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Add-ons extend NeoRouter and let you perform additional tasks over the virtual network.

This is a new feature in NeoRouter version 0.9.4 and above.

Add-ons extend NeoRouter Network Explorer and let you perform additional tasks over the virtual network.


Contents

Add-on launch pad

If you click on a computer in the computer list, a popup dialog will display a list of actions you can take to remotely control and access this computer. This dialog is called the add-on launch pad.

  • Screenshots on Windows

  • Screenshots on Mac

NeoRouter Network Explorer has a few system default add-ons. If a computer is online, the following add-ons are available:

Icon Action
Image:NetworkExplorerComputerRemoteDesktopConnectionIcon.JPG remote desktop connection
Image:NetworkExplorerComputerFileSharingIcon.JPG file sharing
Image:NetworkExplorerComputerIcmpPingIcon.JPG ICMP ping
Image:NetworkExplorerComputerCopyIpAddressIcon.JPG copy the IP address

If a computer is offline, the following add-ons are supported:

Icon Action
Image:NetworkExplorerComputerRemoteWakeUpIcon.JPG remote wakeup

Note on remote wakeup: NeoRouter server can send the Magic packet and wake up hosts that are WOL enabled. If the NeoRouter server is installed on a router, remote wakeup works for hosts directly attached to this router. If server is installed on Windows, Linux or Mac, remote wakeup works for hosts in the same physical LAN. To enable WOL, you may need to change BIOS and OS settings.

Manage Add-ons (Windows)

You can download additional add-ons from the NeoRouter download website (http://www.neorouter.com/addons/index.html) and install them using the Add-on Manager. Here we use UltraVNC as an example to explain the setup process.

1. Launch NeoRouter Network Explorer, choose menu "File - Add-ons".

2. The Add-ons Manager dialog lists all the existing add-ons, including system default ones and those installed by user.

3. To find more add-ons, click on the "Add-ons Gallery" link at the bottom of the dialog, or visit http://www.neorouter.com/addons/index.html in your browser.

Download the add-on (*.nri) file to your computer. We will use UltraVNC as an example here.

4. Go back to the Add-ons Manager dialog, click on "Install..." button, locate the *.nri file you just downloaded, and click "Open" to install the addon.

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5. Some add-ons, including UltraVNC, may require user to restart the NeoRouter Network Explorer to complete the installation. In such case you will see the following message box. You can exit NeoRouter Network Explorer by right click its icon in system tray and choose exit.

6. After installation, you will see the new add-ons show up in the list.

7. When you re-launch NeoRouter Network Explorer, UltraVNC server will be started automatically. If you have not run UltraVNC server before, you will see the following firewall warning and VNC configuration dialog.

Please click the unblock button when you see the following dialog.

Please enter VNC password then click the Ok button.

8. Repeat the above steps on another computer.

9. To launch VNC viewer and access a remote computer, choose the computer in the computer list, and click VNC viewer icon in the launch pad.

Manage Add-ons (Mac)

a.Launch NeoRouter Network Explorer; choose menu "File - Add-ons".

b. The Add-ons Manager dialog lists all the existing add-ons, including system default ones and those added by user.

Image:AddOnManager_Mac.JPG

c. An add-on is essentially an apple script with NeoRouter parameters. Here are some examples:

Name Script
Copy IP set the clipboard to "$NRIPAddress"
Ping tell application "Terminal" to do script "ping $NRIPAddress"
Shared Folder tell application "Finder" to open location "smb://$NRIPAddress"

Variables $NRIPAddress and $NRComputerName will be replaced with the IP and name of the selected computer before the add-on is executed.

d. You can also create new add-ons or edit existing ones using the Add-On Properties dialog.

Image:AddOnEdit_Mac.JPG

e. To learn more about Apple Script, please visit the following websites:

Create custom add-on (Advanced)

You can customize an add-on or even create your own.

As an example, I will show you how to create an add-on to get the system info of an remote computer using PsTools by Mark Russinovich and systeminfo.exe command shipped with Windows.


1. Launch NeoRouter Network Explorer, open Add-ons Manager dialog


2. Click "+" button to create a new add-on


3. In add-on properties dialog, enter the following:

   Add-on name: psexec systeminfo
   Command: cmd.exe /C "c:\pstools\psexec.exe \\%NRIPAddress% -u <username> systeminfo & pause"
            Please replace <username> with username on the remote computer
   Comment: Get SystemInfo of remote machine using psexec
   Startup Type: Manual
   Icon: click "Change Icon" button to choose one that's easy to recognize.

Image:PsToolsAddOnPropertiesDialogScreenshot.JPG


  • In the command, you can use Windows environment variables or NeoRouter variables like "%NRIPAddress%". If you click on the "..." button next to the Command edit box, you will see the "Edit Command" dialog with a list of variables you can use.

Image:AddOnEditCommandDialogScreenshot.JPG


  • Three "Startup types" are supported:

Image:AddOnStartupTypesScreenshot.JPG

   Manual: the add-on will be displayed in the launchpad of the 
   Network Explorer, and user manually launch the program.
   Automatic after signing in: the add-on command is automatically 
   executed when user signs into NeoRouter Network Explorer.
   Automatic after Windows starts: the add-on command is 
   automatically executed when Windows starts.


4. To launch the new add-on, just click on the target computer in Network Explorer, and choose the add-on in the pop-up launchpad.

Image:PsToolsAddOnLaunchpadScreenshot.JPG


5. In the above steps, I have assumed that PsTools are installed at "c:\PsTools" and the remote computer has telnet service enabled. If not, let's configure the system now.

  • Configure telnet service on remote computer: This step is required on XP/Vista, but not necessary on Windows 2003/2008 servers.

a) run services.msc from the "Start -> Run" command window and configured the Telnet service for Automatic. Start the service.

b) follow the instructions here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/298060/en-us

c) launch Windows firewall, and add C:\WINDOWS\System32\tlntsvr.exe to exception list.

Add-on file formats

NeoRouter supports two types of add-on files: *.nri and *.nra. Most users only need to deal with *.nri files; all files downloaded from http://www.neorouter.com/addons/index.html are in this format. *.nra files are used by advanced users to build custom add-ons.

  • .nri is the full installation package that contains both the application and the the configure info. Users can simply download *.nri files from and use the "Install" button to setup the add-on.
  • .nra contains only the configuration info. Advanced users can create custom add-ons and export the configuration info as *.nra files using the "Export" button in the add-on properties dialog. Then he/she can import the *.nra file on another client. But remember that you will need to manually setup the application as well.