What is supportproxy?

SupportProxy is a tool that lets a drone support engineer remotely connect to a customer's drone system, even when both parties are behind restrictive firewalls or home networks. It acts as a middleman server sitting on the public internet, safely bridging the connection so an expert can troubleshoot an ArduPilot drone issue from anywhere in the world. Without a tool like this, remote support is nearly impossible. Many users operate their drones on private networks that block incoming internet traffic. SupportProxy solves this by running on a server with a public internet address. The user connects their drone control software to the proxy, and the support engineer does the same. The proxy authenticates both sides and routes the drone's telemetry and command data between them, keeping the connection secure and allowing multiple support sessions to run in parallel without interfering with each other. This system is designed for ArduPilot's support team and the customers they help. For example, if a hobbyist is struggling with a drone that keeps losing GPS lock, they can connect their ground control station to a designated port on the proxy server. The support engineer then connects to a paired port using secure, signed credentials. Both sides can optionally use encrypted WebSocket connections to ensure the data stream is completely protected from eavesdropping. The project also includes a web-based admin interface. This allows support engineers to manage their own connection credentials through a browser, while designated admins can oversee all active support sessions. Changes made in the web UI take effect within about five seconds, meaning new users can be added or passwords can be changed without interrupting ongoing live drone support sessions.