Connecting PCs

Networking, connecting to the internet, wi-fi and home entertainment
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Graeme
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Connecting PCs

Post by Graeme »

Good morning.

My telescope mount connects to my PC via a USB connection. The electronic focuser connects to the mount through an ST4 cable, the imaging camera connects via USB and also operates as a hub into which I plug the USB from the guide scope camera. This lot is controlled by the NINA astrophotography software using the ASCOM platform.

That all worked well with my PC in the garage using two 5m USB cables to read and control four accessories. But whilst I have the dedication to the hobby to sit in the garage in the middle of the night at sub zero temperatures it did seem like a good idea to move indoors! So I bought a device that converts the USB signal to Ethernet at the telescope and back again at the PC. Trouble is it can't keep up and I keep loosing connection to the mount or the cameras.

Can anyone suggest a better way of controlling the telescope from my PC indoors please? I can put a laptop in the garage to connect the USBs to but I don't know how to connect my indoors PC to a garage laptop in such a way that I can run the software that controls it all.

Thanks

Regards

Graeme
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http://www.averywayobservatory.co.uk/

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stuck
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Re: Connecting PCs

Post by stuck »

I can't help you with your network connections but to control one PC from another:
1) If you have the 'Pro' version of Windows try the built in Remote Desktop Connection feature:
    https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/win ... e636865e8c

2) If you only have the 'Home version of Windows try the free version of TeamViewer:
    https://www.teamviewer.com/en/info/free ... sonal-use/

Until our IT people finally installed it onto my laptop (about 21 months after the first UK lockdown turned me into a home worker), I used Remote Desktop Connection on a near daily basis to run a particular application that was on my office PC.

For a short time after we all got sent home, our IT people used TeamViewer to take control of a user's machine. I think they did that because it was a quick and easy fix, until they got their brains around having to manage several hundred remote workers. They now have a different solution but whatever it is it won't be appropriate for your situation.

Ken

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Graeme
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Re: Connecting PCs

Post by Graeme »

Thanks Ken

I'll give Teamviewer a go. I'll probably use the ethernet cable for the garage laptop internet connection, the wireless is a bit weak out there!

Regards

Graeme
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http://www.averywayobservatory.co.uk/

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stuck
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Re: Connecting PCs

Post by stuck »

My experience with Remote Desktop Connection was good. It was as if I was sitting in front of my Office, except I could only see one (the main) monitor attached to that device.

Having multiple monitors attached to my laptop helped as well. My laptop is connected to a docking station that has two large monitors attached, giving me three screens in total. That meant I could see my remote machine on one of the large monitors, leaving the other large monitor and the laptop's built in display showing my local device.

Ken

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Graeme
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Re: Connecting PCs

Post by Graeme »

I'm pleased to report that TeamViewer did an excellent the job. I put a wireless extender to the rear of the house and put the laptop in the garage and then spent a couple of hours installing software and drivers. Once done I set up the telescope, plugged the USBs into the laptop then downloaded and installed the ASCOM platform and drivers because I forgot about that earlier! ASCOM works in the background ensuring all the different bits and pieces talk to each other, it's easy to forget about!

A couple more hours later I had half a gig of NGC 2903 astro data without a hint of a lost connection.

Thanks for the suggestion Ken, I'm off to do some processing now.

Regards

Graeme
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http://www.averywayobservatory.co.uk/

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Graeme
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Re: Connecting PCs

Post by Graeme »

On a further issue on the same subject, once the capturing session is over I transfer all the image files from the garage laptop to the pc in the house using a portable USB hard drive. But I have been looking into using the home network to do this. The trouble I'm having is that whilst I can see both computers on the home network and I have managed to set up the ability to see the pc from the laptop, I can't work out how I did it and the network won't allow me to see the laptop from the pc. I get told that I don't have permission.

Anyone know a good tutorial?

Thanks

Regards

Graeme
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http://www.averywayobservatory.co.uk/

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StuartR
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Re: Connecting PCs

Post by StuartR »

The easiest way to deal with permissions in this context is to create a user account on the laptop that has exactly the same username and password as the account you use on the PC. You don't need to log in to this laptop account, but network connections from the PC will be able to use it.
StuartR


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Graeme
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Re: Connecting PCs

Post by Graeme »

Thanks Stuart

I'll try that. No rush till the clouds clear though!

Regards

Graeme
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http://www.averywayobservatory.co.uk/

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Graeme
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Re: Connecting PCs

Post by Graeme »

StuartR wrote:
03 Jul 2022, 21:36
The easiest way to deal with permissions in this context is to create a user account on the laptop that has exactly the same username and password as the account you use on the PC. You don't need to log in to this laptop account, but network connections from the PC will be able to use it.

Hello Stuart

I didn't try that because I am able to transfer files now from the laptop to the pc, so I'm sorted.

However, in order to avoid taking the laptop out to the garage, I've put a pc in the garage for image capture and I'm connecting to that instead.

Thanks

Graeme
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http://www.averywayobservatory.co.uk/