WALLWATCHER FAQ

I can't download something (or anything) from this website

None of the WallWatcher programs will run on my computer (missing VB dll file)

What special considerations apply to using WallWatcher with VISTA and Windows 7?

My router isn't on the ROUTER list.  What should I do?

My router is on the ROUTER list; how should I configure the router to send logs to WallWatcher?

Why is WallWatcher logging (or displaying) records (or) messages I've told it to not log (or hide)?

The HELP system shows topics but doesn't show information about any of them;
just a message saying "Navigation to the website was cancelled"

Why doesn't WallWatcher report Bandwidth usage for my router?

WallWatcher runs, but it doesn't show any log records

WallWatcher displays log records but is not creating log files

What does this yellow-coded "Message" mean?

How can I run WallWatcher as a Windows Service?

Will WallWatcher ever be available for Linux, Unix, or the Mac?  No.  Windows only.

My router only offers e-mailed log reports. Can WallWatcher use those?  No.

Do these programs use the system Clipboard?

Why is support for WallWatcher ending on February 1, 2011?
 
 

I can't download something (or anything) from this website back to top

1. Make sure you are using the actual WallWatcher website:  http://www.wallwatcher.com   (or)   http://www.wallwatcher1.com,  and try the download again.
2. Your browser's security settings probably are blocking the download.  See whether the browser showed a warning (Internet Explorer shows a yellow bar near the top of the page), and whether it will allow you to do a one-time download.  Otherwise, you may have to lower your browser's security level temporarily, complete the download, then restore the original security level.

Your system probably is missing MSVBVM50.DLL ( click here to download it from Microsoft ), then run the downloaded program (msvbvm50.exe) to install the run-time DLL, then re-run the WallWatcher "Setup" program.

A. SETUP cannot install an OCX

With Administrator privileges, you should be able to install OCX's manually if Setup cannot do so automatically:

1. copy a missing OCX from the WallWatcher folder to the Windows\System32 folder (but do not replace any existing OCX's)
2. register the new OCX: click "Run..." on the Windows Start menu, and type: REGSVR32 MSWINSCK.OCX  (use the name of the OCX you just copied, then click OK; you can use lower-case).
3. repeat this for each OCX that Setup could not install itself.  Note that some OCX's may already exist and will not need to be registered.
4. For further details, please run "WWHelp.chm" from the WallWatcher folder on your computer, and find the topic "Troubleshooting / Replacing OCX's."


B. The WallWatcher folder should not be placed in "Program Folders" or any other "System" folder.
 

Vista and Windows 7 do not know what WallWatcher is, so they will not let WW update any of its own files if they are in any "System" folder.  Some symptoms of this may be that WW doesn't remember its settings from session to session (because they're stored in "WallWatcher.Ini", a file in the main WallWatcher folder), or displays log records but can't retrieve them from disk.

1. Make sure your router is able to send log records, in real-time, to a computer within its own Local Area Network (LAN), then configure the router to send all possible log records to the LAN IP address of the computer on which you will run WallWatcher.  If your router cannot do that, then WallWatcher will never receive any information from the router, and therefore, will not be able to support it.
2. If you haven't already done so, install WallWatcher and its Library from the Home Page
3. Start WallWatcher and select ROUTERS from the Options menu  (this happens automatically the first time you use WallWatcher)
4. Look through the drop-down list of supported routers for similar routers from the same manufacturer.  If you find any, try each of them, clicking "OK" after each selection, then waiting to see what happens
5. You'll know you have a good match if you see a mix of Red and Green "Category" indicators (Inbound and Outbound), Remote and Local IP Addresses and Ports, and Protocol information (TCP, UDP, etc.).  Some routers don't provide both Inbound and Outbound log records, and others provide additional information that lets WallWatcher report more detail.  If you only see yellow "M"essages, you don't have a good match (try again, or continue with the next steps, below).  If you see nothing except "Start" and "Stop" messages from WallWatcher itself, it means the log records are not being sent by the router or are not being received by WallWatcher.  Re-check your router's logging settings, and if they all seem to be OK, it may mean the router just can't do the kind of logging WallWatcher supports
6. If you see log records but can't find a good match manually, try using "Auto-Select" near the top of WallWatcher's ROUTER menu, after reading its "Instant Help".  As soon as you click this option, WallWatcher will begin to test everything it receives.  After a while (possibly an hour or two), it will show you its recommendations.  Try them in the order shown.
7. If you still don't have a good match, try "IPTABLES".  At this point, you probably won't get a good match, but it's worth a try.

WallWatcher Support does not have this kind of information.  Likely places to find it are:

the router's own menus or pages.  Log onto the router through your Browser and look for a tab or reference to "LOGS"; sometimes, it's in the "Administration" section.  Once you've found it, turn on "logging" and specify the LAN IP address of the computer running WallWatcher. If there are options for what should be logged, you may want to select all of them initially, then turn off the unneeded ones after you've gained some experience in reviewing the logs.  Some routers have these options on pages other than the one that selects logging, and some have no options (logging is either on or off);

the documentation for the router ("when all else fails...").  That may be printed, on the installation CD, or at the manufacturer's website;

the manufacturer's website: look for "Support / downloads" and "User Forums";

for routers using Third-party Firmware, refer to the Firmware's website and User Forums;

other user Forums.  One popular, comprehensive group of Forums for many routers and other issues is www.broadbandreports.com

Why is WallWatcher logging (or displaying) records (or) messages I've told it to not log (or hide)?   back to top

1. "All router traffic" may be selected on the LOGGING menu
2. "Hidden records" may be selected on the DISPLAY menu
3. If "Messages" are being logged or displayed when they shouldn't, you may have told WW to not log (or hide) exact matches to the message, rather than using the masking capability that is explained in the prompt box.  Many router messages have slight variations.  Even though a person would know they're really the same, WW doesn't know that unless you show it which portion of the message to look for.

The HELP system shows topics but doesn't show information about any of them;
    just a message saying "Navigation to the website was cancelled" back to top

Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) has a new security feature that sometimes prevents full use of files that came from other computers. This can interfere with the WallWatcher HELP system unless you tell Windows that it's OK to use the HELP file.  Here's how to do so:

1. in the WallWatcher folder, find "WWHelp.chm" (that's the HELP file) and right-click on it
2. click "Properties" at the bottom of the context menu
3. if you see an "Unblock" button, click it, then click OK.  If you don't see that button, you may not be using SP2, or Windows already considers the file to be safe
4. try the HELP system again, either by using "Help" in WallWatcher / WallReviewer, or by double-clicking "WWHelp.chm" directly to open and use it.

Why doesn't WallWatcher report Bandwidth usage for my router? back to top

1. Some routers can supply bandwidth usage information, and some can't.  Many routers provide that information through "SNMP" (Simple Network Management Protocol).  WallWatcher can ask the router for that information, and if the router replies, WallWatcher can report the results.  You may have to turn on "SNMP" in the router's configuration pages to get this working.
2. Some routers report packet lengths in the log records themselves, and WallWatcher can use that information for bandwidth measurement.  Most routers do not do this, and even the ones that do usually report only a small fraction (around 10%) of the total bandwidth usage, so this method is not reliable.

WallWatcher runs, but it doesn't show any log records back to top

These are the "standard" reasons log records may not appear in WallWatcher's Events List. It assumes WallWatcher has been installed successfully and is running:

1. The router does not support external real-time logging. In that case, unless third-party Firmware that does support logging is available, nothing can be done. For example, the Linksys WRT54G v2 can accommodate such Firmware, but the Linksys WRT54G v5 and some other brands of routers may not. "Value-priced" routers are less likely to support external real-time logging than more expensive models. Also, not all versions of third-party Firmware support logging;
2. Logging is not enabled in the router, or is not being directed to the LAN IP address of the computer running WallWatcher, or is being sent to a non-standard port. The standard SysLog port is 514 (Linksys BEF-series routers use port 162). Enabling logging is a configuration option on a setup screen of the router.  Some routers offer options as to what should be logged, and those options may be on different screens than the one that lets you turn logging on or off;
3. Some Third-party Firmwares for the Linksys WRT54G require the use of "scripts" that are available in the Forums for the Firmware, and also at BroadbandReports.  Please note that those scripts end with a blank line, so if you don't copy that blank line, the scripts may not work properly.
4. A software firewall on the computer running WallWatcher is blocking the log records, preventing them from reaching WW. "Block" is the default for some software firewalls, including Microsoft's Internet Connection Firewall (ICF). ICF often runs automatically, even when people don't think it's on. Software firewalls have configuration screens that let you give permission for certain communications to occur, and it's necessary to tell them to allow communication from the LAN IP address of the router, through UDP port 514 (or 162 if using a Linksys BEF-series router), to WallWatcher. A simple solution is to place the router's LAN IP address in the "Trusted" or "Local" zone of the software firewall. In passing, let me suggest using a software firewall addition to the protection provided by the router itself: they do different things;
5. WallWatcher is watching the wrong port. By default, the routers on WW's ROUTER menu use either port 514 (SysLog -- used by most routers) or 162 (SNMPTrap -- used only by Linksys BEF-series routers).  When you select your router, WW will set the correct port in most cases. The selected port is displayed on the ROUTER menu. If you haven't selected a router yet, the port may be incorrect. Also, in rare cases, routers use or let you choose non-standard ports, so you may have to override WW's default;
6. Options on WW's "LOGGING" and/or "DISPLAY" menus are turned off, or too many filters have been set through the right-click pop-up menu;
7. If the above possibilities are all OK, you should see log records. If they're formatted incorrectly (mostly yellow "Messages" instead of red/green "traffic"), it means that WW doesn't recognize their format. Selecting a different router from the drop-down list may solve that.

    If you're using VISTA or Windows 7, and the WallWatcher folder is in the "Programs" folder (which is the installation default), the sub-folders may be protected against modification.  The solution is to create a folder in a non-protected area and use the "Store logs in" option on WW's LOGGING Menu to tell WW about the new location.  You can just type the fully-qualified path into this area and let WW create the folder for you, or you can Browse for it if you create it yourself.  A non-protected area might be:  Documents\WallWatcher\Logs.

What does this yellow-coded "Message" mean? back to top

    WallWatcher Support does not have this kind of information.  "Messages" are generated by your router; WallWatcher just reports them.  WallWatcher classifies router log records as "traffic" or as "messages": "traffic" records contain IP addresses and/or URL's, an indication of the direction of flow (incoming or outgoing), whether the events were allowed or blocked (coded as Inbound, Outbound, Passed or Blocked), sometimes the protocol (TCP, UDP, ICMP, IGMP), and usually the ports used (if TCP or UDP).  Traffic records may also contain "extra" information.  By contrast, "Messages" do not contain enough of those kinds of information to be classified as traffic.  Usually, they just contain status information about the router itself.  That information is router-dependent.

How can I run WallWatcher as a Windows Service? back to top

Use a utility program that lets other programs run as a Service.  References to some of them are in WallWatcher's "HELP": look in the Index for "Service Programs"

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Yes, and when they do so, they replace whatever may have been there before. Most of the time, you will expect this, because you will be asking WW or WRV to Copy something.  However, some features use the clipboard when you may not expect it. For example, WallReViewer uses the clipboard while saving a Chart Image to disk, so something you expect to still be there may be lost.  This can be a problem when using WRV's "Auto-save Chart" feature, as the clipboard will be used repeatedly and automatically.

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That is the tenth anniversary of its first public release, and the author will not be available to support it after that date. The programs seem to be stable (no significant bugs have been reported in years) and they will continue to be available at this website indefinitely (but not forever).  However, after December 31, 2010, new router support and new features will not be added.  Beginning February 1, 2011, no support will be available and emails will not be answered.  Notice of this was first posted on June 21, 2010, more than seven months in advance.

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