java.net.SocketException: Invalid argument: connect

Question

My new laptop (Alienware m17x) throws a java.net.SocketException: Invalid argument: connect when I run the following basic code:

Server.java:

public static void main (String[] args) throws Exception {
        
    ServerSocket serverSocket = new ServerSocket (8888);
    Socket socket = serverSocket.accept();
}

Client.java:

public static void main (String[] args) throws Exception {
    Socket socket = new Socket ("localhost", 8888);
}

Every time I run Client.java (after starting Server.java) I get this socket exception. Here's the full trace of the exception:

Exception in thread "main" java.net.SocketException: Invalid argument: connect
    at java.net.DualStackPlainSocketImpl.connect0(Native Method)
    at java.net.DualStackPlainSocketImpl.socketConnect(Unknown Source)
    at java.net.AbstractPlainSocketImpl.doConnect(Unknown Source)
    at java.net.AbstractPlainSocketImpl.connectToAddress(Unknown Source)
    at java.net.AbstractPlainSocketImpl.connect(Unknown Source)
    at java.net.PlainSocketImpl.connect(Unknown Source)
    at java.net.SocksSocketImpl.connect(Unknown Source)
    at java.net.Socket.connect(Unknown Source)
    at java.net.Socket.connect(Unknown Source)
    at java.net.Socket.<init>(Unknown Source)
    at java.net.Socket.<init>(Unknown Source)
    at Client.main(Client.java:5)

I've tried a few things, but no luck the exception is always thrown. Here's what I have concluded:

• Changing the port numbers changes nothing.
• It's not a problem with the network. I have gotten the exception at school and at home.
• I've reinstalled the JVM and the JDK but no luck.
• This only occurs on one machine. I have run the same code on my desktop and I have not gotten any exceptions. I am using Windows 7 on both.
• It is not blocked by a firewall. I have turned my firewalls off and I still have this issue.

What should I do or check for to resolve this issue?

EDIT: route print outputs:

===========================================================================
Interface List
 15...e4 d5 3d 08 cb 83 ......Killer Wireless-N 1103 Network Adapter
 13...d0 df 9a b5 73 dc ......Bluetooth Device (Personal Area Network)
 11...d4 be d9 00 10 65 ......Atheros AR8151 PCI-E Gigabit Ethernet Controller (NDIS 6.20)
  1...........................Software Loopback Interface 1
 17...00 00 00 00 00 00 00 e0 Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface
 16...00 00 00 00 00 00 00 e0 Microsoft ISATAP Adapter #2
 18...00 00 00 00 00 00 00 e0 Microsoft ISATAP Adapter
 19...00 00 00 00 00 00 00 e0 Microsoft ISATAP Adapter #3
===========================================================================

IPv4 Route Table
===========================================================================
Active Routes:
Network Destination        Netmask          Gateway       Interface  Metric
          0.0.0.0          0.0.0.0      192.168.0.1    192.168.0.191     25
        127.0.0.0        255.0.0.0         On-link         127.0.0.1    306
        127.0.0.1  255.255.255.255         On-link         127.0.0.1    306
  127.255.255.255  255.255.255.255         On-link         127.0.0.1    306
      192.168.0.0    255.255.255.0         On-link     192.168.0.191    281
    192.168.0.191  255.255.255.255         On-link     192.168.0.191    281
    192.168.0.255  255.255.255.255         On-link     192.168.0.191    281
        224.0.0.0        240.0.0.0         On-link         127.0.0.1    306
        224.0.0.0        240.0.0.0         On-link     192.168.0.191    281
  255.255.255.255  255.255.255.255         On-link         127.0.0.1    306
  255.255.255.255  255.255.255.255         On-link     192.168.0.191    281
===========================================================================
Persistent Routes:
  None

IPv6 Route Table
===========================================================================
Active Routes:
 If Metric Network Destination      Gateway
 17     58 ::/0                     On-link
  1    306 ::1/128                  On-link
 17     58 2001::/32                On-link
 17    306 2001:0:4137:9e76:28f3:2721:524f:e2ef/128
                                    On-link
 15    281 fe80::/64                On-link
 17    306 fe80::/64                On-link
 17    306 fe80::28f3:2721:524f:e2ef/128
                                    On-link
 15    281 fe80::68c1:bc79:fefa:88a2/128
                                    On-link
  1    306 ff00::/8                 On-link
 17    306 ff00::/8                 On-link
 15    281 ff00::/8                 On-link
===========================================================================
Persistent Routes:
  None

EDIT: As @PhilippeLM and @beny23 made me realize, setting the java system variable java.net.preferIPv4Stack to true solves my problem. However I want a permanent fix. I don't want to specify the system variable every time I run a java application.

Here's what I've tried with no luck once again:

• Setting my machine preferences to prefer IPv4 by following these steps
• Adding the line java.net.preferIPv4Stack=true to the net.properties file in %JAVA_HOME%\jre\lib.

Is there anything else I can try?

Answer 1

Does it work if you tell Java to use the IPv4 stack?

Use the following command line option when starting the server and client.

-Djava.net.preferIPv4Stack=true

See also here