For broadcast to work you need to make sure the VARA modem you have, both support the KISS protocol update, and that your firewall does not block the KISS port.
Follow these guidelines one by one to find out which one resolves your issue.
Make sure you updated VARA HF 4.6.7 (of VARA FM 4.2.6 for FM users).
Make sure you update VarAC V6.3.3
Try running VarAC & VARA in administrator mode (right click VarAC.exe / Vara.exe --> Run as administrator"). This will bypass your default firewall rules.
Make sure your KISS port of your VARA modem is not blocked by the firewall (default is 8100 unless you changed it). See first comment on this post for details about setting it.
If using a VARA Monitor instance - make sure you set the following parameters on the VARA Monitoring instance vara.ini file to avoid it competing on the same port as the main VARA:
Enable KISS=0
KISS Port=0Make sure the VarAC Kiss port (under settings) is the same as the VARA modem KISS port (under VARA settings)
Make sure no other VarAC.exe processes are running in the background blocking the VARA ports. Use the task manager to kill them.
Here is how Henrik Bo Carisen sorted it out with his firewall. CLICK HERE
Many users use Broadcasts. If it doesn't work it is a pure local permission/network issue that you will need to resolve.
The community is here to support if needed.
73s
Irad 4Z1AC
Broadcast now works
I opened port 8100 TCP in Windows firewall, rebooted PC and Broadcast now works..
At least, TX is initiated and a signal sent......and it is reported in the broadcast window:
in windows 10, do the following:
Go to firewall and network protection
Click advanced settings
Click inbound rules
open port 8100 for TCP
save and reboot.
I named the rule: open 8100, and it looks like this:
If there are any security concerns with this, please advice.
73
Henrik
I had the same problem, and nothing seemed to solve it - until: 1) I changed the port (in both VarAC and Vara HF 4.6.5) to 8200 and 2) set both VarAC and Vara HF to "Run as Administrator." Now all is fine.
Just my two cents:
I had/have problems with a VPN (Nord VPN) blocking local (non-routable) IP traffic. Why it does this, I still don't freaking know... Something to consider?
Broadcast not working for me, I get the below because I have Winlink installed, I will uninstall it and see if that restores KISS functionality.
Update working now , I removed all and started all over again. IN/OUT Rules added port 8100 TCP Add Vara.exe and VarAC.exe to both IN/OUT TCP allowing them on all network level.
After an reboot all is working.
Yes, added an incomming and outgoing rule for 8100 TCP in firewall and added Vara HF and VarAC programm, both incomming and outgoing and relay enabled.
19:30:26 - Starting VarAC (V6.2.4)
19:30:26 - OS: Microsoft Windows NT 6.2.9200.0
19:30:27 - Debug mode disabled
19:30:27 - FREQ Schedule off
19:30:27 - Resetting to Slot 0
19:30:27 - OmniRig: Connecting to OmniRig...
19:30:27 - OmniRig: Connected successfully to OmniRig!
19:30:27 - OmniRig: RIG1 Selected
19:30:28 - Opening DB connection
19:30:28 - Current VarAC DB version: 1
19:30:29 - Connecting VARA Main Modem Command interface...
19:30:29 - Connecting VARA Main Modem KISS Command interface...
19:30:29 - Connecting VARA Main Modem data stream...
19:30:29 - Connecting VARA Monitor Modem Command interface...
19:30:30 - Connecting VARA Monitor Modem data stream...
19:30:32 - Failed to connect VARA Monitor modem
19:30:32 - Connected to VARA modem
19:30:32 - Setting Bandwith to 500Hz
19:30:32 - VarAC base directory: C:\TS-450S\VARA\
19:30:32 - VARA version: VARA HF v4.6.5
19:30:37 - Preparing to broadcast to ALL
19:30:37 - Sending Async message: TO:ALL FROM:DC4CP Data:test No error but also no PTT or audio triggered.
Cool idea if it worked. Even with the Windows firewall turned off, it just reports "Preparing to broadcast to ALL" and does nothing.
Irad,
checked that my modem was indeed rebooting when I attempted to broadcast:
the log file looks like this:
21/11/2022 16:48:11 - Preparing to broadcast to ALL
21/11/2022 16:48:11 - Sending Async message: TO:ALL FROM:OZ6F Data:test
21/11/2022 16:48:13 - Error: Unable to send KISS message to VARA modem. Disconnecitng modem.
21/11/2022 16:48:13 - Unable to write data to the transport connection: An established connection was aborted by the software in your host machine.
at System.Net.Sockets.NetworkStream.Write(Byte[] buffer, Int32 offset, Int32 size)
at VarAC.VarAC.command_varahf_kiss(TcpClient conn, Byte[] msg)
21/11/2022 16:48:13 - Restarting VARA modem 1/2
21/11/2022 16:48:13 - Disconnecting VARA modem...
21/11/2022 16:48:13 - Disconnected!
21/11/2022 16:48:13 - Error in mailbox_send_outbox_thread
21/11/2022 16:48:13 - Error: Unable to read data from command stream of VARA modem. Disconnecitng modem command stream.
21/11/2022 16:48:13 - Error: processing Modem data stream: Thread was being aborted.
at System.Net.UnsafeNclNativeMethods.OSSOCK.recv(IntPtr socketHandle, Byte* pinnedBuffer, Int32 len, SocketFlags socketFlags)
at System.Net.Sockets.Socket.Receive(Byte[] buffer, Int32 offset, Int32 size, SocketFlags socketFlags, SocketError& errorCode)
at System.Net.Sockets.Socket.Receive(Byte[] buffer, Int32 offset, Int32 size, SocketFlags socketFlags)
at System.Net.Sockets.NetworkStream.Read(Byte[] buffer, Int32 offset, Int32 size)
at VarAC.VarAC.<button_connect_varahf_Click>b__590_2()
21/11/2022 16:48:13 - Thread was being aborted.
at System.Net.UnsafeNclNativeMethods.OSSOCK.recv(IntPtr socketHandle, Byte* pinnedBuffer, Int32 len, SocketFlags socketFlags)
at System.Net.Sockets.Socket.Receive(Byte[] buffer, Int32 offset, Int32 size, SocketFlags socketFlags, SocketError& errorCode)
at System.Net.Sockets.Socket.Receive(Byte[] buffer, Int32 offset, Int32 size, SocketFlags socketFlags)
at System.Net.Sockets.NetworkStream.Read(Byte[] buffer, Int32 offset, Int32 size)
at VarAC.VarAC.<button_connect_varahf_Click>b__590_0()
21/11/2022 16:48:13 - Thread was being aborted.
at System.Threading.Thread.SleepInternal(Int32 millisecondsTimeout)
at System.Threading.Thread.Sleep(Int32 millisecondsTimeout)
at VarAC.VarAC.<button_connect_varahf_Click>b__590_5()
21/11/2022 16:48:13 - Unable to read data from data stream of VARA modem. Disconnecitng modem data stream.
21/11/2022 16:48:23 - Connecting VARA Main Modem Command interface...
21/11/2022 16:48:23 - Connecting VARA Main Modem KISS Command interface...
21/11/2022 16:48:23 - Connecting VARA Main Modem data stream...
21/11/2022 16:48:23 - Connecting VARA Monitor Modem Command interface...
21/11/2022 16:48:24 - Connecting VARA Monitor Modem data stream...
21/11/2022 16:48:25 - Failed to connect VARA Monitor modem
21/11/2022 16:48:25 - Connected to VARA modem
21/11/2022 16:48:25 - Setting Bandwith to 500Hz
21/11/2022 16:48:25 - Away status set to false
21/11/2022 16:48:25 - Setting away status to false (auto)
21/11/2022 16:48:25 - Error: Sending relay notification failed: Thread was being aborted.
at VarAC.VarAC.command_varahf_kiss(TcpClient conn, Byte[] msg)
at VarAC.VarAC.<>c__DisplayClass559_0.<Load_configuration>b__1()
21/11/2022 16:48:25 - VARA version: VARA HF v4.6.5
So who is blocking port 8100? Firewall in Windows, or my modem/router?
73
Thank you Irad,
any simple way to check if the firewall intervenes with port 8100?
73