Clients can't communicate with ADNM

[MikeBlyth]

I've installed ADNM as a trial on a few computers but am unable to get the clients to communicate with the server.

After push install, avast4.ini shows ServerAddress=sim-a0, the correct computer, and "ping sim-a0" works, but the error log shows

Cannot connect Server lookup didn't find any AMS'! socket, WinSock error 0x00000000 has occurred.  
Third server conn attempt (last good: 0.0.0.0:16111) failed. (error 00002741).  

I ran the command aswChAms.exe 192.168.1.50 to try to establish communication, and kept getting the same error. I ran the same command again and got this program output from aswChAms.exe:

Current AMS: 192.168.1.50
Changing AMS to: 192.168.1.50
AMS name entry updated

which appears to establish that the change worked the first time, though the error had continued. After the second "change" my error message changed but there is still no connection:

Cannot connect Server lookup didn't find any AMS'! socket, WinSock error 0x00000000 has occurred. 
Third server conn attempt (last good: 192.168.1.50:16111) failed. (error 0000274C).  

I tried changing the ServerAddress line to 192.168.1.50, but that isn't working either. THe computers show up on the ADNM console as "not installed".

Any help appreciated!

[b-wolfe]

Greetings:

I have performed similar steps in response to the same problem, and have no luck finding a result thus far.

Any information at all greatly appreciated, will provide any logs etc upon request.

I've purchased 50 licenses total, and about 30 machines on my windows domain push installed with no problem.
However, several of my machines generate ADNM-side errors exactly like those the OP has described and show up as 'not-installed' in the main interface even though the net client IS installed and running on the workstation. I am able to ping the ADNM server from the workstation as well as view the logs from the ADNM-generated httpd server when I view it from a browser from the client workstation.

Regards & Thanks

[scythe944]

Is it possible that the server or the clients are blocking the ports with a firewall of some sort?

Does your router do any SPI, and is blocking communication?  It looks like it's finding your server fine, but the port cannot be accessed.

[b-wolfe]

Hello again, after much tinkering around I've discovered a workaround...

I have more than 50 machines on my network, the true number is actually around 80. The Discovery task finds ALL of these PC's and seems to choose somewhat randomly what PCs will obtain a license and which ones will not due to the fact that I only have 50 licenses. What I have done is deleted all of these rogue PC's (ones that I don't want avast net-client installed on) from my computer catalog as well as the default discovery task (which seems scheduled once daily by default). Now, all of the PC's that I have ran the push-install on seem to be communicating fine with AMS, and all the client error logs are free of connection errors. HOWEVER, it seems that the refreshing of the ADNM console is a bit behind when it comes to the status of a PC first being registered as a valid 'netclient' when using the MSI-based install. In-fact it's faster for me to simply close and re-open the ADNM console after I'm done installing the MSI in order to have the new PC show up with 'green' status.

I'm not sure if this is related to the problem of the OP, but perhaps it can help somebody...at any rate, All working now
Thanks

[Yanto.Chiang]

Hi avast team,

We facing with the same problem at our clients, the problem are :

1. After NetClient/Server installed in to their PC/Notebook, client couldn't communication with ADNM. After we check into setup.ini file :

FailSafeServer=C:\DOCUME~1\ADMINI~1\LOCAL~1\Temp\SetupX (Part of Setup.ini file which refer to local drive)

2. Beside that on their PC/Notebook couldn't installed with mirror.msi file

Is there any mistaken with ADNM configuration?

Please kindly advice

Regards,
Yanto Chiang

[Yanto.Chiang]

Dear All,

After we tried to work out, then today the problem we could figure out the problem.

As the problem notification error 00002741, it's mean windows have a problem with RPC (Remote Procedure Communication).
Our client mainly problem is they doesn't have DNS Server at their local network, so that is way when their separate in to different segmentation IP Address :

Router -- divided in to 3 segmentation :
1. Segmentation IP Address : 10.20.x.x
2. Segmentation IP Address : 193.1.x.x
3. Segmentation IP Address : 193.6.x.x

After we checked with ADNM and installed at 193.1.x.x IP Address, then ADNM only can detect 193.1.x.x and 193.6.1 IP Address because of fiexed IP. And then for 10.20.x.x (DHCP IP Address) couldn't detected.

Then we tried to create computer at ADNM (Computer Catalog) for 10.20.x.x IP Address Segmentation, and then ADNM could push NetCLient and Mirror in to 10.20.x.x IP Address. After restarted ADNM could communication with 10.20.x.x either NetClient or Mirror.

So our suggestion the clients problem is they doesnt have internal DNS Server, so if client have a different segment for IP Address. ADNM wouldn't be able to detect different IP Address at the same network and router.

Regards,
Yanto Chiang

[wpn]

it is logical ofcourse that ADNM cant detect clients on segments that are not in its own ip range and no references to the other segments.
it would work if there is a DNS server available with an Active Directory where the clients are registered. The clients in AD dont have an ip, the AMS server gets that from the DNS server, if the server cant resolve the name it finds in AD then it stops searching...

maybe the work around for non-dns networks is making the AMS server multihomed, its a really dirty solution tho and not sure if it works like that.
If it is possible there should be a DNS server in the network where the AMS resides with references to the IP's from the clients on the other segment...

[Yanto.Chiang]

Hi Wpn,

Actually without DNS Server or AD in the network, it could work but can't work maximum to detect in terms of different segmentation IP Address.
But the IT Administrator need to work hard to detect the client's computer one by one in their internal network, and of course if total user more than 1,000 clients.
It would be very more effective and efficient if the IT Admin deploy DNS Server or AD.

But if they only have 50 -100 clients, it should be ok, if IT Administrator have a time to define it one by one...

Regards,
Yanto Chiang