A wide range of features improving device management in FLOW has been added in FLOW 1.15 with the main one being the Favorite FLOW devices list. Thanks to it you can easily log into your frequently used devices and find the one you are looking for with filtering and reordering options as well as with the search bar that allows you to find the device based on device type, device name, or its IP address.
Adding a new device
You have two options to add a new device to the list of favorite devices. Let's start by editing the list.
1. Using the favorite FLOW devices list
The first option for adding your favorite devices is accessible from the Favorite FLOW devices list, that you can get to from the main FLOW menu. In the tab with the device list, click on the add connection on top and specify its Name and the connection string aka IP address. These two are mandatory details that need to be filled in to add a favorite device. The IP address may also include port numbers of BLOCK and NODE services running on the FLOW device if you are using port forwarding.
You can also assign a Shortcut to your favorite device (If you press the shortcut upon launching FLOW Insights, it will automatically start the login process for that specific device) - you can for example set a CTRL + 1 shortcut (press CTRL and 1 at the same time to set it when clicking in the shortcut field)
Next, you can fill in the username you want to log in with as well as the password which you can set to be remembered which will allow you to log in very quickly, especially when utilizing the device-assigned keyboard shortcut. Rest assured that the remembered passwords are encrypted to keep them secure.
Lastly, you can write a description for the device in the list to help you remember where the device is, what is it monitoring, etc…
2. Using the plus button on the device log in page
The second way to add a device is to press the + button on the login page after you have entered the IP address, username, and password. The same configuration window will appear as in the favorite devices list. Simply fill in the details as described for the first option.
Please note that the device type is non-editable information and is automatically added after your first connection to the given device.
QUICK LOGIN options for connecting to your favorite devices
Basically, you have three options to connect to a device from your favorite list:
Double click on the device in the favorites list - use search bar if needed
Press the device shortcut (e.g. CTRL+1) - when already not logged in to a device
Use Autosuggest feature - on the quick connect page
The Autosuggest feature allows you to autocomplete the device details from the favorite FLOW devices list. This can be done once you start typing out the device name or IP address in the IP address field of the login tab and pressing enter or clicking on the device you want to login into.
How to find and share the Favorite FLOW devices list
All the information about the Favourite FLOW devices is saved locally on your PC in a JSON file (favorite_connections.json). For the desktop version of FLOW Insights It is located in: C:\Users\”Username”\AppData\Local\DataFromSky\FLOW INSIGHTS
and for the portable version of FLOW Insights, it is located in the bin folder (FLOW_Demokit_1.15.1_portable\bin).
If you update your FLOW Insights the current setting is that the Favorite FLOW devices list will stay in its place if you are using the same installation folder. If not then you need to insert the Favorite FLOW devices list JSON data file into the installation folder again.
We hope you have found this article helpful. In case you have any questions don't hesitate to contact us using the live chat button on the bottom right or contact us at info@datafromsky.com.
You might also find these articles useful: