Setup guide

Setting up your MagicBridge

It takes about ten minutes. You need your phone for the first part.

Before you start

A video output on the other computer. The computer you want to control needs a screen output you can plug into.
A spare USB port on the other computer. This is how the box acts as its keyboard and mouse.
WiFi at home. Both the box and the device you use to control it need to be on the same WiFi.
A phone for the first five minutes. Only for the very first setup.
A free Tailscale account, only for remote access. Optional. The app also has to be installed on whatever device you want to connect from.

Step 01

Plug it in

Connect the video cable from the other computer’s screen output into the socket marked IN on the box. Connect the control cable from the box into any USB port on that computer. Then plug in the power.

Give it about two minutes to wake up the first time.

Step 02

Connect it to your WiFi

The very first time it starts, MagicBridge creates its own temporary WiFi network so you can talk to it.

On your phone, open your WiFi settings.
Look for an open network whose name starts with Setup-. If your box has a small screen on it, the exact name is shown there.
Join it. There is no password.
A setup page should open by itself. If it does not, open your browser and go to 192.168.73.1
Choose your home WiFi from the list and enter its password.

Step 03

Write down your address

When it connects, the setup page shows you your box’s web address. Write it down or screenshot it. This is how you reach MagicBridge from now on.

The temporary Setup network disappears at this point. That is normal, it means it worked.

Step 04

Open it and set your password

Reconnect your phone or laptop to your normal home WiFi.
Open the address from step 3 in any browser.
Your browser may warn you that the connection is not private. That is expected for a device on your own network. Choose to continue.
Sign in with the starting password: magicbridge
You will immediately be asked to choose your own password. Do it now. Until you do, nothing else will open.

Step 05

Get the latest version

Go to Settings, then System, then Check for updates. Install what it offers and let it restart. This takes a few minutes and only needs doing once at the start.

That’s it. You are in.

Step 06 · optional

Reach it from anywhere

If you want to use MagicBridge when you are away from home, open Settings, then Remote access, and follow the steps to turn on Tailscale. It is free for personal use.

You also need the Tailscale app on whatever phone or laptop you want to connect from. Both ends have to be signed in to the same account.
If you use another VPN, turn it off while you connect. Most VPNs will block the connection.

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