netcat-traditional stops listening after one packet in UDP broadcast mode

[Mark Roduner]

I had planned on using netcat as a UDP broadcast listener / server, for audio distribution, and in testing I found this neat little gem.

The UDP server below works, tested with wireshark (on both local, and remote machines):
<code>
nc -u -b 192.168.0.255 9999 < /dev/random
</code>

However, the UDP receiver quits listening after one packet
<code>
nc -l -u -b -q -1 -p 9999
</code>

Example output as follows (using stdin rather than random for clarity)
Server:
<code>
$ nc -u -b 192.168.0.255 9999< /dev/stdin
test packet 1
test packet two
^C
</code>

Client(s):
<code>
$ nc -l -u -b -q -1 -p 9999
test packet 1
</code>
and then nothing else is received.

(edit: forgot to add the ports)

[Charles Lohr (charles-cnlohr)]

This is totally biting me, too. I can't figure out how to get it to receive! One packet and it dies.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[flux242 (flux242)]

listen to the udp broadcasts on a specific port:
nc -klu port_number

[Bernd Porr (berndporr)]

I'm having exactly the same problem. I'm transmitting data with my program attys_scope. It's using QT for the UDP transmit and under Windows it works. Under Linux it won't. I've tried the nc -klu and it also just gives one line back. However the same problem arises when I use a python program which reads from the UDP socket. Under Windows it works. Under Linux it doesn't. So it might be something deeper in the kernel.

Python script which works under Windows but not under Linux:
# socket connection to attys_scope
s = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET,socket.SOCK_DGRAM)
listen_addr = ("",65000)
s.bind(listen_addr)
f = s.makefile()

# init the amplitudes
amplitudes = np.zeros(2)

# for the thread below
doRun = True

# read data from the udp socket into two variables
# note you need to have at least two analoge channels on
# this just overwrites the amplitudes as fast as possible
# for an oscilloscope plot we need a proper ringbuffer here!
def readSocket():
    global amplitudes
    while doRun:
        # check if data is available
        data = f.readline()
        values = np.array(data.split(','),dtype=np.float32)
        values = np.fabs(values)
        amplitudes = values[9:11]

bp1@bp1-Precision-WorkStation-T5400:~/sandbox/attys_scope/python$ nc -klu 65000
491.859985,-30.928297,7.316680,-2.791639,0.000013,-0.000020,0.000015,0.247545,0.001498,-0.000834,0.001498

QT program which transmits the datagrams (inspired by the QT examples which won't require a bind):

void ScopeWindow::startUDP(int port)
{
 udpSocket = new QUdpSocket(this);
 udpPort = port;
 _RPT1(0, "UDP transmit on port %d\n",port);
}

void ScopeWindow::stopUDP()
{
 delete udpSocket;
 udpSocket = NULL;
}

void ScopeWindow::writeUDP() {
 if (!udpSocket) return;
 char tmp[256];
 sprintf(tmp, "%f", ((float)nsamples) / ((float)attysComm[0]->getSamplingRateInHz()));
 for (int n = 0; n < nAttysDevices; n++) {
  int nFiltered = 0;
  for (int i = 0; i < channels_in_use; i++) {
   if (attys_scope->channel[n][i]->isActive()) {
    nFiltered++;
   }
   float phy = unfiltDAQData[n][i];
   sprintf(tmp+strlen(tmp), ",%f", phy);
  }
  for (int i = 0; i < nFiltered; i++) {
   float phy = filtDAQData[n][i];
   sprintf(tmp+strlen(tmp), ",%f", phy);
  }
 }
 sprintf(tmp+strlen(tmp), "\n");
 if (udpSocket) {
  if (udpStatus > -1) {
   udpStatus = udpSocket->writeDatagram(tmp, strlen(tmp), QHostAddress::Broadcast, udpPort);
   //_RPT1(0, "%s", tmp);
  }
 }
}

This script works find under Windows. I use s similar programs as nc under Windows and there everything is fine.

Kernel issue?