×

INDI Library v2.0.6 is Released (02 Feb 2024)

Bi-monthly release with minor bug fixes and improvements

Help with Mac Network Problem Revealed by Cloudmaker software

  • Posts: 43
  • Thank you received: 1
Hello,

I have been using INDI through the Cloudmaker software, and the extensive help of Peter Polakovic. We have run into an issue that is tripping us up across all of his software. Specifically, something strange is happening on my network or with Bonjour that trips up INDI, and we can't track it down. My network looks like this:

1) DSL -> Airport Extreme 802.11n -> Macs
2).....................................................~> Phones
3).....................................................~> WiFi Repeater (Airport) -> Enet over power -> dome computer

where -> means a hardline, and ~> means a WiFi connection (I needed to add the dots to maintain my formatting). For testing purposes, I have completely removed line 3 from the system.

The simplest version of this problem is apparent when I take any machine on my home network, and I run Astrometry and AstroImager, take an image, and try to plate solve it. When I start Astrometry, it reports:

HTTP Server started on Port 65488
Bonjour service did publish
Bonjour service did publish

This double Bonjour may be the heart of the problem. Next I start AstroImager, choose the simulated camera, snap an image, and choose to locally plate solve it. The plate solver automatically finds the local address:

Scotts-iMac.95321262.members.btmm.icloud.com:65488

The part reading "95321262.members.btmm.icloud.com" seems to be part of the problem. If I hit "Solve", it says "Uploading..." for about 90 seconds, then indicates that it "Failed to upload image".

Now here is the interesting part. If I Quit the INDI apps, unplug my network connection, and restart Astrometry it only reports one Bonjour service:

HTTP Server started on Port 49188
Bonjour service did publish

And when I start AstroImager, obtain the simulated image, and plate solve it, the automatic local address is:

Scotts-iMac.local:49188

And the plate solve succeeds.

Does anyone understand what is going on here? How can I fix this problem? It basically goofs up all of the INDI software from communicating properly if I have the network plugged in. Peter has been very helpful trying to figure out work-arounds, but the right thing to do is stop this from happening in the first place. Any ideas?

Thanks, Scott

PS: My console logs are also filled with many copies of the following, when the INDI is running and is connected to my home network:

7/27/16 11:43:36.601 PM AstroTelescope[527]: INDI parser thread Chaos-Manor-West.local:49591 finished
7/27/16 11:43:36.663 PM INDI Control Panel[508]: Lost connection - Disconnected from Chaos-Manor-West.local.:49591
7/27/16 11:43:40.900 PM AstroTelescope[527]: INDI parser thread for Chaos-Manor-West.95321262.members.btmm.icloud.com:7624 started
7/27/16 11:43:40.901 PM AstroTelescope[527]: INDI parser thread for Chaos-Manor-West.95321262.members.btmm.icloud.com:49610 started
7/27/16 11:43:40.902 PM AstroTelescope[527]: INDI parser thread Chaos-Manor-West.95321262.members.btmm.icloud.com:7624 finished
7/27/16 11:43:40.902 PM AstroTelescope[527]: INDI parser thread Chaos-Manor-West.95321262.members.btmm.icloud.com:49610 finished

Note that this seems to have the same strange "95321262.members.btmm.icloud.com" address that appears to be part of the issue.
Last edit: 7 years 5 months ago by F. Scott Anderson. Reason: Added additional info as PS
7 years 5 months ago #10834

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • Posts: 43
  • Thank you received: 1
I have figured out a little more information:

I have been unplugging one device at a time to see if I can make the double Bonjour problem go away. It turns out that my Century Link DSL router seems to be the source of it, though I am not sure why. More to come, but your thoughts still welcome.
7 years 5 months ago #10835

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • Posts: 43
  • Thank you received: 1
OK - more data. The DSL router is a C1000A, which the web indicates has a notorious history with bonjour. Hmm. So I figured out how to set up my DSL modem as a transparent bridge, so that my airport extreme, the only item now on the network, could handle all traffic. I have endeavored to remove extra DNS addresses everywhere I could find them - in the airport setup, and in the network settings panel. And Astrometry still reports two bonjour services. ARRG!

I am still soliciting opinions on just what the heck is happening here.

:-)

S-
7 years 5 months ago #10837

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • Posts: 43
  • Thank you received: 1
SOLVED!! The real clue is the addresses with "btmm" in them.

It looks like the cause of the problem is a service under OS X called “Back to my Mac”. I use this service, but only intermittently, so I can turn it off. It looks like the INDI networking approach is incompatible with it. It appears to cause two network addresses for each Mac - one “.local” and another that is some apple tracked dyndns type something or other.

Heads up other mac users on this one!

S-
7 years 5 months ago #10838

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

Time to create page: 0.869 seconds