Connection Errors & Firewalls
We frequently get asked by Easify users why they get the following error message:
"Connection Error. Could not connect to the Easify database. Check that the Easify database computer is turned on and accessible."
We quite often find that this is due to a third party firewall.
A firewall is designed to stop or allow communication. This means communication between computers on your local network, or on a single PC, or even between computers on your network and the internet. I won't go into too much detail here, if you want to do some further reading I'd suggest starting here, or Google firewall: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firewall_(computing)
Easify installs a firewall rule for the inbuilt Windows firewall as part of the database server installation. This allows other computers on your network to communicate with the server computer that holds your Easify database.
Easify does not add firewall rules to a third party firewall!
Here are a few examples of third party firewalls:
- AVG Internet Security
- Norton Internet Security
- McAfee Personal Firewall
- Kaspersky Internet Security
- Zone Alarm
- Comodo Firewall
There are two main scenarios to take into account
The error occurring on :-
- the Easify database computer
- an Easify client
Easify database computer
If the error message happens on the database computer (if you are running Easify on a single computer, then that computer is the database computer), then you are likely to have a third party firewall installed that is blocking Easify. In that case you need to tell your firewall to allow / trust Easify communications. Here is an article that will explain what exactly you need to tell your firewall:
http://www.easify.co.uk/help/hs950.aspx
Easify client
If the error message happens on an Easify client computer, there are several things you should do.
- Check you are connected to your network
- Check the Easify database computer is turned on and connected to your network
- Check you have installed the client correctly for network use, here is our support article and video tutorial:
- Make sure your Easify database computer's third party firewall is configured to allow connections to the Easify database. Here is our support article: http://www.easify.co.uk/help/hs950.aspx
Please contact Easify support if you need further assistance with this.
Happy to help - John (Easify Support)