Configuring wfview
Posted: Thu Dec 05, 2024 4:40 pm
Wfview is a cross-platform remote package to ciontrol many Icom radios. Linux versions are free.
How to do:
First get your home internet "findable" on the inbternet. This is not dangerous if you follow these principles, and very useful for operating not only your rig but also your home desktop remotely.
To be found on the internet, you need a name, and I'll assume that you don't want to to pay anything for it! Go to a Dynamic IP service -I use "No IP"- https://www.noip.com/ and choose your name, and then either use your home router's Dynamic IP utility to contact No-IP regularly, or download No-IP's free script to do the same thing on your computer. I'd recommend scheduling it to run regularly with cron. What happens now? Anytime you want to access your home computer network remotely, just use the name you chose with No-IP and even though your IP address is usually not fixed, the free service will always ensure that the right numbers are matched with your chosen name. Cool! Baddies hat it because you can now set up a web page, email server, radio remote server at home and only someone who knows your chosen name will find it.
Ok the remote call comes in to your home router. It will need to forward the traffic to your radio. Give the radio a fixed address on your network, so the router will know a stable address. Now set up Port Forwarding in the router to accept incoming radio ports, commonly 50001, 50002 and 50003 for Icom rigs and send the connection the the rig's fixed address. Done! So what happens when you're on the road and want to access your radio? You set the wfview to your home's free name instead of a network address number, like this:
The connections from wfview are then sent to the correct numerical IP address for your home, where your home router now knows to forward the traffic to your radio. Connection made!
Any tricks? if you are configured as above, make the connection with home from the Settings tab first. This will usually wake up the radio. Only if necessary Power On the radio from the View tab.
When you want to end your session, Power Off from the view tab, and then close wfview to break the connection. That's all there is to it, well nearly, and we'll get to really making it sing for you next post!
How to do:
First get your home internet "findable" on the inbternet. This is not dangerous if you follow these principles, and very useful for operating not only your rig but also your home desktop remotely.
To be found on the internet, you need a name, and I'll assume that you don't want to to pay anything for it! Go to a Dynamic IP service -I use "No IP"- https://www.noip.com/ and choose your name, and then either use your home router's Dynamic IP utility to contact No-IP regularly, or download No-IP's free script to do the same thing on your computer. I'd recommend scheduling it to run regularly with cron. What happens now? Anytime you want to access your home computer network remotely, just use the name you chose with No-IP and even though your IP address is usually not fixed, the free service will always ensure that the right numbers are matched with your chosen name. Cool! Baddies hat it because you can now set up a web page, email server, radio remote server at home and only someone who knows your chosen name will find it.
Ok the remote call comes in to your home router. It will need to forward the traffic to your radio. Give the radio a fixed address on your network, so the router will know a stable address. Now set up Port Forwarding in the router to accept incoming radio ports, commonly 50001, 50002 and 50003 for Icom rigs and send the connection the the rig's fixed address. Done! So what happens when you're on the road and want to access your radio? You set the wfview to your home's free name instead of a network address number, like this:
The connections from wfview are then sent to the correct numerical IP address for your home, where your home router now knows to forward the traffic to your radio. Connection made!
Any tricks? if you are configured as above, make the connection with home from the Settings tab first. This will usually wake up the radio. Only if necessary Power On the radio from the View tab.
When you want to end your session, Power Off from the view tab, and then close wfview to break the connection. That's all there is to it, well nearly, and we'll get to really making it sing for you next post!