Support / Account & security / Access & login

Access and login: locking down who can open Yardstick

Out of the box, Yardstick asks for no password. That keeps the map one tap away on your phone. If your network has people you would rather not hand the robot to, you can add a login here. It is your call.

Where it lives: Settings → Access and login Off by default. Turn it on only if you want it.
What "no login" really means By default there is no password, on purpose, so opening your map from a phone is instant. The tradeoff: anything that can reach the Yardstick address on your network can read your coordinates, change settings, delete recordings, and drive the robot. On a trusted home network that most people are fine with. If your network is shared, or you would rather be sure, add a login below.

Add a username and password

Two fields and one toggle. Once it is on, every page asks for the login before it opens.

  1. Open the panel

    Go to Settings → Access and login.

  2. Set a username and password

    Type a Username and a Password. This is the login Yardstick will ask for.

  3. Require the login

    Turn on Require a login to open any page. Now every page asks for your username and password first.

  4. Decide about the wall display

    There is a second toggle, ...including the wall display. Leave it off unless the television faces somewhere public. See the note below before you flip it.

The Access and login settings panel: a Username field, a Password field, a toggle to require a login on every page, a second toggle for the wall display, and an option to set up an authenticator app.
Settings → Access and login. Set a username and password, then require the login. The authenticator setup sits below.
The wall display is safe to leave open The wall display only ever shows the machine's state: progress, battery, speed, and alerts. It never shows your map, your coordinates, these settings, or anything that can move the robot. So most people leave it open. That way a TV does not need a password typed in with a remote. Only turn on ...including the wall display if that screen faces a public space.

Add an authenticator app (two-factor)

For a second lock, Yardstick can ask for a six-digit code on top of the password. The code comes from an authenticator app on your phone: Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, or any other. They all use the same standard, so any one of them works.

  1. Start the setup

    In the Access and login panel, click Set up an authenticator. Yardstick shows a QR code.

  2. Scan it with your app

    Open your authenticator app and scan the QR code. If you cannot scan, type the shown key in by hand instead. Either way, Yardstick now appears in your app.

  3. Confirm the code

    Enter the current six-digit code from the app to confirm the two are linked. From now on, that code is asked for along with your password.

  4. Save your recovery codes

    Yardstick shows a set of recovery codes once, and only once. Write them down and keep them somewhere safe. Each one works a single time, and they are your way back in if you lose the phone.

Write the recovery codes down now You are shown the recovery codes one time. If you lose your phone and have no code saved, you are locked out of that login. Copy them somewhere safe before you close the screen. Later, from the same panel, New recovery codes replaces the set and Turn it off removes the authenticator requirement.

Good to know

Forgot the password? Run yardstick reset-login on the computer where Yardstick runs. That clears the login and nothing else. Your recordings, settings, and map are untouched, and you can set a new username and password afterward.
A login is not encryption. Do not expose Yardstick to the internet. Yardstick speaks plain HTTP, so a login raises the bar but does not encrypt the traffic on your network. Never forward or expose the Yardstick port to the internet. If you want an encrypted connection on your own network, use the secure address https://<computer-ip>:8478/. It warns once about a self-signed certificate, which is expected, and you can proceed.

Locked out, or not sure whether to add a login at all? Open a support ticket and tell us how your network is set up. Because Yardstick runs on your own machine, we can walk you through the exact setting.

Related

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Getting started

From install to your first recorded job.
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The wall display

The read-only screen for a TV or spare monitor.
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Backups

Keep a safe copy of everything Yardstick has recorded.
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