Newsbin 6 Socket Error -- A socket operation was attempted

[LAChris]

Hello --

I recently started using 2 additional block servers (blocknews and thecubenet) as Fill Servers and my main Giganews service as the master service and have many errors similar to the below. Most of my downloads were fine tonight, but one was problematic. Relying just on Giganews and the setup I described above, I was unable (after 2 attempts with bypass) to UNPAR the files and get working FLAC files. I disabled the GigaNews server, deleted the directory of chunks and assorted bits and then retried only with the two previous fill servers now acting as main download servers. I kept getting the below errors; however, the files eventually repaired themselves (I waited quite some time during the original 2 downloads where all 3 servers were active as Master/Slave arrangements). I would always get messages the the socket could not reach the host.

I tried using 119 port on all 3 servers; I tried three unique ports unique to each service (119 to Giga, 7000 and 9000 ports to the other two which are compatible with those services). It made no difference in terms of getting the same errors or in completion of a working set of FLAC files.

The only way which I could get this to work was to select each file into a new directory for download, un-pause all PAR files (which it seemed NewsBin wanted to keep these on top and not release the FLAC downloads from completion until I pushed them to the top).

Is this just a bad download set? Did I do something wrong? Or, what is up with the socket errors? I am using OpenDNS quite reliably here in San Francisco over a well administered DD-WRT router with the proper ports setup (for each of the unique service ports for the block servers)? And, I had been using some torrent with VPN flawless -- then rebooted and started up NewsBin and had this trouble.

Any one with any ideas?? THANKS!! (Using Newsbin 6.41RC1 Build 2122)


EDIT TO ADD: I had the same socket type errors (ONLY ON THIS FILE SET) with Giganews before I disabled those servers and went with the 2 block server accounts (socket unreachable host). I had performed a complete reboot and no VPN enabled (I thought this may have been a problem but rebooted without it -- even rebooted the DD-WRT). This is in Windows XP 32.

EDIT #2 TO ADD: Now, as I go through other files, I am now getting this pop-up message "No News Server!
Newsbin requires access to a Usenet News Server to download files." It's odd being I have multiple downloads off of 3 servers happening at the moment (and all enabled). I had just updated to the latest build a couple of days ago.


ORIGINAL SOCKETS ERROR:

------------

Code: Select all

[20:16:07] ERROR   - Error: Socket Connect Failed, Host: usnews.blocknews.net Error Code: Error: Socket Connect Failed, Host: usnews.blocknews.net Error Code:  10065 A socket operation was attempted to an unreachable host.

[20:16:28] ERROR   - Error: Socket Connect Failed, Host: usnews.blocknews.net Error Code:  10065 A socket operation was attempted to an unreachable host.

[20:16:28] ERROR   - Error: Socket Connect Failed, Host: news.thecubenet.com Error Code:  10065 A socket operation was attempted to an unreachable host.

[20:16:28] ERROR   - Error: Socket Connect Failed, Host: usnews.blocknews.net Error Code:  10065 A socket operation was attempted to an unreachable host.

[20:16:28] ERROR   - Error: Socket Connect Failed, Host: news.thecubenet.com Error Code:  10065 A socket operation was attempted to an unreachable host.

[20:16:49] ERROR   - Error: Socket Connect Failed, Host: news.thecubenet.com Error Code: Error: Socket Connect Failed, Host: news.thecubenet.com Error Code:  10065 A socket operation was attempted to an unreachable host.

[20:16:49] ERROR   - Error: Socket Connect Failed, Host: news.thecubenet.com Error Code: Error: Socket Connect Failed, Host: news.thecubenet.com Error Code:  10065 A socket operation was attempted to an unreachable host.

[20:16:49] ERROR   - Error: Socket Connect Failed, Host: usnews.blocknews.net Error Code: Error: Socket Connect Failed, Host: usnews.blocknews.net Error Code:  10065 A socket operation was attempted to an unreachable host.

[20:16:49] ERROR   - Error: Socket Connect Failed, Host: usnews.blocknews.net Error Code: Error: Socket Connect Failed, Host: usnews.blocknews.net Error Code:  10065 A socket operation was attempted to an unreachable host.

[20:19:52] ERROR   - Spooler: Unable to Rename Output file Retry: 1 :H:\Inloads\06 - Pink Floyd - Another Brick In The Wall (Part 2).flac

*********************************************************

[chefjoe]

In the other news servers forum you'd posed something saying you were using "localhost". Is that the giganews accelerator ? I think that was something that was popular a while ago for header download compression but a few years ago newsbin actually incorporated that compression "feature" and you don't need the accelerator program/localhost anymore. Maybe it's something else though... I've not done more than SSL with standard addresses when using newsbin.

[LAChris]

Hi chef -- I have disabled the localhost (the GigaNews 'Acceleartor") and I am just using port 119 to get to giganews itself (either US or Europe). I have uninstalled this accelerator when I started with the new block servers (made sense as I did not want any conflict of traffic re-routing port traffic through there -- even though I am using different ports with each account type).

In the other news servers forum you'd posed something saying you were using "localhost". Is that the giganews accelerator ? I think that was something that was popular a while ago for header download compression but a few years ago newsbin actually incorporated that compression "feature" and you don't need the accelerator program/localhost anymore. Maybe it's something else though... I've not done more than SSL with standard addresses when using newsbin.

[DThor]

Too many things happening at once there, and I'm completely unclear about the comment that apparently newsbin claims to have no servers configured while it's actually downloading(??).

So, I would disable everything, quit newsbin, disable *all* antiviral and any of those peer to peer nannies making the rounds, reboot your computer...

It's probably unrelated, but yeah make sure the giga accelerator is out of the equation.

Enable your primary server(giga?) and verify the server field is correct, and be careful not to be mislead by the *name*, that's just a label. Lots of users mistake those two - the server is the key one.

Now start grabbing some headers, download some files. Everything should be okay, if not, report what happened and messages in the log. Add servers one at a time and test. It seems to me that everything is perfectly fine, but you've misconfigured your new servers, but all that flood of conflicting information makes it tough to troubleshoot. Simplicity is key.

DT

[Quade]

[20:16:28] ERROR - Error: Socket Connect Failed, Host: usnews.blocknews.net Error Code: 10065 A socket operation was attempted to an unreachable host.

Implies security software.

Had another user the other day who couldn't contact blocknews too. You have a number of very unusual errors that I don't typically see in a tech support request. I think D's ideas are a good place to start. I normally recommend completely removing security software, rebooting, testing, then re-installing the security software till you find which is getting in the way.

[LAChris]

Thanks DT. Will try a new set of downloads tonight when I get home. But, just to clarify:

- No Giganews Accelerator running. Using Newsbin to manager the connection to Giganews (port 119) on its own (as it should be).
- No torrents, VPN, etc running. Just Giganews (and a reboot of router and computer inbetween turning all of that off).
- Giganews US Server running port 119 (Headers and all); Giganews Euro Server (port 119 - fill only if needed); Blocknet running port 9000 (Fill only); Cubenet running port 8080 (Fill only if needed).

-- All worked fine for 3 big downloads with the above setup. Then, Newsbin started producing the errors was an NZB for a <some shit that might get this post deleted next time> album. (the socket errors above)
- I had turned off Giganews servers and made the rest of the 2 servers (Cubenet and Blocknet) as headers, content, everything).
- After a restart of Newsbin, the socket errors were still happening. (see the errors in my original post for the socket errors).

- I manually found the individual files, installed them to a clean directory with bypass filters. PARs I put on the bottom but the entire album was able to download. (PARs were trying to go to the top of the list).
- Album was completely downloaded and repaired perfectly.

- Newsbin now tells me that there is no Usenet Server connected to it.
- Re-enable Giganews on port 119 along with putting all the other 2 servers back to their fill/slave status.
- Newsbin still says there are no servers connected to it. Restart. Start downloading something else. Anytime I open up a group, Newsbin still says no Usenet servers are connected. (But, I was able to complete that download completely without any errors of any sort - despite the banner message that would keep popping up saying I had no servers).

-- All ports are open on the router and software firewall (Windows XP). When the problem happened, I disabled the Windows Firewall entirely.

Will check later after work for more info.

[Quade]

Don't mention what you're downloading. Next time I'll just delete the whole post.

This seems like a purely network/security software issue. I don't think what you're downloading matters.

[LAChris]

Sorry about that -- too early for thinking here.

I will try to remove everything security wise (although everything firewall and anti-virus was disabled). Windows XP Firewall: I opened up the ports anyway (and also in the router). Could it be that because the article headers were not originally retrieved from BlockNews/CubeNet? I only ask this because it tried to re-retrieve all missing headers from BlockNet when I did a get latest headers request -- then, would come back with "No Usenet Server available" when I would open up a group which never had been touched with Blocknews/CubeNet headers (only Giganews). These may be two seperate issues (and the first may be by design), but that second one with the popup saying no UseNet was confusing. After opening the group anyway and retrieving content, it still downloaded and assembled it with the original Giganews server disabled.

[Quade]

"Disabled" doesn't really work. Security software installs itself into the lowest levels of windows.

but that second one with the popup saying no UseNet was confusing. After opening the group anyway and retrieving content, it still downloaded and assembled it with the original Giganews server disabled.

It's really not that complicated. If you disabled the only server you download headers from, then double-click a group, it can't download headers but, can still load up the old and already downloaded headers. It can also download from the enabled but, not "header download enabled" servers. By disabling giga, you did disable the only server Newsbin is permitted to download headers from.

[LAChris]

Somewhat separate issue: Could I use port 119 across all 3 servers? I thought they may be some performance gain if I had different ports hitting different content simultaneously? That would then possibly(?) remove the 'security/socket' issue possibly -- as I have ran Newsbin for over a year and BNR software (for years) before this on the same machine/configuration without anything drastic going on other than me adding the new servers to Newsbin over this past weekend.

[Quade]

Typically the port doesn't matter. The limiting factor is typically the network connection followed by the server. If you're getting 100% of your paid for download speed, any other optimizations are sort of pointless.

Most people seem to want to use SSL these days so, their ISP's can't monitor their downloads. You're not using a secure connection when you use port 119. Just say'in...