Windows 10 (and 11) ad-hoc network, remote desktop

[dannybgoode]

@daz and @ONIKKINEN - super stuff.  I have been playing with NINA tonight on my laptop and the main thing that was causing me to think I would need to stick with Astroberry was the lack of an ad hoc network to be able to work mobile and this looks like the ideal setup all round.

May well bite the bullet and get some bits ordered.

[StarryEyed]

Maybe I'm not helping but so we can appreciate that with so many things to consider, its easy to see why there are lots of different experiences with this and why some might say it doesn't work and some do.

Connecting networks together can cause serious problems for companies and individuals so Microsoft doesn't actually remove functionality they just don't make it easy for people that are less technically aware to get at.

HOTSPOT  (HOSTEDNETWORK) and CONNECTION SHARING (BRIDGE actually routing)  are two separate and independent things. 

I created a HOSTEDNETWORK by typing at a command prompt and windows automatically picked a suitable Wi-Fi device that supports a HOSTEDNETWORK see earlier post . The Wi-Fi device it selects might be the one you use to connect to the internet so you'll loose that connection.

        netsh wlan set hostednetwork mode=allow ssid=stargazers key="loungers" keyUsage=persistent

 

and started it

        netsh wlan hostednetwork start

 

I connected my phone to this HOTSPOT "stargazers" you can see its connected at the bottom of the output Number of clients: 

        netsh wlan show hostednetwork

Hosted network settings
-----------------------
    Mode                   : Allowed
    SSID name              : "stargazers"
    Max number of clients  : 100
    Authentication         : WPA2-Personal
    Cipher                 : CCMP

Hosted network status
---------------------
    Status                 : Started
    BSSID                  : 74:da:38:56:0b:5c
    Radio type             : 802.11n
    Channel                : 10
    Number of clients      : 1
        ca:27:88:9b:ad:69        Authenticated

 

CONNECTION SHARING

CONNECTION SHARING is optional for a HOSTEDNETWORK.  

In the control panel go to

Control Panel\Network and Internet\Network Connections         (you can copy and paste this text into file explorer and it will take you there)

Then right click on the device (note the stargazers name I gave it) select "STATUS"

 

Pick PROPERTIES bottom left then on the second dialogue "Allow other....." option to turn it on. 

  

 

KEEPING THE HOSTEDNETWORK AVAILABLE

When you right click on the device (again note the stargazers) pick the PROPERTIES on the menu

On the pop up dialogue top right pick "configure" then power management tab clear the "Allow the computer to turn off this device" 

            

 

Also if your using a USB adapter then check in power settings 

Control Panel\Hardware and Sound\Power

"Change advanced power settings" that USB suspend settings is disabled for the USB device.

 

 

(ROUTING) if your curious to see what routing is take the RED PILL and type "ROUTE PRINT" at a command prompt. This is how connection sharing is actually works is configured, changed etc. 

if you got this far you should have seen enough to make it work. If its too complicated buy a box with an on off switch that will do it for you. Life's to short to be messing with this stuff when you could be looking at the stars.

Regards.

 

Edited January 2, 2022 by StarryEyed

[dnl]

Hi 

Sorry if I'm repeating something all ready covered but Iv just resolved the same issue with my mini pc where the hotspot wouldn't start without a network connection. 

I found that it doesn't need a network just needs to think its a network. 

So if you make a cat5 plug as a loop back and plug it in the Ethernet port your pc starts up and starts the  hotspot. 

To make a loop back you can either crimp your own or take a patch lead 

And short pin 1 to 3 and pin 2 to 6 which should be orange to green. 

[StarryEyed]

Its OK to repeat yourself. As long as people understand they dont have to fabricate a cable to have a HOTSPOT just a compatible wifi device that supports a hostednetwork. 

 

[dnl]

39 minutes ago, StarryEyed said:

Its OK to repeat yourself. As long as people understand they dont have to fabricate a cable to have a HOTSPOT just a compatible wifi device that supports a hostednetwork. 

 

Problem I had when I checked in command line for HOSTED NETWORK SUPPORT : YES  mine was HOSTED NETWORK SUPPORT : NO  so plugging in a patch lead became the easiest solution to remote desktop to my mini pc when I turned it on without the need for any additional kit or mobile hotspot etc..

Dave

 

Edited January 2, 2022 by dnl

[StarryEyed]

There are software options for this installing another loopback adapter (not the default one on every machine) or installing a virtual switch. But as mentioned its layers of complexity. All these hardware boxes that get bought are in effect doing what can already be done in software. 

Network engineers get paid well for a reason. 

Edited January 2, 2022 by StarryEyed

[dannybgoode]

Well I have just got my Beelink Mini PC up and running.  Indeed I am writing this via an RDP connection into it and it seems to work very well.  Whilst I agree there are often software solutions etc I've gone for a little travel router thing for two reasons; 1/ it is very straightforward to get up and running, sure I could mess about with scripts and stuff and I am pretty confident I could get it working however this was very easy.  When out in the field I want to be 100% sure it's just going to work as I will not have any way of accessing the machine to fiddle with scripts and the if they don't fire up properly and 2/ these little routers are very versatile and I can make use of it when not running my scope computer.

Just finishing the final bits of the installation and making sure everything talks to each other but so far so good.  Overall a nice little solution and hopefully one that proves more robust than the RPi with Astroberry.