Config Docs

troubleshooting

Troubleshooting - PacketPilot Config

Installation

Installer Won't Run - "Windows Protected Your PC"

Click More info → Run anyway. This appears because the executable is not yet code-signed. A code signing certificate is planned for a future release.

"Failed to load Python DLL" on Launch

Symptom: When you double-click the EXE, you get:

Failed to load Python DLL
C:\Users\...\Downloads\_internal\python312.dll
LoadLibrary: The specified module could not be found.

Root cause: This happens when the EXE was downloaded directly (not extracted from a ZIP). Windows marks directly-downloaded files with a "Mark of the Web" (MOTW) security flag that blocks DLL loading.

Fix - recommended: Re-download from https://packetpilot.db-electronics.no/api/download/config. The download is a ZIP archive - extract it to a folder (e.g. C:\PacketPilot) and run the EXE from there. Extracted files are not affected by MOTM restrictions.

Alternative (for old EXE downloads):

  1. Right-click the PacketPilot Config.exe file in Explorer
  2. Select Properties
  3. Under General, check for a Security: section with an Unblock checkbox
  4. Check Unblock → OK
  5. Run the EXE again

App Won't Launch After Installation

  1. Check that your Windows version is 10 or 11 (64-bit)
  2. Verify .NET 8 Desktop Runtime is installed:
    • Download from: https://dotnet.microsoft.com/download/dotnet/8.0
    • Or run: dotnet --list-runtimes in a command prompt
  3. Check crash logs at: %LOCALAPPDATA%\PacketPilot\logs\

Serial Console

Cannot Open COM Port

Likely cause: Another application has the port open.

Fix: Close all other serial programs (PuTTY, Telnet, serial terminals). Then try again in Config.

Also check:

  • The correct COM port is selected in the dropdown
  • The USB-to-serial cable is plugged in and recognized in Device Manager

No Output in Console Window

Likely causes:

  • Wrong COM port selected
  • USB-to-serial cable not properly connected
  • Device not powered on

Fix:

  1. Unplug and replug the USB cable
  2. Check Device Manager → Ports → note the COM port number
  3. Select the correct COM port in Config
  4. Press Enter a few times to wake the session

Wrong Baud Rate - Garbled Text

Likely cause: The baud rate in Config doesn't match the device's console port.

Common baud rates by vendor:

| Vendor | Baud Rate | |--------|-----------| | Cisco (most) | 9600 | | Cisco (newer ISR) | 115200 | | Juniper | 9600 | | Arista | 9600 | | Aruba AOS-Switch | 9600 | | Aruba AOS-CX | 115200 |

Fix: Change the baud rate in the Console tab settings to match the device.

Login Prompt Not Detected

Likely cause: The device has a non-standard or customized login prompt.

Fix: Switch to the Generic profile. Type your username manually and press Enter. The Generic profile sends raw characters without expecting any specific prompt pattern.

SSH

"Connection Refused" Immediately

Likely cause: SSH service is not running on the device, or the device is listening on a non-standard port.

Fix:

  1. On the device, run: show ssh (Cisco) or show system services ssh (Juniper)
  2. Verify the device's SSH port in Config's device edit screen matches the device's configured port (default is 22)
  3. Try connecting with a generic SSH client (PuTTY) to verify the device is reachable

"Connection Timed Out"

Likely cause: Firewall blocking port 22 between the Config PC and the device.

Fix:

  1. Ping the device IP from the Config PC to verify basic connectivity
  2. Check if a firewall (Windows Firewall, site firewall, or device ACL) is blocking port 22
  3. Verify the device has an IP address on the same subnet as the Config PC, or that the default gateway is configured

"Authentication Failed" - Credentials Are Correct

Likely cause: The device requires an enable password beyond the login password.

Fix:

  1. In Config, right-click the device → Edit Device
  2. Enter the Enable Secret (privileged exec password)
  3. Save and try reconnecting

Also try: Some devices (certain Arista, Juniper) use keyboard-interactive authentication. Try enabling Keyboard-interactive mode in the device SSH settings.

"Host Key Verification Failed"

Likely cause: The device's SSH host key has changed since the last connection (e.g., device was reloaded, replaced, or reconfigured).

Fix:

  1. Right-click the device → Reset Host Key
  2. Reconnect - Config will accept the new host key

Session Opens But Terminal Is Unresponsive

Likely cause: Output buffering or flow control issue on the device side.

Fix:

  1. Press Enter a few times to wake the session
  2. In Settings → SSH, enable Keepalive
  3. If the issue persists, try toggling flow control settings in the SSH advanced settings

Licensing

Trial Expired Unexpectedly

Likely causes:

  1. Windows clock was changed - The trial expiry is calculated using the system clock. If the clock was set to a date in the past or future significantly, the trial may appear to have expired.
  2. Machine hardware change - Significant hardware changes (e.g., new network adapter, motherboard replacement) can change the machine ID.
  3. Windows was reinstalled - The MachineGuid changes on reinstall, but this gives a new trial, not an expired one.

Fix:

  • If the clock was changed: restore the correct date and time, then restart Config
  • If hardware changed: contact support@db-electronics.no with your license key or machine details

I Reinstalled Windows - Can I Get My Trial Back?

No. The trial is bound to the machine's hardware ID (MachineGuid + MAC address hash). Reinstalling Windows on the same hardware does not reset the trial - the machine ID stays the same.

To continue using Config, you need a license key. Contact support@db-electronics.no.

Collecting Logs for Support

If you contact support, these logs help diagnose the issue:

App Logs

Location: %LOCALAPPDATA%\PacketPilot\logs\

Include:

  • The latest .log file
  • Any .stacktrace files

Console Session Logs

Location: %LOCALAPPDATA%\PacketPilot\sessions\

Include the session log for the device you're having trouble with.

How to Find Your Machine ID

For license-related issues, support may ask for your machine ID. Find it in:

  • Config: Settings → About → Machine ID
  • Or via PowerShell: 
    (Get-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Cryptography\").MachineGuid