Re: xAP Floorplan beta 4 released

["garygfx" <garygfx@xxxxxxxxx>]

Kevin, thanks for the explanation. I'll leave the firewall off for
now. (Oi hackers, keep away! Shooo!)

Every time I delete an unwanted device from Floorplan it comes back
about 10 or so minutes later - I have loads of devices so it's chaos
when trying to fine a specific device. Some devices contain loads of
HTML in their status which ruins the otherwise neat table of
devices. Most of these are irrelevant for a floor plan anyway. Is
there a way to permanently remove a device or force it to never
appear in the list?

Sometimes a red blob icon appears next to devices in the floorplan.
I have no idea why as I haven't activated them and a suitable
graphic (lamp, fan, etc) exists. Can I ban the red blob from
appearing?

Last question, honest! Can someone explain what Inserts are please?
(Yeah, I checked the docs! It would be nice if every feature was
documented for those who are new to xAP and Floorplan)

Finally, just an idea. It would be really cool if when turning
on/off a device the controls appeared on the same page as the
Floorplan. They could appear just under your mouse whenever you
click on a device (using a DHTML layer), or just above the floor
plan (which is what UltraJones did for his UltraLog Plan).

Thanks!
Gary


--- In xap_automation@xxxxxxx, Kevin Hawkins <lists@u...>
wrote:
> garygfx wrote:
>
> >Ah, I was just about to post a new question about xAP and
firewalls.
> >I noticed with xAP Desktop that there were no xAP msgs unless I
> >disabled Sygate Personal Firewall.
> >
> >I've now loaded Floorplan again and it's seen 4 devices. I guess
I
> >should wait longer to see if it's informed of the other devices.
> >
> >Are you or anyone else running Sygate Personal? If so please can
you
> >tell me how to enable xAP communications without having to
disable
> >the firewall? Usually when an app tries to use a port for the
first
> >time Sysgate alerts me and provides the option to grant access,
but
> >it's never given me the option for xAP. I think it just sees it
as a
> >naughty bit of traffic and automatically blocks it.
> >
> >I tried creating a rule to allow port 3639 but it didn't work.
> >
> >Thanks,
> >Gary.
> >
> >
> >
> Sorry no - I use Norton here - that just prompts me and then it
works.
> With XP's firewall you just add the application to the list of
> 'exceptions' and again it works. The firewall works on an
application
> basis not a port basis.
>
> Here's the nitty gritty...
>
> a xAP application always sends data to a broadcast address
directed at
> port 3639
> eg to 192.168.1.255 (port 3639)
> It sends it from whatever free port it has managed to acquire on
the PC
> ( you can actually see the port it is using as it lists it in its
> heartbeat message ). This could be around 3640+ in older xAP
> applications but now we tend to use the 'ephemeral' range of ports
which
> start at 32768 upwards. This avoids us grabbing ports that are
allocated
> officially to other services ;-)
>
> eg
> xap-hbeat
> {
>     v=12
>     hop=1
>     uid=FF576400
>     class=xap-hbeat.alive
>     source=mi4.IntranetLaunch.THUNDER
>     interval=60
>     port=49152              <<<  This is an applicaton
working via
a hub
> and using port 49152
> }
>
>
> Now a xAp application  receives on 3639 if it is the only xAP
> application or again on whichever free port it then acquired if
that
> port was occupied , presumably by a hub. The hub will thus be the
only
> application that can hear xAP traffic on your network and when it
> receives each message from the network it relays it to each of the
other
> applications on the machine (using the loopback interface) on
which  it
> is running , on the ports they announced they were listening on in
their
> heartbeats.
>
> I am not sure how easy this type of firewall filtering is to set
up
> based on port numbers ?  Someone else might know ? ANYONE ??  P ?
> . Local apps (within one PC) may not be subjected to the firewall
rules
> and particularly so on the loopback interface -  hence maybe all
you
> need is to allow the hub to receive on 3639 and any app to send to
3639
> (from any port) . As HomeSeer can see Floorplan (based on prev
post info
> - then the transmit side looks like its working already )
>
> Kevin