Hi again ... Chris

 

    I awoke today and just realized I left out a few important points in my TEAMVIEWER advice on your  posted subject (Nov. 30).

 

    First, I forgot to say that to guarantee a solid WiFi connection to the backyard scope (APCC) computer you MUST use its Dot-format “IP-address” (e.g. 192.168.1.xxx) rather than the TeamViewer’s Server,  space separated 9-digit number, which is usually shown at the left half at launch,  as “YOUR I.D.” (at the remote PC’s screen). Using the install-time configured TeamViewer 9-digit server address, would still travel via a circuitous off-site link to the backyard.

 

    If you don’t know your backyard PC’s WiFi “IPv4 address” (e.g. by running Command Prompt – “IPconfig”), you can also see it in TV’s login pop-up ... if you (temporarily) change the “Incoming LAN Connections”  settings box to “Accept EXCLUSIVELY)” and restart TV. Then, having written down that address for ALL future backyard local WiFi network connections, you can reset TV back to ACCEPT mode, in order to maintain the option to login to your scope system from a far more remote location. Sometimes you may want to do some scope PC,  Win-10 maintenance from the office, or show a friend a few scope PC hard drive stored CCD images. So it is useful to have the cross-country LAN connection option, even if rarely needed by backyard operation astronomers.

 

    However, if you want total lockout security from possible hackers, you could keep the “connect EXCLUSIVELY” mode setting, but with loss of the option of login from an off-site PC. As long as you always launch TeamViewer using “ONLY the IP-form of address”, (rather than the 9-digit format),  you will avoid the cross-continent hook up through TeamViewer’s office worldwide LAN server chain.

    So, ALWAYS use the IP login for best, most reliable backyard connection.

 

*******

 

    Secondly, to get MUCH faster, WiFi connection to the backyard APCC controlled scope, add-on a ...  USB type WiFi Stick Adapter antenna, such as I use – “ASUS-56”. There are other similar brands of this kind of adapter (e.g. from Trend Micro, D-Link, etc. – wouldn’t trust anything, using Huawei communications products, based on recent news disclosures).

 

    I place one adapter antenna (plugged onto its stand), on the table beside the kitchen PC, and the other standing behind the backyard scope laptop screen. My ASUS WiFi standard 2.4 GHZ channel communication suddenly jumps to a gratifying 300 mbps from the laptop’s cheap internal WiFi adapter standard chip  speed of about 65 to 85 mbps. Well worth the ~$50 (each).

 

    The other advantage of using the “extra” WiFi adapter, is that initially TV uses both product’s channels in parallel on the “same named” network, so if one (e.g. PC internal) signal reception drops, the other immediately picks up the data stream. Eventually, Win-10 or maybe it is TV, switches to the “faster IP link” of the two. My ASUS adapter launch app doesn’t always “auto-start” on PC boot – (or more often I forget to launch the ASUS WiFi app myself during scope session setup), so I launch TV via the standard laptop’s internal adapter Win-10 Network Connect icon, and once logged in,  launch the remote ASUS WiFi connection  app to activate the remote ASUS antenna. Then both WiFi and WiFi-2 each have a connection to the SAME local Wifi network name, via two different WiFi adapters – both are secure and both are local. Eventually, the faster local WiFi will take over. If I initially remember to launch the remote PC’s  ASUS adapter app at boot-up time, then I avoid the latter and just use the faster ASUS IP-address as the TV initial connection from the kitchen.

 

    Finally – about the TeamViewer Password.

    It is a hassle to note the ever changing, current TV secure “password of the day” at the backyard scope, every time you login via TeamViewer. However, you can use EXTRAS->OPTIONS->SECURITY ... and create a permanent key ... “Personal Password (for unattended access)”. Then, this won’t change after every TV logout. You can also add similar extra keys there using ... (Manage additional passwords) ... for one (or more) friends to join you concurrently on your night’s scope session, or AP tech support to use simultaneously with your own scope connection during problem debug, assuming AP has installed TeamViewer as well ( ... and they do).

 

    Hope this added info helps to “really optimize” your remote backyard TeamViewer connection. That’s really the best way to fly the AP mount through the night’s skies :-)

 

Joe Z.