, wo2x

The only thing that ***might*** work is an Ethernet bridge. You can plug the PC and radio into the bridge. Bandwidth on your AT&T WiFi may not be sufficient, especially upload.

Also no idea if the AT&T supports uPNP or port forwarding.

No guarantee the bridge would work. Here is an article explaining what a bridge is.
https://lifehacker.com/368094/wire-your-living-room-over-wi-fi-with-a-bridge

Dave wo2x

Tom N5MOA

Thanks for the info, Dave.

I'll look into that. One of the drawbacks of rural living, internet providers or the lack there of.

Zero man made noise makes up for it. :-)

I operate mobile a lot also, so I haven't decided if I even want to try and operate my station remote or not. Still leaning toward "not", but it would be nice to be able to if I can, or change my mind. And no real heartburn if I can't. It is what it is.

73, Tom
N5MOA

Tom N5MOA

Ok. I went ahead and downloaded V2, doing the bridge thingy in Matt's post

https://community.flexradio.com/flexradio/topics/v2-0-for-those-connecting-their-radios-directly-to-...

and your video, Dave. https://youtu.be/Umt3q0Uwk0Y 

Easy peasy. I can follow directions. :-)
That allowed me to download V2, buy, update my radio and resister for SmartLink.

SmartLink doesn't work with that setup (everything showed "fail" when I clicked test), but I'll worry about that later.

"Also no idea if the AT&T supports uPNP or port forwarding."   There are check boxes to enable both in the WIFI control panel, but that's all Greek to me.

I mainly upgraded the software to have the latest software.  Everything seems to be working as it should.

Tom N5MOA