Assigning Ports to DXLab Applications
Commander, DXKeeper, and SpotCollector can each accept directives conveyed over a network using the TCP protocol. They do so by listening for incoming requests addressed to a specific Port associated with the computer on which they are running. An application seeking to direct DXKeeper to log a QSO, for example, uses the TCP protocol to send an ADIF record describing that QSO to to the Port to which DXKeeper is expecting incoming directives on the computer on which it is is running. While running on the same computer, Commander, DXKeeper, and SpotCollector each listen for incoming directives on different Ports.
In the interest of simplicity, Commander, DXKeeper, and SpotCollector each listen to a Port that lies within a block of 8 Ports specified by the lowest Port number in the block, referred to as the Base Port.
+ By default, all three applications specify a Base Port of 52000. With the Base Port set to this default value,
Commander listens for incoming TCP directives on port 52002
DXKeeper listens for incoming TCP directives on port 52001
SpotCollector listens for incoming TCP directives on port 52003
Port Conflicts
While Port numbers are permanently assigned to popular services like FTP, Telnet, HTTP, and HTTPS, applications like DXLab's cannot obtain a permanently assigned Port. Thus its possible that another application running on your computer employs the same Port as one of your DXLab applications; when you start that DXLab application, a Port already in Use error message will be displayed. Windows Vista, 7, 8, and 10 assign temporary Ports in the range of 49152–65535 - another source of Port already in Use error messages.
When a Port already in Use error message appears, change Commander's, DXKeeper's, and SpotCollector's Base Port to a value between 16384 and 32768, and update the settings of any applications that send TCP messsages to Commander (like WSJT-X) or DXKeeper (like JT-Alert) to reflect the Ports to which they are now listening.
Changing the Base Port
To change the Base Port in Commander, click the Net Serv button on the right side of the Configuration window's General tab, and then set the Base Port in the Network Service window's TCP Network Service panel.
To change the Base Port in DXKeeper, set it in the Network Service panel on the Configuration window's Defaults tab
To change the Base Port in !Spotcollector, set it in the Network Service panel on the Configuration window's General tab