|
Avid Pro Audio CommunityHow to Join & Post • Community Terms of Use • Help Us Help YouKnowledge Base Search • Community Search • Learn & Support |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
Using PT with Internet connection!?
Hi,
I totally understand Avid needs to protect its software from unauthorized use, but the reality is that many of us use two machines, one in the studio/office (desktop) and another on the road (laptop), and we don't always have stable Internet connections when we're out... For example, today I wanted to finish few edits in a Starbucks while waiting for my next meeting - Their connection is notoriously flaky, but when I started PT it successfully authorized the (iLok cloud) session and I dove right in... After around 15min, while editing an audio clip it seems that their WiFi dropped for a shot time but I didn't really notice it, I just got an error message that popped up and complained that PT failed to authorize, the clip that I was playing at the time just hung there and then went into a feedback loop frenzy, and eventually PT crashed! Since I successfully authorized PT on my laptop at the start of the session, why can't iLok just relax a tiny bit and give us some space to finish our work instead of continuously pinging a server over the network or whatever? Besides being a workflow killer (literally), who knows how those interrupts affect PT's operation and performance (no wonder it keeps throwing various error msgs on a maxed out 2018 MBP!) but really... my question is, what for? Is Avid seriously expecting someone will start a legitimate session using their legitimate Avid/iLok account, then half way through, hand over their laptop to someone else to use PT illegally? Seriously?
__________________
Mac Pro, Pro Tools, RME FireFace UFX+ Last edited by samtrino; 02-05-2019 at 02:38 PM. Reason: post was incomplete |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
Re: Using PT with Internet connection!?
Because what’s stopping someone starting PT on one machine, disconnecting from the internet, starting PT on another machine, disconnecting from the internet, starting PT on... you see where I’m going.
If you want a reliable connection, just use the physical iLok dongle. They’re not that big. It’s not like we’re using the original iLoks. Now they were annoying. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
Re: Using PT with Internet connection!?
Sorry but that can't happen because you would only be allowed to use PT on 2 pre-authenticated and pre-registered machines, for example using MAC address and other bits to uniquely identify those two machines (which is actually used by several software devs using iLok licensing) - So the worse case scenario is you could use PT on both of your machines simultaneously, but no more (Avid / iLok can actually track how many open session you concurrently have).
Yes I have a physical dongle but it's not practical, it's easy to forgot, not too sturdy, can be stolen, etc. I just hope someone at Avid comes up with a better solution that ensures proper cloud-based authorization while offering an improved user experience and a workflow that takes into account the need to constantly juggle between a desktop and a laptop (with intermittent internet connection)!
__________________
Mac Pro, Pro Tools, RME FireFace UFX+ |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
Re: Using PT with Internet connection!?
I’m not a coder so won’t profess to know exactly how it works, but I wouldn’t be surprised if what I said is actually the case.
Do you know that PT pings the physical iLok continuously as well? If you remove the dongle whilst PT is open, within a minute or so, the app with throw up an activation error and you can’t proceed. Don’t get me wrong, I’d like it to be the way you suggest it to be, but I’m sure there’s a reason they do it this way beyond making it a PITA for their customers. Both AVID and Pace are masters of that, but I’m not sure that’s what’s behind the constant with checks. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
Re: Using PT with Internet connection!?
What iLok cloud should have is some sort of time-out feature for software licensing for the case of disconnected WiFi. Say, for example, you have a cloud session going and you lose WiFi, PT will stay active for a set time (30 min, 1 hour) to finish up what you’re working on or at least save the session and give you time to find new WiFi before locking you out of the application.
There is some type of pinging happening between Pro Tools and the physical ilok to make sure it’s still plugged in so it makes sense the same thing happens over the cloud. |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
Re: Using PT with Internet connection!?
Quote:
Easy to forget - make it part of your pre-travel routine to take it with you Not too sturdy - get a dongle buddy extension cable - that way the iLok isn't hard connected to the computer Can be stolen - have ZDT coverage along with TLC coverage; at $30 US per year it's the cheapest insurance you can get (besides having a second iLok). Besides who would steal just the iLok connected to your laptop? You'll have a bigger issue because then you computer is gone. Most people wouldn't know what the iLok is or does. |
#7
|
|||
|
|||
Re: Using PT with Internet connection!?
If physical dongles fit your workflow great! nothing's gonna change, you can keep using them without any problem - But what's the point of technology if not to put it to good use and offload all those non-value adding tasks so we can instead focus on what's really important?
Anyways, I've been using PT for a year now and never complained about cloud authentication (even though it always felt clunky) until I hit that bug yesterday which caused PT to crash in the middle of a session because of a flaky wifi connection! There is a better way to deal with this. It could be as simple as the poster above suggested, a timeout "grace" period with a non-intrusive warning so we have time to finish what we're working on! Quote:
__________________
Mac Pro, Pro Tools, RME FireFace UFX+ |
#8
|
|||
|
|||
Re: Using PT with Internet connection!?
Ok. So you don’t wanna use the physical iLok.
How bout instead of trying to use Starbucks free WiFi that half the block is leaching, you tether your laptop to your phone and use that instead. More than likely more stable and its not like its going to chew more than a megabyte in data. Not playing down your request, but at the end of the day, you’re killing time editing a session in a cafe. Probably not that mission critical. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk |
#9
|
||||
|
||||
Re: Using PT with Internet connection!?
Quote:
__________________
System : Studio - Avid Carbon interface , PT Ultimate 2023.12 Mid 2020 (intel) iMac 27" Ventura 13.2 .1 Mobile - 2021 14 " MBP M1 Pro PT Ultimate 2024.3.0 --Sonoma 14.4 Enjoy the Journey.... Kev... |
#10
|
|||
|
|||
Re: Using PT with Internet connection!?
People would literally scam ilok in the very early 2000s by starting a session, pulling the USB key, and then starting another computer with it. Later that same concept was used to create an intercept that cracked ilok security and everything protected by it.
The ilok not only protects ProTools but the plugins. So if you want to blame someone for this, blame the “users”. If ilok did what you asked, I can see exactly how ilok would be cracked again and no one would use it (ie, software developers would not pay ilok and ilok would collapse as a company) Buck up and use the physical ilok key if you have a poor internet connection. They’ve given enough options.
__________________
Pro Tools Ult 2024.3.1, HDX 2, MTRX/SPQ, RME BBF Pro + MADIface Pro • S1 x 2, Fire Max11 x 2, Dock, iPad Air5 • Mac Mini 14,12, 12 core, macOS 13.6.6 • RAM 32GB, SSD 4TB, GPU 19 core • QNAP TVS-872XT 148TB TB3 Last edited by BScout; 02-06-2019 at 07:26 AM. |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Can You Use PTC w/o Internet Connection? | danevaz | Avid S1, S3, Dock and Control App | 5 | 04-06-2018 06:03 PM |
No Internet Connection | brianjanthony | macOS | 3 | 03-05-2018 02:02 PM |
No internet connection | jessielloydmusic | Pro Tools | Intro Discussion | 1 | 10-30-2017 07:10 AM |
internet connection | demariai | macOS | 0 | 11-29-2011 12:26 PM |
internet connection | lacsong | 003, Mbox 2, Digi 002, original Mbox, Digi 001 (Win) | 2 | 06-07-2006 10:20 AM |