I wanted to share a trick with you all that I use for quite some time now to remote access my physical iLok and eLicenser. This way you will never have to physically plug-in your dongles to your main machine but you are still able to access them even outside your local network.

The program that I use is VirtualHere it will come with a client that you will have to install on your DAW and it will come with a server that you can install on Mac, linux, Windows, NAS or Android.
In my particular setup I use a Raspberry Pi 3b because it consumes so little power.

What you need is:

- A raspberry Pi 3b or 4 to set-up your Virtual Here server
- A license (I think this is only needed when you have more than one dongle attached to your VirtualHere server. The license costs $49)
- Your DAW where you will have to setup your client
- Preferably a wired connection between router and VirtualHere serverto ensure the most stable connection to your Pi

Installation is straight forward:

Server

- Setup your Raspberry PI. I use the Berryboot boot loader of which I copy the files to a proper formatted SD card
- upon boot you can choose what kind of raspberry OS you want to install. I use one with a graphical UI, on which I can setup the rest easily with graphical VNC.
- Once your raspberry is loaded install a VNC server: Menu > Preferences > Raspberry Pi Configuration > Interfaces. You will come across VNC in there. Make sure it’s Enabled. Don't forget to change your Pi's default password if you want to access your VirtualHere server thru the internet.
- install the VirtualHere server on your Pi with the following command in a terminal:
curl https://raw.githubusercontent.com/virtualhere/script/main/install_server | sudo sh -s - vhusbdarm64a53 (change vhusbdarmpi3 to vhusbdarmpi4 if you use a Pi4)
- Reboot and plug-in your physical dongles and your ethernet cable. I use the two USB ports closest to the ETH port.

Client

- Download the proper client for your OS here and install it
- Once installed your client will automatically find your VirtualHere Hub and will display it.
- Right click the hub and tick 'Auto-use all on this device
- auto start the client upon boot for hassle free operation

Internet Access

- Assign a fixed IP address to your VirtualHere server
- Portforward ports 7574 and 7575 thru your server on both IPv4 and IPv6

You're good to go!

Never carry around your dongles anymore neither plug them in physically into your DAW. I personally love this way of accessing my dongles, because it allows me to move freely thru the house where I have multiple setups in different rooms. I hope this info will make your dongle life a bit easier as well

 

Last edited: May 28, 2022

nice one.

 

awesome

 

Wow, really neat. I'm checking out this VirtualHere tool

 

Last edited: May 26, 2022

Let me know how it works for you

 

I'd make a way more basic usage of it, but seems cool.

 

thanks for this, I'm going to try using it to unlock rekordbox on the system I like to prep from, with my cdjs in another room

 

virtualhere works fine and is easy,
this one is a free alternative:
http://usbip.sourceforge.net/
but not so easy to setup. you can finde a guide here.

 

Cool! Thanks!

 

but I think this solution surpasses all of the above because it allows simultaneous use but at an outrageous price
homepage: https://smarterx-hub.com/index.html if you see the pricelist, you will keep searching for alternatives :P

 

Has anyone tested this Tool called Donglify (saas crap) ?