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Using tinypilot voyager 2 with multiple computers

By Santosh Krishnan @Zantosh
    2023-01-25 04:22:05.743Z

    I need to connect 3 computers and use them remotely. Do I need to get 3 Voyager 2 units, or can I use one unit to control each of the three computers from my tablet?

    • 7 replies
    1. C
      Charles Hague @cghague2023-01-25 11:10:01.663Z

      Hi Santosh - thanks for your great question about controlling multiple computers.

      Each TinyPilot device can capture a single HDMI video stream and emulate a single keyboard and mouse. This means you’d need one TinyPilot device per computer.

      An alternative solution is to use a single TinyPilot device with a third-party KVM which can connect to multiple computers. You can find a list of compatible KVMs in our GitHub wiki.

      1. Z
        In reply toZantosh⬆:
        Santosh Krishnan @Zantosh
          2023-01-26 22:25:51.406Z

          Hi there,

          I got one of the KVM switches in the compatibility list, but I'm still trying to figure out how to get the TinyPilot to make it switch between the connected systems. Can you help me with this?

          Thanks!

          1. C
            In reply toZantosh⬆:
            Charles Hague @cghague2023-01-27 22:49:03.352Z

            The method used to switch between inputs varies depending on the KVM, but it is usually a particular sequence of keypresses. You’ll need to refer to your KVM documentation to find the sequence for your model.

            1. Z
              In reply toZantosh⬆:
              Santosh Krishnan @Zantosh
                2023-01-30 17:09:32.558Z

                I got it all working, it's fantastic. Let me know if you want details.

                1. CCharles Hague @cghague2023-01-31 13:44:50.418Z

                  That’s great to hear, I’m pleased it’s all up and running! Any details you can share could be useful to other users and would be appreciated.

                2. Z
                  In reply toZantosh⬆:
                  Santosh Krishnan @Zantosh
                    2023-01-31 13:59:10.085Z

                    I bought this KVM:

                    GREATHTEK KVM Switch HDMI 4 Port Box, UHD 4K@30Hz & 3D & 1080P Supported, Hot Key Switch, with 4 USB-B and 4 HDMI Cables https://a.co/d/dlhut7T

                    With it and the tinypilot, I can use a hotkey combo to switch screens. Also since I bought the PoE version, I can stash my setup in a storage closet as the tinypilot doesn't take a power socket, just a long Ethernet cable run from another room.

                    I've setup Tinyscale VPN and so I can connect from outside. However brief testing seemed to indicate the speeds were unusable. I'll have to test some more today.

                    Next questions:

                    1. How to add entries to keyboard shortcuts
                    2. How to script actions so that the computers don't fall asleep and teams remains green
                    3. How to save the MAC addresses of connected devices in order to send wake on LAN
                    4. Is there another way to wake a computer connected to tinypilot?
                    1. CCharles Hague @cghague2023-02-02 01:36:14.804Z

                      Thanks for sharing that with us!

                      Tailscale shouldn’t introduce any extra delays, but as it’s an Internet based service it can be affected by network congestion, slow connections and other similar factors. I’d recommend upgrading your TinyPilot device to the latest software and enabling H.264 as this can help to reduce latency.

                      How to add entries to keyboard shortcuts

                      My colleague Dave has answered this in another thread.

                      How to script actions so that the computers don't fall asleep and teams remains green

                      This can be done with our mouse jiggler script.

                      How to save the MAC addresses of connected devices in order to send wake on LAN

                      You can usually find the MAC address of the connected device by checking its network configuration. It may be listed as a hardware or physical address.

                      Is there another way to wake a computer connected to tinypilot?

                      Some computers can be woken by sending a keyboard press from the TinyPilot web interface. It could be worth checking the BIOS settings of the connected system to see if ”Wake on USB” is an option you can enable.

                    2. Progress
                      with handling this problem
                    3. Z@Zantosh marked this topic as Done 2023-01-30 17:09:42.418Z.
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