From away into your home network

macOS

The tab “Local networks”

On the Mac the tab Local networks appears on the Network page as soon as your account has a network. Each local network has a page there with the network's name in the heading.

At the top a card shows the way as a line: from You (away or at home) through the Access into the local network. A chip names the state: “This Mac makes it reachable” when this Mac makes the network reachable, “Reachable through …” with the name of the device that offers the access, or “Not reachable right now” when that device is off for the moment.

When there is a second access for the same network, a line under the card says which device steps in when the first is not reachable. When the access's owner ends this device's use, the line says who ended it; Use again takes the use up again (not while a remote session is running on this device).

Under the card are the details of the network:

• Names: The names from the local network, for example the router's, then work from anywhere too. When the network passes on no names, it says so.
• Home detected: DeskRanger notices whether you are in the same network as the access device. Then connections go directly in the network and not through the access. When your current network has the same addresses and this is not checked yet, it says „Not found out yet“, never „You are away“.
• Show Wi-Fi names: If you want, DeskRanger shows the name of your current Wi-Fi in this card. DeskRanger sends the name nowhere; whoever sees this screen, for example in a remote session, sees the name too.
• Who may enter: Shows the rule that applies to all devices in the local network. You change it under “Rules”.
• Same addresses as your current Wi-Fi: When the local network uses the same addresses as your current Wi-Fi, DeskRanger shows the local network under other addresses. The names keep working. DeskRanger does this by itself. At home the note does not appear.
• Wake: With “Wake on access” (off at first) another of your devices on the same local network wakes this Mac when someone in your network accesses it; “Wake for network access” must be on in System Settings. “Wake devices on the local network” (on at first) lets this Mac wake your sleeping devices that allow it. The switches work once the network is running on this Mac; the choice stays stored on this Mac.
• Wake: When one of your devices sleeps and another device on its local network can wake it, the device list and the device's panel say “Asleep · can be woken”. “Wake” in the device's panel asks that other device to wake it; then it says “Waking …” and, if it does not come up, “Did not wake” (you can try again). Accessing a sleeping device wakes it too, without the button. On a Windows PC the DeskRanger service asks the other device. On iPhone, iPad and Android phones “Wake” stands under the sleeping device in the device list of the Network page; a phone only asks another device, it wakes no devices itself and cannot be woken. While a remote session runs on this Mac, PC or phone, “Wake” works only at the device itself.
• In the system is still grey and follows later.

When the access device has released a list of the devices in the home network, it is shown there too: devices that announce themselves in the home network (printers, NAS, speakers, TVs) with name, kind and address, with filter and search. It is not your router's list: silent devices and Windows PCs without DeskRanger are missing. When the list is missing, DeskRanger names the reason, for example that the access device does not show it or is not reachable.

On the map every local network stands as an area behind the device that makes it reachable, with its name and address range. The line to it says how this device reaches the network: “Via your device” in teal when the way runs through one of your devices, dashed when the way to that device runs over a relay, and “Direct · local” when you are at home. When another device stands in as the fallback, the area stands behind that one. On the map the third tile “Local network” shows how many local networks there are and how many of them this Mac uses or makes reachable. When you click a device on the map, the panel on the right shows under “Roles in the network” whether it offers access or fallback access to a local network. For this Mac, “Access to the local network” and “Fallback access” act: turning one on opens “Make the local network reachable”, turning it off ends the access through this Mac (with DeskRanger Secure after one confirmation). For other devices the switches are grey. When the switch “Access to the local network” shows off and “Confirm” stands below it, this device isn’t sharing the network right now; clicking “Confirm” shares it again.

When this Mac is in a private network that is not a local network in the Network yet, a bar at the top of the page points it out and offers “Make reachable” and “Later”. “Later” hides the bar for that network. “Make reachable” opens the window “Make the local network reachable”; the link for this Mac in the panel on the right under “Roles in the network” opens the same window, even after “Later”. It names the address range. Optionally you enter the names from your home network, such as fritz.box; only private endings such as .local, .lan, .home.arpa, .internal or your router's own are allowed. What becomes reachable are the devices in that network, their list and this Mac itself at its address in the home network; under “Roles in the network” you can turn that off for the Mac itself. With DeskRanger Secure you confirm once with Touch ID or your password. Then the window says what came of it: the network is reachable, it waits for approval by another device (it is then listed as waiting under “Roles in the network”, later with “Ask again”), or why it did not work. DeskRanger never proposes the network of a virtual machine or a container (such as the adapter of Docker or a VM app).

A local network is always carried for this Mac by the same device until you choose another one: its main access. When the main access does not offer the network right now, another device this Mac has already been in contact with and that offers the network too steps in: the backup. If you chose no backup, DeskRanger decides by itself (the next device in the network's order); as soon as the main access is back, the backup hands the network back at once. Only when there is no such device and a choice of yours is needed does the network pause on this Mac: a bar at the top of the page asks whether access should go through the other device. “Use” chooses it at once, with no further question; “Later” hides the bar until the app starts again. The same choice is there at any time in the panel on the right under “Roles in the network” when you click such a device on the map. A device this Mac has never been in contact with is not offered there. While a remote session is running on this Mac, DeskRanger takes no choice: it could have come from the other side. If the network cannot apply the choice at once, a notice says so; DeskRanger then keeps trying by itself, and until then the network runs as before.

If another device should step in whenever the usual one is missing, choose “Always use … automatically when … is missing” in the bar, or switch on “Use as backup access for …” in the panel on the right under “Roles in the network”. That device then carries the local network for this Mac while the usual device does not offer it, and hands it back at once when the usual one is there again. Each local network has one backup access; a new one replaces the old one, switching it off removes it. The backup you chose always comes before the automatic one. While a backup is standing in, the top of the page says so (“Backup: … – standing in now”). DeskRanger does not take this choice during a remote session either.

In the “Local networks” tab, a card “Access to …” shows each local network another device offers: the main access (online or offline), the backup (automatic or chosen by you) and which device carries the network right now. When this Mac makes the network reachable itself, it is the main access there. “Change roles” opens the device's panel with “Roles in the network” on the map, where you choose the main access and the backup yourself.

When no device has made a local network reachable yet, the tab shows “No local network yet”. A device that needs a DeskRanger update for this says so with “Update needed”; it stays reachable in the network meanwhile.

Windows

On the PC

On Windows the tab “Local networks” appears on the Network page as soon as your account has a network, and looks like the Mac's. At the top a card shows the way from You through the Access into the local network; a chip names the state, for example “This PC makes it reachable” when this PC makes the network reachable. On the right are the names the local network passes on, “Home detected” and “Who may enter” with the default rule; “Wake” has the same two switches as the Mac (the DeskRanger service stores them; for “Wake on access” the network adapter must allow Wake on LAN), “In the system” is still grey.

On the map every local network stands as an area behind the device that makes it reachable, with the line to it as described above (“Via your device” in teal). The tile “Local network” shows how many local networks there are. Click a device and the panel on the right lists under “Roles in the network” whether it offers access or a stand-in access; for this PC they act as on the Mac, for other devices they are grey. When this PC is in a private network, a bar at the top of the page points it out: “Make reachable” opens the same window as on the Mac (confirmed with Windows Hello), “Later” hides the bar for this network. Below the path card, as on the Mac, is the list of devices in the home network that the access device releases; the PC asks for it through the DeskRanger service while the network is switched on on this PC.

A local network is always carried for this PC by the same device until you choose another one: its main access. When the main access does not offer the network right now, another device this PC has already been in contact with and that offers the network too steps in: the backup. If you chose no backup, DeskRanger decides by itself (the next device in the network's order); as soon as the main access is back, the backup hands the network back at once. Only when there is no such device and a choice of yours is needed does the network pause on this PC: a bar at the top of the page asks whether access should go through the other device. “Use” chooses it at once, with no further question; “Later” hides the bar until the app starts again. The same choice is there at any time in the panel on the right under “Roles in the network” when you click such a device on the map.

If another device should step in whenever the usual one is missing, choose “Always use … automatically when … is missing” in the bar, or switch on “Use as backup access for …” in the panel on the right under “Roles in the network”. That device then carries the local network for this PC while the usual device does not offer it, and hands it back at once when the usual one is there again. Each local network has one backup access; a new one replaces the old one, switching it off removes it. The backup you chose always comes before the automatic one. While a backup is standing in, the top of the page says so (“Backup: … – standing in now”). DeskRanger does not take this choice during a remote session either.

In the “Local networks” tab, a card “Access to …” shows each local network another device offers: the main access (online or offline), the backup (automatic or chosen by you) and which device carries the network right now. When this PC makes the network reachable itself, it is the main access there. “Change roles” opens the device's panel with “Roles in the network” on the map, where you choose the main access and the backup yourself.

When this PC gives access to its local network or serves as an exit, the DeskRanger service does the forwarding, also while nobody is signed in. While someone uses it, the menu in the notification area shows a line per device, for example “%1$@ is using “%2$@” through this PC”, with “End”. If the PC was moved to another network, access pauses and the menu asks “Is this still your home network?” with “Yes” and “No”. If you quit DeskRanger, it asks first while a device uses the access; afterwards access pauses until you open DeskRanger again. Signing out of Windows or restarting does not pause it.

iPhone & iPad

On iPhone and iPad

On the Network page the section "Local networks" sits under the devices. iPhone and iPad only use local networks; they never make one reachable themselves. For each local network you see its name, its addresses and a chip: "Reachable through …" with the name of the device that gives access, or "Not reachable right now". Under it comes the path from the device to the local network, a backup route if there is one, the names from the local network and "Home detected". At home, connections go directly in the network and not through the access device. When the access's owner ends this device's use, the line says who ended it; Use again takes the use up again (not while a remote session is running on this device).

When a member offers its local network to your network, the request comes to the iPhone or iPad as an approval sheet. It shows everything the member offers, line by line. You confirm with “Approve” without a code; the sheet applies only to exactly what you see. If the offer changes before you confirm, DeskRanger opens it again and you see the new lines. On the Mac, on Windows and on the iPhone or iPad you can turn “Make the device itself reachable too” and “Show the devices there in the device list” off and on again where the member asked for them; nothing is ever approved beyond what was asked.

When the usual device is missing, another device that offers the network steps in automatically until the usual one is back; a backup you chose comes first. If a local network is paused until you choose its access device, a bar with "Use", "Always use … automatically when … is missing" and "Later" appears above the section; one tap decides, with no further question. The backup access stands in when the usual device is missing; when it does so right now, the line “Backup: … – standing in now” says so (the iPhone only uses a backup, it never offers one). Each local network also shows, in the way from the iPhone or iPad, a line with the area's route (through the access device and how fast, or directly when you are at home), and the card "Devices that announce themselves in the home network": what announces itself in the home network, with name, kind and address, filter chips and a search. It is not the router's list; silent devices are missing. For each local network another device offers, a card “Access to …” shows the main access (online or offline), the backup (automatic or chosen by you) and which device carries the network now; you change the roles on the Mac or in Windows.

Android

On the phone

On the Network page the section "Local networks" sits under the devices. The phone only uses local networks; it never makes one reachable itself. For each local network you see its name, its addresses and a chip: "Reachable through …" with the name of the device that gives access, or "Not reachable right now". Under it comes the path from the phone to the local network, a backup route if there is one, the names from the local network and "Home detected". At home, connections go directly in the network and not through the access device. When the access's owner ends this device's use, the line says who ended it; Use again takes the use up again (not while a remote session is running on this device).

When the usual device is missing, another device that offers the network steps in automatically until the usual one is back; a backup you chose comes first. If a local network does pause on the phone until you choose a device, a note at the top of the section asks whether access should go through the other device: "Use" chooses it at once, without another question, and "Later" hides the note until the app starts again. With “Always use … automatically when … is missing” you use that device as the backup access whenever the usual one is missing; when it stands in right now, the page says “Backup: … – standing in now” (the phone only uses a backup, it never offers one). Under the path you see how the phone reaches the network, with the access device's name and the response time, or "Direct · local" when you are at home. If the device with the access shares its list of devices in the home network, the list appears below, with filter and search; if it is missing, DeskRanger names the reason. For each local network another device offers, a card “Access to …” shows the main access (online or offline), the backup (automatic or chosen by you) and which device carries the network now; you change the roles on the Mac or in Windows.

When a member offers its local network to your network, the request comes to the phone as an approval sheet. It shows everything the member offers, line by line. You confirm with “Approve” without a code; the sheet applies only to exactly what you see. If the offer changes before you confirm, DeskRanger opens it again and you see the new lines.