Performance & Connectivity Diagnostics

Connectivity problems can be tricky to diagnose and even high-speed internet providers can experience occasional slowness or connection quality problems that can create issues for connecting to and working in applications on Swizznet.

Also, if someone is having connectivity issues the first place to start is to have them do a restart – we are seeing more and more with Windows that if an update is pending install and a restart is required, it will cause constant connectivity issues for that computer.

PERFORMANCE:

Two things that degrade performance in QuickBooks are:

1. SmartVault
   If you're not using SmartVault on the system, but are seeing the green sign-on for SmartVault in the lower right corner of your screen or the gray bar on the right side of your file, this can slow down the program considerably and we recommend following these steps to unintegrate SmartVault with your file.
2. A Large .TLG File
   Making a backup copy with full verification while logged in as the QB Admin in single-user mode at least once a month will reset the .TLG file associate with your QuickBooks file and will keep your file running optimally. See How.

If those two items have already been done or don't apply, but you're still finding the system slow or having disconnects, please perform the following two test:

1. Speed Test 
   pingtest.com
   As a general rule the absolute minimum download speed should be 10mb/second and minimum upload should be 3mb/second to provide reasonably stable access and workable speed.
   

   Recommended ISP Bandwidth
   Down= 10mbps + (5mbps *number of users)
   Up = 10Mbps+

   These are just a guideline and the quality of the connection (diagnosed via the ping test below) can provide more information on problematic connections.
   
   
2. Run a tracert or ping test from the command prompt - use pingtest.swizznet.com or 107.6.98.129.

We recommend a connection via DSL, broadband or high-speed internet. Connections via satellite internet with high latency can be problematic and create delay.

Slow Application Launching
It is normal for Citrix to take 30-60 seconds to create a secure connection between your computer and our network and open your applications. If you're finding that it's extremely slow to launch applications, uninstall the Screwdrivers client on your local computer and upgrade to the latest Citrix Plug In:

• Uninstalling a previous Citrix plug in
• Installing the latest Citrix plug in for Windows
• Installing the latest Citrix plug in for Mac

Sharing a Swizznet Login
If you are sharing a user account and another user logs in while you're logged, all of the applications will disappear from your screen and be brought over the computer where the second user has logged in. Citrix is designed to work this way and "follow" you if you change computers. If you are sharing a user account and your applications disappear without any sort of error message, it is very likely that someone else has logged into the system with your same user credentials and moved your open applications to their computer.

Disconnected Sessions
Sometimes internet providers (ISP's) have hiccups or momentary disruptions in their connectivity. For most static websites these hiccups are not noticeable, but if you're working on Swizznet and your ISP has a hiccup or disruption in connection it can cause your connection to your applications to be disconnection. When this happens you will receive an error message saying that your connection has been interrupted. If this only happens occasionally, just log back into the system again and it should reconnect you to your previously open applications.

If you are experiencing frequent disconnects one thing to try is to login to an instant messaging service - if you get interruptions in your connections to these types of services, it's a sure sign that your ISP is having difficulties. We also recommend running the Ping and Speed tests above. If you have low scores on either test, your best bet is to contact your ISP to see if they can increase your speed or connection quality. Other solutions you can try include:

• Restart your modem and/or wireless router
• Restart your computer
• Uninstall your Citrix client and install the latest Citrix plug-in. 

If you have a high quality, high-speed internet connection and none of these solutions help with the slowness or connectivity problems, please open a support ticket for further troubleshooting and be sure to list the results of your ping and speed tests.