Known Issues and FAQ

Known Issues

Problem: SoftPerfect Bandwidth Manager does not support Windows bridged connections.

Solution: Use the Bandwidth Manager’s internal bridging instead.

FAQ

Q: I am trying to connect to the Bandwidth Manager service, but getting a message like Connection Timeout or Connection Refused.

A: Try the following:

  • Disable your firewall if it is installed. This includes the built-in Windows firewall.
  • Make sure that you have installed the Bandwidth Control Service on this PC and it is running. It starts automatically on system boot. However, you can start it from the Administrative Tools – Services control panel applet.
  • Look for any error messages in the Windows event log.

Q: Is your Bandwidth Manager compatible with the Microsoft ISA Server?

A: Yes, there are no known issues.

Q: Is your Bandwidth Manager compatible with the ICS (Internet Connection Sharing)?

A: Yes, it is fully compatible.

Q: How can I control the Bandwidth Manager remotely? Is there a web-based interface?

A: SoftPerfect Bandwidth Manager does not support a web-based interface, but it can be controlled remotely. It uses the standard TCP protocol, port 8701 to communicate between the Management Console and the Bandwidth Control Service. You can connect to the server with the Bandwidth Control Service through your LAN or the Internet using the GUI. Simply specify a host name or IP address of the machine with the running Bandwidth Manager service.

Q: Is there a way to control SoftPerfect Bandwidth Manager from our billing system? Is there any API?

A: There are two ways to access the Bandwidth Manager service:

  • Direct reading of the database. The Bandwidth Manager uses a standard SQLite 3 database that can be read from many programming languages and environments. The database can be found via the path shown under the Storage tab in the Bandwidth Manager’s settings.
  • There is an XML-based API, which however doesn’t have an official documentation. To trace the exchange between the Bandwidth Manager console and the core, you need to use a protocol analyser. The protocol is quite self-explanatory.

Q: How do I configure SoftPerfect Bandwidth Manager to start automatically with Windows?

A: The Bandwidth Control Service actually starts automatically and runs as a service. This means it starts on every system boot before you log in, and it stops when the system shuts down. It controls bandwidth even when you do not have the Management Console running.