LHC@home

I have three identical Ryzen 2600 machines, all running Ubuntu 18.04.3. The problem is that two of them get work, but the third one has a hard time, even when it is running only a single CMS and I suspended the work from the other (non-LHC) project running. It would request work, but then state "no work available".

Why the difference?
It turns out that in the local BOINC preferences, I had selected both a maximum upload rate and a maximum download rate in the machines that were getting work. But on the machine that was not getting work, they were still at the default setting of "0.00". So I selected 10000 and 2000 KBytes/sec respectively, and the third machine immediately downloaded new work.

It is trick #23 by my count.

This doesn't make any sense, but it's interesting. Zero in this context should mean no limit, if it truly meant zero then none of my clients should ever get any work. Zero is apparently the default value as that's what all my clients, Linux and Windows, have for both <max_bytes_sec_up> and <down> in global_prefs_override. I have no problems getting work as long as its available. I usually also set Allow Network Communication to Always though, maybe that's the key.

I usually also set Allow Network Communication to Always though, maybe that's the key.

I never set any network time restrictions in BOINC, if that is what you are referring to. Or is it a Windows setting? I am on Ubuntu.

It may be related to my use of BOINC 7.16.3, which works a bit differently than 7.14.2 in a number of areas.
However, there was a similar problem a few years ago on WCG. The transfer rates for some machines was very low unless you set a speed, and then it increased.

I usually also set Allow Network Communication to Always though, maybe that's the key.

I never set any network time restrictions in BOINC, if that is what you are referring to. Or is it a Windows setting? I am on Ubuntu.

I'm referring the to options under the Activity tab in the manager. I set them to Always to make sure my 24/7 machines are really running 24/7, even though I don't set time schedules.