Need help with setting up network and security

Bro forget everything about security and file sharing that I stated previously, and let's start over.

I have Microsoft Flight Simulator running on my Desktop computer.

I have ActiveSky running on my laptop computer.

Both are separate programs running at the same time.

Microsoft Flight Simulator I think is pretty straight forward as to what it is. ActiveSky is a wheather enhancement program. It improves the built in wheather function of Microsoft Flight Simulator. ActiveSky is a separate stand alone program that has to be running at the same time that Microsoft Flight Simulator is running. ActiveSky interacts with and improves the wheather in Microsoft Flight Simulator by using SimConnect which is a software development kit built into Microsoft Flight Simulator that allows external programs to communicate and interact with Microsoft Flight Simulator.

So everything works fine if I run both programs on the same computer. Both programs run at the same time. Activesky connects up with Microsoft Flight Simulator via SimConnect and changes/improves the built in wheather function of Microsoft Flight Simulator. So if everything is fine with both programs running on the same computer, why would I want to run ActiveSky on a different computer?

Because Microsoft Flight Simulator is a graphic intensive program. It requires a lot of CPU, memory, and GPU resources to run effectively. By effectively, I mean with high enough frame rates to look smooth when running and not jerky. So the fewer programs i have running on my desktop computer (because any other program running will use/tie up some of the desktop's CPU, memory, GPU leaving less available for Microsoft Flight Simulator) with Microsoft Flight Simulator the better as far as frame rates of Microsoft Flight Simulator are concerned.

Thus the desire to be able to run ActiveSky on a separate computer, my laptop. Now SimConnect is designed not only to allow external programs to communicate/interact with Microsoft Flight Simulator while running on the same computer, but also to allow external programs to communicate/interact with Microsoft Flight Simulator on separate computers that are networked together. So if I can run ActiveSky on a separate computer (laptop) that is networked with my desktop computer which is running Microsoft Flight Simulator, Then ActiveSky will be using the laptop's CPU, memory, etc resources to run and not the desktop's CPU, memory, etc. Thus leaving more of the desktop's resources available for Microsoft Flight Simulator.

I worked with the developer of the ActiveSky program to try and get ActiveSky setup and running correctly on my network. Their conclusion at the end of a lot of troubleshooting with me was that there was something wrong with the windows network between my computers which is preventing ActiveSky to connect up with Microsoft Flight Simulator over my network. Whatever is wrong with the windows networking on my computers was beyond their ability and scope to figure out.

OK I will try your advice,

So you will need to help me out with instructions on how to run ActiveSky a windows based program on a storage device and once running how to then get it to connect to Microsoft Flight Simulator. Because I have no idea about what you are talking about and don't know anything about pocket drives or NAS.

.

So I tried putting ActiveSky on a USB drive (not sure if that is what you meant?). If I plug the USB drive into Laptop, it still does not connect up to Microsoft Flight Simulator on my Desktop. If I plug USB drive into the Desktop, it connects up with Microsoft Flight Simulator. That's all fine and good, but not sure how that helps as now ActiveSky is still having to share the desktop's CPU time, memory, etc with Microsoft Flight Simulator. How is that different than just running ActiveSky from my desktop's hard drive (goal is to improve frame rates on flight simulator by using another computers CPU, memory, etc to run ActiveSky so all desktop's CPU, memory, etc is available for flight simulator)?

what am I missing?

Thanks Bro67 for trying to help even though it didn't work out.

lol, I guess you and I communicated about as well as my two computers communicate.

i guess my quest to get my computers networked correctly under win10 will continue on.