Troubleshooting

Help Document

Problems with network connections

Problems connecting over a network

If you cannot connect to a server over a network, check whether:

• your settings file is incorrectly configured

For example, the server domain name is wrong.

•       the appropriate .fcp file is missing from FirstClass's FCP folder
•       the server is not running
•       all sessions on the server are in use

The server is set up to handle a limited number of simultaneous connections. Try again later.

• your network interface card (NIC) is configured incorrectly, or it or the cable is defective.

For information on configuring your NIC, see the documentation provided with it.

Problems with modem connections

Problems connecting using a modem

To test your modem configuration, connect to another modem using a terminal emulation package (for example, Windows Terminal for Windows systems). For more information, see your modem documentation.
Certain problems are reported by FirstClass. In this case, they have a FirstClass error number. Make of note of this number in case you need to contact your administrator.

No response from the server's modem

You may get this error because:

• the modem at the other end is not connected to a FirstClass system

Make sure you are specifying the correct modem phone number, with any necessary dialing prefixes, in your service setup information.

• your modem is incompatible with the server's modem

This is especially common for modems that offer high speeds or advanced protocols. Try lowering the baud rate in your connection information.

• a poor phone connection is causing line noise

This is common for long distance calls. Try the call again.

• you specified the wrong modem type for your modem when you configured connection information
• the value of the connect timout register (S7) is too short.

Use a text editor to open the modem (.mdm) file you are using and change the MLTO value. This value is in 60ths of a second. Try 90 seconds (MLTO=5400). Your value here will map to the S7 register. For more information on the S7 register, see your modem documentation.

Host does not appear to be a FirstClass server

You may get this error because:

• the two modems negotiated, but the system at the other end did not respond to the FirstClass login request

Make sure you are specifying the correct modem phone number, with any necessary dialing prefixes, in your server setup information.

• there are hardware handshaking problems (Mac OS only)

Make sure you have a cable that supports hardware handshaking.

Communication failed while connected

When a modem connection fails while a call is in progress, the cause can be difficult to identify. Possible reasons are:

• a poor phone connection is causing line noise

This is common for long distance calls. Try the call again.

• another application, such as a screen saver, graphics application, or file compression utility, running on your computer is using up available system resources

Quit other applications and try again.

• the network packets may be interfering with the serial port, if you have a high-speed modem and are also connected to a network

Disable the network connection and try again.

• the baud rate that was specified when you configured connection information is too high.

Problems using FirstClass Personal

If an error occurs while you are working offline, FirstClass Personal reports the error in a message sent to your offline Mailbox. For more information on a specific error, contact your administrator.

You cannot work offline

Make sure that FirstClass Personal has been installed correctly. Both the FirstClass Personal application and your Personal Post Office folder must be in the FirstClass application folder.

FirstClass Personal does not connect to the server

Possible reasons for this error are:

• your settings file is not configured correctly
• FirstClass Personal is not configured correctly

Make sure the user ID and password are correct in FirstClass Personal's settings.

• a modem connection failed.

No matching names found in Directory

When you are addressing a message, this error may occur because:

• you entered the name incorrectly
• you do not have an offline copy of the Directory, or it is out of date.

If you specified that you did not want to replicate Directory information offline, you must configure FirstClass Personal to accept unknown names.

You do not have access to a conference

Possible reasons for this error are:

• conference replication is not set up correctly

Remember to create a copy in the online version of your Offline Conferences folder for every conference you want to access using FirstClass Personal.

• automatic conference replication is disabled

Either reconfigure FirstClass Personal to specify that you want conferences to replicate on each connection, or connect manually.

• your administrator has never granted you access to the conference

Contact your administrator to verify whether you have access to this conference.

• you do not have the authority to see the conference.

You have the same access permissions offline as you do online, so you will not be able to view conferences in FirstClass Personal that you cannot view online.

You get an error when FirstClass Personal tries to replicate

Check with your administrator to make sure that your user privileges include working offline.

Troubleshooting tools

FirstClass Personal console

The FirstClass Personal console records offline activity as you use FirstClass Personal. The FirstClass Personal console icon looks like this:

To view the console:

Windows

Click the FirstClass Personal icon on the taskbar.

Mac OS

Double-click the FirstClass Personal icon in the FirstClass client folder, then choose Personal > Show Personal Console.

To record more detail in the console, choose one of the following:

• Personal > Trace Connection Activity

Records detailed information about connection activity.

• Personal > Enable Replication Log.

Records detailed information about replication.

FirstClass Personal log

The FirstClass Personal log records offline activity as you use FirstClass Personal. This log is a text file that you can view with any application that displays plain text files.
This log is located in your FirstClass application folder. In Windows, it is called fcspra.log. On Mac OS, it is called FirstClass Personal.log.

FirstClass trace information

Trace information tells you how the connection between your FirstClass client and a server is operating. You can use this information to help you solve your problem on your own, or with the help of your administrator.
Trace information can be logged for various connection events. This information is stored in the FirstClass client log file FCIC.log (Windows) or FirstClass®.log (Mac OS), which is created when you run FirstClass.
In Windows, FirstClass saves the log file with an extension of .old when you quit.
On Mac OS, FirstClass overwrites the log file each time you start the client. To save log information permanently, save the log file before you quit FirstClass.
When you supply connection information as part of configuring your connection, you can specify the events for which you want trace information logged.

To specify the trace information to log

1 Open the Login screen.
2 Make sure a settings file is selected that uses the type of connection (for example, TCP/IP) for which you want to log trace information.

Note

Trace information will be logged for every settings file that uses this type of connection.

3 Click Setup to open the Service Setup form.

You can verify that you are configuring the correct connection type by looking at the value in "Connect via". For example, to log trace information for a modem connection, this field should say MODEM.FCP.

4       Click Configure.
5       Click the Advanced tab.
6       Select the events for which you want trace information at "Trace options".
7       Click Save twice to return to the Login screen.
8       Add the following line in the [FCSetup] section of the FCIC.ini file in your Windows folder, if you are using Windows:

debug=1