SBIG Drver Checker unable to download driver archive

Hi,
I have a new PC running Windows ll and image with a SBIG STL-11000 and STT8300. I am having trouble downloading the driver archive with SBIG driver checker (latest version). I have followed the suggestions of Colin Haig regarding Windows updates and installed the latest Visual C++ version for 64-bit. As well, I disabled the firewall. I get the following error message when the SBIG Driver Checker tries to download the driver archive:
"Error: 200 Type Set to I 227 Entering Passive Mode (204,225,249,110,138,99). 213 13523866
If you have a firewall enabled try disabling it and download again."
Anything more I can do?
Thanks, Alan

 

Further to my post above, I just checked my older Eagle3 Control Unit which has always been without problem updating the SBIG driver archive, I am getting the same error message when the SBIG Driver Checker tries to download the archive.

 

Alan.

Just a quick thing to try...

Try rebooting your internet router/modem, the error is something to do with file transfer being blocked at the remote server access level, and that can be blocked by your own passive internet access router firewall.

Often a reboot of the internet router/modem will reset the router's own firewall and then access to the remote server is possible again.

If that doesn't help then possibly Diffraction Limited's remote server is down or has a problem, and you would have to wait for Diffraction Staff to check that out when they are back at work, probably early next week sometime...

William.

 

Thanks for the reply, William. Re-setting my modem did not help. It might be possible to manually install the drivers but I’m not confident to interfere with the registry. I’ll wait to hear from Diffraction staff.
Thanks, Alan

 

Doug,
I had already installed the latest SBIG Driver Checker from the Legacy Support Section. It is ver 4.05 Build 0. It says driver version not found. The only option is to Update and I just get the download error message.

 

Hi Alan.

I don't know if anything below will be of use but since it's raining and I can't get out to do what I was going to do today....

AFAIK, when you download the SBIG Driver Checker it installs the latest SBIG drivers at the same time, the error "Not found" in the Driver Checker under the header "Version" is because the driver checker is unable to reach the Diffraction Limited server and compare the driver versions currently installed with latest versions held on the server.

If you look in C:\Program Files (x86)\SBIG\Driver Checker 64\ you'll see a load of sub folders that contain the driver files for all SBIG equipment and these will be the latest versions available at the time you downloaded Driver Checker.

Since your initial post at the weekend I checked that I was able to run and update the SBIG Driver Checker from separate Win 10 and Win 11 computers here in the UK and at our remote observatory in Portugal and all of those were able to reach the Diffraction Limited servers and update without any problem, which doesn't help you solve the problem at your location but at least it shows that the Diffraction Limited server is working normally.

There is something peculiar to your network that is preventing the SBIG server from opening a port on your network to communicate between both of your PC's and the Diffraction Limited server.

Are you using a VPN enabled network, or Starlink for example, or a proxy server?
Have you changed to a different ISP provider that uses a different brand of router and the router is configured to block a range of incoming ports that are used by the Driver Checker?
Is the router defective or requires a firmware update?
Are you on an actively managed network such as found in an academic or business setting, they often don't allow random allocation of incoming ports, the IT administrator will only on request open a specific port on the network to be allocated to a particular PC and all other ports will be closed. This often catches out users who install their own business class routers in place of the more general "home" class routers supplied by their ISP's because business class routers have to be configured which ports or which range of ports are allowed for incoming connections.

There could be multiple reasons that Driver Checker can't reach the Diffraction Limited server, I know that you tried disabling the host computer Firewall on one of the systems? was this a third-party firewall or Windows Defender firewall?
If you disable a third-party firewall (such as Norton, or BitDefender etc.,) then Windows Defender will automatically switch on to provide continued protection, if that applies in your case you need to disable both the third-party firewall and Windows Defender.

Since you can't update from either of your computers my guess is that your router settings, or ISP protocols are blocking the incoming connections on the range of ports that are required.

If you have a laptop and want to test away from the observatory network try installing the Driver Checker on that and see if you can reach the Diffraction Limited server and update the driver files from a local wifi hotspot, or a different network, that would help you prove whether the problem was limited to your observatory location/network.

Until you can resolve the network issues I think the only way you can keep the drivers up-to-date is to periodically uninstall the Driver Checker and download the latest version.

Hopefully Colin or Doug may have some additional tips for you, I couldn't think of anything else ATM.

William.

 

Hi Colin and William,
Thank you both for your considered responses and advice. The problem has now been solved! Colin suggested to click [Update] and click NO to wanting to connect to the internet. I was then presented with the SBIG Driver Checker Archive box and by clicking Update the drivers were installed. All is now good and the drivers are 4.9.9 build 7 as Colin stated. I gather, then, that these are the latest and final updates. If I do click Update and try clicking to the internet I still get the error message so I cannot connect to the Cyanogen server but this is no longer necessary.
It is no small relief to finally have the drivers installed.
Thanks again,
Alan