FAQs on the Online License Check (OLC):
What is the background of the switch from activation by USB stick to OLC?
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Because of the hassle involved, we have stopped selling licenses activated with USB sticks.
Can I use my existing USB stick with TrainController™ Version 10?
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No. TrainController™ Version 10 uses only internet based activation (online check).
With previous USB sticks, there was always a risk that they could get lost or broken. What does the online check look like?
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That is of course one of the great advantages of the online check. Nothing can be lost here. A time-consuming replacement of the USB stick in the event of a defect is also no longer necessary with the online check.
Are there already users who work with the online check?
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Yes. For about 3 years now, we have been offering selected users who have sent in their defective stick to us the option of switching to the online check instead of replacing the stick. In the vast majority of cases, this offer was accepted and the conversion was carried out without major problems.
Are products other than TrainController™ also activated via the Internet?
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We reserve the right to activate other products, too, via the Internet if necessary or in certain cases.
If I want to use a license for TrainController™ 10, does my model railway PC then need an internet connection?
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Yes, the model railway PC must be connected to the Internet during operation with a connected model railway.
Does the internet connection have to have a certain performance or speed?
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Not really. There is no streaming. Only a few bytes are exchanged during the online check. There is no high data traffic or consumption.
Does the computer have to be permanently connected to the Internet?
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"Permanently" is an elastic term. But maybe the following example will help. Basically, if TrainController is used on a computer with a connected model railroad on a Sunday from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., then the computer must be able to access the Internet uninterruptedly from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. That doesn't mean that the computer will be accessing the internet continuously or constantly or repeatedly during this time, but it has to
be able.
What happens if the Internet connection is lost during operation?
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This has no effect on the current session. Even if the Internet connection is lost for hours, the program and operations on the model railway continue to run undisturbed.
I do have a connection to the Internet in my home, but there is no LAN connection with a network cable between the Internet router and the model railway PC.
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With the means available today (keywords: WLAN, DLAN), the PC can also be connected to the router in a different way very easily and inexpensively.
I don't operate my model railway at home, but in my club, at exhibitions, demonstrations, etc. There is no internet connection there.
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In many cases you can help yourself in this situation with a smartphone, which is set up as a WLAN hotspot. As already mentioned above: the amount of data exchanged during the online check is small. The purchased data volume is not heavily burdened by this.
But doesn't the online check also mean that the program can no longer be used if the Internet connection fails?
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We have taken a number of precautions so that failures of the internet connection in most cases do not affect the use of the program at all. And with the previous USB stick, not everything went smoothly. In most cases, replacing a defective USB stick takes much longer than losing an Internet connection.
I would like to use the program to control different model railways with different computers - of course not at the same time. With the USB stick, this was possible by moving the stick from one computer to another. Is this also possible with the online check?
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Of course! And unlike with the USB stick, even without your intervention. The online check automatically allows non-simultaneous use of the same activation code on different computers without having to transfer anything from one computer to the other.
I have already received a USB stick for activating an earlier version of TrainController™ and would like to purchase an upgrade to version 10. How does this work?
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After the purchase, you will receive an activation code by e-mail that matches the existing USB stick. Enter this code into the software with the stick plugged in. From now on, activation will take place via the Internet.
After ordering an upgrade, you must keep the stick in any case until you have received and entered the new activation code.
In the further course of the process, your USB stick has to be invalidated.
How is the USB stick invalidated?
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After entering the new activation code for version 10, the program will prompt you to invalidate the stick. If you follow this request, you will be directed to a website on which the further procedure is described comprehensively.
After upgrading my current version to TrainController™ 10, can I still unlock the version I'm currently using?
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Yes, but without warranty, if your current version is version 9. However, you have to install a version from version 9.0 C1, since activation via the Internet only works from this version onwards.
No, if your current version is version 7 or 8, because when you upgrade to version 10 the activation is switched to the Internet and this is not supported by version 7 or 8.
I am using a version earlier than version 10 and would also like to switch the existing activation from USB to Internet. Is this possible?
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Currently this is only possible by purchasing an upgrade to version 10.
However, at a later point in time we may offer users of version 9 the option to switch to the internet as an additional service.
I have already received a USB stick for activating an earlier version of TrainController™ and would like to stay with this earlier version. Am I also affected by activation via the Internet?
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No. As long as you don't upgrade to TrainController™ 10, you can still activate your older version of TrainController™ with your USB stick and without an internet connection.