Preferences

How do I use "Why Can't I Connect?"

Preferences.

The application preferences allow you to set initial parameters as well as application behavior. The options run from basic to advanced.

Application Language
Set the language the application will display.
Trace Language
Set the language the viewable trace and / or the log file will display.
Show greeting on startup
Show the opening greeting and tips at startup.
Show trace warning and error message boxes
Initially set the application to show trace warning and error message boxes. This value is set under the trace menu at runtime.
Initial Viewable Trace
All
View all tracing.
Headers And Errors Only
View headers and errors, do not view the contents of sent and received messages.
Errors Only
View errors only.
None
Trace nothing to the view list.
Truncate the log file on open
While opening the log file, if the file exists, delete any data in the file.
Append to the log file on open
While opening the log file, if the file exists, add tracing after any data currently in the file.
Reuse the last open log file
Open the last log file when the application starts
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Select / create the log file. A log file must be selected / created to set Reuse the last open log file
Initial Log File Trace
All
Write all tracing to the log file.
Headers And Errors Only
Write headers and errors to the log file, do not write the contents of sent and received messages.
Errors Only
Write errors only to the log file.
None
Write nothing to the log file.
Show viewable trace line numbers
Precede each line in the viewable trace with a line number.
Show log file trace line numbers
Precede each line in the log file trace with a line number.

Send Timeout
The send timeout in seconds when clients and servers are opened.
Receive Timeout
The receive timeout in seconds when clients and servers are opened.
Total of previously used servers to remember
The total of successfully selected servers that will be available in the Name / IP Address selection drop down lists for all functions that select a server. Set this parameter to 0 to remove all default servers.

Sort the previously used servers
By default, previously used servers are shown in the order they have been added. This parameter will alphabetically sort them in the server selection lists.
Maximum simultaneous connections a generic server will maintain
The maximum number of connections a generic server will accept. Any connection attempts beyond this parameter will be refused.
Use localhost
The method that the localhost / loopback address will be used.
Never use localhost
Never bind to the localhost address.
Only use localhost as a last resort
Bind to the localhost address only if another bindable address is not available.
Use localhost exclusively
Only bind to the localhost address.
Force a socket close command after a socket shutdown command
Automatically close a socket after a shutdown is selected. Otherwise the socket will wait for an EOF from the peer before closing.
Force a socket shutdown command before a socket close command
Automatically send a shutdown before a close to inform the peer that the socket is closing.
Forced Shutdown Type
The type of shutdown that will be sent when Force a socket shutdown command before a socket close command is selected.
Send
Shutdown send / write.
Receive
Shutdown receive / read.
Both
Shutdown both send / write and receive / read.
Bridge Tracing
Set which details show in a bridge trace.
Trace send details only
Send traces will show details. Receive traces will show only headers.
Trace receive details only
Receive traces will show details. Send traces will show only headers.
Trace both send and receive details
Both send and receive traces will show details.

Thread sleep times in milliseconds may be set to optimize the application speed and processor(s) usage for your particular computer. It will commonly be true that lowering sleep times will speed up the application but also increase processor(s) usage. You may also optimize for the particular connection you are monitoring. For example, if no out of band messages are expected, you could lower the Receive thread time while increasing the Out of band receive thread time. Optimizing can be very handy, especially if the application is running on a busy server, but predicting thread behavior is like predicting the weather. I recommend making changes in small increments and monitoring your processor(s) usage while pressing the Apply button. Each threads purpose and the point when they begin and end will be explained below.
Select Thread
The select thread checks for incoming connection requests and received messages. It starts at the point when a client connects or a server starts listening. It ends at the point when the client closes or the listening server closes.
Active select thread
The sleep time when the select thread is actively checking for connection requests and received messages.
Passive select thread
The sleep time when a connection request or a received message is being processed. The select thread is checking to see when the operation is complete.
Receive Threads
The receive threads handle signals from the select thread that a connection has been requested, a message has been received, and EOF messages indicating the peer is shutting down. They start at the point when a client connects or a server starts listening. They end at the point when the client closes or the listening server closes.
Receive thread
The receive thread handles connection requests, received messages,and EOF messages. It handles the message buffering, receive errors, and signaling when a trace should occur.
Out of band receive thread
The select thread detects exceptions which indicate out of band messages. These messages are expedited so they are signaled to the out of band receive thread.
Socket Send Thread
The socket send thread handles the socket mechanics of sending a message. It starts at the point when a client connects or a server starts listening. It ends at the point when the client closes or the listening server closes.
Socket send thread
The socket send thread handles sending the socket buffer from the text or file of the message to be sent. If the message is larger than the socket buffer, the send thread will continue refilling the socket buffer until the entire message has been sent.
Send Threads
The send threads start at the point when a message is sent. They end at the point when the message send is complete.
Send text thread
The send text thread maintains the buffer for text messages and fills the socket send buffer.
Active send text thread
The sleep time while the text buffer is transferred to the socket send buffer.
Passive send text thread
The sleep time while the send text thread is waiting for the socket send thread to complete a send.
Send file thread
The send file thread maintains the file handle for file contents to be sent and fills the socket send buffer.
Active send file thread
The sleep time while the file contents is transferred to the socket send buffer.
Passive send text thread
The sleep time while the send file thread is waiting for the socket send thread to complete a send.
Bridge Thread
The bridge thread handles handing off a bridge socket receive to the companion bridge socket for sending. It starts at the point when the bridge client connects and the bridge server starts listening. It ends at the point when the bridge client and server close.
Active bridge thread
The sleep time while the bridge thread is checking for a receive.
Passive bridge thread
The sleep time while the bridge thread is waiting for a companion send to complete.
Multiple Server Select Thread
The multiple server select thread starts when all the multiple servers are listening. It ends when all the multiple servers have closed.
Multiple server select thread
The multiple server select thread is the only thread (besides the user interface) running during a multiple server session. It handles connection requests, querying the peer for it's IP address and port, and closing the connection.

Reset To Defaults
Change all the application preferences to the defaults for your operating system.
Clean Up
Show and remove any abandoned application temporary files.
Apply
Commit the application preferences without closing the preferences dialog.
Cancel
Close the preferences dialog without committing any changes.
OK
Commit the application preferences and close the preferences dialog.