# WRL Cat Control and AetherSDR **URL:** \ **Category:** App Help & How-To\ **Created:** [April 24, 2026, 10:38pm UTC](https://community.worldradioleague.com/t/wrl-cat-control-and-aethersdr/45337 "2026-04-24T22:38:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HI8O](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.worldradioleague.com/hi8o/32/18809_2.png) [@HI8O](https://community.worldradioleague.com/u/HI8O)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2026, 10:38pm UTC](https://community.worldradioleague.com/t/wrl-cat-control-and-aethersdr/45337/1 "2026-04-24T22:38:52Z")
I’m not sure how many of WRL users are familiar with AetherSDR, a new software available for Flex Radios that have been developing fast and furious. And I don’t know how many of WRL users have Flex radios. By any chance any WRL users also uses or have tested AetherSDR? I’ve been trying to get WRL Cat Control to connect with AetherSDR via TCP and TCI and when it connects then its closes AetherSDR and if I open AetherSDR then it disconnects WRL Cat Control. Is like if just one can connect to the radio. In my imagination I was under the impression that if I connected AetherSDR to the flex (local or smarlink) then I would be able to connect WRL Cat Control app via aether (tcp or tci), just like I would connect a wsjtx session. But its not working that way. When I use SmartSDR for MacOS, I can connect WRL Cat Control with no issue to the flex, but with AetherSDR I havent been able to. Am I missing something? 73, de HI8O ---
**Author:** ![K4AZE](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.worldradioleague.com/k4aze/32/36274_2.png) [@K4AZE](https://community.worldradioleague.com/u/K4AZE)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2026, 1:24pm UTC](https://community.worldradioleague.com/t/wrl-cat-control-and-aethersdr/45337/2 "2026-04-25T13:24:35Z")
@HI8O Currently the WRL Cat control app does not have support for connecting to apps or radios via TCP connections or over the network. This is something we will be adding in the future though. ---
**Author:** ![HI8O](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.worldradioleague.com/hi8o/32/18809_2.png) [@HI8O](https://community.worldradioleague.com/u/HI8O)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2026, 2:22pm UTC](https://community.worldradioleague.com/t/wrl-cat-control-and-aethersdr/45337/3 "2026-04-25T14:22:41Z")
Thanks for the quick turnaround. At least now I know it’s not an operator error. 73, Santiago ---
**Author:** ![N5WIN](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.worldradioleague.com/n5win/32/21675_2.png) [@N5WIN](https://community.worldradioleague.com/u/N5WIN)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2026, 4:13pm UTC](https://community.worldradioleague.com/t/wrl-cat-control-and-aethersdr/45337/4 "2026-04-25T16:13:13Z")
Wow! I’ll sure be looking forward to this! 🙂 If the WRL Cat control app supports TCP (Transmission Control Protocol), then who has a clue what’ll happen next? ---
**Author:** ![K0BAN](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.worldradioleague.com/k0ban/32/30946_2.png) [@K0BAN](https://community.worldradioleague.com/u/K0BAN)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2026, 9:35pm UTC](https://community.worldradioleague.com/t/wrl-cat-control-and-aethersdr/45337/5 "2026-04-25T21:35:20Z")
I apologize. I haven’t started yet website. I just got back to Colorado Evans, Colorado and I haven’t done any contacts yet. I’m still staying up my equipment. I apologize. I will get back as soon as I can do it. I will be doing most portable cause I need a contact with Mercury Western net in Utah so logging on every Saturday but I have to be portable. I have a ICOM IC 705 5 watts to 100 watch I haven’t set it up yet. I apologize for getting in here so early. Sincerely Philip Koban 73 for now. ---
**Author:** ![W7YBY](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.worldradioleague.com/w7yby/32/18857_2.png) [@W7YBY](https://community.worldradioleague.com/u/W7YBY)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2026, 11:40pm UTC](https://community.worldradioleague.com/t/wrl-cat-control-and-aethersdr/45337/6 "2026-04-25T23:40:57Z")
@K0BAN Hi Phillip, I’m not sure who or what you are addressing with your post. Did you perhaps post in the wrong thread? ---
**Author:** ![N5ATM](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.worldradioleague.com/n5atm/32/32024_2.png) [@N5ATM](https://community.worldradioleague.com/u/N5ATM)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2026, 8:08pm UTC](https://community.worldradioleague.com/t/wrl-cat-control-and-aethersdr/45337/7 "2026-05-14T20:08:21Z")
I was able to get WRL Cat working with the AetherSDR version. I just pointed it to the open Com port it showed open. I was working fine until to day then for some reason it wasn’t updating WSJTx. Probably on my end and I will investigate further. The Problem of AetherSDR closing on WRL Cat starting or stopping is persistent on my system as well. Not sure if it’s WRL or AetherSDR, but I tend to think it might be the latter. ---
**Author:** ![NY4I](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.worldradioleague.com/ny4i/32/8406_2.png) [@NY4I](https://community.worldradioleague.com/u/NY4I)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2026, 9:50pm UTC](https://community.worldradioleague.com/t/wrl-cat-control-and-aethersdr/45337/8 "2026-05-18T21:50:26Z")
You may already know this, but since it appears you are just using HamLib, hamlib currently suppoorts TCP to more radios that the Flex. For example, on a K4 you can set the port parameter to 192.168.73.108:9200 and that will connect via TCP. You already have it baked in with hamllib. ---
**Author:** ![K4AZE](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.worldradioleague.com/k4aze/32/36274_2.png) [@K4AZE](https://community.worldradioleague.com/u/K4AZE)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2026, 9:54pm UTC](https://community.worldradioleague.com/t/wrl-cat-control-and-aethersdr/45337/9 "2026-05-18T21:54:16Z")
@NY4I Hey Tom, Yes, we’re aware and will be enabling TCP connections in the future in the cat control app as well as the built in cat control in the desktop app. Thanks & 73 Brad K4AZE ---
**Author:** ![HI8O](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.worldradioleague.com/hi8o/32/18809_2.png) [@HI8O](https://community.worldradioleague.com/u/HI8O)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2026, 7:25pm UTC](https://community.worldradioleague.com/t/wrl-cat-control-and-aethersdr/45337/10 "2026-05-22T19:25:40Z")
I am a happy camper. With the addition of CAT control to the desktop version, now I can connect WRL to AetherSDR without any issues so far. Thanks to the wonderful WRL team for the continous improvement!! 73, Santiago