Crestron Dashboard Crestron Toolbox
Thursday, October 3, 2024

How to Connect to Remote Systems

Scheduled Events and DMX-512 Released -  The initial Event Scheduler has been Released with support for; Crestron, DMX-512 Lighting Systems  & basic control of CBW X300 Relay & Sensors devices.    
Support of Crestron Control System Scheduling will also continue in beta with expected updates into early November. Get access to beta code: mailto:support@Linked2Software.com?subject=Please send me link to Beta releases.  

Your Crestron Dashboard should already be up and running watching an assortment of equipment around the world. Here is what you need to-do to connect Toolbox to a Control System connected to the Linked2 Dashboard;

 

1. You must first assign a unique "Dashboard ID" to the Crestron Control System (this can be a number or a name) - it must be connected at the time to open its Dashboard window, and it must be connected at the time you want to Link Toolbox to that system. Toolbox is smart and knows it is connecting to a "Pass-Through" Dashboard, so it waits a little longer for connections.

NOTE: The ID can be any number (like customer account) or name (you may not use special characters like commas or / ] {" - stick to letters and spaces please). You may not use duplicate IDs on the same Dashboard.

 

2. From the Registered Connections Window you right click on the desired Crestron Control System and select "Create Toolbox Address Book Entry". Then chose to create it on this PC or to email it to someone at another location. In either case a standard Crestron Toolbox Address book file (.adr) is created in the Dashboard data folder (you can access that from the menu "List Controls > Open Historical Data Folder". If email is selected then you will need to enter an email address (comma separate multiple entries) and the .adr file will be sent to the user.

NOTE: Toolbox must be installed on the remote PC that you are sending this link to, and your Dashboard must have a public address that is accessible from the remote PC (for security you may also Port Forward 50,505 and keep the system behind your firewall).

 

 

General Toolbox Notes on Connecting to your remote Crestron Control Systems;

  1. Generally speaking All the functions of Crestron Toolbox are available to you and can be used like you were connected locally to the system.
  2. The Discovery Tool does not work through the Dashboard. Discovery looks for your local network and so will scan locally not through to the remote site. We have created a long distance Console connection to the control system.
  3. Toolbox Server on your PC attempts to optimize connections and it will see duplicate connections as one to the Dashboard - sorry, but multiple Linked2 Dashboard Connections from one PC are constrained by Toolbox Server. You could however connect to a different Dashboard and it would be seen as a new connection.
  4. You may have multiple Linked2 Dashboard Connections open from different PCs.
  5. Dashboard Lite (and the soon to be released Dashboard Pro) run as an application from a standard Windows PC. With each new device connection to the Dashboard more of the PC's processing power is consumed. Linked2 Dashboard connections can be consuming of processor power, so the power of the PC will dictate the number of devices connected and the number of Linked2 Dashboard connections that will be supported.

 

 

Toolbox Connection Errors - Things that can go wrong

Connection Errors

Toolbox will always show an initial connection to the Dashboard, but it still must establish the Pass-through Link to the control system. If the remote system is not registered with Dashboard ID or it is Off-Line at the time of the connection then Toolbox will immediately disconnect. Toolbox may then attempt several further connections and each will quickly be disconnected - this is expected behavior.

Requirements for Connection

  1. Toolbox must have an active login with proper authentication. The free version will still work, but you must have registered with MyLinked2.com and gotten a login account. 
  2. Dashboard must be online and accessible for it to Host the connection to the control system. Toolbox will not show an initial "Connected" message if Dashboard of unavailable.
  3. The Remote System must be online and Connected to the Dashboard. Toolbox will show an initial connection, followed by a disconnect and 2 more attempts to connect.
  4. The Remote System must have compatible firmware that supports all Dashboard requirements. Generally speaking firmware releases after June of 2012 are compatible.
  5. If Remote System is rebooting itself on continuous basis then you may not catch the system while connected to Dashboard.
  6. If you have exceeded your maximum Toolbox Session Count for active sessions then a connection will not be allowed.