The server is Windows Server 2012 Essentials (not R2). I have had this problem ever since I first installed the Windows Server 2012 Essentials server in the summer of 2013 (before R2 was released). The Windows Server 2012 Essentials server shows offline for all Devices under Dashboard. (Allow me to add that I just installed another site with Windows Server 2012 Essentials R2, and it was a breeze - all of the computers at the second install site are online.) I have one Windows 8.1 Pro client and the rest are Windows 7 Pro clients. The problem occurs on ALL client computers.
I have removed computers from Devices in Dashboard on the server, rebooted the server, changed the client computer to a workgroup, rebooted the client computer, and reinstalled the connector software on the client computer. Same result. I have tried this on a Windows 7 Pro client and a Windows 8.1 Pro client with the same results.
After running the connector on a client computer and waiting for the server to update its Devices status, if I look under Devices on the server Dashboard, the Windows 8.1 client computer will say online but within 24 hours it goes offline again. The Windows 7 client computers never show online. Both computers stay offline - they NEVER show an online status (referring to the status under Devices in Dashboard).
One of the most troublesome things about this problem is that it prevents the client computers from being accessed remotely using the website setup by Anywhere Access. I can login to get remote access to the shared files on the server, but the only computer that says "online" is the server. All of the other computers are "offline".
I have been working on this problem since the summer of 2013!! Does anyone have ANY suggestions?!!
HELP!