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Staying Connected
EEforce is designed for long working days and the occasional hiccup — a dropped Wi-Fi signal, a laptop waking from sleep, a VPN reconnecting. It handles these quietly and tells you plainly when something needs your attention. This page explains what you'll see and what to do.
The connection indicator
The bottom-left corner of the window always shows how EEforce is doing.
| Indicator | Meaning | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Connected | All good. You're receiving live updates from the server. | Nothing — carry on. |
| Connecting | Establishing the connection, usually just after sign-in. | Wait a moment. |
| Reconnecting | The connection dropped and EEforce is restoring it on its own. | Wait — this usually clears itself in seconds. |
| Disconnected | EEforce can't reach the server right now. | See When you can't reach the server below. |
Short interruptions fix themselves
A brief network drop is normal and nothing to worry about. EEforce shows Reconnecting and keeps trying in the background. When the network comes back, it reconnects automatically and returns to Connected — you don't need to restart anything or sign in again.
Your checked-out work is always safe
The most important thing to know: a checked-out design is held for you on the server, not just on your PC. If your connection drops, your computer restarts, or you close EEforce entirely, the design stays checked out to you. When you sign back in, it's still yours to finish or cancel. Nothing you've done is lost.
When the server's licence has expired
If the server's licence runs out, EEforce switches to read-only mode: you can browse, preview and download, but nothing can be changed, and a Read-Only Mode — License Expired bar sits at the top of the window. See Signing In for what you'll see; renewals are covered in Licensing.
When your session ends
EEforce renews your sign-in quietly in the background, so long working days don't interrupt you. Sometimes a session genuinely ends rather than just pausing:
- Your session expired and couldn't be renewed.
- You signed in on another computer. EEforce allows one active session per person — see One session at a time.
When this happens, EEforce shows a message explaining why, then returns you to the sign-in screen. Sign in again to continue. Your projects, designs and check-outs are exactly as you left them.
When you can't reach the server
If the indicator stays on Disconnected, the server itself may be unreachable. Try these in order:
- Check your own connection — can you reach other company systems or websites? If not, it's your network.
- If you're remote, check your VPN — EEforce needs the same access you'd use to reach shared drives.
- Wait a minute — EEforce keeps retrying and will reconnect on its own once the server is reachable.
- Still stuck? — contact whoever manages EEforce at your company. The server may be restarting or undergoing maintenance.
TIP
Even while disconnected, anything you've already downloaded — files you opened or saved, and a design you have checked out — remains on your PC. You won't lose access to what you were working on.
A quick recovery checklist
| If… | Then… |
|---|---|
| Indicator shows Reconnecting | Wait — it clears itself. |
| You were returned to the sign-in screen | Sign in again; your work is safe. |
| Indicator stays Disconnected | Check your network/VPN, then contact your administrator. |
| You had a design checked out | It's still checked out to you after you reconnect. |
| You need a file right now while offline | Use what you've already downloaded; retrieve the rest once reconnected — see Browsing & Downloading Files. |

