Vacation: online or offline?

markhl · 2003-09-10, 23:23

I will leave my PC running Prime95 while I am on vacation, and am trying to decide whether to stay offline or online.

If I leave it online Prime95 can send its results.

If I leave it offline I can switch off the external DSL modem to save energy & isolate the system from lightning strikes on phone lines.
I will also feel more secure, even though I use the Windows XP Internet Connection Firewall!
However Prime95 will try to connect and give error 2250. It will then keep trying every hour till I get back, wasting a little CPU time.

1: How much CPU time does a failed server attempt take?
2: What do you folks think?

Thanks!

roy1942 · 2003-09-11, 01:49

I believe the best way to handle this is to just turn off the automatic communication with PrimeNet. In the Prime95 menu, do:

Advanced
Manual Communication
Check the "Do not contact PrimeNet server automatically" box

(Maybe you have to use the password to enable the Manual Communication menu. I don't remember, I did it so long ago)

Now it will not try unless you "OK" this menu box with the "Contact PrimeNet server now" box checked.

If you are running mprime, not prime95, there are the same chioces in its menus.

dsouza123 · 2003-09-11, 01:56

Two things prime95 has the Vacation or Holiday item on the Test menu.

It has a check box for "computer will be on during your absense" that will address getting enough work for the vacation time and I guess may deal with the trying to connect issue.

Under Options menu the Preferences item will let the network retry time max out at 5 hours (300 minutes) it only is about 10 seconds of time lost each time in trying to connect anyway.

Turn off the cable modem it will be better.
Just make sure you have plenty of work reserved.

nomadicus · 2003-09-11, 14:19

FWIW - I always have the interval of contact at 5 hours. I did a last manual communication thingie, pulled the cat5 cable and off I go.

markhl · 2003-09-12, 20:44

Thanks for your input! Tentative plan:

BEFORE VACATION
* Get enough work to keep the PC busy, Test -> PrimeNet, "Always have at least this many days of work queued up". I use at least 2x the length of my vacation in case a P-1 check finds a factor quickly, so it has another exponent to do.
* Tell the server that I will be away: Test menu -> Vacation or Holiday, check "Computer will be on during your absence". This tells the server about new completion dates, but does not get any extra work or stop Prime95 trying to connect.
* Advanced -> Password type in 9876 to enable this menu.
* Advanced -> Manual Communication, check "Do not contact PrimeNet server automatically".
* Options -> Preferences, I could increase the network retry to 300 minutes. I guess if Prime95 is not trying to connect then the retry doesn't matter?
* Turn off DSL modem, speakers, printer, Palm sync cradle, ...

AFTER VACATION
* On the Advanced menu clear "Do not contact PrimeNet server automatically". Check "Contact PrimeNet server now" and press OK.
* Options -> Preferences, maybe restore network retry to 60 minutes.
* If that does not upload results, then I may have to stop and restart the Prime95 service. I know that forces an upload.

QuintLeo · 2003-09-13, 02:20

How *long* is your vacation going to be?

How good is the cooling in the room your computer is in?

markhl · 2003-09-13, 02:31

My vacation will be about 2 weeks.

The cooling is fine thanks; it's a big enough room that is cool and well-shaded. I have never had a hardware error, even when I am there which tends to make the room warmer.

QuintLeo · 2003-09-14, 02:20

I'd be tempted to just leave the machine up and running - turn off the monitor, perhaps turn off the DSL modem and unplug.

lycorn · 2003-09-14, 08:26

markhl:

Your plan seems fine to me, that is basically what I do when I´m on vacation.
If you check "Do not contact Primenet server automatically", don´t worry about the retry value in Preferences.
When coming back, open "Manual Communication", and uncheck "Do not contact Primenet server automatically"; "Contact Primenet Server now" is already checked by default by the program. Don´t forget to start by setting the days of work queued up to the normally used value, otherwise the program will automatically reserve several exponents you may not be interested in after sending the results.

Have a nice vacation (I´ve just arrived from a 3 week vacation and I´m getting ready to be back at work tomorrow

)

markhl · 2003-09-30, 19:30

I am back from vacation.
This worked fine; thanks for your help!

2003-09-10, 23:23	#1
markhl Apr 2003 California 134₈ Posts	Vacation: online or offline? I will leave my PC running Prime95 while I am on vacation, and am trying to decide whether to stay offline or online. If I leave it online Prime95 can send its results. If I leave it offline I can switch off the external DSL modem to save energy & isolate the system from lightning strikes on phone lines. I will also feel more secure, even though I use the Windows XP Internet Connection Firewall! However Prime95 will try to connect and give error 2250. It will then keep trying every hour till I get back, wasting a little CPU time. 1: How much CPU time does a failed server attempt take? 2: What do you folks think? Thanks!

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2003-09-11, 01:49	#2
roy1942 Aug 2002 47 Posts	I believe the best way to handle this is to just turn off the automatic communication with PrimeNet. In the Prime95 menu, do: Advanced Manual Communication Check the "Do not contact PrimeNet server automatically" box (Maybe you have to use the password to enable the Manual Communication menu. I don't remember, I did it so long ago) Now it will not try unless you "OK" this menu box with the "Contact PrimeNet server now" box checked. If you are running mprime, not prime95, there are the same chioces in its menus.

2003-09-11, 01:56	#3
dsouza123 Sep 2002 1010010110₂ Posts	Two things prime95 has the Vacation or Holiday item on the Test menu. It has a check box for "computer will be on during your absense" that will address getting enough work for the vacation time and I guess may deal with the trying to connect issue. Under Options menu the Preferences item will let the network retry time max out at 5 hours (300 minutes) it only is about 10 seconds of time lost each time in trying to connect anyway. Turn off the cable modem it will be better. Just make sure you have plenty of work reserved.

2003-09-11, 14:19	#4
nomadicus Jan 2003 North Carolina 246₁₀ Posts	FWIW - I always have the interval of contact at 5 hours. I did a last manual communication thingie, pulled the cat5 cable and off I go.

2003-09-12, 20:44	#5
markhl Apr 2003 California 2²·23 Posts	Thanks for your input! Tentative plan: BEFORE VACATION * Get enough work to keep the PC busy, Test -> PrimeNet, "Always have at least this many days of work queued up". I use at least 2x the length of my vacation in case a P-1 check finds a factor quickly, so it has another exponent to do. * Tell the server that I will be away: Test menu -> Vacation or Holiday, check "Computer will be on during your absence". This tells the server about new completion dates, but does not get any extra work or stop Prime95 trying to connect. * Advanced -> Password type in 9876 to enable this menu. * Advanced -> Manual Communication, check "Do not contact PrimeNet server automatically". * Options -> Preferences, I could increase the network retry to 300 minutes. I guess if Prime95 is not trying to connect then the retry doesn't matter? * Turn off DSL modem, speakers, printer, Palm sync cradle, ... AFTER VACATION * On the Advanced menu clear "Do not contact PrimeNet server automatically". Check "Contact PrimeNet server now" and press OK. * Options -> Preferences, maybe restore network retry to 60 minutes. * If that does not upload results, then I may have to stop and restart the Prime95 service. I know that forces an upload.

2003-09-13, 02:20	#6
QuintLeo Oct 2002 Lost in the hills of Iowa 2⁶×7 Posts	How long is your vacation going to be? How good is the cooling in the room your computer is in?

2003-09-13, 02:31	#7
markhl Apr 2003 California 92₁₀ Posts	My vacation will be about 2 weeks. The cooling is fine thanks; it's a big enough room that is cool and well-shaded. I have never had a hardware error, even when I am there which tends to make the room warmer.

2003-09-14, 02:20	#8
QuintLeo Oct 2002 Lost in the hills of Iowa 448₁₀ Posts	I'd be tempted to just leave the machine up and running - turn off the monitor, perhaps turn off the DSL modem and unplug.

2003-09-14, 08:26	#9
lycorn Sep 2002 Oeiras, Portugal 2⁶×23 Posts	markhl: Your plan seems fine to me, that is basically what I do when I´m on vacation. If you check "Do not contact Primenet server automatically", don´t worry about the retry value in Preferences. When coming back, open "Manual Communication", and uncheck "Do not contact Primenet server automatically"; "Contact Primenet Server now" is already checked by default by the program. Don´t forget to start by setting the days of work queued up to the normally used value, otherwise the program will automatically reserve several exponents you may not be interested in after sending the results. Have a nice vacation (I´ve just arrived from a 3 week vacation and I´m getting ready to be back at work tomorrow )

2003-09-30, 19:30	#10
markhl Apr 2003 California 2²·23 Posts	I am back from vacation. This worked fine; thanks for your help!