Why do I receive "cannot connect" error messages?

Symptom

While attempting to play media from a link you receive one of the following error messages:

Explanation

A "cannot connect" error generally means that RealOne Player did not connect to the computer that serves the media content (the server); they may also mean that the link you clicked is out-of-date.

Connection errors that occur on specific sites or that only occur once in a while are not usually a cause for concern. Occasional errors are usually caused by high traffic on the Internet or the site hosting the files being unavailable or the files having been moved.

Connection errors that occur at all sites on a recurring basis may indicate a problem with RealOne Player or your Internet connection. You may need to reconfigure RealOne Player or your Internet Service Provider's (ISP) connection software to allow RealOne Player to connect.

Solution 1: Play clips from the RealNetworks Technical Support Samples Page

You will receive "link out of date" errors if you play a file that has been moved. These errors occur if the Web site hosting the files has not been updated since the file changed.

To verify the problem is caused by out of date links, play sample clips from the RealNetworks sample page:

  1. Open http://service.real.com/test/ in your Web browser.

  2. Click the links that match the connection speed of your Internet connection (for example, 56K).

If the links from this site play correctly, RealOne Player is not the cause of the error you are receiving from the other site. The links at the other site are either written incorrectly or need to be updated.

Solution 2: Play files during "off-peak hours"

You may receive connection errors when playing files or downloading updates for RealOne Player if the Internet in general, the server you are trying to reach, or your Internet Service Provider is experiencing high traffic.

This problem typically occurs during "peak hours" when network traffic is highest. Playing or updating files at an alternate time during the day can usually correct connection problems caused by high traffic.

Solution 3: Manually configure RealOne Player to use HTTP only

On some networks it may be necessary to configure RealOne Player to use the HTTP Only option when connecting to the Internet. This option allows a player operating behind a strict firewall to access programming. However, the quality may not be as good as other connection options.

  1. Start RealOne Player.

  2. Select Tools>Preferences.

  3. In the left window of the dialog box, click the plus (+) sign next to Connection.

  4. Click Proxy.

  5. Select Use Proxy in the HTTP Proxy section.

  6. Enter correct address and port information (you may need to get this information from your ISP or network administrator).

  7. Click OK again to save your changes.

Solution 4: Set RealOne Player to use the No HTTP Proxy setting

When you install RealOne Player, it may configure itself to use your Web browser's HTTP proxy settings. This setting may prevent RealOne Player from connecting to some Internet Service Providers.

  1. Start RealOne Player.

  2. Select Tools>Preferences from the menus.

  3. Click the Plus sign next to Connection.

  4. Click Proxy.

  5. Select No HTTP Proxy check box in the HTTP Proxy section.

  6. Click OK.

  7. Restart RealOne Player.

Solution 5: Update your Internet Service Provider's software

If your Internet Service Provider (America Online, Earthlink, or others) uses custom software to connect to the Internet, updating that software may resolve these issues. Contact your Internet Service Provider to verify that you are using the latest version of their software available, and to verify that their software uses a 32-bit compatible Winsock driver.

Solution 6: Reconnect if AOL's Idle Timer disconnects you or adjust AOL's Parental Control settings

AOL has an idle timer feature that automatically disconnects your computer from AOL if your computer has been inactive for a predetermined amount of time. You will receive a "Cannot connect to server" error if AOL has terminated your connection and you try to access the Internet with RealOne Player.

If this occurs, reconnect to AOL. Once you have reconnected to AOL, you will be able to access content with RealOne Player.

If the AOL screen name you are using has restricted access levels (Parental Controls), the AOL access level specified may prohibit RealOne Player from connecting to content for playback. To correct this problem, change the access restrictions for that AOL screen name.

The Parental Controls feature allows the user to create specific levels of access for each screen name or edit existing settings on AOL. For more information on parental controls in AOL, visit http://www.aol.com/info/parentcontrol.html.