Free Methods to Access and Manage 3D Printers Remotely
3D printing is a slow and time-consuming process that can take a few hours or days to complete. It’s not practical to sit around a 3D printer or manage it until the printing is finished. Thus, many users deploy and use the OctoPrint server for real-time monitoring of their prints when at home connected to the local network.
Some users expose their OctoPrint IP via router settings to access it remotely, which is the least secure way. In this guide, we will discuss two different methods to help you access, print, and monitor your 3D printers remotely with a secure SSL connection.
Things You Will Need
You will require the following to access and control your 3D printer(s) remotely.
Method 1: Use SimplyPrint Plugin in OctoPrint
By installing and deploying the SimplyPrint plugin in OctoPrint Server, you can easily access and control your 3D printer remotely with a secure and encrypted connection. You can start, stop, pause, and monitor your 3D prints from anywhere and also access the webcam stream (if installed with OctoPrint Server). However, the stream is limited to 1 fps, which is good enough to see the print progress. It also has a built-in slicer tool that you can use to slice a 3D model and then print it directly.
In addition, you can manage your filament using the Filament Management System in SimplyPrint. If you use the service for all your prints, it will let you know how much filament is remaining and if you need to replace it for the 3D model you are going to print.
There’s also a companion app available for Android and iOS devices that allows you to access, control, and monitor 3D prints from your smartphone. It’s an official app from SimplyPrint with a user-friendly interface, available on theGoogle Play StoreandApple App Store.
The best part is that you can use the ‘Basic’ plan that will be free forever, allowing you to access up to two printers remotely.
Follow these steps to install and configure the SimplyPrint plugin.
Method 2: Use Cloudflare Tunnel
Cloudflare Tunnel allows you to expose your local OctoPrint server to the internet from where you can directly access the OctoPrint Server and control your 3D printer. The tunnel is SSL encrypted for security. Also, the Cloudflare Tunnel service is free but requires a domain name to work. You can either purchase one or get a free domain fromFreeNom.com.
You can quickly install and deploy a Cloudflare Tunnel for your OctoPrint Server by following these steps:
Access, Monitor, and Print From Anywhere
You can now access, control, and monitor your 3D printer and 3D prints remotely from anywhere. All you need is a smartphone or PC with an internet connection to connect and retrieve the server. Make sure you use a strong password and enable two-factor authentication in SimplyPrint and OctoPrint to further secure the server.
SimplyPrint is easy to set up, while the Cloudflare Tunnel is a bit complex. However, if you follow these instructions carefully, you could access the complete OctoPrint server without involving any third-party service.
You can use your Android smartphone to monitor your 3D prints remotely and create amazing time-lapse videos. Here’s what you need to do.
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