When Local Clients Can’t Connect

Have you ever felt that if you had just a little more knowledge about a subject you'd be more self-sufficient? For example, computer networking can be intimidating for some people, but with a little knowledge about how computers communicate with one another, you can solve many common networking issues. The same holds true for Virtual TimeClock. So here are some reasons why Network Edition users may experience occasional trouble with time clocks on the same LAN (local area network) as the time clock server.

• Server computer isn't running. Since the time clock server manages the time clock database, it must be running in order for clients to use the time clock. So make sure the time clock server computer stays powered on.
• Server computer IP address changed. If the time clock server computer is turned on, launch the Server Manager. All of the server functions should be online with green checkmarks. If you get a message that the saved computer interface settings have changed, this means the computer received a new IP address (probably after the computer or router restarted). The new computer IP address can be selected from the Settings panel of the Server Manager. The long-term solution is to set a static IP address on the time clock server computer so it will always have the same address, even if it gets restarted.
• Server computer is going to sleep or hibernating. This is another common issue that may be affecting time clock client connections. If the computer running the time clock server goes to sleep, the hard disk and networking functions will go offline. The long-term solution is to change the computer's energy settings. Energy Saver settings can be found in System Preferences on Mac and Power Options can be found in the Control Panel on Windows.
• Client computer does not have a network connection or is connected to the wrong network or subnet. The client will automatically try and reconnect to the time clock server if the computer's network connection is dropped but sometimes a poor wireless signal, loose ethernet cable, or bad router may cause longer network drops and the reconnection will fail. Try checking for loose cables between the computer and wall jack. If the client computer is wireless, try moving it to a different location and see if network performance improves.

Here are some resources on setting a static IP address on Mac or Windows.