Remote monitoring of internet performance

[xenium]

hi there,

I need to monitor an Internet connection remotely, using as little hardware as possible. I was wondering if there's any way to access results remotely or post them somehow. I.m thinking to leave a smartphone plugged in and running this.

 

Reason is i run a b&b type service remotely and need to check on guest claims about internet issues.

 

Any tips welcome.

cheers

Alex

 

[TriRan]

Honestly I would setup a small pc on the network with VNC or remote desktop enabled and just log in and run tests when you receive complaints

[xenium]

Thanks, that could be an option.

 

Ideally I'd have something like that that i can power eg from the routers own USB port.

 

 

A quick google suggests there maybe options on android devices (since they're cheap)

 

[Pgoodwin1]

4 hours ago, TriRan said:

Honestly I would setup a small pc on the network with VNC or remote desktop enabled and just log in and run tests when you receive complaints

I do that with my iPad - connect to my Ethernet Mac.

[Sean]

Another suggestion would be to get a basic Windows 10 tablet, which range around $80 to $120 or £60 to 80 in the UK.  Although they have bare minimal hardware (32GB SSD, 1GB RAM, etc.), they do run the full Windows 10 installation, so you can run most diagnostics as with a full size Windows PC, such as Auto test here without it stopping if the Window is put in the background.  Teamviewer also works great for remote desktop access.

 

Most Windows 10 tablets are powered over USB also, so could be kept charged from the router's USB port if it supplies sufficient power.  The internal battery also doubles up as a UPS, so a brief power interruption will not knock it out like a mains-only powered PC.

[xenium]

Thanks good tip. Is there a particular advantage of a windows tablet over android in terms of unattended stability? I want to be able to leave the device unattended indefinitely. Teamviewer allegedly works on android (though it has failed to install on 2 android devices i tried it on) I'm guessing windows is more stable but expert opinions appreciated...thanks

[Pgoodwin1]

Sean. Can the Win tablet be accessed remotely when running Windows 10?  

 

Xenium. I assume your customers are connecting wirelessly? 

[xenium]

The customer I don't think will be relevant, it's just me doing the testing. I will leave one device (eg windows tablet) plugged in and running unattended in some cupboard. I would connect to this device remotely from miles away, just to check on the status of the network.

 

Cheers

 

[xenium]

Just managed to get Teamviewer working, controlling an android device from my pc, seems to work fine. Any tips on making the android device stable for unattended connection?

Thanks again

[Sean]

The main suggestion I have is to uninstall every app you don't plan using on the tablet, i.e. perform a factory reset to start with (i.e. wipe any user installed apps & left overs), then uninstall/disable any unneeded preinstalled apps that can be removed, such as the obligatory Facebook bloatware many manufacturers preinstall.  The fewer apps installed, the the less chance there is of one running in the background causing the unit to become unstable. 

 

TeamViewer does not require any open ports, so no port forwarding is required.  The way TeamViewer works is it makes a connection to its server, so when remote access is required, it is carried over that existing connection, similar to how Skype handles an incoming call.

 

As for a Windows tablet, it in theory should be able to run anything an entry level Windows laptop can run.  The crippled Windows version (Windows RT) is dead as far as I'm aware of and never made it to version 10, so if a tablet is advertised as having Windows 10, it is running the same full operating system as provided with a Windows 10 laptop.  The only time to be wary is when buying a second hand Windows tablet to make sure it doesn't have Windows RT.

[xenium]

Thanks Sean. The main thing i need to ensure is that the android unit remains online. any tips here? I haven't tested it plugged in yet (which it would be usually), but unplugged it did eventually go offline and i could not connect until i pressed the power button, at which point it woke up instantly. Obviously i need to prevent the unit from going permanently offline, and ideally without depending on power (so that any power interruptions do affect it)

 

Thanks again for all your comments.

 

[CA3LE]

On 2/20/2016 at 8:21 AM, xenium said:

The main thing i need to ensure is that the android unit remains online. any tips here?

 

Check this out... 

How to keep your Android phone's screen on longer [greenbot.com]

 

You have to enable developer options and then check "Stay Awake"

[Pgoodwin1]

On February 19, 2016 at 10:30 AM, xenium said:

The customer I don't think will be relevant, it's just me doing the testing. I will leave one device (eg windows tablet) plugged in and running unattended in some cupboard. I would connect to this device remotely from miles away, just to check on the status of the network.

 

Cheers

 

I just wanted to be sure you'd be connecting the tablet to the same internet access point (i.e. The same wireless router) as your customers would so you'd be testing their connections with the tablet.