Server Cannot be Auto Discovered

On rare occasions, Network Edition employee time clock users may come across a message in the Server Manager that says Server cannot be auto discovered by clients. Attempted to bind to a network port that is already in use. When auto discovery is unavailable, it means new client installations will need to connect to your TimeClock Server by manually entering the server IP address. This brief blog will outline the steps to restore the auto discovery functionality.

Note: The following article outlines steps to take in a Windows operating system. MacOS users can usually restore auto discovery by removing and reinstalling the TimeClock daemon from the File menu or restarting their computer.

When auto discovery is not available in the Server Manager it's usually because the Windows DNS Server has used the same port (56778) that Virtual TimeClock relies on for auto discovery. The solution is to stop the Windows DNS service, allow Virtual TimeClock to take the port, and then restart the DNS service.

Restoring Auto Discovery
To restore auto discovery, first try restarting your computer. If that does not fix the problem, follow the steps below:

1. Open Virtual TimeClock Server Manager program.
2. Choose Stop Service from the File menu.
3. Once the background service is stopped, navigate to your Windows Control Panel.
4. Select Administrative Tools and choose Services.
5. Locate the DNS Server from the services list.
6. Right-click the DNS Server service and choose Stop.
7. Return to the TimeClock Server Manager and select Start Service from the File menu.
8. Once the TimeClock service is running, return to the Services window.
9. Right-click the DNS Server service and choose Start

With auto discovery active, new local clients will be able to automatically discover your TimeClock Server during initial connection.