Multiplicity 3 KVM Mode Error

Passcode Error & Connectivity Issues

from Stardock.net Forums

Hi,

I have the same 1 primary and 3 secondaries defined in Multiplicity for several years now. With the primary being Win 11 and the rest Win 10. All devices are on same LAN with no wireless or network layer devices in between other than the one 8 port hub

I have had connection issues ongoing for years now. I have created several posts but the answers were always very generic and the issues have never gone away.(Exact symptoms vary a bit from time to time, but i have a hell of a hard time connecting).

I would appreciate any technically deeper answer if possible. I can take wire traces, collect logs, check reg keys, open ports, ...

The symptoms I experience DAILY:

* MPBar shows all 3 secondaries. 90% of the time the screenshots are blank. Then they will flicker with a valid screenshot. After a moment they are blank again

* Connecting via MPBar will launch a remote session window which fails to connect with no error message at all 95% of the time.

* The other 5% of the time, I establish a connection but mouse and/or keyboard are dead. (If I connect via RDP at the same time, RDP can move the mouse/kbd and I see the movement inside multiplicity session window, but MKVM can move the mouse or use kbd)

* Sometimes restarting multiplicity process will temporarily fix the issue. That usually lasts an hour or so.

* When I launch a connection using Multiplicity app instead of MPBar, I usually (not always) get a message saying the passcode doesnt match. (Now, I admit Im stupid, but even I can see that the 4 digit pin codes match). I have tried reentering the code, resaving the code, rebooting the machines, but this will still pop up most of the time. If I wait a few days, it may clear up.

To help whittle down possible reasons, I have done the following:

* Switched from Norton AV/FW to Bitdefender on all PCs. I have turned off firewall and tried without success. I have turned off AV on all machines. 

* I have tried Safe mode with networking, but that seems to prevent multiplicity service from starting.

* I have scoured event logs (nothing appears to be logged)

* I have used netstat to verify ports are open, IP addresses assigned are correct

* I have used telnet to raw connect to the ports

* I have scoured AV and FW logs

* I have added exceptions to FW following Multiplicity posts and guides exactly

* I have uninstalled / reinstalled using the built-in installer.

* I have done a lot of testing and I believe that the issue is more of a primary side issue because restarting primary service helps much more often than secondary restart (BUT IT STILL HAS LOW SUCCESS RATE)

* I have used MSConfig to disable all startup options except bare minimum

* I have replaced primary PC motherboard, CPU and ram (mb included new LAN port). So Im at a loss to know whats left. 

 

Forum posts seem to suggest this is always a port related issue. Okay. How do I see logs of port connections opening/closing/resetting. To see whats occurring? I can telnet into all the ports just fine.

I understand its still possible that somethings screwing with the ports, but I literally have no issues at all with anything except multiplicity and this has been going on for years.

I have well over 50 hours invested in troubleshooting this.

Maybe someone could send me a debug build, or how to enable verbose logging, or maybe there is a port testing tool you want me to use.

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

PS. Can I change port #s? 

Moved to Multiplicity Forum area

 

 

multiplicity kvm connection personal computing multiplicity
7,948 views 9 replies
Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top

Hello,
I have forwarded your problem/question to Stardock Support Team for their assistance. Please keep an eye on this thread for any updates. We appreciate your feedback and patience.

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top

Burn all MP installs with:

https://support.stardock.com/space/SHC/1347158073/Multiplicity+purging+and+re-installing

Get the most recent installer from your account page

https://store.stardock.com/myaccount/products

Install and set up just two PCs (Primary PC and 1 Secondary) that appear to have had the most complications.  Do you still have issues with just them set up?

Sean Drohan
Stardock Product Lifecycle Manager

Star Control: Origins
Reply #3 from Stardock.net Forums Top

Hi,

Uninstall script ran fine.

I deleted both primary and worst secondary, rebooted and reinstalled clean (including product key)

I was able to immediately and repeatedly open a connection but the screen was completely black and there was no mouse/kbd. Just black screen.

This was 100% repeatable. I verified bitdefender av, threat protection and f/w were disabled but same result.

I decided to kill all video and input devices in device manager on the secondary to see if redetection and driver reinstall would help. I deleted display adapter, monitors, keyboards, mice, USB hubs and allowed redetection. Nothing helped.

I then chose to uninstall NV GT1060 driver to see if reverting to MS driver might help and video immediately appeared. There was still no mouse / kbd but i did get fast connection and a picture. I installed latest NV driver and so far blank video screen and passcode errors seemed resolved.

After numerous reboots, tests, and combinations of things, I was able to pin down the symptoms a bit.

1) Video connection seems stable

2) Input MOSTLY doesnt work. Its always mouse & kbd fail, not one or the other.

3) I THINK (cant prove) the input issue is a PRIMARY side issue because restarting primary MULT processes via the system tray context menu many times fixes it. Not always. When it does I can connect multiple times without issue and control the device. If i can control it, it will stay working until closed. Upon reconnect, its hit or miss whether input works.

4) I THINK as crazy as this sounds, that things work better / more reliably when MPBAR is not loaded. I have repeated the scenario multiple times where I connect just fine using system tray context menu "KVM mode" and I connect fine using the MP config utility, but when I try to connect by clicking on device in MPBAR i dont have any kbd/mouse. This fails 100%. I then unload mpbar and it continues to fail. I bounce MP processes and it works well over and over. Launch MPBAR and try to connect and high % chance there is no kbd/mouse.

I have temporarily disabled MPBAR in startup and I want to give it some bake time to see if the system works before tearing down the MPBAR path too far.

From your perspective, does MPBAR connect directly or is it simply a gui that calls into the MP service. Cuz if it just calls into the service, it doesnt make much sense why the input doesnt work.

Thanks for any help.

Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top

One item at a time...

Quoting preiner26380, reply 3

I was able to immediately and repeatedly open a connection but the screen was completely black and there was no mouse/kbd. Just black screen.

This was 100% repeatable. I verified bitdefender av, threat protection and f/w were disabled but same result.

I decided to kill all video and input devices in device manager on the secondary to see if redetection and driver reinstall would help. I deleted display adapter, monitors, keyboards, mice, USB hubs and allowed redetection. Nothing helped.
End of preiner26380's quote

Is the remote headless (no monitor)?  If so, this page has all the solutions we have compiled

https://support.stardock.com/space/SHC/1848606762/Black+Screen+with+Multiplicity+KVM

Quoting preiner26380, reply 3

2) Input MOSTLY doesnt work. Its always mouse & kbd fail, not one or the other
End of preiner26380's quote

Use the 'MPPortFix' batch file here to remove \ rewrite the MP firewall rules.  If you use a 3rd party AV app that manages your firewall (userps Windows), this wont help.

https://support.stardock.com/space/SHC/1287454780/Multiplicity+Drag-drop+Copy-Paste+Issues

Sean Drohan
Stardock Product Lifecycle Manager

 

 

 

 

Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top

I went into device manager and disabled power savings on all enumerated USB devices and suddenly things have stabilized for the past 2 days.

I cant say its fixed, but im going to let things bake in before trying mpportfix because currently fw is disabled on both machines and I was really careful creating the rules manually according to the docs.

Thanks

Reply #6 from Stardock.net Forums Top

Hi,

The problem reoccured yesterday after needing to borrow the display from my secondary. Connection was fast but screen was black.

Following your earlier reply, I followed the url for remote headless display

I had screensaver off, power always on, lastest NV drivers so there was nothing left to do except try a headless HDMI dummy plug I had lying around. The black screen resolved immediately.

Do you have any known reason why MP3 is sensitive to lack of a display when remote desktop and all the other utils I have used over 30 years arent?

Im asking because my secondary isnt truly headless. The monitor is always present. Sometimes its turned off physically, sometimes its on.

I cant use the dummy plug as a solution unless I permanently remove the existing display or disable/prevent anyone from ever turning off the display

 

Reply #7 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting preiner26380, reply 6

Do you have any known reason why MP3 is sensitive to lack of a display when remote desktop and all the other utils I have used over 30 years arent?

Im asking because my secondary isnt truly headless. The monitor is always present. Sometimes its turned off physically, sometimes its on.
End of preiner26380's quote

Its not that MP has an issue, its that Windows is reporting that there is no monitor.  As you likely know, its why Dummy Plugs exist

https://softhandtech.com/what-is-an-hdmi-dummy-plug-used-for

What I would suggest it to change the Windows Power settings to 'never sleep the PC, just turning the monitor off (but it still, of course, plugged in and powered on).

Sean Drohan
Stardock Product Lifecycle Manager

 

Reply #8 from Stardock.net Forums Top

I cant. When windows is set to sleep the monitor, the monitor detects lack of signal

 

it then writes in bright white “No signal detected”. This moves around constantly on 65 inch oled and prevents oled pixel cleaning and related.  

spoke to lg. i cant disable the message or make it run required pixel maintenance with monitor on. It will only run with monitor off for extended period of time

im in interoperability hell

technically im not running headless so there is no place to plug in the dummy adapter

is there a software driver that will spoof what dummy plug is doing in software or maybe a regkey to default to a svga resolution if no monitor appears attached

 

Reply #9 from Stardock Forums Top

Your PCs need to support this but you might try 'wake-on-lan'

So these would be the conditions:

  • Set up the Secondary to respond to wake-on-lan
  • Your MP connection to it has the setting I noted above to wake the remote
  • Sleep the Secondary
  • Try to connect to it from the Primary  
  • The initial effort may fail to render a non-black screen.  Its needs to be shown that it can spin up the Secondary with a connection attempt.  If you can physically verify it has, kill the connection and then try to reconnect. 

Sean Drohan
Stardock Product Lifecycle Manager