What is the problem?
I am new to 3d printers. Decent with Computer. I got octoprint up and running on a tiny windows machine I had laying around. I installed yawcam to use a USB webcam. I have a couple issues.
- Ocotroprint Security. I created a user account. When I open the web interface I have to login to make changes, but even before that it shows WAY too much info. I want this open to a web interface so I can log in from outside my house, but anyone can see this info if they probe ports on my IP. Octoprint doesnt have an option to simply show you a login box that you HAVE to login before showing you the full interface? 2. Next thing. I'm using yawcam to control the webcam. I want secutiry on it as well since i want to open it to stream outside my house. Turning on security works..but breaks octoprint from being able to show a video feed. Now I get a black box telling me it might require authentication and a link to the stream. Clicking on the link opens a new tab where I CAN plug in usernaname and password....but then I have to watch the stream in that seperate tab, no long WITHIN the octoprint interface. This is also causing an issue with Printoid...an android app for octoprint. ANy help?
It's probably a good idea to read foosel's guide for remotely accessing your OctoPrint instance.
A VPN is something that corporate types use a lot. It's sometimes a bit of hardware and sometimes it's just software. It allows you to be remote and to authenticate in such a way that your laptop, for example, thinks that you're at home in this case. This is possibly the most straight-forward method of accessing your OctoPrint when you're away.
Thank You. I am very familiar with VPN...I'm a system admin...but that was basically my question. Does this REQUIRE me to go a VPN route? Or am I just missing some settings that are already there to do what I want it to do? Most software designed to be remotely accessible would allow something like this, so was this software just written WITHOUT outside remote access in mind? VPN just adds a layer of complexity I would prefer to avoid, and without VPN i have more freedom to just log in and check my stuff from ANY machine without having to try and configure the VPN FIRST.
I can't really speak for foosel. I could only guess that she was trying to solve a problem that she had in trying to control one or several 3D printers locally.
As you can see from the interface, it does display a number of things before the authentication step (assuming that you've turned on Access Control). Turning on Access Control then does affect the REST API from what I understand (perhaps something that you've not used yet as a developer).
Personally, I developed a secondary proxy server myself so that I could remotely control my 3D printer via Alexa (since the Lambda function lives in the cloud).
Foosel and Guy have included haproxy in the OctoPi image so it's ready to implement if you need it. That link from earlier probably describes it better than I could.
Does VPN add that much complexity? (I was an I.T. Manager for about 30 years and I find them to be kind of easy, to be honest.) They're kind of useful in a college situation where the I.T. people won't make changes on your behalf so that's sometimes the only solution for some.
Yes, initially. Things will change in 1.4.0 but until then (and IMHO also after, just like light bulbs, locks or the radiator controller something like a printer doesn't belong on the internet) use a VPN or at the very least basic auth in front.
Thank you all for the info. That answers most of my questions...sorry, new to this and trying to learn fast. I'm just going to go the VPN route and deal with that for now. thanks again!