Why do browsing attempts often fail?

[bob32]

I often click “Browse” to review the list of files that WinMX users are sharing. However, many times no list of files appears on my monitor even though the “Who is” for the user indicates that they are sharing a lot of files, sometimes hundreds or thousands of files. Why is this, and what else can I do to bring up the list of files that I am seeking to review?

Bob32

[brew182forou]

That's right.  it has happened to me all too frequently, particularly with respect to certain peers.  The error will say "no response from remote host" in many cases.  'Timed out waiting for network reply' is coming up a lot on the transfer screen too.

Also, why is it so hard to stay in someone's queue without timing out (waiting for network reply)? 

These would seem to be two  important issues to address, so why hasn't anyone answered this person's question?

[WOMBAT]

hi brew182forou and bob32
The two main moderators of this site are having a
well deserved rest after 12 months of intensive
work helping to get win mx and this website going
and also answering thousands of queries. I'm sure
if yu have a little patience all your queries will be
answered fully.

WOMBAT

[KM]

the problem often occurs when you have a secondary connection, it generally appears to be that the primary user is a "poor" one and not very good, however i have noticed that this seems to be happening more and more often - i suspect that this could be because you have connected through a user that is not blocking flooders (as the flooders have a habit of deliberately using excess bandwidth and that means data that should be going to you gets delayed - timing out) although i can't confirm that as a fact at this time

[brew182forou]

But i have a primary connection (cable), and the peer that this crap happens with the most is DSL, so i would assume he's primary also.

Come to think of it, why would we even need a 'remote host' in that situation (pardon my ignorance i'm sure theres a reason)?  Are you sure that's the problem?

I get more 'timed out waiting for net reply' and 'file/user unafailable' errors than anything else!

[brew182forou]

This is happening as i speak:  the peer i was talking about appeared in my q; i started him and the connection's holding.  I can''t get in his q or even e-mail him!  It says "no response from host; the message was not sent" when I try to e-mail him.  i can't even browse or whois this peer.

And all this while his dl from me is holding up!  What's going on?

[nylly444]

Let me try to explain the two different kinds of connections here:

a) To the networkyou're connected via primary, i.e. primaries are connected to each other to form a network and each primay has secondaries attached ot it. Due to the low number of primaries and them constantly being under attack many of them are pretty unstable, i.e. falling off the net or not answering in time. This results in failed whois, no route to host etc.
When on primary there's not much you can do about this other than protecting yourself and the network with peerguardian and our block list.
When on secondary changing primaries (hit "refresh" in connection window) might improve things - IF you manage to find a stable primary.

b)Once you've got a transfer going you're connected to each other directly, i.e the connection to the network doesn't matter anymore. You can even disconnect form the network, the transfer will go on because it has nothing to do with the network.

You only need the network to find others

[KM]

if you are on primary and the other person is on primary then there is only 1 reason it would keep failing and that would be if one of you had the other blocked in your firewall - check the other person is on primary (most broadband users actually don't run primary, and if they all did then the network would be in terrible shape)

[brew182forou]

I don't think it's a firewall, is it?  The peer i was talking about and myself can both dl and ul from others.  Doesn't that mean it's not a port or firewall problem? 

Also, how come i can find someone, get a 'remotely queued' response, and then lose them a few minutes later.  I mean, at that point i've already found the peer, so doesn't that mean that we're not dependent on primaries anymore to maintain contact as to queue status, etc?  Why does contact get lost once the peers are identified?

Remember, i'm talking about time in the queue here as much as, if not more so, than i am about time actually transferring files. 

After all, if you can't stay in the queue consistently and keep your place in line, the value of the entire queue function is really compromised.. 

[brew182forou]

Maybe i'm not describing the situation clearly enough.  Here's what happened to me just now:

The peer i keep referring to and i have been trying to trade files (for a week now).  i got a hit while doing a search for a file that i know the peer in question has.  I browse him, identify the file he's been trying to trade to me and pick it.  The peer's mxm is on; he's not at the computer.  As a result, i'm in his queue (as opposed to being autostarted). 

Then, a few minutes later, my queued status timed out to 'file/user unavailable'.  The peer can no longer be browsed, i get no data.  I refreshed 'whois' and got a 'no response from remote host'.

I switched to a secondary connection at this point, then retried the dl (or queue, more correctly).  I tried refreshing the secondary connection after this retry also failed.  I repeated this refresh process five times and still can't at this moment get a response.  All the while, other dls and uls are happening my screen (as well as queued dls and uls).

The peer in question seems to be the only one i ever get a hit on when i've searched for this file, so i pretty much have to get it from him (her, whatever).

What is the problem?

[nylly444]

When you had transfers going, did you try to whois/browse from your hotlist or from the right click menu on his name in the transfer list?
Just the fact that he's got dsl doesn't mean he's connected primary.
What you just described is typical for a secondary user changing  network id (the last 5 numbers in his name).
If this happens you can't reach him using the old name anymore. If you have a transfer going always get the id from there, it will be current.
And you can't stay in queue with somebody for the simple fact that even if you're in queue with him the connection is still being checked every few minutes (about 10 I think) via the network and if he changes inbetween you lose him.
As a solution try finding a chatroom you're both idling in, the user list will always have a current network id too, so you can queue back up.

[bob32]

I am the one who started this thread by asking a question about how to resolve the difficulty I have been having in obtaining information when I click the “Browse” button. I appreciate the support of brew182forou in responding to my post, but he has, perhaps inadvertently, inserted different unrelated issues of his own instead of starting a new thread to cover those issues. The result is that that I can’t tell whether the subsequent posts are responding to my query or to the concerns of brew182forou. I respectfully request 1) that brew182forou commence a separate new thread to address the issues that he is concerned about and 2) that to avoid confusion, posts on this thread relate only to the “Browse” issue that I raised. I trust that I have the support of the forum administrators in making this request.

Bob32

[nylly444]

Bob, other than the issues already mentioned in this thread there is only one reason why the files wouldn't show when browsing:
it's a fake list, i.e. the user has manipulated his user info in a way that it shows a certain number of files without having them.
All chat clients and a lot of other programs can achieve that - to avoid being cancelled and ignored for having no files or other reasons.

[tatman]

Bob, other than the issues already mentioned in this thread there is only one reason why the files wouldn't show when browsing:
it's a fake list, i.e. the user has manipulated his user info in a way that it shows a certain number of files without having them.
All chat clients and a lot of other programs can achieve that - to avoid being cancelled and ignored for having no files or other reasons.

I dont think this is the whole of the issue... I have become so frustrated today (stable primary user here with peer guardian) one moment i can browse somebody .. attempt to join the q only to get the dreaded "time out waiting for network reply", attempt a browse again and i get nothing but do get a response to a whois - try again 10 minutes later and again i can browse . this has been increasing recently to the point today that I am only ever 90+ in q's. If i do get to the top of a q or try to trade i am just as likely (or more likely as of today) to get the "time out waiting for incoming connection" yet others seem to be able to d/l from me without this problem. most perplexing i admit (though i must admit that the other day i did need to refresh my primary connection as virtually all attempting to upload from me (as well as my attempts to d/l) ended up "timing out waiting for incoming connection.

rather long winded ly (i 'm sorry) but your explaination of why browse doesn't frequently work (ie. false file numbers) doesn't explain why i can browse a person one minute and come up with a file list and then not be able to or visa versa.... there does seem to be something else happening

thanx for all your hard work.. it often may not appear so from the messages (due to frustration, i think). but your hard work keeping the network going is appreciated

[Neutron]

Then, a few minutes later, my queued status timed out to 'file/user unavailable'.  The peer can no longer be browsed, i get no data.  I refreshed 'whois' and got a 'no response from remote host'.

If you got "file/user unavailable", that means the user you were trying to download from was a secondary user, but disconnected from his primary.
meaning the user either reconnected to the network or closed WinMX.

If you have a PM conversation with him while you're trying to start the download, then he should be able to send you a new message after he reconnects to the network, but you won't be able to send him messages before you receive one from him (so his ID on the hotlist gets updated)