Network troubleshooting

As each computer network is different in its structure and connected devices, we can give you some hints to check some of the following points:

1) On the workstation, when not in use, the hard disks may stop spinning as soon as possible or after 10 to 20 minutes, (standard behavior on laptops).

• on Windows, in Control Panel>System and Security>Power Options.
• on Mac, in System Preferences>Power Saver, the boxes Prevent automatic computer shutdown when the screen is off and Reactivate during network access must be checked.

2) RAM on workstations: workstations must be equipped with at least 8 GB. 2 GB is usually used by the operating system. Frequently, users open several applications at the same time and some Office Maker operations require more RAM, such as printing statistics or other data grouping operations, the Office Maker Server application in use may be hindered in its execution... which may cause a connection failure.

3) If all the users are affected by this disconnection problem, the problem is probably located at the server or at a central point of the network. If only one or a few workstations have a connection problem, it is on these workstations that you should look first.

4) Is the standard of the network cables (between the workstations and the router or between the switches and the router) up to date? If they are category 5, consider replacing them with category 6 or higher cables.

5) It is not uncommon (especially with laptops) for workstations to be connected to the network in both wired and wireless (wi-fi) modes. In this case, there is a risk that the wireless connection will take over, even though it will be less fast and less reliable than the wired connection. Therefore, the wired connection should always be preferred.

6) Because of its lower reliability, the wireless network (Wi-Fi) is not 100% guaranteed for a connection with an OM Server database application.

7) If your Office Maker server is on the Internet (for example with our Cloud solution) and your connection to the Internet is through a 4G or 5G mobile connection, the connection speed may fluctuate a lot from one minute to another, depending on the number of competing connections to the 4G/5G antenna. This kind of connection is therefore not recommended.

8) How many users connect simultaneously via this router for internet access?

• Could the bandwidth be monopolized by users watching video or surveillance cameras?
• Could your router be configured to disconnect after a certain period of time if a connection is deemed inactive?
• Is there a priority set for services, such as phone and internet conversations?

9) Are there any other uses of your Internet connection that could interfere? For example, the use of other databases such as FileMaker/SQL Server, a telephone exchange, VPN connections, etc.?

10) Could your router or firewall be old and no longer be able to handle traffic properly? Is its firmware up to date? Has it been running unattended for months, could a reboot help it work better?

11) How often do disconnections or slowdowns occur? Which software is particularly affected: Office Maker Client Business - Finance - Staff?

12) If the connection is interrupted after a period of computer inactivity (e.g. during a lunch break), make sure that your computer does not go into standby mode. If it does, the client software can no longer communicate with the server, which then disconnects the connection after a few minutes. On the other hand, the computer screen can go into standby mode without disrupting software operation.

13) If the connection is interrupted while the Office Maker Client program is running, but not active and relegated to the background of the workstation (the user is working with other software, e.g. Microsoft Office, e-mail, etc.), and there is a router between your workstation(s) and your server, has your router been configured to cut off a connection considered inactive? Do you use a VPN (Virtual Private Network) to encrypt connections between your local network and your server? Office Maker software can be configured to send a short message to the server every x minutes to keep a connection active, even if it's not used for several minutes. We'll be happy to tell you more about this setting.