SmartSDR v1.5 WLAN?

W6NEK

It seems I was under the wrong assumption that SmartSDR v1.5 was going to add WLAN capability. While I am grateful for all the improvements just added (love the WNB), I am asking if WLAN will be added to v1.x or will it be v2.0?

Many thanks,
Frank - W6NEK 

KD3VK Ken

Ditto, Ditto, Ditto!  Alright already.  Enough with the new modes and fixing, let's get back to the other core feature that was supposed to separate Flex way far from the field!  WLAN!   I have the best radio ever made, but I can't use it.  There are too many of us out there that have restrictions and still can't use our expensive GREAT radio because we can't remote it.  And I mean without getting back into VLAN network engineering, etc.   Turnkey WLAN now!  Two years and waiting (not too patiently much longer!).  My box is now out of H/W warranty and I have yet to be able to use it!

AE0MW

Flex has consistently said that wide area networking capability was a v2.0 feature.

rfoust

Yep they've been saying 2.0 for a long time.  As far as I know, it was never planned for v1.5.

Simon Lewis

you mean in 2 years you couldn't create a VLAN'd network connection? It's simple and if you can operate a PC you can set up a private VLAN .. just check the internet for instructions or shout for help .. don't wait 2 years!

W6NEK

OK guys. Guess I was mistaken, or maybe it was wishful thinking on my part. I honestly though it was going to be in v1.5   

Mike va3mw

Many are using Ethersoft as a VPN to connect to the radio remotely. Have you given that a thought/try? I'm actually going to set up my Remote Rig to talk to my 6300 remotely and see how it goes.

Chris DL5NAM

>> Enough with the new modes << YES, i agree !

Burt Fisher

What was wrong with RTTY the way it was? I made contacts.

Tim - W4TME

Frank - WAN Remote will the major feature for SmartSDR 2.0 that is slated for release in 2016

KD3VK Ken

I guess this means that this V1.9 May 2014 roadmap showing WAN in 2015 is out the window??  Very Sad.

Bill -VA3WTB

Why is it so sad? many are working remote from other locations all the time, there are easy ways to do it. Yes Flex has stopped producing and using a road map a long time ago.

SteveM

Ken,

Your post is completely over-the-top and it makes me suspicious.

KD3VK Ken

Sorry Bill, but I didn't buy this product to build my own networking solution.  I am still living for the commitment to have a Flex integrated WAN capability from 2013.  I know it can and is being done, and kudos to those pioneers who are doing it.  But that approach is not what was promised/purchased...  yet. 

Bill -VA3WTB

Looks like you will have to wait then if your not interested in other means, you saw Tim's answer.

KD3VK Ken

Sorry Steve, I'm not sure what is suspicious about my post.  I'm just trying to bring back to the table the promise of the Flex WAN solution... this year.  We have seen some pretty amazing new modes and add-ins which have, IMHO, somewhat moved into the spotlight and preempted what I believe was a planned core capability which I feel was going to be a priority, and which I bought the product for.   I hope not to get flamed by those that wanted and got the new features.  They are great, but like I said, lets get the WAN back on the burners.

Bill -VA3WTB

Tim has already said when WAN is planed, what more do you want?

SteveM

Ken,

You know how wacky some Hams are regarding radio-branding. Those are the people about whom I am suspicious.

If you are sincere regarding not having used your radio for 2 years due to lack of network access, then you really should listen to what others have suggested. Setting up a VPN does not require a 'network engineer'. It was a very simple, 10 minute process for me. All I had to do was enable OpenVPN on my router, install OpenVPN on the remote machine, and then I was able to operate the radio from the remote PC as if I was at home.

Steve K9ZW

The Roadmaps were a communications tool that were abandoned for exactly the reasons you feel sad about - they introduced expectations based on projections that end users were not tempering with the realities of developing a consumer grade software product from scratch.

It is amazing where the public release SmartSDR has come from the release of 1.0 roughly October of 2013 to now release 1.5.

We have seven significant releases (I included 1.4.3 as it might as well have been labeled as a more significant release if the 1,5 label hadn't been reserved for a "shine & polish" release).

If you play with LAN remote you can see the huge amount of work that went into making this LAN set of features available. 

What is so cool is the software as rolled out at each stage has been production grade software. 

FRS does drop some clues as to when next releases are projected, so read your FlexInsider and watch this community for official FRS responses (I am not FRS but just a keen Flex-6000 user).

Those communications and official posts replaced the roadmaps.

73

Steve

K9ZW

KD3VK Ken

Thanks Steve.  I AM a network engineer, but I want to NOT be a network engineer to use the Flex remotely.  I want the company provided and supported solution which will then integrate all their (soon to be coming) ancillary tools & capabilities, such as the 4O3A remote toys, etc.  Yes, it can (somewhat easily) be done today by the user and several tools available, but I'm being childish her and I WANT WHAT I WANT.  HiHi  I realize to have WAN remote capability this year I'm going to have to roll-my-own solution like you and others have done.  I don't post much (any?) here, so please be kind to me.  I'm just passionate on this one. You think?

Steve K9ZW

Understand and share the eagerness for WAN capability - just hoping you are not really stressing due to the wait.  I can really picture having a Maestro on my workdesk, operating if software alerts me to rare DX being spotted or to even keep a sked with a net... would be so cool!  But to do so requires the WAN capability.

I've been staring at a 4o3a Station Genius on my desk, wishing someone with your skill set was around to help set it up!  (Am I just fogging up or being lazy...)  Held off buying one for my second shack until I get it mastered...

All best and 73

Steve K9ZW

KY6LA_Howard

@Ken

I too would,love to have full WAN remote yesterday as my XYL and I travel constantly so we are rarely home

Howeve I have now remotrd via my Flex 6700 in La Jolla,,CA FROM 27 Different Countries without doing what you might call any significant network engineering. I use my iPad as my primary remote control device because it's small light and easy to,use. But I have also remoted via my iPhone, MacBook and PC.

Here are several ways to remote that I have used

These require NO NETWORK Engineering

1. COMMCAT. a very easy to,use remote program for iPad, iPhone ,android etc.

2. Parallels Access Easy to Use Terminal Emulator for iPad and iPhone

3. TeamViewer, Logmein, Nomachine and other terminal emulators. There are many choices. You pick your favorite

Minimal Network Engineering

Set up Softether VPN. It took me less than 10 minutes to download and set up. There are several excellent step by step tutorials on this community that are so simple that even a ham radio,operator could get it right

1. SSDR. WORKS GREAT REMOTE VIA VPN

2. K6TU iPad App should be in the Apple Store soon

3. Dogparksoftware MAC SSDR works great remote via VPN

So while I totally agree with you that I want WAN yesterday your claim that you can't use the Flex remote is really because you CHOOSE NOT TO DO SO without WAN and not that you can't make it run remote. BTW. I am currently in Sablet France running remote via California.

Andreas Junge

Ken,

maybe you can share with us what you think WAN remote will do for you that is significantly different from running a router that has VPN or a SoftEther. Let's start there.

Do you want to put your Flex6K directly onto the Cable/DSLmodem?

Are you planning on operating from behind the firewall of your router? If that is the case then you have to do "network engineering" by opening and forwarding the ports anyway.

So, what's the problem with enabling the VPN option of a router and then dialing in?

I think you are a bit too dramatic. The current solution is 85% there. 

73, Andreas, N6NU

Chris DL5NAM

Real Remote for me: Flex6 is direct connected to the internet (router) and NO PC is needed at Flex6 side. Only one PC or Notebook at operator side, running SSDR, and Internet. No teamviewer, no any VNC, no Skype, no other software for Remote operation! And without WAN access no geo diversity is possible - a mode that that Icom and Co cant offer.

KD3VK Ken

Andreas,

Thanks for the reply, and yes I am being too dramatic (but for effect! HiHI).

I'm just trying to bring to the forefront the need/desire to have a Flex-integrated WAN (or WLAN if you prefer) solution at the earliest possible time.  Let's just keep it simple to say, I want my Maestro to work to my radio (wherever it is, maybe moving from antenna farm to antenna farm?) from wherever I may be (maybe beauty shop, buttoned down corp. network, etc.).  I want to be able to 'do it all', like get to the rig located anywhere from anywhere.  

When the Flex solution is out, I realize I will need to do some hole punching and port play depending on how well they are able to idiot-proof the necessary network access configuration.   The forward-thinkers in this group have made several interim solutions work very well, and documented them very well for those wanting to get to their rig in their particular controlled environments.  I'm just waiting for the 'final solution', and I don't mean the final solution some are thinking about.   We've beaten this one pretty well to death, and thanks for your comments.

Ken KD3VK

Bob N7ZO

Ken mentions:  "I want my Maestro to work to my radio (wherever it is, maybe moving from antenna farm to antenna farm?) from wherever I may be (maybe beauty shop, buttoned down corp. network, etc.)."

Until native WAN is implemented, I don't think any of the current VPN solutions will work for the Maestro unless FlexRadio includes a VPN client inside Maestro.

I can imagine a Maestro WAN solution that involves generating an additional local WiFi hotspot on a device (laptop maybe?) that implements the VPN client, but this is becoming unreasonably complex.

New conversation for this here:
https://community.flexradio.com/flexradio/topics/wan-and-maestro

73, Bob, N7ZO

Andreas Junge

Chris, that's what is does right now. My router has VPN built in, so no extra hardware. I connect to my VPN (via built in Windows VPN client) from work and then launch SmartSDR. Voila. Plain vanilla SmartSDR. Nothing else. The router is a Asus RT-N66U ($99) in the US. 

73, Andreas, N6NU

Walt - KZ1F

Maestro will need to be running ssdr 2 just as you main operating system will need to be, along with the radio, of course. Will there be a $200 2.0 fee for Maestro as well??? Until then, you cannot put your radio in your basement and just have Maestro in your shack. People, presumably will still need to log and run rotors etc.

Walt - KZ1F

You bought an $8000 radio you can't legally use?

Mike va3mw

When K6TURemote comes out (very very soon), you will be able to use your iPad from anywhere in the world.  That and the corded Apple headset (or Bluetooth) and you are good to do.  We are actually doing it from all over the world.  Howard will expand on that shortly I bet!

KY6LA_Howard

K6TU REMOTE still needs VPN until V2.0 or until Stu figures out how to bridge IP Without VPN. And still maintain a secure environment But I have remoted with it successfully via 3G phone from some rather strange remote places.