[SOLVED] Reverse VNC Connection - EVO 4G Themes and Apps

-- SOLVED --> For those who care...
Initial issue/goal: Ports open or blocked over 3G/4g? Getting a reverse VNC connection working on an android phone.
Resolution: Ultra VNC SC basically allows someone behind a firewall or router to, without any configuration required, share their desktop with someone (you) for technical support or any other means. I use it for friends and family and such, and it works great, but the real question and purpose of this thread was about open ports on a 3G/4G connection and what VNC apps allow listening. This is what worked for me: Remote VNC Pro from the market (~$6), DynDNS from the market (free), a dynamic DNS account that is supported by the DynDNS application (like no-ip, dyndns, etc), and a personalized/configured version of Ultra VNC SC (linked below). Port 5900 works, as well as a few others, but 80, 8080, and 443 won't.
VNC Application: Remote VNC Pro (for the phone)
VNC Application: Ultra VNC SC (for the client)
Dynamic DNS: DynDNS (update agent)
Mods/Admins feel free to move this thread and/or lock delete if I am breaking any rules (like advertising?) or something.

Re: [HELP] Reverse VNC Connection
I know with 4G you definitely get a publicly accessible IP without any proxy in the middle. I imagine 3G would be the same so it should be fine in that regards.
As for open ports, any app worth its chops should let you choose which port it listens on so that shouldn't be an issue.
Why don't you just buy one of the apps and give it a try? If it doesn't work you can always return it within 24 hours for a full refund.

Trial and Error
---- ORIGINAL FIRST POST ----
Not sure if this should go here or not, but I'm trying to see if I can get a Reverse VNC Application going. Looking at existing VNC applications for Android, the only one that allows listen mode is Remote VNC Pro v1.7.7 and above. Unfortunately, since it is not free, I cannot test the listening capabilities. Listening aside, I suppose my biggest issue will be open ports. Given 3G/4G addresses (NAT, I assume?) are out of our control, does anyone know what ports are open and what ports are not?
Has anyone else tried? Interested? Suggestions? Here's what I have so far:
VNC Application: Looking at Remote VNC Pro (for the phone)
VNC Application: Ultra VNC SC (for the client)
Dynamic DNS: DynDNS (update agent)
---- END FIRST POST ----
rdude said:
Why don't you just buy one of the apps and give it a try? If it doesn't work you can always return it within 24 hours for a full refund.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well the idea was to see if anyone had already tried this and/or had the application to save me time troubleshooting. Since there has been no response, save yours, I went ahead and purchased it.
rdude said:
As for open ports, any app worth its chops should let you choose which port it listens on so that shouldn't be an issue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh, it has the option to specify ports, but which ports are open over a 3G/4G connection is what I wanted to know. I tried 443 and 80, and both gave me permission errors. Surprisingly 1723 (PPTP) works, but VNC Pro on the phone just sits on the 'please wait while listening on <ip address>' screen forever. The computer running the Single Click VNC server says that the connection was successfully acquired, but the icon never changes colors (suggesting I am completely connected). The interesting thing is that when I cancel or close the connection on the computer, VNC Pro on my EVO closes the 'listening' window and gives me a java exception error.
*sigh* any ideas? I'm guessing the connection is going through but other traffic is getting blocked or something. Not sure what other ports to try, but I will fiddle around with it in the mean time.
Edit: I tried the standard ports on a local WiFi connection. I gave the phone a static IP, port forwarded everything appropriately, and then received the same results. I'm going to take a few screenshots and send and e-mail to the developer for now.
Edit: It appears to be an issue with Ultra VNC SC. Ultra VNC and Real VNC both worked by manually adding the viewer client from the installed server while using port 5900. Sort of defeats the purpose for me, but the developer said he would try it out and (hopefully) get it working.
Edit: The dev got back to me really quickly and we figured out the issues and fixed it over the weekend. He pushed out a new version of the application on Sunday. First post has been updated for those who care.

Bumping the thread for those who are interested in what worked for me, now that everything is fixed.

Nice, been interested in this. How is the refresh rate when your phone is on WiFi and also how is it on 3G?
I tried Screencast (http://code.google.com/p/androidscreencast/), but it only runs at 3-5 FPS, so it was pretty unusable.

I've only had it working for a day, and nobody has really needed my help, so my testing of the application has only been to confirm it works. The best thing I can say, for now, is that the reviews all brag about the performance and pinch-zoom, that the developer is pretty cool and was willing to return the application well beyond the 24 hour limit, should the application not meet my needs, and finally that he fixed the issue I was having in less than 48 hours from the time I reported it to him. Overall, as far as the application is concerned, I am pretty satisfied. For example, I wrote (and edited) this post while using it over 3G from my phone. I saw all the text as I was typing, so I would say the frame rate is satisfactory.
Edit: Wait, after following your link, I think you might be misunderstanding the purpose of this application. This allows you to control a PC from your Android, not the other way around. The purpose is to supply people with a pre-configured portable application that allows you to connect to the computer without any port forwarding or security changes on their machine. The application (uVNC SC) also "uninstalls" itself from their computer after the connection is closed. To reiterate, the primary benefit is to allow you (the admin) to connect to someone else (the user) without them having to do anything but double-click on your connection.

You're right. I misunderstood, didn't know what "reverse vnc" really meant.

Sorry, I knew people confused the two, so I could have been more clear. On that note, I am also interested in a... remote connection to my Android phone. Recording, in particular, would be great for demo's and setup instructions, given so many people have android devices now-days. But yeah, this is not the setup for that. =/

brennen.exe said:
Bumping the thread for those who are interested in what worked for me, now that everything is fixed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad to hear you got it working! I'll try installing it this week and see how it goes.

Looks to me that I want to do exactly the same. Sorry to bump the thread but seems the best thing to do.
I want to support people OTA, since I don't need high framerates, just a view at some PC settings.
I have Remote VNC Pro and it allows the phone to Listen for incoming VNC connections. But it listens on a 10.20.xxx adress, instead of my WAN 3G/4G ip-adress.
I want to use GITSO (awesome little program) for the http://code.google.com/p/gitso/ support issues.
It works flawless pc-to-pc where I have my own portforward setup, saves tons of hassle with the people I want to support.

Related

Q-See Security Camera Viewing

I'm pretty sure I'm the only person on the planet that actually has a set up like this... if I'm wrong, please post... there is no information out there about this old application.
I have a home surveillance system setup using 2 Q See DVR cards. Q See was nice enough to make a Windows Mobile 2003 application called "Pocket Camera" that connects to the Super DVR software used to record the cameras. You type in your IP and port, username and password and it connects to your home DVR system. Then it gives you a drop down list of the cameras you can view.
The software worked perfectly... until I got a VGA device. It only seems to work on qVGA. I know its a long shot... but does anyone know how to get this to work on a VGA device? The network portion works fine... it connects, authenticates and even gets the list of cameras. The software just has an issue rendering the video since (I think) it is expecting qVGA resolution.
Thanks!
Just wanted to post an update in case anyone is having this issue.
I emailed Qsee tech support and they actually called me back! I was amazed. It turns out that I was right and their old code does not support the new phones that have VGA resolutions. They said they were going to send this to their programmers for feedback. Hopefully they get it fixed, being able to view my cameras on my phone has been FANTASTIC.
If anyone has any idea on how to emulate a qvga screen on a vga device, please share.
I have not had any luck (as you had) with Q-see's tech support. In fact, it took nearly 5 weeks of daily emails and testing before they finally admitted to me that their software would not run on a vga device. Anyway, I installed ie 6.1 (I found a cab here) and it *for whatever reason* runs the pocket camera program.
pete
Since my last update, I've had horrible support from Q-See. They are not the strong customer service group I thought they were. I've had nothing but problems for the last 4 months... but I was just recently able to get this thing working on the vga touch pro 2 AND on windows XP.
I had to update to the newest version of SuperDVR, disable all of the activex protections so you can run their UNSIGNED ACTIVEX control. Why they refuse to sign the activex, I will never understand.
However, the cab that comes with the new SuperDVR actually works in VGA.
Basically, Q-See support sucks, but installing the new superdvr worked.
Did you have to buy the SuperDVR? I cannot find it on their website, or anywhere else for that matter.
scottmail said:
Did you have to buy the SuperDVR? I cannot find it on their website, or anywhere else for that matter.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Go to www.q-see.com and click on products
Then pick PC based DVR systems
Then pick your card
Then at the bottom, there is a table that has info in it. One of the column headers is "software".
Here is a direct link, but I don't know how long it will work. They seem to change their software direct links quite often and it keeps breaking my bookmarks.
Super DVR 6.2.2.4

Solution/possible solution for Tether police issues

I don't have much time to look into it at the moment, but for those of you who tether either internet or bluetooth you should look into getting NAT going on your phone. This requires root as far as I know.
You can use iptables (comes with our kernels), ipchains, netfilter, or what ever else passes for NAT/firewall these days on linux. I'll probably end up compiling a ipchains binary here in the next couple weeks if I don't find one (I haven't been able to as of yet)
That will solve the problem of detection via originating address.
To bypass deep packet inspection, look into an encrypted VPN solution. There are some free ones out there, or you can try something like what Giganews offers. Depending on how AT&T does things, this could also potentially speed up your service because many ISPs give VPNs higher QOS priority. This could also be a bad thing because they could decide you need to be on the enterprise plan. Use at your own risk. If you really want to get crazy, tunnel a VPN through an SSL proxy.
One other thing that will help that will help in general is to install any firewall program. Here are a couple I found on the market (sorry can't link yet):
com.wemobs.internetfirewall
com.mm.plugins.contactsprotect.droidwall1
com.dexters.andfirewall
com.googlecode.droidwall.free
I have not tested any, but they all appear to allow you to pick and choose which applications can access the internet. What better way to make sure no applications are phoning home without permission.
These may or may not turn on the NAT functionality for you.
YMMV, but I hope this helps someone
I think tor has some android proxy service, should help.

[Q] MS Remote Desktop on Note 10.1

I've installed Microsoft's Remote Desktop app, and made some changes on my desktop (actually laptop) to be able to use my Note 10 as a Windows client. On my home WiFi network, using my Note 3 as the router, it worked nicely. However, I'm not really going to use it sitting next to my laptop, but rather when I'm out on town or some other place. I realize that I won't find my laptop through its name on my network, this requires more advanced settings, so I've searched for tutorials on this. However, those I found where rather rudimentary, meaning I actually understood everything and had already implemented it. I'm sure a "true" remote setting requires a more sophisticated setup. Hence, are there any users here who have already implemented this? Do you set up a special account on the desktop/laptop? I understand if it is a daunting task to explain all this to half nitwit like myself, but I am capable of learning, so if you know a good thorough tutorial on the subject I'd happily devote some time for the subject.
If you have your laptop running on your home network and you want to access it through Remote Desktop while somewhere else, it is a significant setup needing some technical knowledge to make the system visible on the internet as you have found out. You need to create an opening through your internet router, set up some sort of dynamic DNS service and so on.
You may be better using a tailor made solution designed to do what you want without all those hassles. Not wishing to advertise anything specific, but TeamViewer is very much intended for this, running as an app on the tablet and a service on the laptop PC. The software hadles the communication between the two through a central 'broker' service.
I'll go ahead and name names. Ive tried several and my favorite so far has been either Pocket Cloud or Jump Desktop. Jump is my daily choice and can be easily set up on your PC using your Google account so you can always find it, even when off of your own network. Jump also seems a little smoother than Pocket Cloud. Both support 1 free connection I believe.
Good luck finding the right one for you.
As for direct RDP without Jump Desktop or similar, you'd need to set up your router with port forwarding and choose a port that you will use in conjunction with your external IP address to enter into your RDP app on your tablet. Problem is that some ISP hardware (like my DSL modem) has built in firewalls that prevent port forwarding from working. Not to mention that your IP address may not be static unless you pay for that option specifically with your ISP. Consequently it may change every time the power cycles on your DSL modem or router.
@Spydervoice
Ahh, very helpful comment, much appreciated. So a dynamic IP, which is what most ISPs provide will in essence spoil the experience unless I set it up specifically for each day. See, this is the kind of erudite reply that makes a person willing to endure spam and LOLcats on the Internet.
I used Splashtop before, with my ASUS Transformer, but the lag essentially made it a bust. What was nice about the Microsoft RDP was the instantaneous response. I actually ran a session of Word on my Note 10.1 and it was neither uncomfortable nor frustrating. Hence, my interest in making a session available over the Internet.
Assuming I could do this whole thing about opening up a port in the router, do I expose myself to hacker attacks?
Sent from my GT-N8010 using Tapatalk 4
Kumabjorn said:
@Spydervoice
Ahh, very helpful comment, much appreciated. So a dynamic IP, which is what most ISPs provide will in essence spoil the experience unless I set it up specifically for each day. See, this is the kind of erudite reply that makes a person willing to endure spam and LOLcats on the Internet.
I used Splashtop before, with my ASUS Transformer, but the lag essentially made it a bust. What was nice about the Microsoft RDP was the instantaneous response. I actually ran a session of Word on my Note 10.1 and it was neither uncomfortable nor frustrating. Hence, my interest in making a session available over the Internet.
Assuming I could do this whole thing about opening up a port in the router, do I expose myself to hacker attacks?
Sent from my GT-N8010 using Tapatalk 4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use spalshtop hd every day from different places with no lag at all. Might give it a shot again, if you got decent home rig.
Have you tried TeamViewer? I find it works mostly well, and you don't need to worry about home connections changing addresses and such.
-----
Tips for a pleasant XDA:
Search before asking. Someone has likely already asked.
Spell your words completely, and use punctuation. It confuses people when you use "u" and "ur" and "dat", or when you wrongly use "there/their/they're/your/you're".
Be nice. Don't be rude, just move on to another post without leaving a comment. We are not 7 years old.
And PLEASE, do not ask for the "best" anything. We all have our preferences.
(I feel like a twit for somehow missing an earlier post suggesting TeamViewer)
-----
Tips for a pleasant XDA:
Search before asking. Someone has likely already asked.
Spell your words completely, and use punctuation. It confuses people when you use "u" and "ur" and "dat", or when you wrongly use "there/their/they're/your/you're".
Be nice. Don't be rude, just move on to another post without leaving a comment. We are not 7 years old.
And PLEASE, do not ask for the "best" anything. We all have our preferences.
Happens all the time, no worries.
Sent from my GT-N5110 using Tapatalk 4
DDNS
If you have trouble with Dynamic IP you can always use a dynamic DNS service. Most modern routers include the capability, or you can get client software for your PC or NAS. This will allow you to have your own DNS name which remaps your IP address whenever it changes.
---------- Post added at 09:42 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:31 PM ----------
The other thing to watch out for if you are opening your router the big bad world is make sure you have only the port you need open to the outside world, and don't use the standard port for RDP 3389. Just a word of warning.
The part about opening up a port is what causes apprehension. Even if I use a different port, aren't there something called "port sniffers" available to hackers interested in breaking in?
Sent from my SC-01F using Tapatalk
another great solution if you do not want to mess with port forwarding and dynamic dns (paid though, and not too chip) is logmein. it is the simplest i ever used.
next one mentioned somewhere in this thread that worked for me too is Jump Desktop with google account set up. i think this one is free for one connection or so...
i have never used team viewer do do not have an opinion about that
original win RDP will work only with ports forwarded and dynDns service running on your router.
port forwarding tutorial by ms:
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/...op-connections-from-outside-your-home-network
dyndns confug will vary in different routers.
i was using it for some time with both pocket cloud and jump desktop and both worked great. never had any issues even when working through 3G.
hope it helps...
.

Free your data: running your own server (post under construction :)

So you want to run your own server, eh? Whether you want to free yourself from data mining, commercialising, monetising, greedy be-tied-and-suited media moguls or from the spiritual successors of J. Edgar Hoover and Yuri Andropov does not matter. You want your data to be just that, *your* data. While this might seem extreme to some the idea is actually not far fetched, nor is it impossible to realise. After all, the 'net and the web were conceived as a decentralised network of services. This model, while good in allowing diversity and freedom, is less than ideal from a profitability standpoint so you should not expect those who stand to profit from hoarding your data to lend a helping hand here You're on your own here.
Well, not really on your own of course as there is a metric ton of information on this subject to be found on the 'net. Everything from how to turn that old laptop into a server through using single-board computers as servers through re-purposing whatever you happened to find dumpster-diving. Suffice to say that you need hardware, software and a network connection. A separate router, preferably one under your own control, running known software (OpenWRT, DD-WRT, Tomato, etc) on stable and not to anemic hardware so it can be used to run a VPN to your phone. You'll want your own domain name as well, either one from the free services which are (still) around or something more 'personal'.
Network connection and domain
Here you often don't have that much choice. If possible, choose a wired connection over a wireless one, both for the higher reliability as well as the usually more acceptable use policies and the fact that wireless connections often change IP address. Choose a connection without a traffic cap over one which has one. Choose the connection with the highest upload rate, even if this means settling on a lower download rate - servers send traffic up the net after all.
There are many ways to get a domain name. You can buy one, of course. For a personal server this might be overkill, but the choice is yours. One advantage of having your own domain is that it enables you to keep your mail/jabber/web/whatever addresses no matter what happens (as long as you pay the registrar, of course). You're totally free here as you can simply point your domain elsewhere if you happen to move to another ISP (and/or country...). Cheaper - as in 'free' - is to use one of the many free dynamic DNS services. As long as you have an address to feed your phone and other devices which will make use of your server you're fine.
Router
Best here is to use a router which is fully under your own control. While some ISP routers might be marginally usable, these devices are often at the whim of the ISP as they can be remotely controlled and configured. This is not what you want for your network, so just use the thing in bridge mode if possible, otherwise forward all traffic to your own router. With one of the free and open router firmwares on a reliable device you can do interesting things, ranging from port knocking on the router to VPN tunnels to your mobile devices.
Hardware, storage
Power consumption. heat- and noise production are of more importance than raw power here. There should be enough memory to keep the thing from paging (or 'swapping') on the intended work load on the chosen OS. The same goes for storage: If it fits in the box, fine. If it does not (external drives on laptops, Raspberries, etc) make sure the whole contraption is stable so you don't get any sudden 'disconnects'. For a personal server, power consumption, noise and heat production (which directly relates to reliability) are - again - more important than raw performance.
OS
Any 'unix' of choice is fine here. Linux, *BSD, doesn't matter. Even MacOS would do. Windows, not so much. It is not impossible to use Windows but it is more of a hassle given that a lot of the software is tailored to a unix environment. If you really insist on running Windows, at least make sure it is patched up to the hilt and that all - and that means all - unnecessary services have been switched off.
Software
This is the interesting bit, and the reason why this message is here in the first place. On one of the forum threads here someone was surprised by the fact that I don't run any of the Google apps on my devices, wondering how I got by without Google Play, GMail, contacts and calendar sync etc. Part of the answer to that question involves running your own server, part is covered by using alternatives for the Google-provided apps and services. I would have put this all in a table but it seems this silly forum does not support those...
Commercial service: Alternative (Remarks)
Google Play: F-Droid (The F-Droid store only contains free software. It does not provide a full alternative to the Play Store. If you really want to run the Play Store but still have a notion of privacy on your device, consider enabling Google Services only when required, disabling them afterwards. You can also designate one device as the one which gets to run the Play Store and side-load apps from this device to all others. Theoretically this should be possible using an emulator on your server as well, automating the whole process and creating a 'playstore by proxy'. I have not tried this.)
GMail: IMAP to your own server, eg the Debian standard dovecot daemon. K9 or the standard Android email client on your device.
Contacts: CardDav to your own server (service is provided by ownCloud, amongst others), DAVdroid on your phone or tablet.
Calendar: CalDav to your own server (service is provided by ownCloud, amongst others), DAVdroid on your phone or tablet.
Cloud storage (Dropbox, Google Drive, etc): WebDav to your own server (service is provided by ownCloud, amongst others), one of the many webdav clients on your phone. There is a specific ownCloud app as well.
Photo sharing (Flickr, Smugmug, etc): Trovebox to your own server, Trovebox app on phone
Streaming service (Spotify, Google Music, etc): subsonic on your own server, dSub or Subsonic app on phone (there is a rudimentary streaming service in ownCloud as well, based on Ampache)
More will follow...
If you get in the game on time you might be able to join the Reset the Net initiative!
Reserved #2
This position is reserved for a more thorough list of services
Reserved #3
This position is reserved for a more thorough list of services
YetAnotherForumUser said:
Commercial service: Alternative (Remarks)
Google Play: F-Droid (The F-Droid store only contains free software. It does not provide a full alternative to the Play Store. If you really want to run the Play Store but still have a notion of privacy on your device, consider enabling Google Services only when required, disabling them afterwards. You can also designate one device as the one which gets to run the Play Store and side-load apps from this device to all others. Theoretically this should be possible using an emulator on your server as well, automating the whole process and creating a 'playstore by proxy'. I have not tried this.)
GMail: IMAP to your own server, eg the Debian standard dovecot daemon. K9 or the standard Android email client on your device.
Contacts: CardDav to your own server (service is provided by ownCloud, amongst others), DAVdroid on your phone or tablet.
Calendar: CalDav to your own server (service is provided by ownCloud, amongst others), DAVdroid on your phone or tablet.
Cloud storage (Dropbox, Google Drive, etc): WebDav to your own server (service is provided by ownCloud, amongst others), one of the many webdav clients on your phone. There is a specific ownCloud app as well.
Photo sharing (Flickr, Smugmug, etc): Trovebox to your own server, Trovebox app on phone
Streaming service (Spotify, Google Music, etc): subsonic on your own server, dSub or Subsonic app on phone (there is a rudimentary streaming service in ownCloud as well, based on Ampache)
More will follow...
More later, no time now,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is an interesting topic mainly because android has the potential to become non dependant of google services and I would be nice to keep personal data really personal.
Also there is a No Gapps project here in xda that is quite interesting.
YetAnotherForumUser said:
Router
Best here is to use a router which is fully under your own control. While some ISP routers might be marginally usable, these devices are often at the whim of the ISP as they can be remotely controlled and configured. This is not what you want for your network, so just use the thing in bridge mode if possible, otherwise forward all traffic to your own router. With one of the free and open router firmwares on a reliable device you can do interesting things, ranging from port knocking on the router to VPN tunnels to your mobile devices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This reminded me of something that happened in my dad's office recently:
http://arstechnica.com/civis/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=1209257
The ISP guys configured it that way because dad wanted to run a webserver on one system, the one directly connected to the modem on bridged mode. They apparently didn't think it was necessary to also add a router betweenthe modem and the network of computers :/
Lessons:
1. Don't trust anything the ISP guys do
2. Always us a standalone router or firewall
3. Don't use XP. Seriously.
TJKV said:
This reminded me of something that happened in my dad's office recently:
http://arstechnica.com/civis/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=1209257
The ISP guys configured it that way because dad wanted to run a webserver on one system, the one directly connected to the modem on bridged mode. They apparently didn't think it was necessary to also add a router betweenthe modem and the network of computers :/
Lessons:
1. Don't trust anything the ISP guys do
2. Always us a standalone router or firewall
3. Don't use XP. Seriously.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can recommend something like this. They come with web-face, but you need have atleast base knowledge of how network things work.
slph said:
I can recommend something like this. They come with web-face, but you need have atleast base knowledge of how network things work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nah when I realised what the ISP guys had done I bought a D-Link 2750U and set it up properly in NAT mode
Wifi also works now since it isn't bridged to a computer anymore

[GUIDE] Using an Android device as a Mumble (murmur) VOIP server. [No Root] Required!

Tutorial version 1.0 by: Talbot *TBOT* Simons “Monsieurtalbot”
WHY?
I was looking around the internet a while ago for a good tutorial on this. Sadly, after many years no one had released one – and after many hours of testing I have managed install and run a mumble (murmur) server - from an Android device using a Debian compatibility layer app called Debian NoRoot. It took a lot of tinkering over a couple years to discover this working method - and it works really well.
There are many benefits to having your own Mumble server… not to mention one that fits in the palm of your hand and can be transported… Not to mention one that can act independently – INCLUDING a built in WIFI network and battery – but using this method, not only is it possible to take a private VOIP server everywhere you go – it’s possible for it to run really smoothly with any mid-range smartphone made after 2012. Broadcast your own WIFI network and connect with friends in a private offline chat within WIFI range…. Or connect to a WIFI network, forward a port from your router and expand the coverage to all of the internet… All with an old android you probably have lying around somewhere. Use it anywhere a walkie talkie might be needed, but not available. Text chat is also included and working – and it’s all as private as possible really… You are even able to encrypt your connection at that point – or simply host it locally and use it anywhere you have a large local network you can tap off of… Hotels & cruises – speak between rooms via the WIFI… etc etc. I can see this being implemented in places where internet is scarce and communication is needed… It will work on devices many people are discarding – and in a world where privacy is becoming scarce – it’s nice to know that the method of your communication is safe.
DISCLAIMER - MUST READ
I am not responsible for any data loss or device damage. Proceed at your own risk, though none of what we’re doing here should be considered risky. I’m not including pictures as I’m a busy man – but the process is quite simple and the instructions are quite exact. I think you’ll be fine.
This has been tested on several Android devices of various screen sizes and processor architectures going back to 4.0. It should work on most if not all devices. An old Android you have sitting in a drawer is a perfect candidate for this – not a bad thing to just keep installed on your personal device as well if you’re a power user like me. The program we’ll be using is able to run most if not all Linux apps … A lot of possibility here. No root is required for most of the features to work in this tutorial. Root isn’t needed if you are on an unlocked device, or if you have tethering provisioned on your wireless account. Tethering is only needed if you plan on using the device to broadcast a WIFI network to make it truly independent from a WIFI router.
Some features of the server may or may not be broken, I personally don’t require much besides a server with no password. If anyone runs into any issues down the road, please let me know!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With that being said – let’s begin.
___________________________________________________________________________________
INSTALLATION -
1. Download the following apps from the Play Store on your Android “server device”.
1. Debian NoRoot – The Debian linux environment (takes about 900MB space on internal SD)
2. Plumble – (mumble client) either free or paid version is fine.
3. Fing – Network tools for scanning IPs and networks.
ALSO EITHER:
Stock WIFI hotspot feature (if you have active wireless service)
OR
WIFI Tether Router – (requires root) allows for WIFI networks to be created without a WAN connection.
OR
If you just want a local server hosted and want to use your home router (with or without port forwarding for WAN access to your server) – you can do that too.
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2. Open the Debian NoRoot app you just downloaded – let it install and set your DPI and font scale to whatever is best for your device. Typically messing with the stock settings won’t do much good for you.
3. Open the terminal that is found on the desktop of Debian, or open it from the menu if your screen is small. Execute the following commands:
sudo apt-get update
(wait for the process to finish - accept any dependencies with Y)
sudo apt-get upgrade
(wait for the process to finish - accept any dependencies with Y)
sudo apt-get install mumble-server
(accept any dependencies with Y – there will be some errors, ignore them.)
sudo dpkg-reconfigure mumble-server
(Autostart: Yes, High Priority: No, Then set the super user password when prompted.)
sudo nano /etc/mumble-server.ini
(This is where you’ll edit the server info – there is much documentation on setting up a mumble server and configuring this file elsewhere on the web… Things like server name, welcome message, server password – etc etc are located in this setting file. Save the file and go back to the terminal.)
sudo /etc/init.d/mumble-server restart
(That’s it, the server should now be running with your new settings in the background. There is no UI and no icons that pop up.)
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4. Once this is done – keep in mind even though you set the Autostart it is not going to work in this environment – so you will need to manually start the process via it’s script file – so lets create a shortcut to it on the desktop to make starting the server easier.
The script file is located at:
Code:
/usr/bin/murmur-user-wrapper
“Two finger tap” the file and “send to -> Desktop (create link)”
You will now double click this desktop link to start your server after you open the Debian Environment.
5. You can now press the home button to put the Debian environment in the background. Open the “Plumble” app you downloaded *on the same device* and set up a new server with the following settings:
Label : LOCAL SERVER
Address: 127.0.0.1 - leave the port as 64738 or change it as you like.
Username: Whatever you want – I used ADMIN for the server device.
Password: leave blank unless you set it up in the settings file.
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Once you save the server if should show as online. Connect to it and change the default audio setting to push-to-talk in Plumble settings… If you don’t see it online, restart the phone, or some devices require to be connected to some form of network before the server will show as online. See the next step.
5. Once the server is running you have a number of options on how you can set it up and connect to it. – if you aren’t seeing the server – attempt the following - either step A, B or C first before ripping your hair out.
A. Connect to a WIFI network – set a static IP for your network in Android WIFI settings… You can then use it locally… or you can forward the port you used in the last step to the static IP you set in your router’s settings.
B. Broadcast a stock android hotspot – if you have active wireless service and tethering provisioned or an unlocked device – if you don’t, some custom Android roms will activate and broadcast a network anyway, some won’t… depends on device – your mileage may vary. This is cool for direct device to device communication but will not allow you to use it over the internet. Wireless carriers block a lot of ports incoming.
C. Open WIFI tether router – set it up based on your device. This app requires root but is the most likely to work in a completely offline scenario with no available external WIFI network or when you don’t have service but want to turn a couple phones into walkie talkies in the grocery store. Option B and C are very similar in function but C works with no service – in a plane, a cruise ship, the middle of nowhere, etc etc.
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6. At this point – we can start connecting other devices… Either get the mumble client for PC/Mac or download “Plumble” and “Fing” on another android device. iPhone also has free mumble clients and network scanners.
7. Open “Fing” on the server device and run a scan if you are on a WIFI router network. Note your server device’s IP address and confirm that the devices you are trying to have connect have an IP address themselves. You may need to run “Fing” or another network scanning app on the secondary device to determine the server device’s IP address… Especially if you are doing this with option B or C for connection.
8. Open Plumble (Android) or your PC/Mac/iOS mumble client and configure it to the server IP you determined in the last step… As long as they are on the same network you should see the server online… Connect and set the push to talk setting on the second device. You should now be able to chat between the server device and the secondary device… and you should be able to connect multiple others as well.
9. Reboot the device.
10. At this point It’s 100% installed and ready to go. The server boot process to recap is quite simple.
- Connect the server device and secondary devices to the same network, hotspot, whatever.
- Open “Debian NoRoot” from a fresh device boot. Sometimes a fresh boot is needed for the server to run properly.
- Once Debian environment is fully loaded, two finger click the shortcut we created for the murmur server and choose the top option – “execute”
-Open Plumble on the server device and connect to the local server profile you created
- Determine the server’s IP address based on how you connected and set up the client devices.
- PROFIT.
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I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and find it useful – if anyone takes these steps, please help the community and provide screenshots that I may add to this post. The information was sourced and pieced together from so many places… I’d like to thank… Google search - as well as the developers behind the apps used in this tutorial. I'm amazed that after all this time something just clicked and low and behold - it works!
Cheers and best wishes all!
Just an update - this is surprisingly stable, and I have had a server running on an old android device for over 2 weeks with no downtime.
Awesome work! I've been debating trying to port Murmur to Android for a while now as I have an Android STB sitting around that would make a perfect server.
zyperion said:
Awesome work! I've been debating trying to port Murmur to Android for a while now as I have an Android STB sitting around that would make a perfect server.
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There's already an armhf distro for murmur on debian... This is actually still working great. It's the only reason this works... Same package for the raspberry pi. =]
Any app for Android that allows you to boot I to a chroot Linux environment this will work on...
Sent from my LG-US996 using Tapatalk
Yeah, it's a very clever solution that seems to be working pretty well. I'll have to give it a try! I've also been looking into trying to get Ubuntu installed on my Minix Neo X5 instead since I don't have any need for it as a media box anymore which makes Android far less desirable than a functional Linux install.

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