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How do I use wired for Synergy and wireless for internet?


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I have a Win 10 laptop that I'm sharing my mouse/keyboard with to a Mac mini.  Both are wireless.  It's easy enough to run an ethernet cable between them, but can I configure Synergy to use that?  I tried searching for it and I found some older posts about 1.7 where the official response was apparently "wait for 2.0."

I'm not sure how to configure the computers to use the cable in the first place; is it as simple as setting static IPs on the ethernet adapter?  Crossover cables aren't needed with relatively modern machines, right?

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You essentially have it correct. I'm using that exact config right now where the site I'm at only offers me WiFi, but the latency for Synergy over that WiFi is awful. Most modern interfaces will autodetect the polarity, so you can probably just run a cable between the two, otherwise use a switch in between. Connect them together and configure the interfaces with static (manual) IPs. Enter in the IP address and netmask for each machine, but leave the gateway field empty. The empty gateway will cause the computer to use that interface only for addresses in the specified subnet. Example:

PC 1 (Server):

IP: 192.168.1.3

Netmask: 255.255.255.0

 

PC2 (Client):

IP: 192.168.1.4

Netmask: 255.255.255.0

 

Then setup Synergy as normal, specifying the Server's ip address on the client (or use auto config).

 

Edited by Davewill
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The networking stuff is working because I can see the packet count for the Ethernet adapter increase on one side when I try to ping the other.

What I can't get to work is Synergy itself.

On the Windows (server) side, it's not listing the static IP as one of the IP addresses.  On the Mac (client) side, I can't specify a manual IP address: there's a drop-down that only contains the Wi-Fi IP of the server.

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I know that config can work, because that's exactly what I'm doing, Win10 server, Mac Mojave client.

You have to restart Synergy (both server and UI) for the displayed IP addresses of the server to be updated. On the client side, it sounds like your Mac is setup for auto config, You might have to turn that off to get this going, or the auto config might work after you restart the server.  I've also found that you have to restart the Synergy UI after changing auto config setting. The UI just doesn't update unless you do.

Edited by Davewill
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I tried restarting it on both sides but it wasn't doing much...  I opened a support ticket too so we'll see what they say.

The Windows machine has a virtual Ethernet adapter from Hyper-V which maybe is interfering in some way?  That IP is shown on the server-side app.

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LOL well apparently I didn't try totally restarting Synergy on the Mac side after unchecking Auto Config.  After relaunching it and entering the static IP of the Windows PC it works like a charm.  Thanks! :)

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Just for an added bit of clarity since I see that you have it working now.

When you are looking to see if you need a crossover cable or not you are looking to see if the device has an MDI or an MDIX type of ethernet connection. Newer devices tend to have the latter, but you will run into a manufacturer cutting costs every now and then.

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  • 5 months later...
HorsetoWater

I managed to do this - thought I'd share how I did it for any future users.  I'm doing this in April 2020.  Configuring a PC Windows 10 as Server and a Mac OSX Mojave as Client.

1. Attach UTP Patch cable to the gigabit ethernet ports of the two computors (in my case a Windows 10 and a OSX Mojave)

2. On the windows PC go to Network settings and take a note of the IPv4 DNS Server setting (should be 192.168.x.x) - do this whilst WiFi is configured as normal to access the internet

3. Set up the Synergy sharing map as normal

4. On the PC go to your server and enter the name, also in the Alias put in the IPv4 DNS address

5. On the Mac go to the synergy settings and amend the server IP to the PC IPv4 address noted above

6. Run the program on both.

7. This worked seamless for me and is much faster and reliable than trying to make Synergy work over WiFi and this process keeps your internet adaptor settings as they were (untouched).

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  • 3 months later...

@HorsetoWater Thanks for your reply. I'm in the same setting with you and try to configure the  LAN for synergy.  I have some questions on your step-by-step instructions:

  1. In the step2, i found i have multiple "Local Area Connection"s, which one should i use? 
  2. I'm new to Synergy, what is Synergy sharing map?

Thanks a lot!

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On 10/23/2019 at 2:01 PM, Davewill said:

You essentially have it correct. I'm using that exact config right now where the site I'm at only offers me WiFi, but the latency for Synergy over that WiFi is awful. Most modern interfaces will autodetect the polarity, so you can probably just run a cable between the two, otherwise use a switch in between. Connect them together and configure the interfaces with static (manual) IPs. Enter in the IP address and netmask for each machine, but leave the gateway field empty. The empty gateway will cause the computer to use that interface only for addresses in the specified subnet. Example:

PC 1 (Server):

IP: 192.168.1.3

Netmask: 255.255.255.0

 

PC2 (Client):

IP: 192.168.1.4

Netmask: 255.255.255.0

 

Then setup Synergy as normal, specifying the Server's ip address on the client (or use auto config).

 

 

@david_a Hi I tried to set this way, but on the client, i kept getting: failed to connect to server: cannot connect socket: Host is down. I've already set the server address as above for the LAN.

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  • 9 months later...
HorsetoWater
On 8/7/2020 at 3:58 AM, shy said:

@HorsetoWater Thanks for your reply. I'm in the same setting with you and try to configure the  LAN for synergy.  I have some questions on your step-by-step instructions:

  1. In the step2, i found i have multiple "Local Area Connection"s, which one should i use? 
  2. I'm new to Synergy, what is Synergy sharing map?

Thanks a lot!

Sorry @shy.  I didn't get notification of your post.

1. You'll need to find the active ethernet connection; if you have plugged in an ethernet cable it should say 'unidentified network - No internet' instead of 'Ethernet # - Cable Unplugged / Not Connected'.   See the attached picture.  Then go into network properties and specify a static IP address under the IPv4 properties (see image) and specify an IP address which should be in the format of 192.168.0.# and a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0

2. the sharing map is the graphical representation of where in space the computors are located so synergy can move the mouse between screens at the right side - e.g my Mac is on the left of my PC so on the sharing map it reflects this.

The only ongoing issue I have is that Synergy on the Mac side seems to default to WiFi connection at every restart meaning I have to manually disable WiFi, allow it to connected then re-enable.  I'm trying to figure out a fix for this (but am not very IT literate so wish me luck)

 

Edit: added @shy

 

Even if this post doesn't help Shy because it's too late I hope it helps someone else wandering around for answers in the future.

 

 

Screenshot 2021-05-18 180820.png

Screenshot 2021-05-18 180856.png

Screenshot 2021-05-18 180940.png

Edited by HorsetoWater
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  • 7 months later...

Hello all.   I've been following this topic as had similar problem getting this to work through direct ethernet between my M1 max and iMac2020. 

Finally have this working thanks to following instruction from Davewill.  However I had to disable my Hyperoptic router firewall to get it to work.  obviously very concerned about that.    Is there a way to keep this working without disabling my firewall?  

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Update:  Ignore my last post.  I re enabled my firewall and its fine.  However when I enable wifi on my client machine, AND if i stop the synergy connection,  I must first disable my client machine wifi again to connect.   Seems like a conflict of some kind.   Is there a way to keep my wifi going continually on the client machine, still allowing me to start and stop the synergy app, but without me having to toggle wifi on and off?    I noticed also it disconnected once my machines went into sleep mode.  My client machine network screenshot attached.  

 

Thanks in advance everyone.

 

Al

Screenshot 2022-01-13 at 20.32.40.png

Edited by aljames
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On 5/18/2021 at 6:13 PM, HorsetoWater said:

Sorry @shy.  I didn't get notification of your post.

 

The only ongoing issue I have is that Synergy on the Mac side seems to default to WiFi connection at every restart meaning I have to manually disable WiFi, allow it to connected then re-enable.  I'm trying to figure out a fix for this (but am not very IT literate so wish me luck)

Hey I have the same issue where i have to disable wifi to reconnect.  Did you manage to find a fix for this?  Otherwise its working perfectly though my ethernet cable Mac to Mac.

 

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  • 1 year later...
On 1/14/2022 at 7:57 AM, aljames said:

 

Probably solved already, but my research brought me here and I found a solution that helped me so thought I'd share. Having to toggle WiFi each time was driving me nuts.

I am using Synergy 3 RC1 - v3.0.72.1-rc1 on a Macbook Air connected to a PC Desktop host. If you're like me and have no reason to ever connect over WiFi, this is probably the solution for you and it's very simple.

On the non-host/wi-fi computer's (macbook for me) Synergy interface, go to:

Settings -> Local Networking -> Network device -> set to en5 (or whatever port your ethernet uses) instead of Auto

Hope this helps!

 

 

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