Stuck at "Sending assets/*" when connecting to Companion

[TrentKallust]

Hello,

I have been successfully using App Inventor for about 4 days now, including being able to connect to the Companion app on my Android phone. I have made changes to the app I am building while both disconnected from and connected to the Companion with no issues connecting and updating up until this afternoon. I uploaded a fairly large amount of assets to the servers while disconnected from the Companion so I think that may have caused the issue, but now when trying to connect the loading bar goes quickly through downloading all of the assets but then hangs at 99% stating it is "Sending assets/(assetname) to companion..." and seems to not be going anywhere, at one time after giving it about 30 minutes.

I have tried closing and reopening the Companion app and the browser tab several times in both orders, resetting the connection several times, deleting first just the /assets folder and then the whole /AppInventor folder from my device and trying to connect again, uninstalling and reinstalling the Companion on my device, and various combinations of all of this with no change. I finally tried deleting first some, and then all of the assets from the servers to see if I could force a connection without needing to push any data across to my device, and it first dropped the completed percentage to 98% before hanging, then gave me no loading bar at all and actually errored out connecting, respectively. After this, I uploaded all of my assets again, fixed some of the bits of my app which had broken when the assets went missing, and tried again, and am back to hanging at 99%.

Can someone offer any suggestions on what the issue may be and any steps I haven't taken which may resolve this?

Thanks!

[TrentKallust]

UPDATE: I downloaded aiStarter and am able to connect to my device via USB as a workaround. Even though this downloaded and sent assets, after disconnecting and trying to connect via WiFi again there is no change to my issue.

[SteveJG]

Glad the USB option works for you Trent.

There are several possibilities why WIFI might not be working.  There might be issues with your router which should have WIFI output.  Does it?    Are you perhaps using xfinitywifi ?   MIT are aware developers using that service have various difficulties when it is used with App Inventor.

I assume you probably have read this  

• Connect phone/tablet or emulator for live testing as you build

         but if you have not, the instructions there might help you get WIFI working with your device.

Regards,

Steve

[TrentKallust]

Hi Steve,

Thanks for the reply. I have read that and it doesn't appear to be an issue with my router. Yes it does have WiFi output and I was previously connected successfully via WiFi using this app. I have CenturyLink as my ISP and as far as I know nothing has changed with my setup in between successful connection and failed connection.

[SteveJG]

You have large assets, this might be a situation where the Google server is timing out prior to loading every thing.  This is possibly telling "uploaded a fairly large amount of assets to the servers while disconnected from the Companion"

You might try the alternative server at Amazon that does not have a timing restriction.   http://code.appinventor.mit.edu/login/  

You will need to create an aia of your Project, then import it to that server.    You might try that.

[TrentKallust]

That does seem like a likely cause and a promising solution. I don't seem to be able to access the alternate server though. It is telling me invalid credentials when I try to connect with my Google account that I am using for the main app, I don't have a revisit code, and trying to connect without a login loads a blank page.

Thank you for your help thus far!

[SteveJG]

Click on   CONTINUE WITHOUT AN ACCOUNT...

This page pops up after several seconds of a blank page.  If your Internet is slow, this may take more time

Do you see it?     If you do not, I expect you have a slow Internet connection.   You might be able to test your connection speed at   http://www.speedtest.net/   or something similar.

--Steve

[TrentKallust]

Ok, my speed is fine, not sure why it didn't load the first time but I went back and did get that screen. Unfortunately, after adding the aia and trying to connect, I am still having the same issue on this server as well.

[TrentKallust]

LAST UPDATE: Not sure what changed, but over the weekend it started working again. Sorry I don't have a satisfying solution for anyone else who has this issue, but keep trying I guess.