No hops, no pings in my dashboard

[shrishri]

Thanks a lot for you kind attention.

I am running Win 10 Pro, Version 1909 (OS Build 18363.1016)

I have tried running https://app.outagesio.com/agent/dashboardStandard/id/31815 in every browser I have but the result is exactly the same.

The Echo Networks Service I am running is identified as follows: App Version: 1.03.1603 and OTM Version: 1.60.2005

Pings, Network Stats, Outages, Outages Avg time, are all blank. And the Heartbeat Status is permanently a fixed Green Line.

I also get an Error: Missing Hops:Learn more from here.

I have tried re-installing the Agent. I have checked the Windows Firewall (I am not running any other Anti-virus program) to allow the Echo Networks Service and I verified it's been ticked for both the Public and Private Networks.

That Webpage tells me, that this means that the Agent is not working correctly.

But I just don't know how to fix it, and what to do now.

I have done everything that Page says. I have full administrative rights, and installed as Administrator. There is only the default Windows Firewall, which allows the Service, and I have no other Network Firewall. Windows is updated, and all previous installations are uninstalled, and there is no Nutpile Service either.

I do understand that some Setting needs to be changed in Windows to get the Agent to work normally, but can't figure it out. I could not find it through Google Searching either.

Would be so great if you could spare a few minutes to help me out here.

Thanks. Kind Regards

Shrikant

[OutagesIO_Support]

Hi, happy to help.

From what you share, you are running the latest version which eliminates some possibilities. We did have some problems in older versions but those have been fixed.

This link should help you with this problem;
Howto: No hops, no pings in your dashboard

Since you are running the latest version, the only reason this could be happening is that something on the PC, or your firewall is blocking ICMP from getting in and out.

There are two tests you can run from the PC to confirm or eliminate it as the problem.

Go to the command line and run 'ping tpw.outages.io' and see if you get ICMP replies.

The second is that you can disable the PC firewall for a minute, restart the agent service and see if things change in your Dashboard.

If you see everything coming in, then you just need to allow ICMP on the PC for the Echo Networks service/agent.

If that didn't work, you'll have to check your firewall.

If that doesn't work, something upstream like your provider might be blocking ICMP.

Let me know how these things turn out and we'll go from there.

[shrishri]

Hi. Thanks so much for your ready replies.

I tried out all points in your reply.

1. Running 'ping tpw.outages.io from CMD. I got no replies. Request timed out.

However when I ping my router IP, or even google.com, I get replies

2. I disabled the PC Firewall (Windows Defender) on all Networks. But this was no use. Neither did the Agent work properly. And Ping tpw.outages.io also got no replies.

3. Now, next point is to allow ICMP on the PC for the Echo Networks service/agent. I am not sure how to go about doing this. I checked out on Google, and short-listed instructions on two sites to follow

a) https://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/allow-pings-icmp-echo-request-through-your-windows-vista-firewall/

b) https://www.osradar.com/how-to-enable-and-disable-ping-icmp-in-windows-10-firewall/

But I thought I would first check with you, if OutagesIO also has some webpage with instructions on how to do this for their Service. So, I tamper the Windows Settings as less as possible.

Thanks. Looking forward to hear from you.

[OutagesIO_Support]

Hi,

I agree, you don't want to play with settings too much. I'm not a Windows expert but maybe the command line works differently than when applications are trying to use certain ports.

It's interesting that you can ping tpw.outages.io and get nothing while you can ping other locations and get a reply. At least we know ICMP is enabled but maybe only from the command line. It's also interesting that you can disable your windows virus software and still no changes.

I found this;
Create an Inbound ICMP Rule

If that doesn't help, you could search for 'Windows 10 allow ICMP'. I think you might have to allow it from an application level.

What ever directions you follow, you should be able to un-do any settings that have been done.

Do you have another PC you could test from, maybe install another agent and see how that installation goes?

Do you have a Linux box handy?

[shrishri]

Thanks so much. Really sorry I've been imposing on you.

So glad you found a write-up from Microsoft themselves on how to set up ICMP.

I too would prefer do it graphically, than through CMD. And hence, as you advised, I thought to take a day to do some reading on it. Because I am not much familiar with these Security Settings, Group Policy Settings part of Windows.

Yeah. That's true. I did completely disable the Firewall on all three domains, and still ping tpw.outages.io wouldn't go through.

But I did find that Windows Security > Firewall & Network protection > Allow an app through firewall (or) the same can be accessed at this path. Control Panel\System and Security\Windows Defender Firewall\Allowed apps. It shows a list of Apps and features that are running, and shows the ones that have been already allowed, across Public and Private networks. And I found that the Echo Network Service was already in the list, and was already permitted on both Public and Private Networks. I didn't do this. I saw that it was already allowed, and left it at that. Probably the Installer had set it up like that, because I had 'Run as Admin'. Would be great, if the Installer could also by itself check and set up this ICMP rule in Win10 Pro systems, wouldn't it. I mean, if this is a regular feature of Windows 10, and normal users would not need to dig in too much, isn't it.

Will read some articles, and set up the ICMP rules, and immediately post my feedback.

Thanks much.

[OutagesIO_Support]

No imposition at all, it's why we started the forums.

Most problems are similar and with this feedback, we can also improve the service so it's good to know when people are experiencing certain problems.

I know you said you checked the firewall and I still asked you to disable it but sometimes, it's worth doing the obvious to get some clues.

You mentioned seeing the rule, does it allow All? On my win7, this is what the rule looks like.

The OutagesIO agent only uses ports 80, 443 and some ICMP ports are one part of some tests to determine if there is an actual outages or not. It is completely safe to give it All access.