Using the WarDragon Console
The Console is a small web interface that runs on the unit and answers two questions: is this kit healthy, and what is it seeing right now? It also lets an operator with physical access adjust a curated set of settings without editing configuration files by hand. It complements the WarDragon ATAK Plugin, which shows the same detections on an ATAK device.
Check that the Console is installed
Not every kit ships with the Console installed. From a browser running on the unit itself, open http://127.0.0.1:4280/. If it loads, skip to the next section. If the browser reports that the connection was refused, log in locally or over SSH and run:
cd ~/WarDragon
git clone https://github.com/alphafox02/wardragon-console.git
cd wardragon-console
sudo packaging/install.shThe installer can be run again at any time. It sets the Console up as a service that starts with the unit.
Open the Console
The Console listens only on the unit itself and, when a phone or tablet is tethered by USB, on that tether connection. It is never exposed on the wider network.
| Access from | Address |
|---|---|
| The unit itself (display and keyboard) | http://127.0.0.1:4280/ |
| A laptop | Open an SSH tunnel (below), then http://localhost:4280/ on the laptop |
| iPhone or iPad, USB tether or Wi-Fi | http://wardragon.local:4280/ in Safari |
| Android over Wi-Fi | http://wardragon.local:4280/ in Firefox |
| Android over USB tether | The fixed tether address, http://10.152.47.250:4280/ by default |
An SSH tunnel from a laptop looks like this, substituting the unit’s address:
ssh -L 4280:127.0.0.1:4280 dragon@<wardragon-ip>Note Android devices cannot resolve wardragon.local over a USB tether, which is why a fixed address is used. It stays the same across replugs and reboots. The current address always appears in Operator Notes on the Overview tab, so anyone looking at the unit’s display can read it off.
What each tab shows
A bar across the top of every tab shows the current drone count, the current signal count, and an overall health indicator.
| Tab | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Overview | The landing tab. Kit name and uptime, processor, memory, disk and temperatures, health for each receiver, current detection activity, and Operator Notes with status messages and the tether address. |
| GPS | The unit’s position, altitude, fix type, satellite count, and accuracy. See GPS: how the unit knows where it is. |
| System | Processor, memory, disk, and temperatures, plus network interfaces, addresses, tether status, and the Console’s own addresses. |
| Receivers | Health for each detection source. On Elite kits it also shows the state of the second radio; on Pro kits that panel shows a dash. |
| Drones | Current drone tracks with identifier, model where reported, position, altitude, and when each was last seen. |
| Signals | Current signal alerts with type, frequency, source, signal strength, and last seen. See Reading a detection. |
| Config | The curated settings editor, TAK certificate upload, and the Restart DragonSync button. Details below. |
| DragonScope | The DragonScope connection settings, including the license key. Changes take effect within about 30 seconds without a restart. |
| Version | Installed software versions and a Check button that reports whether a newer version is available. |
Receiver dots that stay down
The active sources on a current kit are Wi-Fi, BLE, and DJI. The Receivers tab also lists two legacy source slots, UART and Sniffle, kept for compatibility with older kits. On current Pro and Elite kits those two stay down. That is expected and is not a fault.
Changing settings on the Config tab
- Read/Write toggle. The tab opens for browsing. Switch to Write to edit.
- Saving. Each save writes a timestamped backup beside the file it changes, so a bad edit can be rolled back.
- Passwords, tokens, and keys. These are masked when the Console is opened from a tablet. Leave the masked value to keep the existing secret, type a new value to replace it, or clear the field to remove it.
- TAK certificates. Upload a PKCS#12 file, a PEM certificate and key, or a CA file. The Console stores it on the unit and points the configuration at it. See Connecting to a TAK Server.
- Restart DragonSync. Restarts the DragonSync service from the browser, without a command line. Settings on the DragonScope tab never need it.
Note The Version tab only reports that an update exists. It does not download or install anything. See Software and SDR firmware updates for how updates are applied.
Who can change settings
Critical Physical access to the unit is treated as full administrative access. As shipped, anyone connected over the USB tether can change configuration and restart services. Control who can plug into the unit.
Where that is too open for a deployment, the Console can be set so that configuration changes and restarts require an SSH session to the unit, leaving the tether for viewing only. The settings are described in the Console documentation ↗.
Related
- WarDragon User Guide, Section 7 — Console reference
- How to tell the unit is running
- Setting up the WarDragon ATAK Plugin
WarDragon is manufactured by Millenium Products Inc. Technical support for purchased kits is requested through the support page. Purchasing and quote requests go through the contact form.