Where is "Internet Connectivity Evaluation Tool"?

This is an update about the NV-drivers issue, and a new driver issue noticed in the

MS driver (not new issue, but uncovered issue due to new game. 

As I mentioned before, I have 1 screen that's my "main screen" (a Dell 2560x1600 ~30"), but it is a "screen", not a multi-channel, theater-type audio output device.  My 2nd screen is on the "back" of my Onkyo TX-NR838, 7.1 Home theater system.  The "2nd screen is 1920x1080, but is a 55" wall mounted unit -- also not having much in the way of sound output (maybe small stereo speakers built-in). 

So the HDMI signal from my computer goes into the Onkyo where the audio is split off

to the theater system that does 7.1 decoding and video that goes out the back in a pass-through mode to the screen.

When I use my computer (and am not watching video), I use the Dell for display, and the Onkyo for sound.  The onkyo works great for stereo fidelity AND 7.1 sources -- with the speakers set around the room balanced to someone sitting in front of the Dell.  Recently

got a new game that was a bit braindead.  It only wanted to put sound out to the same

device as the video went to -- I.e. my split system didn't work (a first). 

I remembered that Nvidia's drivers had probs with using sound w/o associated video being on -- and wondered if it would "behave" differently -- installed the latest drivers, and found that  the Nvidia drivers fixed (or worked around) the problem of the game not liking a split video/sound setup.  I also found that NV has fixed the issue with needing to keep the monitor w/the sound system turned on, as well as presenting

the HDMI connection as whatever the output device says (7.1) -- vs. the old driver always reported 2 channel output as it ignored the decoding ability of the output device  (whereas the MS driver had always reported the # channels of the output device correctly). 

So Nvidia has stepped up and fixed some of their more onerous problems (that their support people said couldn't be fixed -- because the problem was in HW... um... right!).

And works w/the obscure game title (Blades of Time) that doesn't seem to like the video and audio going to two separate outputs...

I'm sure I'll find some cases where the MS drivers works better than the NV driver, but NV certainly, in only 5-6 years, caught up to the MS drivers.  It's doubtful that MS will upgrade their drivers, since they don't seem to be aiming for the high end, 3D-accel-using desktops in their newer OS's...(*sigh*)...

Hi,

thanks for the ideas,

I will open a new thread.  MS make it look too easy!

Hello, squeezy

There's a good deal more information required to resolve a situation such as you describe - what operating system is in use for each of the two computers you're trying to connect, what router model you're using to connect them, what software update revision the router is running, what exactly you are trying to accomplish with Easy Connect, what type cabling you're using, and more.  The reason you can't find the referenced tool is, as I noted in the February post you've replied to, because it is no longer available (Microsoft really needs to update that help article). 

Were I you, I might first look at the helpful suggestions in Jack MVP's July 15, 2010 post (which I think should have been marked as answer, rather than the one that is marked so) to this Answers Community thread: "Easy connect" and see if that didn't help resolve the problem. 

If it does not, I'd bear in mind that the quickest way to get help is to create your own, new thread. 

It may not seem obvious- after all, this 2012 thread is apparently specifically about the problem you're facing, and you most likely found this thread via a search for one or another of the problem's parameters - but I believe you'll find it's almost always a better idea to create your own new Community thread for any particular question you may have. This is because new questions will always come to the attention of either the Forum (Microsoft employee) or Community (Volunteer expert) Moderators, while discussion posts and postings to old threads (such as this one from 2012) do not necessarily automatically come to the notice of the Moderators - or of the "Community Stars" who quite often provide some of the best answers to Community Member's questions; many of the latter use the Community-provided tools to seek out such questions specifically so they can provide help. Posting to an older thread is unlikely to come to the attention

of anyone other than those who - like myself in this particular instance - are *subscribed* to this thread due to having either clicked the "Had this Question - Me too" button or made a post (And ticked the "Notify me when someone responds to this post" box before posting) @ some point in the past, as I once did, and thus rcv e-mail notification of new posts.

     I also believe that how a question is asked can affect the response one receives; to this end I find that the Wiki article created by Wiki Author, Community Moderator, and MVP ZigZag3143 (MS - MVP),

How to ask an effective question and the Microsoft Knowledge Base KB555375 article "Suggestions for asking a question on help forums" are both helpful.

More information is available in this portion of the Microsoft Community FAQ page:

Asking a Question or Starting a Discussion.

I am trying to use easy Connect for the first time and Microsoft's site tells me to use the Internet Connectivity Evaluation Tool but I cannot find it anywhere.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Why-cant-I-use-Easy-Connect-with-Windows-Remote-Assistance says:

Your router doesn't support Easy Connect. Easy Connect uses the Peer Name Resolution Protocol to transfer the Remote Assistance invitation over the Internet. You can check your router by using the Internet Connectivity Evaluation Tool on the Microsoft website. If you're running Windows Server, you need to install the Peer Name Resolution Protocol.

Help....

Dave