Add remote host address to the remote tab

[Will Lunniss]

Add a field to the remote tab so that the user can type in their dynamic dns address. This can a) help the user setup remote access and b) allow client apps to setup remote access automatically.

[Petr Nejedly]

Actually thinking about it, UPnP allows to get the public IP address from the routers (as well as adding port mapping). So I could keep that up to date in the DB. Would that be any help?

Obviously not all routers support it and some people might have the option off altogether.

[Will Lunniss]

I was thinking of this as a more of a first run setup processes and a place for users to type in the details once (while following a guide to walk them through it).

Having the public IP won't really help (I could fairly easily do this from the app as well) as it will in most cases change fairly frequently hense the need for dynamic dns.

[Petr Nejedly]

Yes, the IP will change, but I'd be updating if frequently and especially on the server start. Therefore I'd store the IP that is currently valid.

[Will Lunniss]

The problem with that is it requires the client app to check in with the server over Wi-Fi at a frequent enough internal that it picks up any changes, something that is not likely to always happen.

I'll expand on my original thinking.

Unless the user has a static IP (in which case they probably asked for it an know how to set up everything on their own), they will need a dynamic dns address

The user will need to setup this dynamic dns, they also need to set a password in the console and turn on port forwarding, so why not get them to do it all at the same time.

It is faily easy to follow a nice webpage guide with annotated screenshots that guides the user through signing up for an account, installing the software to keep it updated, and entering the details in the console on a PC with a large screen.

Client apps can then scan the Wi-Fi network for servers and check the details. If the user has typed in an address, they can use it, if not, they can point the the single guide. When the upcoming apps for iOS, WP, Windows 8 etc.. come out, they can use the same processes, and point the users to the same guide.

The benifit of this is 1) It draws the users attention to the fact that they must take this step and provides a single place and guide to help them do it 2) Clients can set them selves up automatically without the user having to remember and type in details

Then in the future, this field would be replaced by a user name or some system to manage the dynamic dns for the user.

[Petr Nejedly]

Sounds good. I was just putting forward the possibility of the router IP. But as you say, a guide would do nicely.