Remotely Controlling a Flex Signature Transceiver Over the Internet
de Larry KB1VFU
DXLab's Commander can connect remotely via the Internet to your Flex Signature (6000 series) transceiver via port forwarding. Your transceiver must have a fixed IP address on the LAN to which it is connected, and the router to which the PC hosting Commander is connected must be configured to forward port 4992 to the transceiver's fixed IP address. In the Radio Selection panel on the General tab of Commander's Configuration window,
set the IP Address to your router's external IP address
set the IP Port to 4992.
This enables full use of the DXLab suite on a PC or laptop that is separated from the transceiver, and also enables full functionality of other applications that have communications links to DX Lab, such as PSTRotatorAZ. I use DXLab with other remote control apps employing RS-232 interfaces in combination with a serial to Ethernet converter (USR N540 four-port) to provide remote control for a rotor, amp and SteppIR antenna, eliminating the need for a PC running in the shack. There is no need for a Virtual Private Network (VPN) or the use of a "remote desktop" application required.
Security Note: This approach makes the transceiver accessible to anyone who knows (or takes the time to investigate) your router's external IP address and external port number.
- Security can be modestly enhanced by configuring the router's external port number to an unassigned number other than 4992 and configuring the Commander port accordingly; the router's internal port number be 4992. Keep the transceiver powered down when not in use.
Better security can be obtained by either defining a rule for the router's firewall to allow only the IP address of the remote router to access the external port, or by using a Virtual Private Network (VPN).
Connecting and Configuring FLEX Signature Transceivers for Operation Via SmartSDR CAT, which supports remote operation via Flex's SmartLink product
Remotely Controlling a Transceiver over the Internet