Phone dashboard won't connect
Last updated · SimHub 9.11.22
Before changing anything, open http://127.0.0.1:8888 in a browser on the PC running SimHub. That one test splits the problem in two. If the page does not load, the server is not running and the network is irrelevant — check that .NET Framework 4.7.2 is installed and try a different port such as 10010 in case something else has taken 8888. If the page does load on the PC but not on the phone, the server is fine and something between them is blocking it: the firewall needs inbound access on ports 8888 and 8889, the Windows network profile must be Private rather than Public, both devices must be on the same real network rather than a guest network or a repeater, and the address must be http rather than https.
Almost every thread about this changes six things at once. The loopback test costs ten seconds and tells you which half of the problem you are in, which means you can stop reading half of this page.
The test that splits it
On the PC running SimHub, open a browser and go to http://127.0.0.1:8888 That address never leaves the machine, so it tests the server alone with the network taken out of the picture entirely.
| Result | What it means | Where to go |
|---|---|---|
| Page loads | The server is running and serving. Your problem is entirely network or firewall. | Skip to Getting the phone through below. |
| Page does not load | The server is not running. Nothing on the phone side can help until it is. | Stay in the next section. |
| Page loads but is blank or broken | Server up, dashboard problem rather than a connection one. | Check a dashboard is actually selected for web serving. |
If the server is not running
- Install .NET Framework 4.7.2. The web server needs it, and its absence takes the server down while the rest of SimHub appears to work — which is why this one is hard to spot.
- Try a different port. Something else on the machine may already hold 8888. Change it in SimHub to something clear such as 10010, then restart SimHub — the change does not take effect until you do.
- Check your Windows version. The web server is documented as incompatible with Windows 10 versions 1507 and 1511, which are long out of support and still occasionally in the wild.
- Retest the loopback address on the new port before touching the phone again.
Port conflicts are quiet. Nothing announces that another program has 8888. The symptom is simply that the page does not load, which looks identical to the server being broken. Trying a different port is a two-minute test that rules it out.
Getting the phone through
The loopback page loads, so the server is fine. Everything below is about the path between the two devices.
- Firewall, ports 8888 and 8889
- SimHub opens Windows Defender's firewall during install. A third-party firewall or security suite does not get configured for you, and needs an inbound rule for both ports. To confirm this is the cause, disable the firewall briefly — if it connects, you have your answer and you should then write the rule rather than leave it off.
- Network profile must be Private
- A connection marked Public in Windows blocks local access by design. This is the setting that silently breaks a rig that used to work, because Windows sometimes re-asks after a router change and the safe answer is the wrong one here.
- The same real network
- Guest networks, WiFi repeaters and public networks isolate clients from each other on purpose. Both devices need to be on the same private LAN and the same subnet.
- http, not https
- The address is http://ip:8888. A browser that has silently upgraded it to https will fail, and the error will not tell you that is what happened.
- The right IP
- A DHCP lease can move the PC's address. SimHub's mobile access assistant shows the current one; a DHCP reservation in the router stops it moving again.
- No VPN
- A VPN on either device can route the traffic away from the local network entirely.
Browsers matter more than you would expect: Chrome on Android and PC, Safari on iOS are what this is tested against.
Common questions
What port does the SimHub phone dashboard use?
8888 by default, with 8889 also needing to be allowed through the firewall. Both are configurable, and if you change the port you must restart SimHub for it to take effect.
How do I know whether it is the server or the network?
Open http://127.0.0.1:8888 on the PC running SimHub. That address never leaves the machine. If it loads, the server is fine and the problem is firewall or network; if it does not, nothing on the phone side matters yet.
Why does it work on my PC but not my phone?
Firewall or network isolation. Allow inbound on 8888 and 8889, set the Windows network profile to Private rather than Public, and make sure both devices are on the same network — not a guest network, not through a repeater.
SimHub's web server will not start at all.
Install .NET Framework 4.7.2, which the web server needs and whose absence leaves the rest of SimHub apparently working. Then try a different port such as 10010 in case something else holds 8888, and restart SimHub after changing it.
Do I have to use http rather than https?
Yes. The address is http://ip:8888. Some browsers upgrade addresses to https automatically and then fail with an error that does not mention the upgrade, which is a genuinely confusing way to lose an evening.
The IP address keeps changing.
That is DHCP renewing the lease. Set a DHCP reservation for the PC in your router so it always gets the same address, and the bookmark on your phone keeps working.
Can I use a guest network or a WiFi extender?
Guest networks isolate clients from each other deliberately, so no. Extenders and repeaters often put devices on a separate subnet with the same effect. Both devices need to be on the same private LAN.
Sources
Related guides
SimHub is developed independently by Wotever and is not affiliated with OESimRacing. This page was checked against SimHub 9.11.22 on 4 August 2026; where the interface has moved on since, the version stamp tells you how far. More on what SimHub is and what it costs.