Customer Support
Hardware Keys -FAQ
Q-1. What is the difference between a standalone and a network hardware key?
A-1. A standalone key so nicknamed refers to a cream colored key with "Sentinel Scribe" on it. This key goes with a single-user non-network version CAEPIPE/CAEFLOW software. A network key so nicknamed refers to a cream colored key with "NetSentinel C" or "SuperProNet" on it. This key goes with a single or multi-user network version of CAEPIPE software. Both types of keys are used for CAEPIPE, and only Sentinel Scribe (standalone) key is used for CAEFLOW.
Q-2. SuperProNet (SPN) hardware key: I received an SPN key. Even after I loaded the drivers, CAEPIPE software, and connected the key, CAEPIPE does not start. It reports a "Status-=74" error. What is wrong?
A-2. On the computer where you are starting CAEPIPE, make sure you define an environment variable, NSP_HOST = IP address of the computer where the key is connected and the drivers are loaded. Press the Windows key+Pause/Break key to open the "System Properties" window. Click on Environment Variables under the Advanced tab. Type NSP_HOST for Variable name, and the IP address of the computer where the key is connected for Variable value. If you are unsure, please contact your system administrator.
Also see Questions 19 and 20 for related info on SuperProNet Keys..
Q-3. I have connected the hardware key to my computer's parallel port. When I execute CAEPIPE, I get a "Sentinel System drivers not loaded." What should I do?
A-3. Please see reply to next question, Q.4.
Q-4. Do I need the hardware key drivers on Windows 9x?
A-4. The drivers are required on WinNT/Win2000 machines and are highly recommended for Windows95/98. If you do not have them, you can download the self-extracting file from Support > Utilities page.
Q-5. The message "Hardware key not found" occurs repeatedly. Is there a utility that can search for the key or otherwise verify that the key is ok?
A-5. Yes, we do have such utilities (for standalone and network keys). They are called Sentinel Medic and NetMedic respectively. You can download this from Support menu > Utilities. This utility requires the latest system driver version 5.39 which can be downloaded from the same page.
Q-6. How to test if the hardware key is okay or if the parallel port is ok?
A-6. To test the port, please print to a printer connected from it. To test the key, you may have to load the key and CAEPIPE on another machine. Execute CAEPIPE. If you get an error that says, "Protection error, key not found", then that key may be defective. Alternately, try the Hardware key finder utility available on our website (under Support > Utilities).
Q-7. Notes on Zip Drive or any other such peripheral
A-7. When a zip drive is connected on LPT1, with a hardware key on LPT2, the likelihood is high that the key will not be found. The solution is to remove the zip drive from LPT1 and connect the key to LPT1 if you are having problems with the key beign found.
Q-8. Notes on which parallel port to use
A-8. CAEPIPE Windows version 5.x presently has been observed to work without any problem only on LPT1. CAEPIPE DOS, however, works with the key connected anywhere (LPTx, x=1,2,3..).
Q-9. I recently purchased a new printer and have been experiencing several errors which appear to be communication problems between the computer and the printer. I removed my hardware key and the problems seemed to have disappeared. Is this key suitable for an extended capability port (ECP) mode? Do you have a key/driver suitable for this type of printer?
A-9. It appears to be an improper driver installation (for the hardware key) or an installation gone bad. The hardware key is supposed to work under ECP too.
Please do the following:
Make sure you have the latest version of the system driver installed. This driver can be downloaded from the web site link (http://www.rainbow.com/tech/download/Drivers.html). Rainbow Technologies is our hardware key supplier.
This driver takes care of any possible contention issues. Extract the files and run Setup.exe which quietly installs the driver on your system. The port mode ECP is fine and in fact is the recommended mode with the key.
Q-10. What is the recommended mode for the LPT port to which the hardware key will be connected?
A-10. The recommended mode for the LPT is ECP. If you prefer, you can upgrade to a USB key.
Q-11. Notes on hardware key on Novell IPX/SPX (for the System Administrator)
A-11. For our NetSentinel Products over IPX/SPX we use an SAP of 361 hex. You need to make sure that you are not filtering out this address.
Q-12. It takes a long time for CAEPIPE to find the network hardware key? Is there an alternative?
A-12. Yes. Please see solution to Q.2.
Q-13. Do I have to load CAEPIPE Network version program files on a Windows server (like a WIn NT server or Win 2000 Server) machine?
A-13. CAEPIPE operates in a Windows network. Any computer on the network can be designated as a CAEPIPE server (a _CAEPIPE server_ is one where a CAEPIPE hardware key with a monitoring program is loaded). The hardware key should be connected to a parallel port/USB port.
The server for the hardware key supports NetBIOS, NWLink (Microsoft's IPX/SPX), NetBEUI and TCP/IP. Additionally, CAEPIPE server can also be accessed remotely using a RAS client, though these days the RAS usage is almost non-existent.
Q-14. For Rainbow Sentinel Scribe and NetSentinel keys, cascading our key with a key from Autodesk, for example, renders CAEPIPE inoperative.
A-14. Apparently, an arbitrary arrangement of keys is not enough for the apps to run. The key from Autodesk has to be the first on the LPT for AutoCAD to run and the same applies for CAEPIPE.
Should you run into this problem, kindly contact us so we can contact Rainbow for a resolution. The temporary solution is, of course, to connect only the CAEPIPE key.
Q-15. NetSentinel Key Across Routers: A local LAN in a company is connected to a worldwide network through a Cisco router. Users from across the other side cannot access the CAEPIPE hardware key server on the local LAN. How does one get around this?
A-15. The most common reason for this situation to prevent access to the NetSentinel-C hardware key is that the router is filtering UDP packets. By default the packets are rebroadcast under TCP/IP on ports 2050 and 2051. The system administrator must make sure these ports are open. NetSentinel IPX packets have a Novell SAP (Service Advertising Protocol) ID of 361h, and are Type 5.
Q-16. Some notes on Network configuration troubleshooting (under Novell Netware servers/Windows clients).
CAEPIPE looks for NetBEUI, then IPX/SPX and then TCP/IP in this order. If you disable TCP/IP in WINMON (a utility program available from http://www.rainbow.com/tech/download/utilities.html), WINMON tries to connect thru NetBIOS and then IPX/SPX. If it fails on NetBIOS (due to missing protocol or
incorrect configuration), then it looks for IPX/SPX.
One needs to install IPX/SPX on the client and the server machines. Or reconfigure NetBEUI on the client to match exactly the setting of NetBEUI on the server.
Additionally, in WINMON.EXE, disable TCP/IP and see if WINMON reports the server. If it does not report the server with TCP/IP disabled, then NetBIOS (or NetBEUI) is not correctly configured on the client.
A few more suggestions:
Ensure that the key is connected, the server (nsrvgx or nssrvice) running and that the server program reports the key.
1. Use WINMON.EXE from the attached file WINMON.ZIP. Unzip the file on the computer (where CAEPIPE does not work) and run WINMON.EXE. It should report that it sees the server and the key.
If WINMON reports no key found: Check to make sure that NetBIOS, IPX and TCP are checked under Edit Mapping file button. If not checked, check them and try WINMON again.
2. And these same protocols (mentioned in 1) must be enabled under Network icon in Control panel|Protocols. You need to install NetBIOS interface, NWLink (for IPX/SPX), and TCP/IP protocol. All requisite protocols must be bound to the network card properly.
3. If you are using only TCP/IP beyond a sub-net, you need to configure your router/gateway/bridge to rebroadcast packets over the entire network. This step is important.
4. CAEPIPE v4.1 and earlier: It could be possible that the pathnames (C:\Program Files\CAEPIPE) are creating the problem as CAEPIPE does not support the Windows long filenames. The names have to be strictly DOS type of filenames (8 chars or less, 3 chars or less for extension).
5. Reinstall the Sentinel system driver.
6. Run the utility (netmedic.exe, network key finder). Click on Find. It should report the details of the key (if) found.
7. If (6) is successful, note Algo ID (in Hex) from the dialog.
8. Start the server program, NSRVGX.EXE. After it loads,
9. Run NetMedic.exe
10. Input Max number of servers as 1, and the Hex AlgoID, and click on Run Diagnostic. You should see "Success" on all transports.
11. If any or all fail, load the Service (NSSRVICE.EXE), and try steps 9 and 10.
Please provide me with a detailed report after every step, with a detailed info on your computer system, cpu, memory, os, version, service pack, server name etc.
Sometimes a CAEPIPE standalone executable is used with a network key or vice-versa. Check again.
Q-17. Do you know how much traffic will be generated (25KB, 35KB etc.), by using your program tie-in with our application? We are worried that CAEPIPE's lookup mechanism will add to the noise already present on our networks.
A-17. The traffic depends on how often the client queries the server for the presence of the key and the number of servers as well. The less frequency of the queries and the number of the servers, the less the traffic generated. The majority of the software overhead would be in the server discovery process in which multiple tries (default 9) for each server (maximum of 5 servers allowable) is being polled. In each try, the traffic size is ~ 100 bytes. To reduce the traffic to its minimum, we would suggest lowering the server count and the retries.
Q-18. NetSentinel Key: We hear from several of our clients about the server programs (nsrvgx.exe, or NT service) which do not update the # of available licenses when an application crashes or when a remote connection is dropped. Is there a workaround for this issue short of restarting the server program (nsrvgx or the NT service)?
A-18. Unfortunately there is no readily available solution right now, we learn from Rainbow. You can either kill and restart the program/service or use Winmon (available on the www.rainbow.com/support/ site) to remove the clients that are no longer being used. There is no other program to do this. Although the servers will eventually time out the user.
If the problem is severe, you might want to start the server programs with the /ST switch which enforces a strict timeout.
Q-19. The program can't find the SuperProNet Key, and returns "key not found". What should I do?
A-19.The first thing to do is to verify that the SuperProNet key is plugged in and that the server application is running. After you have verified the key is plugged and the server is running, and you still are receiving "key not found", the next step is to verify that you have installed the latest driver. Currently Rainbow is at version 5.39 of its System Driver. Should the previous steps not correct the problem, it is recommended that you verify the parallel port setting is correct. It should be set to ECP. If performing the above steps does not correct the problem, please contact us or visit Rainbow's Technical Support web page http://www.rainbow.com/support.html.
Q-20.Additional Notes on SuperProNet key
Use the Monitor tool (which should be installed alongwith the driver, look for Rainbow Technologies entry in your Start
menu>Programs) to see whether you can see the machine with the SuperProServer and key. Then, you should set the environment variable
NSP_HOST equal to IP address of the machine that has the key. This variable should be set on on every client outside the subnet in which
the key is installed. Next, you must open any UDP packet communication among your routers. CAEPIPE clients and SuperProServer communicate via UDP on port 6001.
In some cases if you have different subnets, you must configure the routers to open UDP port 6001 to let the UDP packet coming from the
client, go across the network to the other subnet and find the key. If you don't open the UDP ports, or don't set the environment variable
(NSP_HOST), there's a chance that when the client tries to find the key, this UDP packet gets lost. If no NSP_HOST is configured, then CAEPIPE
library will do a broadcast to the network and send the UDP packet looking for the SuperProServer, this packet might get lost, timing out
the client with the "error 3, key not found." Setting the NSP_HOST to the IP address of the machine with the key, can avoid the library in doing a
broadcast with the packet, and find the specific machine with IP address.
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