How to get a more reliable Wifi sync connection

[halweg]

Hi there!

When I start connection from the PC by command line

CompanionLink.exe -process

or by any other way often the sync doesn't succeed. CL says "Please press Sync on the device..." but what I want is to start the sync from the PC.
The log says

2021-06-22 10:18:19: Sync START B9042 (Full)
2021-06-22 10:18:25: Abort : ClxInet timeout error
2021-06-22 10:18:34: Abort : ClxInet timeout error
2021-06-22 10:18:42: Sync END

This behavior mostly happens when device is in lock screen mode or the start screen is visible (with the working DO widget) and I hadn't directly start DO for some time.
After starting DO for at least one time the sync works without problems from every mode.

So I guess DO is in some sleep state and doesn't answer the sync request. But DO is already in "No energy optimization" and "stay alive" state (as I can see).

What can I do to keep DO in a sync-ready state?

Greetings, Halweg

[halweg]

I found your advice concerning DO energy saving settings. To get DO in the "Never Sleeping Apps" list I first had to enable "Battery optimization" from the DO apps settings.

Now DO is on the "never sleeping" list, but the issue (I have to start DO before sync works) is the same. Again "ClxInet timeout error". Even the always visible today widget doesn't prevent DO from falling in a "no sync state".

[halweg]

Reading again the sync instructions I'm not sure if starting DO (bringing the app to the foreground) before sync is needed by design. If so my problems would be clear. But why there is an sync scheduler when sync ready state needs to be manually started from device?
Or, may be, there's a problem with new Android 11 energy management putting apps to fast to a no responding state?

Please help me at least to find out if I'm doing something wrong or if there's an unsolved app problem.

[Thomas]

Halwig,

After Android OS 8 (9 and higher) Android changed the way apps were allowed to launch with the device and stay running in the background. Wifi sync does need the App to be running to make the connection to the mobile. In some cases, if you tap Exit in DejaOffice or if the phone is restarted DejaOffice would have to be opened once to get it to be in the background. As you noted, the Battery Monitor can help keep the app active longer so the PC can find the phone on a sync:

https://www.companionlink.com/support/kb/How_to_Fix_Sleep_Issues_for_Wi-Fi_and_Bluetooth_using_Android_App_Power_Management

It is possible there is a Firewall on the PC preventing some connection.

Also to ensure the connection is the best, unplugging the power on your Wifi router for a few seconds, plugging it back in, then in about 2 minutes when everything is back up see if it is any better. Routers can get into odd states being on all day.

For the easiest connection DejaCloud is recommended as it does not need the device or the PC near each other or even on the same wifi to function.

[halweg]

Thanks!
As I told a simple start of the app makes a reliable connection. The other syncing App, MyPhoneExplorer hasn't such problems. So I can't believe the router is the problem for "ClxInet timeout error".
The alarms work fine so there seems to be any background activity by DO.

The "no sync state" needs about one hour since the last active app usage to appear. I putted DO to the "Never sleep" apps. But I detected despite of this setting the "let app open" setting in the task manager was not set. Now I set it again. May be under Android 11 both settings needs to be activated.

As remarked in die other thread a better verbalization of connection issues could help to find the problem.

A working local sync is the reason why I'm using DO. If I'd like the cloud I'd use Outlook or Google native.

Greetings, Halweg

[halweg]

I tested a little bit around the sync behavior:
1. When DO is not ready (device is locked or DO is in some sleep state) the sync fails.
2. When this happens, a new sync trial fails even when the app is open. It seems, some process on device is still open and block any new sync connection.
3. It helps to manually stop (by App Info) and restart DO. Then the sync works.
I hope my observations help to find the problem. I still don't know which settings could help to workaround the problem.

[Thomas]

Halweg,

I did some checking here, while it would be expected that the Wifi sync could not take place with the DejaOffice mobile app totally closed or the Android device "locked", opening DejaOffice should certainly allow for clicking "Sync" again to connect. This is the case when testing this internally. What is the build CompanionLink lists in the bottom right corner on the PC? We did have some updates to Wifi in the recent CompanionLink v9 Builds.

As noted, it could be the Windows Firewall causing some issues, here are the step to ensure CompanionLink is allowed:

1. Click the start menu in Windows, find Control Panel on the right (if this is Windows 10, click the search bar\dot in the bottom left next to the Start menu and type Control Panel, and click the top result), in the top left of the control panel if it lists Category, click the drop down and select Small Icons. Towards the bottom of the Control Panel menu, find Windows Firewall (it might list Windows Defender Firewall) and click it.

2. In the Windows Firewall menu, if the two Shields are green, in the top left, click Allow a Program or Feature through. In the next screen, in the top right, click Change Settings if it is not greyed out. Scroll down the list in the center, is CompanionLink here? If so, make sure it is allowed for both Public and Private on the right. Sometimes connecting your Wifi to the PC Windows will label it "Public" which would mean CompanionLink would need to be allowed for this as well.

If CompanionLink is not there in the bottom right click "Allow Another Program", on the right of this menu select Browse, find My Computer\This PC on the left, find the C:\ drive, find Program Files (x86), find and click on the CompanionLink Folder. On the right find "companionlink.exe" (it might just say Application), click Ok, and lastly click Add. Make sure CompanionLink is allowed for both Public and Private.

If either of the above was necessary, try syncing over Wifi again, any change?

If the two shields were Red in step 1, what program does it list is Managing the firewall at the top? I can send specific steps to add CompanionLink to their "Exclusions" list.

[halweg]

Thanks Thomas. I use Cl Build 9044. The firewall (with CI open) works fine and it's nearly always possible to start the sync from device.

As mentioned I've problems when DO is in some sleeping state or device is locked. Finally you told me this is by design. Or may be an unsolved Android 11 problem cause it's not described yet? If there's a setting "AutoSync" (and no further explanations) the user expects it works even when device is in standby.

So the problem (no sync from PC) take place when:
- device is locked
- device is not locked but DO wasn't used for some time.

Sorry for bring in here competitors experience: MyPhoneExplorer manages the (automatic) connection over WLAN fine, even when device is locked (device will be waked up but not unlocked by sync from PC). What do they do differently?

Greetings, Halweg