Summary: This document provides a detailed guide on setting up a Render 3 OBT project for LAN synchronization, including necessary equipment and step-by-step instructions for installation and configuration. If you have an existing project where LAN sync is NOT working, please see the instructions at the bottom of this document for solving that problem.

Equipment

• Project laptop computers: Windows 10 or 11

  • Meeting minimum specifications outlined in this document: Equipment Recommendations For Render 3 : Render Helpdesk

  • All Windows updates processed and up to date

• Router or smartphone that can hotspot

  • Likewise meeting the requirements specified in the document referenced above.

  • NO internet (if internet access is available and stable, then LAN sync is not necessary)

• Render 3 Project ID for this project.

• Config user credentials (login name and password)

• USB flash drive. Ideally, one that is dedicated to this project so they can use it for USB sync when power goes out.

• Render 3 installer file

  • Use a computer connected to the internet to go to this site and click the "Download Render" button in the bottom right corner of the webpage. You do NOT need to login.

• Copy this installer file to a USB drive for easy installation on the project computers.

• Create a text file on the USB drive containing the Project ID.

A. Initial Project Setup

A1. Router

1. Unpack and power on the router. 
2. Make note of the SSID name and password.
3. There is no need to enter the router setup utility.
4. If using a smartphone, enable hotspot and DISABLE cell service (to turn off internet and prevent web-sync).

A2. First laptop

1. Connect this computer to the internet. 
2. Use the USB drive to run the installer file on the computer
   • If you receive a Windows message that the program was unable to run, most likely you have antivirus software preventing Render from opening. In this case, you can either
     1. Configure the antivirus software to allow Render 3 as a trusted program and then run the installation again
     2. Remove the antivirus software and enable Windows Defender as the antivirus software. This is compatible with Render 3. Then run the installer file again. 
   • After installation, Render 3 will open automatically. 
3. Supply the Project ID to download the project (copy it from the txt file on the USB drive)
4. After the project is downloaded, disconnect the computer from the internet
5. Open the WiFi and find the SSID name of the router or smartphone hotspot. Connect to that SSID and supply the password. Once connected, the connection will continue to show “No internet” but that is fine. LAN sync is designed for just this scenario.
6. Login to the Config user.
7. Click/tap on the Project in the Project List screen

8. Render 3.12 and higher manages the Windows Firewall settings automatically so you likely will not need to do anything special to enable LAN sync. If, however, you see this popup (below) Click Allow. DO NOT CLICK CANCEL! 

Windows 10

Windows 11

9. Log out of the Config user (from the 3-dot menu), and then log back in. 

10. Open the 3-dot menu again and select “USB sync”

11. A Windows Explorer window will open. Create a folder on the USB drive titled “USBSYNC” and then click/tap “Select Folder”

12. Open the 3-dot menu again and wait until the USB ‘sync spinner’ stops turning. 

13. Eject the USB drive and remove it from this computer. You can now use it to upload the project onto the other computers.

14. Close Render completely on this first computer.

A3. Other laptops

On each remaining project computer:

1. Open the WiFi and find the SSID name of the router or smartphone hotspot. Connect to that SSID and supply the password. Once connected, the connection will continue to show “No internet” but that is fine. LAN sync is designed for just this scenario.

2. Use the USB drive to run the Render installer file on the computer

   • If you receive a Windows message that the program was unable to run, most likely you have antivirus software preventing Render from opening. In this case, you can either

     1. Configure the antivirus software to allow Render 3 as a trusted program and then run the installation again, or

     2. Remove the antivirus software and enable Windows Defender as the antivirus software. This is compatible with Render 3. Then run the installer file again. 

3. After installation, Render 3 will open automatically. 

4. In Render choose “Add Project From Computer” and then open the USB drive folder “USBSYNC” and then click/tap on the folder inside. Then click/tap “Select Folder”.

5. When the project has been successfully added, click/tap “Return to Log In”

6. Login again as the Config user.

7. Click/Tap on the Project in the Project List screen

8. Render 3.12 and higher manages the Windows Firewall settings automatically so you likely will not need to do anything special to enable LAN sync. If, however, you see this popup (below) Click Allow. DO NOT CLICK CANCEL! 

9. Log out of the Config user, and then log back in. This is an important step!

10. Completely close Render and then proceed to configure each remaining project computer using steps 1-10 above.

A4. Configure the project

1. Work with the Config person on the computer they will use for this role (or any computer if none is designated for him/her) to configure the project for Workflow, Users, Roles and Section Assignments. Refer to this group of Render Helpdesk articles for help:  Configure : Render Helpdesk

2. Once this process is complete with at least one Section assigned to each translation team, keep Render open and this computer connected to the router. Render continuously and automatically synchronizes the project computers through the router.

A5. LAN sync the other computers to receive the updated configuration

1. On each remaining project computer, connect it to the router or hotspot-smartphone and open Render. Log in as the Config person. Then open the 3-dot menu. You will see the LAN sync spinner spinning. 

2. After one minute, log out of the Config user and into the user assigned to this computer. This computer is ready for use.

B. Normal, Daily Project Synchronization Process

B1. Every-day LAN sync

After the initial project setup, project computers connected to the router or smartphone hotspot will LAN sync automatically in the background. Users can login to their specific user and expect that LAN sync will keep their computers synchronized automatically in the background. Team members are encouraged to initiate a manual LAN sync after they first login to begin work, and again before logging off or Render after completing a working session.

B2. Occasional synchronization to the web

A team that uses LAN sync will need to Web sync occasionally to share their work with other project personnel who are not in the same location (for example BT and Consultant). Only one computer needs to disconnect from the router and connect to the internet to accomplish this. When they are connected to the internet, they will open Render, log in, and then click/tap the 3-dot menu. Then, they must click/tap the Web sync icon to initiate the sync. When the 3-dot menu window closes, the web sync is complete.

How to fix LAN sync for Render 3 projects

Summary: What follows will be irrelevant for computers running Render 3.12 and higher. However, for any situation in which LAN sync is not working, these steps will help you to troubleshoot the problem.

This document provides a detailed guide for fixing Local Area Network, or LAN synchronization. 

LAN sync is the best way to keep the Render 3 data synchronized for the different project computers when those computers are together in one location but do not have stable internet access. 

If your project does have stable internet access for all project computers, then there is no need to use LAN sync. Each computer should be using Web sync in that case.

• Connect the project computers to the LAN router or hotspot-smartphone, and make sure the router is NOT connected to the internet during this process.
• On each computer, open the “Firewall and network protection” program.
• Click/tap on “Allow an app through firewall”

• In the Windows Security window, click/tap on “Change settings” (1). Then scroll down (2) until you see the rows labeled “Render” and “Render 3” (3).  There may be more than one “Render” row.  Make sure ALL of these are Allowed (with a check mark in the box (3)). Once these are all Allowed, click/tap “OK” (4). 

• Render 3 is now ready to communicate through the firewall and router.
• Repeat these steps on all project computers that are connected to the router. 
• LAN sync will now be functional for these computers.