Mobile Control (PWA) - webpage error indicating server cannot be found or the site cannot be reached - timeout - IP Address

7/12/2024

Applicable SongShow Plus Versions:  
This article applies to SongShow Plus 9.2 and Later using SongShow Mobile Control (PWA).

* Updates affecting this feature may be available. Ensure that you are using the most current build of SongShow Plus from the Download page before proceeding. *

NOTE: SongShow Mobile Control (PWA) is now included as part of the Silver Subscription. You must maintain a Silver Subscription or higher to be able to access the Mobile Control (PWA) feature.  

Symptom:

When launching the SongShow Mobile Control (PWA) from the SongShow Plus website link for a machine, the resulting webpage displays a message indicating that the server cannot be found or the site cannot be reached.  In this case the "server" and "site" are the host machine that is running SongShow Plus that is going to be controlled by Mobile Control.  

Possible Cause:
If there is a name resolution issue (DNS/VPN or other tool) on the device that is trying to connect, it may not be able to resolve or "find" the machine name. 

Possible Solution:
Use a custom Machine Registration to change the path, replacing the machine name with the IP address of the machine.

  1. Determine the IP address of the host/target machine to be controlled. Contact your IT person if you are not sure how to do this.
  2. Launch SongShow Plus and select Settings > Mobile Control...  Elevate as needed.
  3. In the Machine Registration section, view the Register this machine using the default address (recommended) setting.
  4. Select and copy the existing address path.
  5. In the Machine Registration section, select Register this machine using the alternate machine address specified below.
  6. Enter a custom address path. Paste the copied path that includes the machine name and port, then replace the machine name with the IP address of the machine, taking care to leave the rest as is. There should be no spaces - it should look like this: http://xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:55000, replacing the x's with the actual IP address.
  7. Click Save and allow SongShow Plus to restart.

Once SongShow Plus is restarted, refresh the website to ensure the link is updated. Once updated, connect normally.


Possible Cause:

If there is a URL resolution issue where the device that is trying to force an https:// connection rather than the default http://, it may not be able to "find" the site or it may simply time out. 

Possible Solution:
Verify that no browser settings or security tools on the device are trying force https:// for all web browser traffic.  If so, this must be disabled for PWA Mobile Control.
In some cases, trying a different browser may resolve the issue.  For iOS in particular, if Safari is problematic, try installing the Chrome or Edge browsers.


Possible Cause:

If the designated port is in use or blocked, it will not be able to load the site or it may simply time out. 

Possible Solution:
Use a custom Machine registration to change the HTTP Port, replacing the default port with an alternate one.

  1. Launch SongShow Plus and select Settings > Mobile Control... - Elevate as needed.
  2. In the HTTP Port section, confirm that the port setting is the default 55000.  If it is not, set this to default, save and try again.
  3. If the HTTP Port was set to the default, edit the port to 54000.
  4. Click Save and allow SongShow Plus to restart.

Once SongShow Plus is restarted, refresh the website to ensure the link is updated. Once updated, connect normally.

If any corrections are made per the above suggestions, a reload of the page on the device may be required.

If this article does not resolve the issue, contact the Support Team.

(MC32)

An error has occurred. This application may no longer respond until reloaded. An unhandled exception has occurred. See browser dev tools for details. Reload 🗙