Using the BCS Behind a Proxy

The BCS is a client-side utility that requires direct Internet access to complete connection tests. When a proxy is deployed on the client machine it can interfere with certain BCS protocols. The sections below outline the key areas that may need attention.

Local WebSocket Connection

The BCS binds to 127.0.0.1 and listens on port 32658 (HTTP) and port 32660 (HTTPS).

When the test page loads, the first action is to establish a WebSocket connection to the BCS.

HTTP Tests

The test will first attempt ws://bcs.visualware.com:32658, then fall back to ws://127.0.0.1:32658.

HTTPS Tests

Because HTTPS uses a secure certificate bound to a domain name, it will only attempt wss://bcs.visualware.com:32660. This means DNS must be able to resolve bcs.visualware.com to 127.0.0.1.

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Important: The BCS → Test connection occurs entirely on the local machine. Localhost traffic must not be routed through the proxy, and DNS access is required for tests loading over HTTPS.

Basic diagram depicting the initial BCS connection protocol.

Resource Requests

Once the local WebSocket connection is established, the BCS makes numerous resource requests to the testing server over the Internet.

These resources include licensing information and test specifications.

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Note: The test IP or URL used for resource requests may differ from the URL the test is running on, as tests can be hosted anywhere. Contact your test provider for this information.

Basic diagram depicting the BCS resource request protocol.

Running the Test

The tests themselves do not utilize the proxy as they require a variety of ports to be open.

For example, the Voice over IP test uses UDP ports 20000 and 20001 by default. If those ports are closed in the local test environment, the test will fail.

Passing Proxy Settings via Command Line

If the local WebSocket connection is working but resource requests or tests are failing, the issue may be proxy related. You can pass proxy configuration directly to thebcs.exe using command-line switches.

1 Open a Command Prompt

2 Navigate to the directory containing thebcs.exe

3 Run the executable with the appropriate switches

Command Prompt

thebcs.exe -ps1.2.3.4 -po8080 -puPxUser -ppPxPw

Switch	Description	Required
`-ps`	Proxy server address	Yes
`-po`	Proxy server port	Yes
`-pu`	Proxy username	Only if authentication is required
`-pp`	Proxy password	Only if authentication is required

Troubleshooting the Point of Failure

Identifying where the failure is occurring can sometimes be tricky. Below are the three most common failure points.

WebSocket Error

If the failure occurs during the initial connection phase, a WebSocket error will appear in the browser console log.

Resource Error

If there was an error retrieving resources, a message will appear on the test interface detailing which resource failed. This likely indicates the proxy is blocking the request.

Test Error

If the test appears to run but results show as blank or red, it could be due to a required test port being closed. Contact your test provider for the required port list.