Success with New 6400 operating remote

Dan Trainor

Hello All,  I received my 6400 a couple of weeks ago and wanted to share a success story.  I first set up my 6400 with the ethernet cable direct from radio to my Windows laptop in link-local configuration.  The simplest of configurations that is not wireless.  All worked well as expected.  I ran in this mode for several days to get familiar with SmartSDR software and also because I knew any internet networking setup will be a project - most likely a major project with a lot of trouble shooting and frustrations, ip addresses, routers, cell networks, etc.  So I was reluctant to dive in.  But, surprisingly all went perfectly well without a single hitch - not one!  I simply unplugged the ethernet cable from the Windows laptop and plugged it into an nearby Xfinity Xfi Wi-Fi extender that I happened to have in the shack.  The radio was now connected to the Wi-Fi router upstairs via the extender.  Then I started SmartSDR, pressed "Setup SmartLink" and registered my radio for remote logon.  Once I did that everything was working from anywhere and on any device I tried.  My laptop, iPad, iPhone all worked on my local Wi-Fi and also from my cellar phone hot spot, the celluar Wi-Fi hot spot in my Audi Q5 and other external Wi-Fi networks.  Everwhere with a click of the "Connect" button. Amazing! The thing that I was most amazed about and incredibly pleased about was in the end I didn't have to do or know anything special!  Literally just Plug and Play.  Plug in ethernet cable and register radio with SmartLink.  Boom!   Done!   I can't tell you how impressed I am.  I though for sure this was going to be a 2-3 week setup project of much frustration!  Nope!  With SmartLink it was literally a breeze and took maybe 10 min.  Maybe I just got extremely lucky, don't know.  But so happy,  dan WA1QZX.   

N8FNR

I bought a laptop recently just so that I could sit in our living room and use my 6400. It is nice to be out of my basement ham shack dungeon. And my wife now feels like less of a ham widow. 

Robert Lonn

SUPER!!!! But just think, with the soon to be released software version 3.xx, a Flex Robot will come to your home and do this for all of us!!! And the robot can set everything up, and if it is a Flex Robot, it will drive your car as well!

But unfortunately the Flex Robot will not wash your clothes for you, very disappointing! Probably need to wait for version 4.xx to be released... LOL

Dan, congratulations,, Flex has done a great job in making it simple to do this for us.. Always room for improvement, but as well as can be expected!! Enjoy, check back often!!!

Robert

KI4P

Easiest radio I ever tried to operate, literally 5 minutes out if box, plugged into network, made contact on 20 meters. Love my flex!

Dan Trainor

Thanks Robert.  So impressed with this radio and its remote capability. Actually, your not too far off - I am considering buying a tesla car next year and it actually can drive itself! I have a friend that has one and the other day we got out of the car at the end of his drive way and he told the car to park in the garage and without any humans in the car, it drove slowly down the driveway, entered the garage and parked perfectly and turned itself off.  Another amazing  technology like Flex. - dan

Roger_W6VZV

My experience has been similar.  The Flex and SDR work extraordinarily well.  Have not tried to control it over the internet.

de Roger W6VZV

Gene Duprey

I waited until I had read most of the documentation, thinking it would be a mess to get set up.  However, Had the same plug and play experience!  Flex has done a great job getting everything working just as the documentation/quick setup flyer says.