Why doesn't my LinkIQ connect with LinkWare PC?
When your LinkIQ isn’t connecting properly to your PC, it can be hard to tell what might be going wrong.
Some simple troubleshooting tips can help you sort out which of the 3 main variables might be to blame: the LinkIQ itself, the USB-C cable, or your PC.
The LinkIQ
First and foremost, the LinkIQ needs to be powered on, and on its Home screen. The connection to a PC will not function if you are on the Results or Settings screens.
On current firmware, when plugged into a PC, the Home screen will display a message that reads:
Disconnect the USB cable to enable copper tests.
(Note: Older firmware version may contain a different but similarly phrased message)
Either way, this message confirms the device is on the correct screen, and that it recognizes it is plugged into a PC.
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A potential fault with the LinkIQ’s USB-C port itself can be hard to spot, since it’s trouble can also appear just like other issues discussed below. While not always possible, if other PCs or LinkIQs are available, using them to troubleshoot can help provide clues as to where the issue might be:
Does this LinkIQ work with other PCs, just not this one? If so, the trouble is likely related to only this particular PC.
Does the same trouble follow the LinkIQ wherever it goes, across multiple PCs? We’re probably looking at a problem with it or the USB-C cable, then.
Does no other LinkIQ work either? The particular USB-C cable used might be the problem, or something that affects each PC might be playing a part.
Each of these ideas is further explored below.
The USB Cord
Sometimes, a USB cord is just plain no-good. Many cases are eventually solved by simply trying another USB-C cable.
USB-C to USB-A cables are included with the LinkIQ and referenced in it's documentation, but USB-C to USB-C cables also function just fine.
Check to see if this USB cable works with any other USB data device you have. If so, the problem most likely lies elsewhere. If not, you know you’ve got a bad cable on your hands, and it’s time to try a replacement instead.
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Some USB-C cables are power only, which unfortunately is rarely clear just from looking at them. They are often included with USB accessories that don’t have data to transmit (and thus only need electricity) as a cost-saving measure.
While they’re hopefully marked as such, if they aren’t (or the label is removed) these cables become indistinguishable from proper data cables.
Cables like this might seem like they work at first - just enough information passes along for the devices to see they’re plugged in, but not enough to meaningfully interact with the device. A different USB cable would have to be used instead.
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If you’re using any accessory between the USB cable and your PC – whether that’s a USB hub, adapter, or extension cable – it would be worth making sure they’re not playing a part by plugging directly into the PC instead.
The Computer
A simple thing to try first is to check on the USB port you happen to be using. Just like with cable troubleshooting, a good metric to use would be to see if this port otherwise works as expected with other devices.
If your PC has multiple USB ports, try different ones to see if they behave any differently. Try this in addition to multiple cables as well, if possible - it can be hard to predict if an unexpected combination of a certain USB cable and a certain USB port happens to have better luck than others.
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Perhaps our second most common solution to connectivity problems is to disable any VPN (Virtual Private Network) connections running on the computer.
An active VPN will block communication with our devices. If you’re not sure if you have a VPN running, check with your IT department.
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We can check the PC’s Device Manager to see if it recognizes that a LinkIQ is plugged in at all.
The drivers are installed automatically when installing the LinkWarePC software. If the PC recognizes that a LinkIQ device is plugged in, and if the driver is functioning properly, the device will show up in the “Network Adapters” category, listed as “Fluke USBLAN Adapter”
If the device shows up in another category, or has a small warning symbol on it, that may indicate there was a problem when the driver was originally installed. Re-installing LinkWare PC would likely help.
If it does not show up in Device Manager at all, this means the PC does not recognize the device is connected, and the problem might be physical like the USB cable, or the ports on the LinkIQ or PC.
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When you already know the PC recognizes the LinkIQ in the Device Manager, try pulling up the LinkWare PC software and go to [Utilities] > [LinkIQ] > [Software Version…]
This feature pings the device in a different way than the Import buttons do, and we’ve found that there’s times when this slightly different interaction with the device works where the other interactions did not.
If we're lucky, and a window pops up specifying the LinkIQ’s serial number and firmware versions, this means everything was working physically all along. This feature finally bridged the gap - the device should work as expected from here on out.
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Because our devices show up as a “Network Adapter” to a computer, they can sometimes be blocked by rules set up by your IT Department that would otherwise block unauthorized Network Devices from connecting and making changes to a computer.
If you have security precautions you typically have to make while using this PC to connect to a network, and especially if several computers with these rules are not connecting to any LinkIQ device, this may be the explanation. We’d recommend working with your IT department to find a potential solution.
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A mismatch between the current firmware of the LinkIQ and the version of LinkWare PC installed may play a part. If one of them is very new and the other very old, there might be something in that combination that no longer lines up.
Listing every potential combination is outside the scope of this article, but it might be necessary to gather this information and reach out to tech support.
You can find the LinkWarePC version by going to [Help] > [About Linkware PC…]
You can find the LinkIQ's firmware in [Settings] > [About] listed as “Software”
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Currently, our drivers are not supported by ARM-based processors; instead, they are only compatible with x86-based processors. This means PCs that are running a processor made a company like Snapdragon will not have the ability to connect with the LinkIQ, even though the LinkWare PC software otherwise functions normally.
If this is the case, you’ll instead need to use an x86-based PC instead, with a processor made by companies like AMD or Intel.
Further Troubleshooting
Hopefully, one of the many solutions presented here help find the solution, and your LinkIQ connects to LinkWare PC just fine now.
If not, it would be best to reach out to Fluke Networks Tech Support with your Linkware PC software version and LinkIQ firmware version for further troubleshooting.