Admit it, for sure, you have at least once come up with a crazy idea - to find a multifunctional type remote control. Many people present it in the form of a black-and-white screen-sensor, which will allow you to control every entertainment device in the house without rising from the sofa.
However, this idea is not so utopian. The computer is today the most powerful device in your home, so it's time to replace the outdated remote with a modern smartphone. Using several services, it’s easy to set up computer control via Android . Thanks to this feature, you can start downloading information from a PC to your phone or find the required information in it, even if you are not at home.
The guide below will teach you how to set up a secure and feature-rich connection and connect to the best Android app remotely.
Make sure the computer is ready
This guide assumes that your smartphone and PC constantly use the same network connection, and when connecting, a static IP (permanent local IP address) is assigned to your computer.
Each router has its own features, so it is impossible to provide one hundred percent recommendations for this process. However, the basic steps look something like this:
1. Look at the address of the device that is assigned to it when connected to a network (wired or wireless). On Windows, you can find this information by opening a command prompt by entering IPCONFIG. On a Mac OS or Linux device, open a terminal and enter Ifconfig. Look down to find the IP configuration or the MAC address, which is usually listed as a physical address and looks like a list of numbers separated by periods.
2. Go to the router configuration by launching the browser and writing 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1 in its line. If this fails, browse the list of common addresses or visit the manufacturer’s website. Browse through the router configuration menu until you find static IP parameters, then enter the device’s MAC address, its name and IP address that you want to see constantly (192.168.1.100 is the most secure choice).
This manual is intended primarily for Windows, however, controlling a computer through Android configured in this way will also be relevant on modern Linux distributions or Mac OS.
What program will allow you to configure this management?
To date, this feature belongs to only one application - Unified Remote. This is a program that controls your computer through Android with the help of which it is easy and fast and does not pose any danger to devices. Just visit the official website of this service, download its server application for PC and complete the entire installation process. The only change you have to make is to come up with a good password. In all other respects, it is better to leave all the conditions as default. If your PC asks the question “Do I need to open the Windows firewall for the program to start,” continue the download process by selecting “yes”. Then download this application from the Play store or by clicking on the link on the official website.
How to connect this software?
Unified Remote makes it possible to use the phone as a mouse and works great, providing remote control of the computer through the "Android". Launch the mobile application, and if this program is already running on your computer and the network is connected, synchronization will happen automatically. If something does not work properly, you will have to add the server manually by entering the IP address of your computer.
How does such computer control work through Android?
After connecting, you should explore all the features of the application. There are many options from which you can choose the right one. The most useful mode is to control the computer through "Android" under the name "Basic Input System", which makes it possible to use the smartphone’s screen sensor as a physical keyboard.