Sentinel: How to Access Sentinel Wirelessly Using a Smart Phone or Tablet

Owned by Elwalid Elamin
Last updated: Nov 17, 2023
3 min read

The GUI for Sentinel can be used over Wi-Fi using a low cost and readily available Wi-Fi bridge.

A Wi-Fi bridge creates a local area network access point so that the VNC server on Sentinel can be accessed wirelessly from a smart phone, tablet or computer.

Wi-Fi Access Point selection

Many Wi-Fi bridges are available on the market. When selecting a Wi-Fi bridge, consider the following:

  • Size: It is best to select a portable device. It is also advisable not to select a device with an external antenna unless the use case calls for remote operation at a considerable distance.

  • Access point mode: The device selected must have an “Access Point” mode. In this mode, the device creates a wirelessly-accessible LAN.

  • Power: Select a device that can be powered by the USB type A host port on Sentinel which can source 400mA at 5V.

Configuration

In this example, we have used the Vonets VAP11G-300 2.4GHz Wi-Fi Bridge/Wi-Fi to Ethernet Adapter.

Connecting the Wi-Fi bridge to Sentinel:

  1. Connect the device to the RJ45 LAN/Management Port on Sentinel.

  2. Power the device. In this case, the device’s USB power cable is connected to Sentinel.

Configure Sentinel

Sentinel includes a VNC server enabling the instrument to be remotely-controlled. To configure it:

  1. From the main screen, select the System tab.

  2. Select Network and Sharing.

  3. Select Remote Access.

  4. Turn on VNC - set Password if desired.

Determine the IP address for the management port of the Sentinel

  1. From the main screen, select the System tab.

  2. Select Network and Sharing.

  3. Select Ethernet.

  4. Note the IP Address.

Connect your tablet or phone to the Access Point's Wi-Fi SSID

Locate the default SSID (network name) and Wireless Password of your Wi-Fi bridge.

Connect your device to the bridge’s Wi-Fi SSID.

Install VNC client SW on your device

Sentinel can be accessed through VNC viewer (e.g. RealVNC, UltraVNC, TightVNC, TigerVNC, VNC Viewer).

Download and install VNC client software. Once installed, enter Sentinel’s IP address into the “server:port” field and click on “connect”.

If you configured Sentinel to use a password then you will be prompted for this. If no password is configured to access the GUI, the VNC service will show a “Trust” warning.

Click “Yes” to access the Sentinel GUI.

The Sentinel will show the start-up screen. The user may now access and configure the Sentinel as required.

Cursor behaviour

When you first use VNC on a smart phone or tablet, the cursor interaction may be set in what is referred to as Mouse Mode. For easier interaction with Sentinel, set the cursor interaction to Touch Panel mode.

On VNC Viewer, this is set by selecting the icon.

 Select Interaction.

Select Touch Panel.

Sentinel can now be controlled using the connected smart phone or tablet.