Product Manager (Win10) gives "Connection error, ..."

[mdb_ikmm]

Hello Everyone:

I am the OP of this thread. At least in my case I can verify that there is nothing nefarious going on with 'hosts' file content. (Hi mertz_mhz, on your Mac OS > 10 this file might reside in /etc/hosts, such as it is in Unix / Linux).

I don't use a Mac, but I have multiple Windows and Linux machines (the latter for professional work use; I don't mean to imply I've been trying to make the IKMM suites work under Linux via a Wine hack or something) and none of them can ping IKMM's server from my home ISP as described in great detail earlier in this thread.

My point is that my problem does not appear to be specific to the particular (Windows 10) workstation on which my IKMM products and Product Manager is installed. Which is, of course, also consistent with the fact that the pings (from any of my machines) make it out of my geographic region (Los Angeles CA USA) just fine, but die at the exact same point somewhere in Canada before reaching IKMM's servers. I can't see how this has anything to do with my local machine which is experiencing the problem.

This issue is also way beyond the scope and ability of a regular (IKMM or ISP) end user to fix. It's not as if AT&T (in my case) is going to change at an international level the routes that their packets take from LA to the UK, just for me.

IMO this is a serious issue that someone high up in IKMM IT/IS department has to take up with their ISP.

Hi mertz_mhz, if I may ask, where are you located geographically (even just roughly?)

Thank you,
-Michael

[mdb_ikmm]

Hello again all:

To restate the issue more succinctly, as stated by Peter a few months ago, in my case:

> by Peter_IK » Tue Apr 12, 2022 8:50 pm
> Your request is never making it to the IK servers. It is stopping somewhere in Canada, at an IP owned by OVH Hosting.


I live in Los Angeles and thus the fate of this packet once it leaves my house and ISP, let alone the country, is sort of out of my hands.

Either OVH Hosting in Canada is not correctly routing the packet to IKMM's servers (or at least to the next hop on the route) or IKMM's servers (or, again, the next hop on the route) are blocking or not receiving it.

IKMM IT/IS leadership needs to work with OVH Hosting in Canada and/or the ISP of what would be the next host in the route in order to get to the bottom of this issue. The resolution could be simple once someone puts in the work.

In the meantime there is nothing we the end users can do about this.

Thank you,
-Michael

[Peter_IK]

We use a top-tier CDN that uses multiple locations to serve files. I don't think our IT staff contacting a single hop between two points is going to help unfortunately. However, IK Support would be happy to look at your issue so I would suggest continuing to work with them in your ticket or opening a ticket if you don't have an active ticket now. Thanks!

[mdb_ikmm]

Hello Peter:

Thanks as always for your reply(ies) on here. As of today the problem still persists for me, as I'd wager it does for others.

Regarding a support ticket; yes, strictly speaking this is still open. When I received the aforementioned workaround, not fix (direct download of the installers from the main IKMM website, not via the Product Manager) I made sure that Support knew this did not fix the underlying problem but rather only afforded me an avenue to the software upgrades which I've paid to license. At which time (note date of last communication) I received:

----------------------------
Thu, Apr 14, 6:58 AM
Re: IK WEBSITE REQUEST: Website Issues [#7980508]
IK Multimedia
Hello Michael,
Thanks for your patience while we got back to you.
I'll relay the information over to my team.
----------------------------

So far, nothing since. I'll follow up that last message with one containing your suggestion. I don't know whether the Support team has done any research into the underlying issue which as of today remains unresolved. (Unfortunately I think I can venture a guess...)

Thank you.
-Michael

[mdb_ikmm]

Hello again Peter and All:

After nudging this open Support ticket, I received the following:

---------------------
Re: IK WEBSITE REQUEST: Website Issues [#7980508]
Hello Michael,

Thanks for your patience while we got back to you.

There have been reports that certain ISP may block access to our applications/websites for reasons unknown. The solution is usually changing the connection or resetting the internet connection entirely.
---------------------


I'm not sure what "changing the connection" means but am happy to investigate. As for resetting the internet connection, I don't know whether this means me (as in, at home) or something that is done at the ISP level. If the former, sure -- rebooting the modem/router was the very first thing I tried a few months ago.

I'll ask Support to elaborate as there's not much to go on here. Hi Peter, is this useful to you?

Thank you,
-Michael

[DarkStar]

I had a similar problem, access to one web site was blocked. I consulted my ISP and they changed my IP address. Turning off your router and letting it initialise may well get you a different IP address too.

[mdb_ikmm]

Hi DarkStar and all:

Thank you for the reply, as always; I tried resetting the router once more last night, to no effect, I'm afraid. I see the same behavior (unable to reach IKMM's server, with the packet getting "lost" and timing out somewhere in eastern Canada).

I'm told by IKMM Support that there is nothing else they can do.

I suppose I could set up another installation on another computer such as a laptop and take that to a location that utilizes another ISP and give it a go and see what happens.

However it's hard to see how my ISP or even IP address could be at fault -- the packet seems off and running from Los Angeles on its way to the UK but gets stopped. It seems like in order to have gotten that far, my ISP (and the packet) are doing their jobs, so to speak... no? Unless there's something about the very originating IP, also carried on the packet, of course, that these intermediate hosts are finding offensive. I'm not expert enough to know (and sadly, neither are AT&Ts support staff).

Thanks all,
-Michael

[Clapton55]

I am windows 11 and not to belabor the point but I'm having the same trouble too, however, it just started today after never having the issue before. Cant get the PM to work and the trace also times out in Canada (far east side near the US border to the same company mentioned.)

I have also noticed that my Group Policy editor is gone, windows security memory integrity is off (due to an incompatible driver (EuVKbd.sys - Avid Virtual Keyboard, thinking Keylogger somehow but just a guess) my computers name was changed by 2 letters and searched my logs in what are now locked (I've unlocked them) folders and found a log that shows wholesale changes the to registry occurred via a reg dump file that I also have located in a hidden trash can within the windows directory. (odd) I'm happy to share the registry log if someone thinks they can make heads or tails of it but it's just outside my scope of knowledge.

I can almost guarantee we all have a security issue here. I believe this because when I look at all my drivers and programs and the like, everything was installed on 8/31/22 which is just wrong in itself. My two cents.... Thanks all.

Regards,
Ryan C.
New User of this service

[DarkStar]

Hello and welcome to the forum. I am sorry to hear about your troubles which seem extensive.

I cannot think that the IKPM is the root cause. As far as I know, the IKPM does not go anywhere near those areas that are corrupted. The IKPM connection problems may be a consequence of the underlying problem. The 31 August date seems relevant to me. Did anything happen that day? W11 updates?

I would think that you have done a full virus / malware scan.

Other users may chip in, but the best thing to do is contact Technical Support for some one to one help, via the IKM web site, after searching the FAQs.

[rgraf]

Maybe I can add some useful info here. First, this could never have been a hosts file issue. If it was, your system would never have issued any form of communication outside your system. It would be looped back to localhost.
Second, I highly doubt that IK developers wrote any of the network comm portion. Most likely, they use a commercial library, so the best bet, as far as I know, would be to have the vendor of that software look into this. Probably some sort of SSL issue.
Third, I managed to download Amplitube 4 and an old version (1.X) of Custom shop before it stopped working. If the issue does not occur exclusively on winhosed machines, then it's definitely a common communications protocol issue. This new install I have on my box was seriously lagging due to some video driver software being munged, so I'm guessing that successful downloads occurred prior to some initialization the comm portion installed.
I don't even get any comm error notofication. My system apparently does not even start.
IK, you should probably have the comm vendor try to run this software on one of their systems. Winhosed destops do not have a fully journalled filesystem, and I'm not convinced the mac soft journalling is anything like bulletproof, from my past experience with macos.

[rgraf]

Mine just started working. The first download took some time to start, but the rest went smoothly.

[Doover]

I have a similar issue, in that IK Multimedia Product Manager will not allow me to download any Software Product that came with my IRig Pro I/O. Won't even let me download the ASIO driver for Windows.

Is there anyway of downloading the software outside of IK Multimedia Manager?

At the moment this issue renders my iRig PRO I/O a rather expensive useless paper weight.

[lufty262]

I am also not able to get to any IK Multimedia websites. Was tehre ever a workaround?

I guess I'll just return this new iRig2 HD as I can not get any SWQ or driver for it, nor does it work on Android.

[Mod edit: redacted, unnecessary]

[magsid]

Hi, I have had this problem from time to time, never been able to resolve it permanently. I am sure it is not related to my local computer. I have several computers and android phone, iphone and tablet connected to the same local network and none of them can access even the main ikmultimedia.com homepage nor the IK Product Manager app. The error message is always the same asking me to check my internet connection. When connecting my phone over 5G mobile network, I can open the IK multimedia site without problem. So, it is clear that the problem is related to the ISP connections as many already have stated. This also makes it impossible for the end user to solve the issue. I have not found a way in my Netgear router to renew the WAN IP adress and restarting the router typically gives me the same adress as before. I also note that this is the first time in my life that i cant access a specific site, and I have had internet access since 1990 something... I am also very much dependent on IK products, so this is a dilemma. It gives me a feeling of insecurity that I cant access updates and drivers when needed.

I have previously contacted IK support, and eventually when the connection works again the ticket is dropped, although the underlying issue remains. A couple of weeks ago, all worked fine, but then today, again it doesnt.

[globalstar54]

I am preparing for a gig and had just tried to log into my amplitube 5 which I forgot I had deauthorised it sometimes ago, so i clicked onto ik product manager trying to authorise it.To my surprise, it indicates "no internet connection". So obviously i worked on checking my network but I do have network connection.

So only the IK product manager Icon and its downloading site( i thought of uninstalling it) have connection issue.

Fortunately for me, I am able to disable wifi and use mobile hotspot to have my laptop run on my mobile data. Yeah I managed to launch ID manager product and had authorised the amplitube 5.

The thing is, I had been on Ik product manager thru my home wifi for a month with no connection issue since I had bought the pedal and I didn't change anything to my WIFI( dunno how and dunno what to change as well). What went wrong?

I seriously don't mind using my mobile hotspot on my laptop for a quick connection to IK product manager for any updating kinda thing. But i am seriously worry that one day, even my using mobile data wont be able to connect to IK product manager anymore.

I am a very basic PC user, some program like files in host type of thing proves challenging for me. I enjoyed Tonex a lot and i can only pray anything software/PC related to it just stay normal.