Previously, I had VirtualVP and VPLive connected to my Computer for about 4 months and love the Programs but I kept getting problems with hangups which quite a few seem to have experienced.
I was using the N8VBvCom Driver and wondered if some of my problems were related to the Driver not being a Windows Dignallity Signed Driver because I did experience some other issues with my Computer at the time. I completely deleted all of my VP Software and drivers but have decided to give it another go and noticed the N8VBvCom Driver is still not a Windows Certified Driver. Having some issues getting the Driver installed again and wondered if anyone else has experienced any problems with the Driver and is there another updated Driver available.
I had problems with my Serial Data Logger which needed a USB Adapter to connect to my Dell XPS/400 USB Only Computer and finally purchased a Serial Card on the advice of others and it has worked like a charm preventing the numerous daily Weather Display lockups I was having. The problem now is I cannot get any Connection with WeatherLink using VirtualVP or VPLive.
I think I have read also every Post here and am completely confused about the best route to go. Running WL 5.8 (on Comport 5) along with WD with Nexstorm on another Computer and would like to tie in the remote Computer. I think my inexperience and lack of knowledge of the TCP/IP Bridge (and set-up) has given me a Brain lock-up.
Any suggestions on what may be my best solution here would be greatly appreciated. Please excuse the long Post; frustration has me trying to my life story here it seems.
VirtualVP needs a virtual serial port driver to support serial connections to other weather programs, but it is not tied to any particular driver. N8VBvCOM works for most people. Another one that is good, and possibly better now, is com0com, available here: http://sourceforge.net/projects/com0com/
If you are running 64 bit Vista, that can cause a problem. Microsoft has imposed the requirement that all drivers on that platform be digitally signed. If you are the author of a driver, you have to pay Microsoft $500 per year to obtain a key to digitally sign your driver. Needless to say, people would make freeware drivers have a hard time justify paying out that kind of money just so they can give their driver software away for free. Eterlogic, who makes another virtual serial port driver that is normally freeware charges a fee for their Vista 64 bit verstion in order to defray this out of pocket expense they must pay.
I am in the process of testing VirtualVP on 64 bit Vista so I can verify that it does or doesn’t work on that platform.
If you have other drivers creating virtual serial ports, that can also make things more difficult, as you must make sure your configuration does not have two drivers mapping to the same port.
Running XP pro, and I’ve just installed a USB to RS485 adapter, and it basically clobbered my WD to VP connection via Virtual VP, where WD effectively flatlined for a day and a half until I noticed it.
I’m hoping that I can keep running VVP as it really is very handy to be able to access my VP2 with both WD and WL.