IMA on Android tablet

[DigPeter]

Has any one got IMA working om an Android tablet?  If so, what do I need to do to get my Nexus 7 (2013) on Android 4.4 to talk to my main computer where IMWS is installed?  Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[jch2103]

My Nexus 7 (2013) notebook (Android 6.0.1) works fine with IMWS. I don't currently have access to my PC, so can't be more specific about setup.

[Mario]

I use IMatch WebViewer on Android smart phones and TV appliances. No problem.

1. Your phone tablet must be in your Wi-Fi network.
If it is connected via a mobile phone, it cannot reach you IMWS unless you allow IMWS to accept connections from the Internet.

2. If you have no DNS server (usually your router) in your network, you need to use the IP address of your IMWS server in the IMatch WebViewer config.json.
If you have a DNS and a fairly modern phone/tablet, it will be able to receive the IP address for the computer name.

You can check by calling the YOUR-PC:Port/Info request with the computer name or the IP address. If this does not work, your tablet is not in your local network or a firewall blocks it.

[DigPeter]

My Nexus 7 (2013) notebook (Android 6.0.1) works fine with IMWS. I don't currently have access to my PC, so can't be more specific about setup.

I am puzzled over you use the term "notebook".  Is it another term fortablet"?   If it is not too much trouble I would very much appreciate your help, please

[Mario]

In a modern browser (not the built-in Android 4.4 web browser)

1. Type

http://your-pc:8081/info

does this work?

2. Type

http://IP-ADDRESS:8081/info

where IP-ADDRESS is the IP address of your Windows PC (Usually something like 192.168...)

Does that work?

If not, your tablet cannot reach your Windows PC, which either means it is not in your local network (Wi-Fi) or the Firewall on the Windows PC is not allowing it to connect.

Usually this "just works" - the only obstacle is the name resolution in Apple networks - which means that IMatch WebViewer has to be configured to use the IP address instead of the computer name.
Aside from that, IMatch Anywhere is a very low-maintenance software.

[DigPeter]

I use IMatch WebViewer on Android smart phones and TV appliances. No problem.

1. Your phone tablet must be in your Wi-Fi network.
If it is connected via a mobile phone, it cannot reach you IMWS unless you allow IMWS to accept connections from the Internet.

Nexus 7 is not a smartphone and can only communicate with web through the wifi router, to which my main computer and laptop is connected.  Both of these and the printer/scanner are on my Homegroup network.

2. If you have no DNS server (usually your router) in your network, you need to use the IP address of your IMWS server in the IMatch WebViewer config.json.
If you have a DNS and a fairly modern phone/tablet, it will be able to receive the IP address for the computer name.

Sorry Mario, I have only limited understanding of computer technology:
- I assume that "IMWS server" is the computer on which the IMWS controller resides?  Would the IP address of this "server" be different from the computer's?  The latter I can find on Google, but it changes.
- where is config.json?
- how do I put the IP address in config.json?
- is there another type of network with Windows 7, other than Homegroup, which I understand only works with other Windows devices?

You can check by calling the YOUR-PC:Port/Info request with the computer name or the IP address. If this does not work, your tablet is not in your local network or a firewall blocks it.

On the tablet, peter-pc:8081/info results in a page of information about IMWS, databasename and statistics, so it appears the tablet and IMWS are speaking. 
But the address: peter-pc:8081/imatchviewer, produces nothing - just a blank page.

[DigPeter]

In a modern browser (not the built-in Android 4.4 web browser)

1. Type

http://your-pc:8081/info

does this work?

2. Type

http://IP-ADDRESS:8081/info

where IP-ADDRESS is the IP address of your Windows PC (Usually something like 192.168...)

Does that work?

If not, your tablet cannot reach your Windows PC, which either means it is not in your local network (Wi-Fi) or the Firewall on the Windows PC is not allowing it to connect.

Usually this "just works" - the only obstacle is the name resolution in Apple networks - which means that IMatch WebViewer has to be configured to use the IP address instead of the computer name.
Aside from that, IMatch Anywhere is a very low-maintenance software.

Please see my above post which crossed yours

[thrinn]

Peter,
try

Code Select Expand

http://peter-pc:8081/imatchviewer/#/imatch

For me at least, using only http://YOUR-PC:8081/imatchviewer also gives only a blank page, even when called from the PC where the Web Service is running itself. But together with the #/imatch part, it works.

[DigPeter]

Peter,
try

Code Select Expand

http://peter-pc:8081/imatchviewer/#/imatch

For me at least, using only http://YOUR-PC:8081/imatchviewer also gives only a blank page, even when called from the PC where the Web Service is running itself. But together with the #/imatch part, it works.

Magic, Thorsten - IMA opening page appeared immeditely. Many thanks.

[Mario]

Peter,
try

Code Select Expand

http://peter-pc:8081/imatchviewer/#/imatch

For me at least, using only http://YOUR-PC:8081/imatchviewer also gives only a blank page, even when called from the PC where the Web Service is running itself. But together with the #/imatch part, it works.

Correct would be http://peter-pc:8081/imatchviewer

Note the final / which is mandatory.

The controller application shows the link and when you open the browser from the controller it opens with the final /.
The Copy Service Info into Clipboard that way. If you omit the last / you cannot connect. The server will refuse.

[Mario]

@DigPeter

Can you please describe the problems you've encountered before you got IMWS running?

Basically the thing is designed to be up and running with almost nil fuzz, except for selecting the IMatch database to serve and the activation of the TRIAL period.

I have covered the "cannot reach...must use IP" address and make sure you use a trailing backslash i the URL already in the IMatch Anywhere FAQ.

If you had other issues, let me know and I can add a FAQ entry or maybe another tutorial.

Questions:

+ Did you view the video tutorials for installing and configuring IMatch Anywhere in the IMatch Anywhere Learning Center?
+ Since asked about config.json, did you read the documentation about how to configure IMatch WebViewer? It explains what the config.json is and when and how you modify it.

[Jingo]

Peter,
try

Code Select Expand

http://peter-pc:8081/imatchviewer/#/imatch

For me at least, using only http://YOUR-PC:8081/imatchviewer also gives only a blank page, even when called from the PC where the Web Service is running itself. But together with the #/imatch part, it works.

Magic, Thorsten - IMA opening page appeared immeditely. Many thanks.

My thx too Thrinn - I hadn't the need to try it on my android phone yet but http://YOUR-PC:8081/imatchviewer only brings up a blank dark page (like it connected.. but cannot display anything).  When I use the full ttp://your-pc:8081/imatchviewer/#/imatch - it works like a charm!  On my PC, http://YOUR-PC:8081/imatchviewer is all I need to get it going.  http://YOUR-PC:8081/info does work on my phone and displays the info screen.  Interesting.....

[Mario]

Always use ...imatchviewer/ ans shown in the controller, the documentation, the FAQ. Don't make up your own URLs, they won't work.

[DigPeter]

@DigPeter

Can you please describe the problems you've encountered before you got IMWS running?

Basically the thing is designed to be up and running with almost nil fuzz, except for selecting the IMatch database to serve and the activation of the TRIAL period.

I have covered the "cannot reach...must use IP" address and make sure you use a trailing backslash i the URL already in the IMatch Anywhere FAQ.

If you had other issues, let me know and I can add a FAQ entry or maybe another tutorial.

Questions:

+ Did you view the video tutorials for installing and configuring IMatch Anywhere in the IMatch Anywhere Learning Center?
+ Since asked about config.json, did you read the documentation about how to configure IMatch WebViewer? It explains what the config.json is and when and how you modify it.

The controller ran OK.  The initial problem concrned running Imatch viewer, which timed out.  The reason was the firewall setting.  I use AVG, which bypasses Windows firewall.  I had listed exceptions the IMWS exe files:   'service controller.exe'  and 'WebService.exe'.   AVG support advised:
-In Settings->Components->Firewall->Customize->Network profile,  the router and network connection should be set to 'private'  (they were originally 'public').
-In Settings->Components->Firewall->Customize->System rules, all lines to be 'enabled' except those shown as 'not configured'.
The terminology for other firewall systems might be different.

The next problem was to get IMA viewer to work on my "old?" Nexus 7 (2013) tablet.   This can only connect to the internet through the router (it is not a smart phone), which I do successfully daily.  It has chrome.  There was a lot of discussion regarding networks (however defined) and IP address, which proved to be irrelevant.  The problem lay in the absence at the end of the url of '/'.

There is so much information in your excellent videos and extensive documentation.  The problem for the layman is absorbing it all.  I did not notice the bit on config.json.

[thrinn]

Ahh, so easy to overlook 
I did not use IMA for a while and it puzzled me why using the link from the controller worked (as it always did) while typing it didn't. Just because of this nifty slash at  the end...

Thanks, Mario, for pointing this out (again...).

[Mario]

The problem lay in the absence at the end of the url of '/'.

So, basically you typed the URL wrong. I explain that in the FAQ but I will (hopefully) remember to ask the next user running into troubles to show us the URL he uses.

[Jingo]

Trailing "/".... DOH!   

[thrinn]

I explain that in the FAQ but I will (hopefully) remember to ask the next user running into troubles to show us the URL he uses.

I am sure some of us are embarrassed enough to remember it for a while now, being able to lift this burden from your shoulders and pointing other users in the right direction.