Contents
ComDiag Help Contents

The InterBase Communications Diagnostic Tool (ComDiag) enables you to troubleshoot your network communications setup, including TCP/IP, SPX, and Named Pipes / NetBEUI.

Select one of the Clients/Transports displayed in the list box to test that type of connection:

InterBase DB Connection

NetBEUI Connection

SPX Connection

Winsock Connection


Winsock Connection

This option tests the low-level Winsock TCP connectivity. If you are having problems connecting over TCP, this test can eliminate possible InterBase client problems by testing directly at the TCP level.

In the Host Name text field, type the name of the InterBase server to which you want to connect. Click on the arrow to the right of the Service text field to display a drop down list of service names and numbers and select a service name or number.

To start, select "7" from the Service list, enter the name of the desired InterBase server on the network, and choose Run. Service number 7 is a standard TCP/IP test port which tests for a response from the server. The output displayed in the Result area should look similar to this:

Starting test

Initialized Winsock...

Version: 1.1

Vendor Description: JSB VSL/winsock. DLL version 3.0.2

Path to winsock.dll: C:\WINDOWS\WINSOCK.DLL

Got a socket

Connected to host "myhost", port 7

Closed socket and deinitialized Winsock

Test complete -- no errors

The "Vendor Description" line should show the name and version of the Winsock driver you are using. Make sure the Windows Client is using the correct WINSOCK.DLL and the hosts are communicating. The above output is for the InterBase (JSB) Winsock driver.

If the error message appears: "Failed to resolve host name <hostname>" then check that the TCP/IP HOSTS file or Domain Name Services (DNS) has an entry for the server.

If the first test worked, then confirm the Windows Client is finding the SERVICES file. Select "echo" from the Service drop-down list and then choose Run. The Windows Client will then attempt to look up the standard TCP service name "echo" in the SERVICES file. The output should look the same as above, except for the additional line:

Found service 'echo' at port '7'.

If this fails, then check your TCP/IP installation for proper configuration of the SERVICES file.

Then, try an InterBase connection by choosing "3050" from the Service list. The Windows Client will then attempt to connect to the server on port 3050. If the connection is successful, the output should look the same as before, except port 3050 will be listed. If it fails, it could be because the server is not properly configured or is not running.

Lastly, try an InterBase connection using a service name to confirm the InterBase gds_db service was added to the SERVICES file. Choose "gds_db" from the Service list. Again, the output should look the same, except for the line:

Found service 'gds_db' at port '3050'.

If the TCP/IP SERVICES file is not configured correctly, the error message will be "Failed to find named port."

To summarize the possible error messages and corresponding actions:

If Error Message is...	Then Check...

Failed to find named port	the SERVICES file to be sure there is an entry for gds_db of the form:
gds_db 3050/tcp

Failed to connect to host	hostname, port nn
the InterBase server to be sure that it is installed properly and configured for TCP/IP.

Failed to resolve hostname	hostname
the HOSTS file or DNS to be sure it has an entry for the server.


InterBase DB Connection

This option enables you to connect to an InterBase database using the InterBase client libraries. It is the most basic test of InterBase operation once you have confirmed the underlying network is working correctly.

When you select this option, five text fields will appear to the right that enable you to specify the information necessary to connect to an InterBase server.

In the Server field, enter the name of the InterBase server to which you want to connect. If you are connecting over TCP, the server name must be listed in the HOSTS file or Domain Name Services (DNS) and the gds_db service must be defined. See the "Winsock Connection" section if you encounter problems.

When the test runs it will display the version and path of the client libraries, GDS.DLL and REMOTE.DLL. Confirm these are the correct DLLs (they should be in the path where you installed the software). Generally, you should only have one version of the DLLs on your system and you should remove any older versions.

In the Network Protocol field, select the network protocol to use to connect to the server: TCP/IP, SPX/IPX, or Named Pipes/NetBEUI.

In the Database Path field, enter the name of the InterBase database to which to connect, including full directory path and disk specification. If connecting to a database on a NetWare server, you must include the disk volume name. You may not use mapped drive letters or NT share names. The directory path specification should be appropriate for the server to which you are connecting.

In the User Name field, enter the user name under which to log in to the InterBase server. By default, every server is installed with a SYSDBA user with password "masterkey". All other user names must have been authorized through Server Manager. The user name is significant to 31 characters and is not case-sensitive.

In the Password field, enter the InterBase password corresponding to the user name entered. Password is significant to eight characters and is case-sensitive.


NetBEUI Connection

This option tests low-level NetBEUI connectivity to InterBase server Named Pipes. It does not use the client libraries.

When you select this transport, a text field labeled "NT Server" will appear to the right. Enter the name of a Windows NT server on which InterBase has been installed, and then choose Run.

NetBEUI is only supported on Windows for Workgroups 3.11 or machines running Lan Manager Enhanced. It requires the NETAPI.DLL driver supplied with those environments.

This connection may fail if a Microsoft Windows network is not the default network for the client. One way to check this is to run the Network Setup program that is in the Network program group. Check that Microsoft Windows Network is the first item on the Networks list. You should also be logged into the MS Windows network with a valid NT user name and password.


Check SPX/IPX Configuration
SPX Connection

This option tests a low-level SPX connection to the registered InterBase socket. This does not use the client libraries.

When you select this transport, a text field labeled "NetWare Server" will appear to the right. Enter the name of a NetWare server on which InterBase has been installed, and then choose Run.

Windows Setup should also be configured to set Novell NetWare as the installed network. If it is not, you will see the error, "SPX is not installed on this machine."

When the test runs it will display the path and version of the NetWare DLLs. If these DLLs cannot be found, re-install the InterBase client selecting the SPX option in the Network dialog box.

If the server machine itself is unreachable (due to network problems or a bad server name) you will see this message, "Error getting <server> network address."

If the server machine is active but the InterBase server is not properly installed or configured, you will see the error, "Timed out waiting for connection packet from <server>." Confirm that the InterBase NLM is loaded on the server.

For this connection to work, NetWare SPX must be enabled for the client. If it fails, it is possible the client is using an old version of IPX or the client is using the "A" command-line option of IPXODI.