Using multiple SmartLink accounts

NX6D Dave

Some people have found the three log-in options in the SmartLink login confusing.  This is a note to explain what they mean.

You can have as many SmartLink accounts as you like.  Each account has a user name and password of some sort associated with it.  The user names need to be unique in the SmartLink system.  Users who have an account with Google can use their Google account name (a gmail address).  In the same way, users who have a Facebook account can use their Facebook account name.  The idea behind the Google and Facebook SmartLink logins is to make it easier to log into a SmartLink account by taking advantage of a login process that you already know.  When you log into SmartLink with one of these accounts, you are not logging into Facebook or Google, but you are borrowing their authentication systems to validate your identity.

You can also create a SmartLink account using an email address and password that you provide.  It does need to be a real email address that you can access in order for features like password recovery to work.  You can create as many of these accounts as you can keep track of.  For that matter, the same is true for Facebook and Google.

So, there is one SmartLink account for each Facebook, Google or UserName/Password login you use.  They are individual accounts, not one account pointed to by many logins.

But, any given radio can be associated with only one SmartLink account at a time.  This is done through the Registration process.  If you happen to have two or more SmartLink accounts (I have two), then you choose the account to associate your radio with by logging into that account before you Register the radio.  If the radio happens to be registered in some other account, then a successful registration will move the radio from that account to the one you logged into before Registering the radio.

For example, I have a Google account and a UserName/Password account.  I keep my radio registered in my Google account, because it is more secure (it requires two-factor authentication to get logged into). My UserName/Password account is empty.  The radio is not registered in this account.

But, if I decided I wanted to share my radio with someone for a while, I would log into my UserName/Password account and register the radio there.  Doing that would remove it from the Google account.  I could then send the login credentials to the other person and they would see the radio and use it.  Later I can log into my Google account and Register the radio there, pulling it out of the UserName/Password account.  I can also change the password by using the "forgot the password" option in the UN/P account, if I wanted to.

Registering the radio requires your physical presence at the radio because the radio is removed from one account and placed in another during Registraion.   Keying the radio is a second or third security factor that makes it much harder for someone to commandeer your radio by hacking into one of your SmartLink accounts.

WX7Y

Great Explanation Dave, 
 I did notice delay connecting from one account to another and wondered if something like that was happening.

Thanks a lot
73's

Bret
WX7Y

NX6D Dave

Thanks.  Please let me know if there is anything about this that doesn't quite make sense, and I will try to clarify it.

john battin

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Mike-VA3MW

Yes, you can register both radios with the same username/password.

Günther

Thanks guys for the explanation, but I am still a little bit confused.
The situation is, the we have 3 Flex Radios with 3 smartlink accounts. Each is registered 1:1 for the personal use. 1 of the Flex's functioned as a club-station and there are 2 guys who are allowed to use this Flex (including the guy, to whom the club's Flex is registered - he connect easily of course).

We other 2 have the situation, the we always have to log out totally from our own accounts and completly make a new login with e-mail and password of the clubs Flex which we know of course.

This is very time consuming exercise and so we did not do that as much as we would like.

When understanding the above right, there is a way to modify the clubs Flex smartlink account in a way, that we could switch easily (when being present in front of the clubs Flex). I am a little afraid to produce confusion when doing this....and all our smartlink account became "confuse",hi.

Do I understand this in a right way and is there any additional info in doing this modification to the existing smartlink account, so that 3 can use the Flex in the club?

Thank you so much for reading
73 Günther

john battin

I have 3 remote radios ...each is on a separate smart link account... When I switch radios, I have to log-in
to the new one on Smart SDR, Maestro, and CAT.....a real pain.... Is there a way to save the log-in so I can just click on the account I want?