When your AI can’t find your computer
ChatGPT or Claude answered “No computer is online”, or your computer shows as offline in the dashboard. These are the usual reasons, most common first.
1. The computer is off, asleep or offline
BCD connects from your computer out to our server, so the computer has to be on and on the internet. Wake it or turn it on.
BCD starts by itself when you sign in to the computer and reconnects after sleep. There is no command to run again. Give it a minute, then ask again.
To use the computer while you are away, leave it plugged in. On a Mac, BCD then keeps it from going to sleep on its own (the screen still turns off); a laptop with its lid closed or on battery still sleeps. On Windows or Linux, set the computer not to sleep while plugged in.
2. BCD has stopped on the computer
On a Mac or Linux, open Terminal and run bcd status. It says whether BCD is running and when it last connected. If it says stopped, run bcd restart.
On Windows, sign out and back in, or restart the computer. BCD starts when you sign in.
3. The computer is on another account, or BCD isn’t installed
Your dashboard lists the computers on the account you are signed in to. If the computer isn’t there, open the dashboard on that computer and run the install step. On a computer that is connected to a different account, the installer offers to switch it.
In ChatGPT or Claude, the BCD connector has to be signed in to the same account. If it isn’t, remove the connector and add it again.
4. The plan paused it
Free covers one computer and 20,000 tool calls a month. When more computers are connected than the plan covers, the extra ones are paused; the dashboard shows which. When the month’s calls are used up, the AI says calls are paused and until which date.
5. It connects and drops right away
Some VPNs, security software and office networks cut long connections. On that computer, open Connection check in the browser; it shows whether the network holds a connection. On a Mac or Linux, bcd check tests BCD’s own connection three ways and sends us the result.
Still not working?
Tell us what the AI answered and which computer it is.