Sophos Anti-Virus for Windows: communication error

The following error message can be seen where a computer that previously reported successfully to Enterprise Console, or Sophos Control Center, can no longer do so.

Communication error

or

Failed to communicate with the Sophos Console

This is a general communication error, and usually happens where communications worked for some time before breaking down.

Possible causes include:

• The console computer has been switched off.
• The Sophos Message Router service is not running on the console computer.
• The console computer has been firewalled.
• The network cable is disconnected (or damaged) on the console computer.
• The console computer's fixed IP addresses have changed.

This problem may also be mentioned in the Sophos Network Communications Report (inglés).

What to do

Look for the following:

• Switch on the console computer, if it was switched off.
• Check the network cabling between the affected computers.
• Has a firewall, e.g. the Windows firewall, been installed on the console computer? Open ports 8192 and 8194, if necessary.
• Restart the Sophos Message Router service, if it has been stopped. Analyze why it might have stopped.