Why do custom visuals need a network connection?

[User100]

Try this.

1) Create a PowerBI desktop document with at least 1 custom visualization.

2) Save it.

3) Close PowerBI.

4) Turn-off your network connection.

5) Launch the previously created PowerBI file saved in step 2.

6) You'll get an error with "Send a frown" (except you don't have a network connection so you can't send a frown 🙂

The most obvious solution is to turn your network connection back on. However, if you're in a location (like I was) that didn't have ANY network connectivity my custom visuals didn't appear, so no demo was possible. The standard visuals that ship with PowerBI appear but not the custom ones.

Why do custom visuals need a network connection?

Thanks!

[liewgm]

Hi everyone,

I ran a quick test using the latest Nov 16 version (version 2.41).

Custom visuals with no internet connection.

Seems to be working fine at my end. Did you all get the same result?

@Herbert: thanks for the help.

[dchissick]

This is NOT working with version 2.41.4581.361.

Custom Visuals can be imported but do not appear and cannot be used if the computer is not connected to the internet.

[liewgm]

Hi @dchissick

I have the same version and it is working at my end. Tested both 32-bit and 64-bit versions on Win7 and Server 12 R2 even.

Maybe someone else can help verify?

[dchissick]

Update - the custom visuals started working (after importing again) without any explanation, other than the fact that the machine was restarted at some point. That may have solved the issue.

[liewgm]

Hi,

This issue is flagged as 'Solved' but we are still encountering it. After upgrading Power BI Desktop from 2.37 (July 16 update) to 2.40 (Oct 16 update), all custom visuals fail to load. We are behind company firewall, so no internet connection is possible. We have tested with the latest custom visuals from the gallery.

Anyone facing this as well? Thanks.

[v-haibl-msft]

@liewgm

I’ve also observed that the fix is not working. I’ve reported it again and will keep an eye on it.

Best Regards,

Herbert

[liewgm]

Thanks Herbert.

I have reverted to version 2.37 for now.

Regards

[v-haibl-msft]

Hi All,

This fix was not included in the October Desktop Release, and it will be available in the November Desktop Release. Please check it later.

Best Regards,

Herbert

[fbeekvel]

Looking forward to this fix as well, I'm currently at a client site without any internet access and was hoping to use some custom visuals.

[v-ljerr-msft]

Hi @User100,

I have reproduced this issue in my environment. I will report this issue internally, and update here once I get any feed back.

Regards

[GilbertQ]

From what I understand the custom visuals need to talk to the Power BI APIs in order for them to render. And based on what you detailed below it would work out perfectly as to what you explained with no internet connection.

It would appear that it is by design for Custom Visuals to have an internet connection. This is just what I have experienced with Custom Visuals, where I know in the past at times some have taken a while to load, and the explanation from Microsoft was due to it communicating with the Power BI APIs

[Greg_Deckler · Accepted solution]

Hmm, I wonder if it is not that custom visuals necessarily require an Internet connection but that a lot of custom visuals utilize external libraries like JQuery, etc. that are perhaps referenced versus embedded in the code?

[User100]

Your response appears to be correct.

I intentionally generated this error and looked into the error details that PowerBI provides. The stack trace is below. It's getting external .JS files.

From a users perspective, these files could likely be cached locally so that a network connection isn't needed, although, I'm not sure how often this case occurs.

-----

Stack Trace:
Microsoft.Mashup.Host.Document.JavaScriptException: An error occurred while rendering the report.
TypeError: Cannot set property 'LongTextViewer1453740445633' of undefined
    at ApprovedResourceService.removeApprovedResource (ms-pbi://pbi.microsoft.com/minerva/scripts/VisualHostCore.js:147:44)
    at ms-pbi://pbi.microsoft.com/minerva/scripts/VisualHostCore.js:217:115
    at processQueue (ms-pbi://pbi.microsoft.com/minerva/scripts/angular.js:15757:28)
    at ms-pbi://pbi.microsoft.com/minerva/scripts/angular.js:15773:27
    at Scope.$eval (ms-pbi://pbi.microsoft.com/minerva/scripts/angular.js:17025:28)
    at Scope.$digest (ms-pbi://pbi.microsoft.com/minerva/scripts/angular.js:16841:31)
    at ms-pbi://pbi.microsoft.com/minerva/scripts/angular.js:17064:26
    at completeOutstandingRequest (ms-pbi://pbi.microsoft.com/minerva/scripts/angular.js:5824:10)
    at ms-pbi://pbi.microsoft.com/minerva/scripts/angular.js:6100:7

-----

Thanks!

[FancyDolphin]

Do you have an idea or instructions on how I would go about saving a template like timeline for example locally cached to be able to use the full functionality wihtout having to access the internet?

[v-haibl-msft]

@User100

The fix for it will be available in the October Desktop release. Please check it later in the next version.

Best Regards,

Herbert