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services:2fa:smartphone

First Time Access

With a Smart Phone

First of all, you need to install an APP on your Smart Phone which will record a secret key that we provide to you, and which will also produce the passcodes for 2FA. You can download the FreeOTP, Google Authenticator, NetIQ or any other app that can produce TOTPpasscodes from either:

Figure 1: 2FA Login screen (Click image to enlarge)/


After you have installed one of the two APPs you are ready to proceed. You now have to go to a web page that helps you setup 2FA. For example, you can go to the Sterrewacht virtual desktop. When you access that page you are redirected to the Observatory Identity Provider and presented with a login window.

Figure 2: 2FA setup secret key form (Click image to enlarge).


After entering your account credentials you are presented a QR code on the next page. Now use your smart phone APP to scan this QR code. This QR code is in fact your personal secret key, which you are now saving to your smart phone.

Figure 3: FreeOTP ID block after scanning QR code (Click image to enlarge).


Once you scanned the QR code you get an identity block on your smart phone screen indicating the Observatory Identity server and your username, in this case we show the FreeOTP APP:

Figure 4: FreeOTP Generated passcode (Click image to enlarge).


To generate a passcode to fill into the WEB page just click the identity block on your smart phone. You are now presented a six digit number. Copy this number to the WEB page. Note that there is a little timer to the left of the passcode. This passcode is valid for the period the timer is shown. This period is 30 seconds. Within this period you must transfer the code to the WEB page and hit the Submit button. If you are too late, the next 30 seconds period start and another passcode is shown.

Since you are now setting up 2FA for the first time, you may also type in a name for the device from which you are getting the passcodes. It is merely a tag for later use. Having filled in all required fields, you continue to Submit the next form.

Now follow the steps from section Remaining Setup

services/2fa/smartphone.txt · Last modified: 2021/09/13 10:10 by venemans