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Windows Roaming Client issue diagnostic

Minetta Gould
  • Updated

    In this article

This article covers how to check for common Windows Roaming Client malfunctions and download log files to troubleshoot issues associated with the agent. Send the files to our Support team for review if you are unable to identify the resolution from our support content.

Start by reviewing our Deployment Troubleshooting article for common errors and misaligned configurations that can cause issues with DNSFilter, especially if they occur during your deployment. Often the issue is a software or hardware conflict that can be resolved by updating settings or app removal.   

Roaming Client Troubleshooting

Complete this system check if it's determined the issue isn't a software or hardware conflict. 

Service status (Started/Stopped)

The tray icon for the Roaming Client should be Blue or Green. If it is Red, this is an indication that the client is not actively filtering DNS queries. There may be a problem with the system service. Verify the status with these steps. 

  1. Select ⊞ Win + R to open the Run dialog
  2. Type in services.msc and select Enter
  3. Scroll down to the service called DNSFilter Agent or DNS Agent (MSP Version)

The Agent Status should be “started” and “running." If the agent is “stopped,” restart it from the services menu. 

The service status can also be checked from the command-line. 

Locate the status:

  • SC QUERY "DNSFilter Agent"
  • SC QUERY "DNS Agent"

If the agent needs restarted: 

  • SC Start "DNSFilter Agent"
  • SC START "DNS Agent"

Port bindings

In addition to checking the service status of the Roaming Client, check that no other applications are binding to DNS ports on the local machine (127.0.0.X:53).

Run this prompt command:

netstat -ban | findstr :53

The image below illustrates the ideal output of the command.

The first highlighted line shows that the local listen to address and port (TCP) 127.0.0.2:53 is listening for connections from any address (0.0.0.0:0). The LISTENING message shows that this connection is actively bound by the Roaming Client and listening for traffic.

The second highlighted line shows the same thing for UDP (although the connection is not active).

2de7519-netstat.png

Netstat showing proper Roaming Client binding

If there are other connections listening on 127.0.0.X:53, there may be a port binding conflict between that software and the Roaming Client. 

Remove or uninstall the other software that is listening on the port and restart the agent to resolve the issue. 

Download log files

Sending our Support team these agent logs is one of the best ways for DNSFilter to diagnose an issue. Windows Roaming Client 1.10.5 and newer has a diagnostic tool built into the agent. 

✍️ If the device has a hidden tray icon, download and run this script to generate the files in C:\temp.  

  1. Replicate the issue from the device with the installed Roaming Client
  2. Click the DNSFilter Status menu icon
  3. Select Diagnostic Tool
  4. Choose a Reason for Diagnostic from the drop down menu
    This choice is for data collection purposes and does not impact how the script runs
  5. Select Run Diagnostic Now

After it has successfully run, it will automatically open the downloads folder with a zip file of the logs. Attach the zip file to the Support request. 

About the Windows logs

As of Windows Roaming Client v 1.10.2, the number of logs kept is limited to a max of 10 files with a size limit of 20 MB.

Logging is enabled with the Windows Roaming Client by default. It is set up to hold 1 week's worth of log files and then delete the oldest one each time it gets to 7 log files.

Related Troubleshooting

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