I have finally managed to get out to my remote site to restart the machine here and to set it up for remote monitoring etc.

To check that my understanding of remote working is correct I’ve tried to log in to my main machines - and failed totally.

I can monitor both of those machines from a laptop on the same site but trying to log in over the internet the Boing Manager just hangs.

Both machines have <allow_remote_gui_rpc>1</allow_remote_gui_rpc> set in the cc_config.xml and my understanding was that this would allow me access from any location regardless of the contents of remote_hosts.cfg (which is empty).

When entering the target host name do I have to add any info such as an IP address?

If I do have to use the remote hosts file can I wildcard the ip addresses as these are dynamic?

Anything else I’m missing?

Both machines have <allow_remote_gui_rpc>1</allow_remote_gui_rpc> set in the cc_config.xml and my understanding was that this would allow me access from any location regardless of the contents of remote_hosts.cfg (which is empty).

Use the remote_hosts.cfg file with the DNS host names of the hosts, as these will not change.

See https://boinc.berkeley.edu/wiki/Controlling_BOINC_remotely for more information.

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How 'remote' is your laptop from the main machines? There should be at least a router, and possibly a firewall, that you have to negotiate to access them from 'the internet'. You (or your IT manager, if different) would have to open the two IP addresses and port 31436 on each. DNS won't work inbound across a router.

My preferred approach in this scenario was to install a main-site router with VPN termination in the router - log in to that via VPN, and then you're effectively a part of the internal LAN. Everything, including DNS, should work. [My experience was with Windows servers, running as a Domain under Active Directory, so DNS and DHCP were local. YMMV.]

Note: you need a very, very, good remote-to-main internet service for this to work - preferably gigabit. BOINC's own manager requests an update every second (non-configurable), and gets a flood of data in return. And has to receive and process that within the second. BoincTasks would be a better bet for slower lines.

Both machines have <allow_remote_gui_rpc>1</allow_remote_gui_rpc> set in the cc_config.xml and my understanding was that this would allow me access from any location regardless of the contents of remote_hosts.cfg (which is empty).

Use the remote_hosts.cfg file with the DNS host names of the hosts, as these will not change.

See https://boinc.berkeley.edu/wiki/Controlling_BOINC_remotely for more information.

That’s the link I’d been working off but thanks, I’ll try the host names.

How 'remote' is your laptop from the main machines? There should be at least a router, and possibly a firewall, that you have to negotiate to access them from 'the internet'. You (or your IT manager, if different) would have to open the two IP addresses and port 31436 on each. DNS won't work inbound across a router.

My preferred approach in this scenario was to install a main-site router with VPN termination in the router - log in to that via VPN, and then you're effectively a part of the internal LAN. Everything, including DNS, should work. [My experience was with Windows servers, running as a Domain under Active Directory, so DNS and DHCP were local. YMMV.]

Note: you need a very, very, good remote-to-main internet service for this to work - preferably gigabit. BOINC's own manager requests an update every second (non-configurable), and gets a flood of data in return. And has to receive and process that within the second. BoincTasks would be a better bet for slower lines.

The main machines are in the UK and the laptop is in Crete so there’s a router and a firewall at each end and the line in Crete is s l o w (about 6mb/s).

OK, I’ll investigate BoincTasks under Wine.

Routers and firewalls would normally let your requests out of Crete without a problem, though the firewall may need port 31416 opening.

The problem is getting back into the UK (isn't it always). If you didn't set up the inward ports before you left, and don't have full remote systems management access already, security should prevent you changing anything at this late stage. Just relax on the beach until you get back.

BoincTasks uses exactly the same protocol and access rules as BOINC Manager, so that would be blocked too. The only gains for your situation would be configurable refresh intervals, and the ability to see both main machines on the same GUI.

Routers and firewalls would normally let your requests out of Crete without a problem, though the firewall may need port 31416 opening.

The problem is getting back into the UK (isn't it always). If you didn't set up the inward ports before you left, and don't have full remote systems management access already, security should prevent you changing anything at this late stage. Just relax on the beach until you get back.

BoincTasks uses exactly the same protocol and access rules as BOINC Manager, so that would be blocked too. The only gains for your situation would be configurable refresh intervals, and the ability to see both main machines on the same GUI.

At this point I’m trying to set up the laptop so that I can see it when I get home. When it went down a few months ago I was left guessing what the problem was and whether I could get local help in to restart it.