Hmmm... an update... lost connection with 1.8f just now, after about 8h playing.

As with 1.8j, I needed to kill 1.8f on the second PC, kill the outstanding process and fire it up again before 1.8j on the main PC could connect.

And, again, it happened immediately after I had been browsing on the main PC, checking out a tailoring guide... coincidence?