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Remote access

By @rl8828
    2023-03-14 20:28:14.038Z

    Hello,
    I have a work laptop that I work from home with and would like to travel but I am unable to leave the US with it.

    My work laptop doesn't allow me to download or install programs. To my understanding, both laptops need to be fairly close to one another in order for it to work, is that right?

    My question is, would I be able to connect my work laptop with my private laptop with the tinypilot. Then buy a new laptop to remote access my private laptop (the one connected to my work laptop via tintpilot) and therefore control my work laptop?

    • 12 replies
    1. C

      Hi @rl8828, thanks for your question about using TinyPilot remotely.

      You are correct that a TinyPilot device is normally only available to computers on the same local network, which usually means they will be in same physical location. However, there are several third-party remote access solutions that you can use to connect to your TinyPilot device directly over the Internet. There’s no need to use a second laptop and many of these solutions offer a free version.

      1. R@rl8828
          2023-03-15 11:46:07.082Z

          Hello,
          Thank you for the link.
          I've opened the 3 recommendations for remote access but it looks like you have to download them. I cannot download or install any new software onto my work laptop.

          1. Thanks for getting back to me. Your TinyPilot device communicates with the target computer - in this case, your work laptop - using USB and HDMI. This means there is no need to install any software on the target computer. Instead, you would download and install the remote access software on to your TinyPilot device and on to your remote laptop. The software would then allow your remote laptop to communicate with your TinyPilot device through the Internet.

        • R
          In reply torl8828:
          @rl8828
            2023-03-16 20:41:58.295Z

            Great, thank you for your help!

            1. Progress
            2. R
              @rl8828
                2023-03-15 21:20:26.388Z

                Ok, that makes sense. Then with my remote laptop, I could be out of the country and have access to the target laptop?

                1. C
                  Charles Hague @cghague2023-03-16 11:07:21.075Zreplies torl8828:

                  That’s correct - by using one of the cloud access services you should be able to connect to your TinyPilot device from anywhere with a suitable Internet connection.

                  1. R
                    @rl8828
                      2023-03-21 21:35:24.687Zreplies tocghague:

                      Can you help with this? This is my main screen

                      1. David @david2023-03-22 12:12:07.703Zreplies torl8828:

                        Hi @rl8828, could you provide some more details about the problem?

                        It looks like the computer you're using to access your TinyPilot's web interface is also your target machine. Is that correct?

                        Most users connect their TinyPilot to a machine that they want to control, and then they access the TinyPilot web interface on a different computer in order to control it.

                        1. R
                          @rl8828
                            2023-03-22 12:37:13.406Zreplies todavid:

                            Hey David,
                            Yes, this is on the target (work) laptop. When I go to tinypilot.local, the above picture happens.

                            Am I setting this up wrong? I want to be able to control the target laptop (work laptop) from a different computer as I travel.

                            1. David @david2023-03-22 13:58:22.275Zreplies torl8828:

                              Ok cool! In that case, it looks like you just need to access the TinyPilot web interface on a different device.

                              Make sure that the alternative device is on the same network as your TinyPilot, then open a browser window and navigate to https://tinypilot.local - you should see your work laptop's screen via the TinyPilot web interface.

                              Please let me know if you have any questions!

                              1. R
                                @rl8828
                                  2023-03-22 15:23:26.610Zreplies todavid:

                                  Hey David,
                                  So keep my current set up in place, having the tinypilot connected to my target(work) computer and then go to the link with my other computer and this will allow me to access it?

                                  If thats the case, how can I access the target computer when I am out of the country?

                                  1. David @david2023-03-22 19:06:26.084Zreplies torl8828:

                                    So keep my current set up in place, having the tinypilot connected to my target(work) computer and then go to the link with my other computer and this will allow me to access it?

                                    Exactly! I'd recommend trying out your TinyPilot in this configuration first, before moving on and trying remote access.

                                    how can I access the target computer when I am out of the country?

                                    As for remote access, the most convenient way of setting this up is with a third-party cloud access tool. Charles linked to our cloud access FAQ earlier which outlines a few services. Tailscale seems to have a good balance between ease of setup and performance.

                                    In order to use Tailscale for remote access, you'll need to follow our guide which tells you how to install Tailscale on your TinyPilot and on the computer you will use to access your TinyPilot in the browser (not your work computer that you want to control).

                                    I hope that clears things up. Please let me know if you have any questions.