Cannot connect to new MSI Win 10 laptop

[lhlien]

All - I've been searching the board here for a solution but haven't found anything.

I have used two devices to connect to my Skytrak unit and it has worked fine, but wanted to install TGC so I needed an upgraded Win 10 laptop. However, I'm not able to connect Skytrak to the new Win 10 laptop.

• Device 1: iPad Air (2019) - able to connect via direct, network, and USB modes
• Device 2: Lenovo Yoga 12 Windows 10 laptop - able to connect via direct, network and USB modes. 64 bit version works!
• Device 3: MSI GL63 8RC Win 10 laptop - *NOT ABLE* to connect via direct or network modes, but able to connect via USB mode. Have tried both 64 bit and 32 bit versions and neither work for direct/network modes.

A few other notes:

• All on the same exact network - Google Nest Wifi meshed network
• When connecting in Direct mode, I'm always connecting via 2.4Ghz
• Have the latest software downloaded 3.4.1 on all 3 devices.
• I've also made sure that I have the latest Visual C++ 2012 installed for Win 10 devices (which comes with the 3.4.1 Windows package)
• I know you can only run ONE app/device at a time, so I'm always careful to shut down other devices that I'm not trying to connect

Any other ideas on why Device #3 doesn't work? What gets me is that that I have 2 other devices that work but the 3rd device does not seem to want to connect. In Direct Mode, it will show lights green, red, red and in Network Mode it will show lights green, yellow, red. I need device #3 to work so I can play TGC!

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,

[GungHoGolf]

Does the laptop work with the SkyTrak range app? If so, make sure it's completely shut down before launching TGC Interface (look under Windows Task Manager and make sure no stray SkyTrak processes are running). Also, USB mode is the most reliable way to connect to PC.

[lhlien]

Thanks GungHoGolf. I am just trying to get the Skytrak app to work (basics first) on this new laptop - and I'm not able to connect via Direct mode or Network mode. The TGC app isn't working either and not started, but you bring up a good point which is that maybe a TGC service is automatically running in background and could potentially be causing the problem even though the app is not running. I'll have to investigate more.

[GungHoGolf]

Thanks GungHoGolf. I am just trying to get the Skytrak app to work (basics first) on this new laptop - and I'm not able to connect via Direct mode or Network mode. The TGC app isn't working either and not started, but you bring up a good point which is that maybe a TGC service is automatically running in background and could potentially be causing the problem even though the app is not running. I'll have to investigate more.

Try working through these steps: https://gunghogolf.com/articles/skyt...ction-problems

[BigMac]

Hi Ihlien, did you resolve this issue?

I'm experiencing the exact same problem you are describing - I used to connect via an iPad, have now upgraded to a Win 10 gaming laptop and I can't get the Skytrak to connect in Direct Mode (and can only connect in USB Mode). Have also followed all the usual steps, re installs of SkyTrak software, hard reset of the SkyTrak, re-installs of Microsoft Visual C++ 2012, clearing the SkyTrak cache on the PC etc. (Only difference is that I am using 3.4.2 now but that is because we have had the upgrade since you posted your issue...)

Would really appreciate your feedback so I can try to resolve it on my side.

[Scoop]

Make sure the iPad isn't automatically connecting to the skytrak wifi when you turn it on. You can try forgetting the network in the wifi settings on the ipad or any other devices you've previously connected to.

[BigMac]

Hey Scoop thanks for the help. But I still can't get it resolved.

So yes, cleared everything off the iPad, and shut down the iPad just to be safe... still no luck connecting. It's really weird because the PC is connecting to the SkyTrak wifi, and the SkyTrak lights are green, red, red so it is waiting to complete the the Direct connection but just keeps on "Discovering" and searching for a connection. Really feels like like in going from the iPad to the PC it has messed something up in the SkyTrak... but can't figure out what.

Did the following again this morning just to be sure I was doing it systemically and from a clean slate:
- Deleted the SkyTrak download on my PC
- Deleted my SkyTrak cache on the PC
- Hard resets on the SkyTrak unit
- Reset my home router
- Reinstalled the 64 bit SkyTrak download on my PC (and reinstalled Microsoft Visual C++ 2012)

I then start up the SkyTrak in Direct Mode, lights are green , red, red, I connect the PC to the SkyTrak wifi, and that's were it then just sits "Discovering" in the SkyTrak software... Its baffling

[Scoop]

Just a shot in the dark, is there anything that would prevent your computer from connecting to an open wifi source?

[BigMac]

I’m listening Scoop... The PC connects to home wifi networks just fine using passwords. Do you have any idea how I could test open networks? I’ll also do some research...

[s0707]

Something to check would be the Windows firewall settings. At the Cortana search box type "firewall" which should show the Windows Defender Firewall. Check things around, and also check the advance settings.

I don't have anything specific to suggest in the Advance Settings, but check around to see if you spot something obviously blocking traffic to/from the Skytrak. The "Monitoring" section might give you a clue. I have a couple of Inbound Rules named "golf" and another couple named "server", but they seem to be related to protee united (i.e. TGC2019), not the Skytrak app; I didn't see anything obvious related to Skytrak, but I haven't searched exhaustively.

Another firewall to check would be in your internet/wifi router. Sometimes they have settings that prevent wifi devices from connecting to hardwired devices... Something else to check.

I have been using USB mode exclusively lately, but 10 months ago when I bought the Skytrak I tried network mode in order to play WGT on the iPad. I would have a lot of disconnections of the Skytrak from wifi, even though my wifi router was about 30 ft from the unit across a single interior wall. I finally solved it by putting a wifi Access Point in the same room, about 6 ft away from the Skytrak. I hardwired the Access Point to my internet router. I made the iPad forget about the original wifi ssid, and had both Skytrak and the iPad connect to the same ssid on the Access Point, and that cleared the disconnections. This is only a guess, but I imagine the wifi transmitter/receiver on the Skytrak is not very strong, or its internal software to handle network packets/transmissions is not robust enough to handle errors/retries/competition from other wifi devices. Just a guess... I don't know anything about the internals in Skytrak. The iPad always connected fine to the original router wifi, and the new Access Point; iPads/iPhones seem to have much more robust network implementation than Skytrak... again, just my opinion. I don't have any hard facts.

[StrokeNDistance]

This worked for me... I’m not tech savvy at all, but skytrak app worked fine, just couldn’t get a red dot when starting tgc2019. Found the “golf” boxes in antivirus and had to click on one in the private column that wasn’t selected. Fixed everything! Hadn’t used the system in a couple months but was prompted to update to windows 10 when I fired it up again. That’s when the problem started.

[BigMac]

Thanks for the ideas... having done a thorough check of all the firewall settings... nothing seems to stand out as an issue. Also tried toggling a lot of windows defender / firewall settings off, but no success with connecting directly. Also moved a router into the same room, instead of using the router in the adjacent room. But no difference. I do appreciate the suggestions, it is worth trying all different options

As an aside I have got the SkyTrak to work in USB Mode so it is usable now but I have discovered some really weird anomalies when my SkyTrak is connected in USB Mode and that is the laser flashing on and off continuously... I know there are other posts which talk about potential for static interfering with the SkyTrak. I will detail the solutions I discovered for stopping the flashing laser in a separate topic, but basically:
1. Laser is 100% stable in USB Mode and with the computer running on its battery
2. Laser starts to flash on and off when I plug the laptop power pack into charge, and stops flashing when I unplug the laptop battery. (I also bought a surge protector which attenuates electrical line noise to try and solve this issue but it did not help). WEIRD
3. Laser starts to flash when I connect the HDMI cable to the projector and stops flashing when I disconnect the HDMI cable. Solved this by using an IOGEAR wireless HDMI transmitter instead of a normal HDMI cable (also tried using an armored HDMI cable but same result, plugging it in causes the SkyTrak laser to start flashing on and off). WEIRD

Meanwhile I continue to try and establish a Direct connection between the SkyTrak and my PC... Really want to get it to work ,solve the mystery so that if others ever have the same problem can document a fix here.

[s0707]

It sounds like the problem might be more electro-magnetic interference (EMI) rather than noise in the electric lines. Perhaps an electrical engineer can chime in. It seems as if the wall wart/power supply for the laptop might be the culprit. After all wifi transmitter/receiver's are often referred to as radios, and it make sense that EMI would interfere with them.

Perhaps an experiment could be to put the wall wart/power supply of the laptop in a sort of cocoon made of aluminum foil that is somehow connected to ground (a water faucet or something like that) and see if that lessens the interference. This type of EMI is a common thing in electric guitars where you build a cocoon of aluminum or copper foil in the pickup cavities to avoid hum introduced by EMI from tv's, tube lighting, dimmers, etc. Just something to try...

[GmanJeff]

It sounds like the problem might be more electro-magnetic interference (EMI) rather than noise in the electric lines. Perhaps an electrical engineer can chime in. It seems as if the wall wart/power supply for the laptop might be the culprit. After all wifi transmitter/receiver's are often referred to as radios, and it make sense that EMI would interfere with them.

Perhaps an experiment could be to put the wall wart/power supply of the laptop in a sort of cocoon made of aluminum foil that is somehow connected to ground (a water faucet or something like that) and see if that lessens the interference. This type of EMI is a common thing in electric guitars where you build a cocoon of aluminum or copper foil in the pickup cavities to avoid hum introduced by EMI from tv's, tube lighting, dimmers, etc. Just something to try...

Or just operate the laptop on battery power alone to remove the power supply from the circuit as part of your troubleshooting.

[BigMac]

So what I've learnt about my SkyTrak connecting it in USB mode over the past few days:

1. My SkyTrak laser dot was constantly flashing on and off with my laptop plugged into a wall socket for power. When I unplug the laptop and operate it on battery the flashing laser stops. I bought a surge protector multi plug which is also advertised to cut out EMI/RFI "noise" - with the PC plugged into that now no more flashing laser issues. That may help someone else who experiences a similar issue.

2. But now for my HDMI problem which is not resolved yet... I have a ceiling mounted projector and as soon as I plug the HDMI cable into the laptop the laser starts to flash again. Stops when I unplug the HDMI cable. Tried the following and none made a difference, all these cables still cause the laser to flash as soon as plugged in:
- I bought a better HDMI cable, this sounded like it would cut out any interference "... with triple-layer shielding, zinc alloy shell, quality connectors etc".
- Instead of a HDMI to HDMI cable, I tired a USB-C to HDMI cable
- Tried the HDMI connection with laptop unplugged from the wall and operating on battery.

3. I can get the projector and laptop to work with the Skytrak in USB mode by using a wireless HDMI transmitter and receiver kit which connects the projector to the laptop without a cable. So at least my SkyTrak is usable that way.

So it seems that HDMI is interfering with the SkyTrak. I would really like to solve this, I am sure someone else will have the same issue and I would like to figure it out even though I have the wireless HDMI transmitter working.

[GungHoGolf]

So what I've learnt about my SkyTrak connecting it in USB mode over the past few days:

1. My SkyTrak laser dot was constantly flashing on and off with my laptop plugged into a wall socket for power. When I unplug the laptop and operate it on battery the flashing laser stops. I bought a surge protector multi plug which is also advertised to cut out EMI/RFI "noise" - with the PC plugged into that now no more flashing laser issues. That may help someone else who experiences a similar issue.

2. But now for my HDMI problem which is not resolved yet... I have a ceiling mounted projector and as soon as I plug the HDMI cable into the laptop the laser starts to flash again. Stops when I unplug the HDMI cable. Tried the following and none made a difference, all these cables still cause the laser to flash as soon as plugged in:
- I bought a better HDMI cable, this sounded like it would cut out any interference "... with triple-layer shielding, zinc alloy shell, quality connectors etc".
- Instead of a HDMI to HDMI cable, I tired a USB-C to HDMI cable
- Tried the HDMI connection with laptop unplugged from the wall and operating on battery.

3. I can get the projector and laptop to work with the Skytrak in USB mode by using a wireless HDMI transmitter and receiver kit which connects the projector to the laptop without a cable. So at least my SkyTrak is usable that way.

So it seems that HDMI is interfering with the SkyTrak. I would really like to solve this, I am sure someone else will have the same issue and I would like to figure it out even though I have the wireless HDMI transmitter working.

Thanks for the update. Haven't heard of an HDMI cable causing interference with a SkyTrak before. Wonder if you have "dirty" electric circuits in the room, including the projector outlet, and that static/intererences/RFI is traveling through the HDMI cable to the computer and then on to the SkyTrak. Maybe try a similar surge protector on the projector? But if you're happy with the wireless HDMI, no reason to change it.