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Simple, Free Web Remote PC Control?
MeatballCB writes "Hey folks. Being the 'technical' guy of the family, I often get calls from friends and family members when they're having PC issues. Most of these folks are not technical, so trying to troubleshoot problems over the phone can often be a challenge. Anyone know of a simple-to-use and (preferably) free service that would allow for remote viewing/control of their PCs? I know there's WebEx and GoToMyPC, but I hate to pay for something I'd use once every two months. I also know about VNC, but trying to walk someone through opening up ports on their router that thinks their Internet is broken when their homepage gets changed is not realistic. Anyone know of anything that would be easy to set up and use?"
It's a free service for home use. QED.
I'm a big fan of LogMeIn Free. It's pretty easy to setup, and it gives you access to the pc through any browser. You don't have to worry about port issues or anything. I think it's what you should really look into using.
CoPilot
Different pricing models (Day Pass, per month), free on weekends.
I've been using LogMeIn for both Mac and Windows machines and have had zero problems. Works through corporate firewalls and very little to setup and maintain. There is a free option, as well as paid options which give you more functionality.
I've found that teamviewer is the easiest way to connect without having to go through setting up port forwarding
The latest version of Skype is suppose to be able to share a desktop (they call it "screen sharing" http://www.skype.com/download/skype/windows/)
The dogcow says "Moof!"
I have had good success with TeamViewer (http://teamviewer.com/index.aspx) and no, I don't work for them..It is free for non-commercial use
+1 for LogMeIn.
UltraVNC single click. Its a reverse VNC, designed for this purpose. They double click the executable, and then automatically connects to your listening client.
Its customizable so you can make it look professional if needed. They only have to run the file, it does everything else.
...You look at these two:
http://www.teamviewer.com
http://www.logmein.com
They are not complicated at all and they can save you lots of transport hassles.
For the occasional remote support sessions I need I use TeamViewer (teamviewer.com) - it's free for evaluation/personal use and doesn't need the 'supportee' to install anything, just run the executable.
I can go through my nasty work proxy and get to my PC at home with it, not as fast as RDP but that is understandable.
The feature set is pretty good, does multiple monitors, you can adjust the quality and resolution all in the free version, just requires you sign up for an account. Also seems to be no limit how many machines you can add.
I've used Crossloop (http://www.crossloop.com/) and TeamViewer (http://www.teamviewer.com/index.aspx) with good success. The client only has to run an exe, give you their address code over the phone, and accept your session. Simple enough for my mom.
Teamviewer has an EXCELLENT setup for this kind of this, I use it several times a week for family PC control. Great for one time use (the instant support module) or install it permanently on the PCs you need access to and one-click in whenever you need. Full version totally free for noncommercial use.
http://www.teamviewer.com
... you just need to know that your friends (and family members) DO NOT need to mess with their routers. Just YOUR router needs to open a single port (5500/tcp) and forward it to your workstation. Make your friends run the VNC server as usual, start the VNC client on your workstation in LISTENER mode, tell your friends to select "add new client" from the VNC server icon context menu, and make them enter your IP or dyndns address into the popup dialog.
(Technically, this swaps the roles of client and server on the TCP level, but VNC still behaves as expected.)
Tux2000
Denken hilft.
Why don't you just use Reverse VNC so you're the one who has to setup ports? RealVNC provides an easy option for Windows users to "Add a New Client":
Using WinVNC
Crossloop. Seriously. You don't need to create an account, you can just close the login window and still use the application. It's free, never had any spyware or adware in the past. (I haven't checked it recently)
We used this at work and I use this at home. It's secure because the application doesn't run as a service, you need a unique code every time you connect to a client and they need to authorize you. It's based on VNC.
If you can't get someone to install Crossloop to help them, you might as well them tell to bring their computer over or send it to a shop because it's that easy.
try http://xkcd.com/627/ will allow them to do some trouble shooting themselves, if they have problems with flow charts send them this http://xkcd.com/518/
the guy i sold my laptop to frequently needs help and i just use windows remote assistance to help him. it's very easy to use.
Crossloop is free and is so easy a caveman can use it. http://www.crossloop.com/
I prefer TeamViewer myself: http://lmgtfy.com/?q=free+remote+control
With UltraVNC Single-Click, you can give them a smallish program to run and click. No need for opening ports or anything, as the connection is initiated from their side. For this to work, only you need to open and forward a port on your side (and have ultravnc listen server running).
http://forum.ultravnc.info/viewtopic.php?t=15865&sid=b6c0c94c99f3095d318eace245e09b49
The single-click program could be easier to use, though...
I also give Log me in! the nod. I actually have it running and/or installed on my relatives and friends pcs- none of them use macs. it does the basic job. even if i need a file transferred i can email it to my gmail account or download a file from their end on the appropriate website. it is never easy to tell someone over the phone how to kill off a trojan/install antivirus/get a printer to print/
the ONLY time there is an issue? When their computer won't connect! (but then you're screwed no matter what)
We use Crossloop to support our international, non VLAN-connected users worldwide. Even on fractional T1s it works nicely. I'd recommend it for sure. I've even used it from home to connect to family members, both over cable ISP feeds with maybe 640kbit upload at each end - it works well then, too.
One of the 187.
Teamviewer works great for me and is free for non-commercial use.
You just install the client on your machine, they download an executable and give you the number and boom, connected.
It also lets you scale their screen in case they have a gynormous monitor for whatever reason.
UltraVNC SC is what you need.
Check it out here!
If you're doing this over your residential connection or if you might be in different locations, set yourself up with a dynamic DNS service (such as www.dyndns.org) and create yourself a hostname on there. Build your VNC-SC download to point to that address.
I have mine set up on my family website where they can download it easily so I don't have to drive over to their house every time they can't print.
It fixed my problems instantly when I quoted them my rate. I got tired of being abused by people who refused to learn how the system worked. This was a directed refusal they take pride in. I made my point that I was not longer their slave. Now they get to pay someone who likes the abuse. I would point out the relationship has a whiff of BDSM but they'd not understand that either.
I'd go on a Vegan diet but the delivery time from Vega is too long. --brownkitty
I usually use either LogMeIn, or Mikogo. Mikogo is much more powerful and entirely free. The downside is that its a little clunky to use. LMI just works, but the free version is missing a number of awesome tools that the pro/ITReach versions have - like being able to remotely reboot machines you can't connect to, etc.
Just install some sort of ssh server on all their computers, open port 22, and you are good to go. Cygwin might be a good way to get a no cost ssh server that runs as a Windows service, if your family is still using Windows.
Palm trees and 8
windows remote desktop - why would you need anything else?
I face the same problem, and I found this just a couple of days ago, I can't tell you how it works yet.
Besides this I was thinking a single installer which installed (this can be done with innosetup for example)
1.- OpenVPN Gui for windows and tightvnc (for example)
2.- A simple pre-configured file to connect to a public IP+Port on the internet (for. ex your-helping-son.no-ip.org port 443)
3.- Connect the openvpn to the end-point and lanunc the vnc listener manually.
4.- Once the connection is done you can access directly his/her pc with tightvnc / rdesktop / etc.
Problems, this is theory, and it has to be build, and I haven't built it
In theory theory and practice have no differences, in practice they have....
I was trying to setup something to let me fix me girlfriend's brother's PC. In the end I setup an SSH server on my network, and sent him a registry file which setup putty to login to my server usin an SSH key. It required a bit of guiding over the phone but got meant that the only firewall config was to run an SSH server my end.
Completely free VNC-based service. You both download a Windows program. Your remote user runs the show my pc part of the program; you use the view remote pc part. The remote party gets a key generated that you use on your side, which then opens a VNC session between the computers. No muss, no fuss at all. Delete the little downloaded app on either side when you're done.
For the real pros
I use CoPilot.com as they claim it works from anywhere. Other solutions will only work under the right conditions. (ie, their network is configured correctly, your network is configured correctly, you're not working from a hotel or airport, they are not at starbucks, etc...)
That's because if CoPilot can't setup a direct connection between the 2 computers it can route the traffic through their computers.
I have a linux laptop (an older 1.x GHz model) sitting at home running Ubuntu. I have port 443 (?) open on my firewall and forwarded to an ssh client on that laptop. I simply connect via ssh to the home IP address and am able to VNC or RDP into whatever computer. (This is me using VNC into my wife's Vista desktop.)
http://www.perfectreign.com/stuff/2009/20090920_vnc_lilly.jpg
It is free and works 100% of the time.
The Kai's Semi-Updated Website Thingy
For a couple of family members I support I find the Remote Assistance function (essentially Remote Desktop with a different make-up job) works fine. They have MSN Messenger (or Live Messenger, or what-ever it is branded as today) accounts as do I so all they have to do is click select "request remote assistance" from the "activity" menu. You will need to have port 3389 pointing open at your firewall and pointing to the machine you will be answering the call on though, which is a disadvantage (make sure all your passwords are well chosen!), but the other end doesn't need any open ports.
Pre XP I had OpenVPN and VNC installed on their machines. All they had to do was open the VPN and I could take/share control via VNC. RDC/RA works better though, as it is more responsive over slow ADSL lines and does not require any setup on the machine the person is asking for support on, though for family members who I have built machines for still have the VPN installed so I can connect it if I want/need to try interact with the machine by anything other than the RA connection (accessing fileshares directly for instance, if the problem being reported is "I can see the MP3s on the main machine from my laptop" or such), but I've not needed to do that for some time.
TeamViewer.com
I suggest using Crossloop for the remote screen control. It is like VNC, in fact it is based on VNC, but it uses it's own code and Crossloop server to bypass any problems of getting past NAT routers, which often present a problem for novice users to configure properly and safely for VNC services. Crossloop offers no voice connection, so also use a high quality audio link like Google Talk, or just keep them on the phone. In trying to figure out a way to become profitable, Crossloop has taken to marketing it's members "services" to others, but they have (IMHO) gone over to the dark side by putting themselves in league with PayPal (who are in turned owned by an electronic fencing organization). But users don't have to participate in this, it's still available for free private use.
I'm an American. I love this country and the freedoms that we used to have.
NTRconnect.com It works through proxies and NAT without doing port forwarding, because of using their own servers. It has full Windows and Mac support, and also support controlling remote Linux machines.
If you can set it up beforehand, use UltraVNC single-click.
If you haven't had time to do the setup, point your friend or family member to http://www.zolved.com/rc. They provide a simple exe to download.
The software is basically UltraVNC, but using Zolved servers as a proxy. (yes, this means you have to trust Zolved.com not to spy on you.)
I hold it, that a little rebellion, now and then, is a good thing. -- Thomas Jefferson
Its stupidly simple, I taught a friend how to use TightVNC in 5 minutes.
:-P
Personally, I use Hamachi, a VPN client version of LogMeIn, so all my friends and I are on our own personal network and we can file share amongst ourselves.
Along with it I use TightVNC along with their Hamachi address which remains a static address to remote into their PC.
No guess work. Works brilliantly. Mainly use it to remotely manage my desktop though
My blood hurts...
I like Crossloop. It is setup as a Support site, but you/they don't pay anything unless you charge for support. There is a simple website to point the people to to request support.
I seem to remember back orifice did a pretty good job of remote controlling widoze boxes. :)
I was going to suggest UltraVNC Single Click also.
To clarify a bit, it's not the same as regular VNC. You don't need to install anything, just click on the .exe.
Also, it works by creating an outbound TCP connection. So, the remote computer support has to have port forwarding setup, but the person sharing doesn't need to do anything with their router (assuming a standard SOHO router with NAT).
UltraVNC does work with Vista, but I can't comment on Single Click paired with Vista.
You could use Leafnode (which is free and pretty simple to configure) on both ends to set up a VPN, then use VNC/Remote Desktop. Leafnode uses NAT traversal, so no ports need to be opened, and it allows direct PC to PC comms. My son uses it for PC gaming with his friends (Warzone/AoE) and I don't have to fiddle with my firewall.
teamview.... Even my grandpa can do it.
I have a similar issue and have found that MS Live Mesh, and I think that it is a great solution to your issue. It will allow you to control any PC in your mesh from any other PC, and remotely via a web browser. You can easily share documents on each of the machines as well, a nice solution for backing up your own data. Finally, you have he software works on Windows and OSX; however, you can only sync files to a Mac. It would appear that they are working on being able to control a Mac remotely.
If they're running XP/2000, netmeeting. Takes less than a minute to explain how to launch & configure.
and use VNC. Its open (nonproprietary) free, there are multiple implementations for multiple platforms.
Better yet, install (your preferred linux distribution) and VirtualBox on their machine, and install (their preferred consumer-grade unstable bloatware OS) in a virtual machine, then setup ssh (and a portforward). Then you can ssh in, and then use VirtualBox's built-in VNC service.
Newer versions of Telepathy / Empathy include an option share your desktop over telepathy tubes. IIRC tubes first try various NAT hole-punching techniques (UPnP, STUN, TURN, etc.), and fall back on XMPP in-band bytestreams (base64 encoded streams over the same channel you're sending instant messages).
Our company uses ultravnc sc for this purpose. It is a contacting vnc server so there is no need for the user to open or route ports. http://www.uvnc.com/addons/singleclick.html
Copilot (from Joel of Joel on Software fame) just works. I give my family a code, they type it into the website and download and run the .exe.
If you like, they can hang on to that .exe file and reuse it next time (so long as you also keep your corresponding helper .exe).
It's free at weekends; the rest of the time it's very cheap (and pay-as-you-go, so no monthly subscription - you just pay for the minutes you use).
I have to agree with hroo772. LogMe in is the way to go. It is free easy and secure with 256AES encryption. It lets me organize my PCs in different categories i.e. family, friends, mine etc. I love it and again best thing is it is free and all you need is a client installed on the remote PC. I like to keep a copy of the install program on the public folder on my drop box so they can just click on the install and I can walk them through it. Check it out!
Or (as others have suggested) use 'reverse VNC', where the machine being remote-controlled connects *to* the remote controller machine (and you forward the ports at your end).
I have never used any of that newfangled remote desktop stuff that MS shoved in everyone's faces. Netmeeting was no longer linked anywhere in a stock XP install, but the executable was still there:
C:\Program Files\NetMeeting\conf.exe
That's what I've been using for a decade or more and all my machines are still 2k or XP. Is that no longer present in Vista or 7? You do have to set up port forwarding for 3 different ports in your LAN router though, so that's a little extra effort. What I REALLY miss is the behavior of Netmeeting in the early versions of 2k. You could set up port forwarding for one single machine, then log into that machine and start another session within the original to connect to a different machine inside the LAN. It was like daisychaining SSH sessions, but with pretty pictures. Apparently someone decided it was a bad idea because one of the service packs broke it and you could no longer start Netmeeting from within a Netmeeting session.
Nothing worthwhile ever happens before noon
www.showmypc.com
no install, download and run one file so easy to talk them through.
free too!
I use it all the time and not having to actually install or configure anything is a killer feature. The only situation where this fails is if the user doesn't have admin rights as it needs to run a SSH server (I noticed this on some corporate builds).
Oh this is assuming its wintel of course. If its linux then they can probably handle themselves and if its OSX then it wouldn't break ;)
Skyfex.com is free, lets you watch the screen infinitely (only 5 minutes of control for free) and doesn't need to install anything but IE ActiveX controls!!!
By far, better than LogMeIn. It doesn't need client apps running and all that garbage
COMODO Easy VPN Its free and has remote desktop features built in. Also since its a vpn it works as if the connected computer is on a the same network and transfers file the same way. Also you dont have to configure your router to use it. http://easy-vpn.comodo.com/ that's the home page.
If they're running MSN Messenger you can always use the remote assistance feature. It has worked well for me in the past having to troubleshoot and diagnose friend & familys PC's. I guess the only catch there is they and you have to be running it as well. Not a solution if you're not running Windows and using that particular IM client.
I'd have to agree with Crossloop, the installer is stupid simple, tell them to hit the skip button in the bottom right when it asks them to make an account. After they've done it once it makes an icon on the desktop for them, all they have to do is double click it, read off the access code and hit connect and you can be back on in seconds. It uses a VNC client for communications, reasonable speed in most cases. Vista/Windows 7 UAC can make it annoying, make sure the remote user clicks continue, if your session does get disconnected the access code stays the same and you can simply hit connect again, it also runs on MacOS X. At work we have a EchoServer for EchoVNC, there is a link on our website that downloads the 1.2M echovnc client, which is preconfigured to connect to our server, they just have to hit connect. Its capable as running as a service, and you can organize machines into groups with different level of access, and I can VNC into Windows/OS X machines from my FreeBSD/Xorg desktop. Being that it tunnels through our server(like how crossloop works) it doesn't require any forwarded ports and makes it way through just about anything but the most stringent firewall. Probably a little overkill(and it costs $300 for the EchoServer portion), but its neat fun software, and there isn't anything else in its price range(we were paying almost $300 for our goto assist accounts alone) that has its functionality.
WebEx and GoToMyPC are not optimal for support situations like you describe. Rather a dedicated support product would be more appropriate. Although it is not free, GoToAssist Express does have an inexpensive "day pass" option that might interest you (subscriptions are also available for heavier users).
Crossloop - http://www.crossloop.com/ipage.htm?id=predownload - while it looks like a padi sevice I am pretty sue the client is free and it is simple point and click at both ends to get a screen share going ion...
Logmein is great, and I use it for all my own computers. However, it requires an install on client-side, and for some situations (over the phone support with an ignorant user), trying to get them to install is a long, painful process.
I also use reverse VNC, which is nice. You have to open up a port on our own router, have the VNC viewer listening on the right port, and then setup the reverse VNC binary to connect to your computer (ultravnc has easy programs for this), but it's reliable and pretty simple for end-users... one download, one click, done.
I haven't found a web-based, no-install remote desktop sharing program yet that's free. Would be nice to have.
I haven't tried it with a router between myself, just playing around on a LAN to see how it works. It's already "setup" on XP installations, and sends an email to you that you click to then have your Windows machine connect to theirs.
Try setting up a reverse VNC connection. We use a custom VNC server at work (made from examples in the source code), so that all a client has to do is run one file and type in a computer name. Since the connection is originated from within the firewall, in most situations it doesn't cause any problems. This is the way to go -- secure, quicker than LogMeIn, and since about 2/3 of our clients aren't QUITE sure that this new-fangled intertube thingy isn't a plot by the "man", it works out quite well.
http://www.ntop.org/n2n/ if you can open ports on one server
http://www.wippien.com/ if you can't
create mini-vpn's with this tools and use any vnc software to connect to your clients
Log me in keeps my mom happy downloading the entire internet after she fills all the HD and wonders why there are error messages. Anyway, the log me ipod app is well thought out too and works very well.
Elimunate offers 3 connections that have worked well for me connecting to family pcs.
Their basic client is free and works for win & os x - You can even control one os from the other.
No firewall / router config whatsoever. Ask the other party to go to the teamviewer download page, install and just tell you their id and password - clearly displayed on the screen - and your in.
Can also be set up in advance so you can connect to your own remote workstation.
Only drawback is that it doesnt support linux - but for linux workstations I would prefer NX (nomachine.com) over vnc any day. Also free.
Two things that annoy me are;
its a bit fiddly for a remote user to install, at least with the free version. They either have to set up their own account on the web or log in to your web account and click the "add computer" button which is ok if they are a family member but you don't really want everyone poking around your account. Be easier just go give them a link and say go there an run what you find.
Once it is installed its practically impossible to stop it running in the background. You can disable access to it but its still there. You can stop services manually but they tend to switch themselves back on. I really hate this with software. I really wish that people could just start and stop it at will when they needed it. That said it does stop people from accidentally removing it but still...
But it is still the solution I end up using and it doesn't cost me anything so count your blessings.
Have all parties sign up for a free account at Acrobat.com. Includes screen sharing and remote control for free. No troubles with ports etc...but does require Flash.
...do watcha like...
well for Teamviewer is kick ass. free fopr personal use and does all sorts of other things you mighty like such as VPN.
have a looksee, it really is quite nice and i have found there is much less lag on it as compered to other remote control apps
Google Code offers 'gitso', which is exactly what you're after. All the person on the other end has to do is have the application on their computer. You (the technical person) opens the ports and all of that fancy stuff. It works amazingly.
http://code.google.com/p/gitso/
Available for Windows, Mac, and Linux.
Mod parent up!
Remote Assistance comes with all versions of windows, so you don't have to worry about sketchy third-party apps or waste time downloading and installing something. It's a little more tricky to do with the home edition, but I've helped family members using XP home on both ends. As long as you follow the directions, it's not too much of a hassle.
Other operating systems have similar functionality as well under different names. (OS X, for instance calls it "screen sharing", offers several ways to use it - iChat is probably the dumbed-down-est way, but if you want to get fancy, you can tunnel it over SSH and even enable it from within the terminal session. Ubuntu calls it "Remote Desktop" and has a whole slew of applications in the repository that do varying levels of VNC. tunneling over ssh is as trivial as on the mac, or maybe it's the other way around. I doubt apple was the leader in having secure shell implemented.)
There's really no need to go buying fancy software you heard advertised on Rush or during an episode of 24. All of the modern OSs were designed around network use and have fairly complete tools for doing everything more robustly and securely than things like "gotomypc" appear to offer.
Can you be Even More Awesome?!
www.mikogo.com . owned by Skype. I use it all the time.
One solution that I've always used and works great is located at showmypc.com. The user you're supporting will download the client (VNC) that will connect to their servers that serve as a bridge. It will give them a code after you download the client that you will type into your showmypc client that authenticates the session. It's very easy to use and works great. I never need to install VNC or any other clients and it doesn't cost me a dime. Good Stuff. Of course, LogMeIn works just as well. For the iPhone lovers out there, there's LogMeIn ignition that costs a pretty penny if you're into paying for it. Lots of solutions exist, it's up to you to decide which one you like best. Hope this helps.
Use VNC (you can put it into a mode where your friend in need doesn't have to open ports, but you do), or Remote Assistance if your friend is on XP Pro (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/helpandsupport/crawford_june04.mspx) or Xming if your friend is on some system running X, like GNU/Linux.
Remote Assistance has an important downside: since it works by your friend sending you an invitation, they'll get tempted to send an invitation as soon as they need to think, rather than thinking and probably solving the problem first and only phoning you when they really can't figure it out.
since you on VirOS and not Linux you will need to look at reverse vnc
http://www.freewarereview.info/2007-06/ultravnc_sc_-_easier_remote_tech_support_with_reverse_vnc_configuration.html
UltraVNC is the better product of the virOS based VNC.
1311393600 - Back to Black
For Macs, there's Schnitz Remote:
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/macnifying-os-x-setting-up-remote-help-on-the-mac/
FFS VNC... For any home/family usage just use MSN Messenger
Link - http://www.uvnc.com/addons/singleclick.html
Simply configure it through the supplied flat-file & package it into a single binary via the tools provided. No need to install - they just click on the binary & it starts up a VNC server, making a reverse connection to the listening client on your end.
I've already got it setup with various family members & have it pointed to one of my servers, which I can then tunnel the connection through wherever I am.
If you're also using the uVNC client, you can use things like File Transfer.
AFAIK, it supports all versions of Windows - I've got it on XP & Vista systems.
Everyone's favorite Joel has an okay solution. Its very user friendly and doesn't require router configs. It's free on weekends. It is based on VNC so it's slow but it gets the job done. I used it to fall back to a restore point on my mom's Windows laptop across EVDO.
https://www.copilot.com/
Use Single Click from UVNC. The customer gets an executable file. YOU set your router up to pass their request for service. The run the executable, it creates a temporary vnc server on their system that contacts you and asks for service. Simple for them, easy to set up on your end.
I've used Echogent's EchoVNC. The Windows server is easy to use. The Linux one isn't quite as easy unfortunately. Pretty much set up a server somewhere public, and then both ends (me and the customer) can be behind most firewalls and get connected quickly. I don't know what feature differences are between their free trial and their pay version are, but if folks are really interested, they'll find out.
The client lets you encode the username, password, and server right into it. For the end user, I send them to a web page and tell them to click a link. They download it and run it. It doesn't install anything, so it's real quick to get going. For me, I have the admin client installed on my PC, so I fire it up, and watch for that client to connect. Once they're connected, I start working.
When I'm done, I close the client on their side, which of course disconnects me. It never starts again, unless they tell it to. It's nice, clean, and doesn't pollute their machine with wasted crap. They can delete the executable from their machine when they're done. No uninstall necessary.
Even as simple as it is for the client (go to this site, click the link, run it, click ok), some people still have problems. "What do I run", or "Where did it download to". Frequently they'll ask for the password, which I tell them it's already set. For most people, it's 30 seconds to get me on. For some it can take a couple minutes, especially when they don't understand me saying "Open a browser and go to ....". It all depends on your end user.
Needless to say, if the connection is bad enough, it's going to be pathetically slow. I was able to get onto a machine to traceroute from it, since the customer couldn't spell "tracert". It took a while, but I got enough information and told them what to say to their provider when they called.
The only real problem I've run into is with Vista and it UAC. When it pops up, it kicks me off. If I'm doing something that runs into that, I have to ask them to click "allow", and then I reconnect. Since I'm only on client machines to fix problems, it's not appropriate for me to disable UAC.
Serious? Seriousness is well above my pay grade.
All of the traffic of Lifehacker, with crowdsourced content. Whoever decided to take Slashdot in this direction is like the Napoleon of web 2.0.
I mean, it's disappointing to see it happen, but in a way you have to admire how perfect it is.
Both are free. I actually prefer UltraVNC (but for primitive documentation). Both require you to set up things at the other end (e.g., firewall pinholes, on both computers and routers). But, for my money, UltraVNC is much better and more reliable, once you get the hand of it. --Carol Anne
Microsoft Live Mesh (mesh.com) allows you to connect to any computer on "your" network. Create a MSN account, have them install Livemesh using that MSN account on their computer and then use Internet Explorer, browse to mesh.com, log in with that user and hit connect.
This is very similar to the MSN/remote assistance requests.
I use teamviewer - it's not opensource but free for private usage.
This is what I use to help my dad. Works like a charm, very easy to set up. My dad is old.
Just install client and your good to go! Also has a nice keylogger that comes bundled so you can see what they did to mess up their system...
I also use reverse VNC, which is nice. You have to open up a port on our own router, have the VNC viewer listening on the right port, and then setup the reverse VNC binary to connect to your computer (ultravnc has easy programs for this), but it's reliable and pretty simple for end-users... one download, one click, done.
I've done remote support for years through my business. I've used a custom MSI of TightVNC with the password already set, along with OpenVPN. That allows the customer to connect securely to my network, without worrying about a router and port forwarding.
Just download the software, install, and it works. OpenVPN also eliminates the security problem of having unencrypted VNC running over the Internet.
The UltraVNC SingleClick, though, I've just started looking at as a replacement. Built in encryption, easier install for the end user, and complete uninstall when it's finished.
Security is still an issue, though, even with the built in encryption, because it's a static key, rather than PKI. Anybody who can download the SingleClick installer (which is anybody with an IP address) can also get the encryption key used. So it would be easy for anybody to eavesdrop on a connection and intercept all traffic.
OpenVPN with custom certificates eliminates this (which you can generate on the fly from a PHP script, so every single customer is using their own encryption), so I'll still be using it for a lot of customers, even if I completely move over to UltraVNC SC.
"City hall" in German is "Rathaus" Kinda explains a few things......
I have always been curious about this. And about why people don't just use back orifice for even home network configuration? I've never used it, but I'd be interested in hearing why other people don't.
K.
NetViewer is free for personal use, and the connection survives the latency of a Europe to South East Asia connection (which VNC failed to manage for me).
What time is it/will be over there? Check with my iPhone app!
I tend to use Mikogo - has worked fairly well for me so far.
And it's free and easy to use.
Assuming your non-technical supportees are using windows (like all of mine) why would you use anything other than RDP or Remote Assistance? Both work perfectly and have drive sharing and clipboard integrated, and work well over less than optimal bandwidth connections. The hardest part now is helping them bypass the seemingly hundreds of firewalls that they've installed - which is generally indicative of the problem that I'm connecting to fix in the first place. It would be nice in the future if they'd make remote assistance work in the reverse direction...
For being the "technical person", I'd suggest you learn to use google a little better.
ssh
OR
hamachi plus RDP/VNC/Whatever
I stopped giving free tech support to my extended family about 10 yrs ago. I told them I'd switched to Linux and would provide free support to any of them who switched too. Zero takers, which is good for me.
Of course, Mom gets unlimited support to the point where we start yelling at each other. Fortunately, we're 7 hrs away, so there's no expectation that I'll drop by to fix something.
dimdim.org is an open source web meeting tool. more geared for presentations but it does have capabilities to view desktops remotely (i didn't see any control function... yet). I have used it to help customers in the past... allowing me to keep all $125.00/hr that I charge on a remote session :)
I use Crossloop.com. It is free and easy for your friends to install. And hey, if you want to bill your family, you can do that through the service!
There is a program called "Showmypc" that works wonders for people. I use it for work all the time since this program will bypass most firewalls. It is built on top of TightVNC and just requires running an exe file. It is also more secure since it requires the user to initiate the connection and then supplying a password over the phone or other communications device. Each time it starts up it generates a new password. Works great if you work as Tech Support for an ISP.
Come on guys, why haven't you come up with showmypc.com. It uses SSH and VNC in a small utility that they can download from a webpage. Works everytime. It is a free service unless you want to run it as a service. I use it with my clients all the time. The only thing you have to tell the person to do is go to the website, run the software and tell you the passphrase.
The only downfall is that it does not sustain a connection through a reboot. Logmein has this capability. If they could fix this, I would be very happy.
Hands down best program is Crossloop. We use it in my repair shop all the time. I love the security of it in the sense that the customer must run it, it generates a unique new access code each time it is run and the customer must accept the connection. This gives them a sense of control of when I can connect by their permission and it protects me by not being able to login whenever I want I need their cooperation.
Bonus is no opening ports and dead simple to use.
I use crossloop, have the family members install and give me their access code. It then connects to Crossloops servers so there is no port forwarding to deal with. Its free and a quick download and install. http://www.crossloop.com/
Okay seems like everyone and their brother has a different idea and since this interests me I tried to roll up as many of the interesting looking ones as possible into one posting :-) Did I miss any?
http://www.teamviewer.com/
https://secure.logmein.com/products/free/
http://www.copilot.com/
http://skype.com/
http://www.uvnc.com/addons/singleclick.html (reverse VNC)
http://www.crossloop.com/
http://www.mikogo.com/en/
http://showmypc.com/
https://www.ntrconnect.com/
http://www.zolved.com/remote_control
http://www.wippien.com/ (VPN)
http://code.google.com/p/gitso/ (reverse VNC)
Build it, Drive it, Improve it! Hybridz.org
As I'm searching for employment, I needed a VNC client that I could use behind a firewall I didn't control. Somewhere, I came across RemoteVNC (http://www.remotevnc.org). It is a variant of TightVNC, but has been modified to make outgoing connections on both ends. All you have to do is set up a Google email account for use with RemoteVNC. During the setup process, you specify the address and password. You also create access passwords for VNC itself, and can have different passwords for view-only and full access. Since RemoteVNC is making outgoing connections on both ends, no firewall changes have to be made.
I've reported a minor issue in that the server portion times out if you don't use it for an extended period -- on the order of hours. Not a bad security feature, now that I think about it. It works well, and connecting to a particular client is a matter of selecting it from the drop-down list and specifying the proper password.
I also created an AutoIt installer for it, so all I have to do is send that to someone. Once they run it, RemoteVNC is installed and there's a link on their desktop to run it when they need help.
Bob
logmein.com ... very easy to use, and has an iphone client called logmein ignition, which costs 30$ i believe. but the service is free.
With VNC person in need of assistance can ADD YOUR Listening Client from inside their firewall.
So GrandMa can be told to Launch VNC-Server in User Mode, and ADD Tech-Wiz-Grandkid's viewer
which was started in Listening Viewer mode. Presumabley TechWiz has no problem
piercing his own firewall.
http://deadlytechnology.com/general/remote-support-using-a-listening-vnc-viewer/
But after the first time doing this you can quickly see that having a route thru GrandMa's router
to her PC is the best solution. Yo don't need to start the VNC server, instead rely on GrandMA to start
a user-mode server each time its needed. This means that the route thru GrandMa's firewall is
harmless because nothing is listening on that port.
Sig Battery depleted. Reverting to safe mode.
When it comes to simple remote control, I haven't found anything simpler than Ammyy Admin (http://www.ammyy.com).
Microsoft has a product called SharedView, that you can sign-in with your Live login, and share your desktop with those you invite, you can even allow a viewer to control.
Easy to install, easy to use... I have used it to fix my mother in laws machine in the past.
I know most here are opposed to MS products, I can agree most of the time, but look at who this poster is hoping to support, these are not power users.
I had the same struggle with VNC. I tried remote desktop over hamachi, but that was just as bad. I stumbled on CrossLoop and haven't looked anywhere else. As the tech guy, you install a small local client and create a login. Those you want to help download and run a small stand-alone file, then tell you the "access code" prominently displayed in the window. You enter that code, and you've got access.
Does NX have a "OneClick" type feature? For those who don't know about NX, it uses some amazing compression routines. I remember hearing that firefox load times can be faster when viewing a remote computer then they can be rendered in firefox on the local computer.
How many more years will slashdot have an off-by-one error on your Score in your profile?
so far i've been able to talk everybody into installing it within a pretty reasonable time. got almost 20PC's in there now, and only 2 are mine the main drawback is having them log into my account, but i just change the pass, get them to installed it and change it back again. its just a minor inconveniences, specially compared to having to go over there.
Crossloop crossloop crossloop.
Easy and no brains needed.
Free and easy...
Better to just image the thing with a DvD, build a restore.bat and write a 4 step recover to image job with the needed choices preselected... :)
How ever you work it you are not going to avoid going to GrandMa's house, if having her PC worked on is how she is luring you now, she'll find another way
errr....umm...*whooosh* *whoosh* Is this thing on ?
I can't believe I haven't seen someone suggest MS SharedView http://www.connect.microsoft.com/site/sitehome.aspx?SiteID=94 works like a dream for me, and gives both users their own cursor, so your friend can point at stuff. The other thing that 'just works' is www.showmypc.com - vnc based, but it's a small download that just works for people - no installation process required.
LogmeIn Free is the way to go. It is not only free but really easy to use interfase and it works with most platforms and browsers.
Can Hamachi accomplish this? Just connect to the same Hamachi VPN and then you have access to everything - remote desktop client, VNC, SMB shares, etc?
THE MAGIC WORDS ARE SQUEAMISH OSSIFRAGE
No need for anything fancy. Just use Windows. No need to contact me either. I will find you.
right thru port 80, unlimited free accts as far as i can tell. Hasnt failed me yet.
For commercial use, I use PCHelpware. http://www.uvnc.com/pchelpware/index.html
It works great in that I have clients download my custom copy from my website. It has my IP hard coded in the config. Once it is running, which usually takes 2 clicks on Windows security windows, they just hit connect and I am in.
You can edit the graphics, too. Mine has my company name, phone number, etc.
The only negative, it is somewhat of a hog (due to encryption, I think), but it works and I do not have too much trouble getting even the inept connected. Vista needs to have the UAC disabled, unless you keep the user on the line. The security windows do not show up due to MS restrictions. I have not tried other programs under Vista, so I am not sure if it is a universal problem
I've been using myivo.com for many years for this purpose. It's a simple service that I set up on the extended family computers. The service on the remote computer stays in contact with the Myivo home page, so you can see which of the computers are running at any given moment. You connect via a Java program that runs in your browser after clicking on the appropriate computer that is listed on their homepage for your account. In addition to supporting the family computers I also use it to control my home computer from work. I had to use a browser-based method because of limitations with my firewall at work.
I use logmein.com You can use it to connect to up to 10 computers for free.
http://www.crossloop.com/
Team viewer is a powerful remote access tool that is free for personal use. I use it to manage all of the machines on my home network. it has 256 bit encryption and uses a one time use access key of a permanent password. it is very secure and allows full control of the remote machine. You can even switch places so they can view your screen.
there are 10 types of people in this world, those who read binary and those who don't. which are you!
..there was back orifice.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Back_orifice
Copilot was designed for exactly this use. Free on weekends, minimal per-use payment at other times. One click for-dummies user experience, and provided by joel Spolsky's Fog Creek software. https://www.copilot.com/
Instant Housecall has a free version for up to 5 connections.
www.copilot.com
Perfect, free on weekends, multiplatform, fast - exactly what you want.
- Ben
- Ben Bederson Professor Computer Science, Human-Computer Interaction Lab University of Maryland
You don't have to get remote users to open ports on their firewalls. Get them to run a VNC server, you run a VNC listening client on your machine with a portforward on your side to 5500, and get them to connect their server to your client. If they are running on windows with realvnc for example, you get them to right click their vnc server, select "add new client", and type in server-address:5500
Try Copilot. It's not free, but they have a per-minute plan that's reasonable. It's VNC over SSH, but wrapped up nicely so easy to use.
Use reverse VNC. It swaps the client and the server: the other person connects to YOU, then you view their screen. So you're the only one who has to open ports. You can't have multiple people viewing the same machine (as far as I know), but for one-on-one tech support, it works fine. I've used it several times with less-technically-inclined friends.
I see plenty of other posts about LogMeIn, and it's decent, but in my opinion, Co-Pilot takes the cake for commercial users. (such as myself)
1) 1/4 the price of LogMeIn.
2) Windows/Mac compatible, not only as a client, but as support.
3) No-setup for either end. Nothing fancy. Any bonehead can make it work.
4) You can buy a day for a few bux.
I wish they supported Linux as support, but I'll accept Win/Mac.
I have no problem with your religion until you decide it's reason to deprive others of the truth.
I'm kind of surprised that this hasn't been mentioned yet. I stumbled upon it on accident while looking for the same thing. A product named DimDim. It's open source and basically webex. It's free for conference rooms that have under 20 people. You can also host a server yourself. Using this I have helped many friends and family members overcome different problems. Setting up my own server was pain (dependency nightmare) but I like to know what information goes where (yeah I'm a bit paranoid).
CrossLoop is the best for this. I have helped endless number of people and even you are not around they can pay someone to help them out. THe software was intended for this functionality
www.crossloop.com
I already got simple free web remote control over your PC. It’s called a botnet! :D
On a more serious note: What is wrong with those web-served VNC applets, that you just surf to, and then log in, to see your desktop? I found them really easy to use.
<:D>At least if you’re a noob, requiring a colorful clickable UI. Real men use SSH.</:D>
Any sufficiently advanced intelligence is indistinguishable from stupidity.
This can't be /. - you let your family use windows?
GoTo Assist Express offers different levels of pricing. $660 per year, $69 per month, or $9.95 per incident. If they are just friends and family and want to get their stuff fixed, I think the $9.95 per incident wouldn't be that big of a deal. Explain to them that if they want their computer fixed right then, they are going to have to give you $10 next time you see them (or mail it/Paypal it to you later). I actually signed up for it when it was in beta (it was free) and ended up getting a discounted price of something like $450 a year, which my company pays for. It is a good program. I have not had any problems with users installing it....well....users that are using Internet Explorer. Firefox has some issues with installing the applet that makes it confusing for some users.
Adobe Connect Now is what I've been using for the past year. It's actually an online meeting space, but one of the features is desktop sharing with the ability to take control - best of all, no ports to deal with - it runs in the browser and uses flash, works through firewalls, etc.
connectnow.acrobat.com
Copilot is free on weekends. http://www.copilot.com/ I've used it and it works pretty well, and it's about as easy to set up as possible. The hardest part is talking a clueless relative through the process of downloading something AND THEN FINDING IT and then launching it.
Dear Slashdot: next time you want to mess with the site, add a rich-text editor for comments.
I'm actually a proponent of zolved (http://www.zolved.com/) - there's no install involved - it's a standalone executable, and works reasonably well 9 times out of 10 - and best of all, requires zero technical skill on the part of the person receiving support. Oh, and it's completely free, including registration-free.
I realize you said free, but I haven't found anything free that works well for the variety of situations I end up supporting (family, non-profit, and corporate). I use the $10 pass for 24 hour access to gotoassist.com. (think citrix quality remote support) I then try to do all my support in that 24 hour window for those people I don't help often. Some days I'm frustrated enough that the $10 is cheap for my sanity. Kohai
AMMYY would be cool for you. it is free for personal use, and very simple to use. almost, open, and WORKS!
If you've set them up with a DD-WRT router with SSH turned on, I just open up Window's Remote Login service and SSL tunnel into their network. A cron service set to update FreeDNS takes care of them needing to look up IP addresses.
Even though you are asking for control of the other computer, it really helps to be able to see what the other user sees. Skype has really helped with that lately. Obviously this only works if their machine is a Mac or Windows OS, but that could be typical in your case. Hopefully they will extend that to the X windows someday.
Also, for mac to mac, iChat is fantastic with that. Much more usable than VNC.
As far as VNC, you don't have to have the other side open up ports and such if you do a reverse login via ssh or putty. Then VNC works for everything. Simple and useful.
Use NoMachine NX! It's better than any VNC server speedwise. Makes even painfully slow connections tolerable and tunnels over ssh. All that would be required is to set up an OpenSSH server for Linux and Mac and download the free edition. There's also a "truly" free open source edition but I hear it's not as stable/featurefull. The only "gripe" I have is that it installs its config files to /usr/NX/etc rather than /etc so keep that in mind.
As for a Windows system, it's probably similar to set up, but I don't know as I don't admin Win systems (Although I have used the NX Client on Win systems to log into Linux systems with no problems)
Just use sane/smart settings on your SSH server (No root logins, good long secure password) and this alone makes it much more secure than old VNC servers that sit on their own open port and have been found to have many vulnerabilities in the past (And currently).
It sets itself to start up automatically on boot, but for slow systems you can always start it up manually (Log in with SSH and sudo /etc/init.d/nxserver start or sudo service nxserver start)
Crossloop
simple, free, easy.
install the program on both machines, exchange access number and connect. it's that easy
-tasiv
ask them to download www.showmypc.com
It's a nice little free tool we've been using.
>>buy a mac, which basically "just works"
Major Snow Leopard Bug Said To Delete User Data
Snow Leopard Missed a Security Opportunity
The Story of a Simple and Dangerous OS X Kernel Bug
Apple Issues Firmware Upgrade For MacBook Pro
And many more examples of how it "just works".
Stop sucking. Steve Job's dick, that is.
That's a really great idea. Would you mind sharing your skills at setting up the custom MSI? I have been doing Linux stuff for so long I have a hard time dealing with Windows stuff. I could probably figure it out but it would be great to have an easy to build MSI image.
Teamviewer is free for personal use. Easy to install and use. http://www.teamviewer.com/
O this learning! What a thing it is - William Shakespeare
try showmypc.com it's free and based on vnc with a ssh server....
Hmm, the solution is called Reverse VNC. Here you go: http://www.vncscan.com/vs/oneclickVNC.htm
Excuse me, but please get off my Pennisetum Clandestinum, eh!
Besides Remote Desktop and Remote Assistance, which might require port forwarding (at least for RD, I'm pretty sure RA works just fine without it), Live Mesh works great and has no issues with firewalls, NAT etc assuming you can get them to install it and send you a username/password combo.
Teamviewer is free for personal use. It's based on VNC and does not require any fiddling with ports.
http://www.teamviewer.com
Check out Teamviewer. http://teamviewer.com/index.aspx
Free, great program!
Mikogo. I've been using it for months now at home and occasionally at work. Early versions lacked some features such as being able to launch a remote control session from your PC to a remote host, but these have long since been addressed by the developers. I found it works fine through routers and firewalls and over VPN. Accounts are free for personal use. It's very easy to set up and use.
Copilot -- www.copilot.com -- by Joel Spolsky's Fog Creek Software is inexpensive and works from anywhere, even through firewalls...
Just use RealVnc (Windows) available from: http://www.realvnc.com/products/free/4.1/download.html you can skip the form and just click the proceed to download button.
Make sure you have port 5500 open and have them click start / all programs / Real VNC / User Mode / Run VNC Server which will start the server and put an icon in the taskbar.
Right click, select add client and type in your external IP.
Done deal. Reverse VNC works great with xtightvncviewer. I usually use this command: xtightvncviewer -listen -quality 1 -bgr233
That turns the quality way down to make things faster.
The only thing to watch out for is the fact then when installing RealVNC, by default it wants to register itself as a service and start the server in service mode. It also want to put the viewer icon on the desktop which is not the icon they need to click.
Just tell them when installing to uncheck anything that says service (2 options as stated above) and uncheck put icon on desktop.
Another option free option if they are on Windows or Mac is DimDim. Unfortunately DimDim will not share a linux desktop, but it works pretty good for windows and mac and has voice / video chat built in.
We support around 1500 remote clients using a mix of Hamachi + VNC or Teamviewer Logmein remote support isnt too bad, but rather limited. I prefer Logmein Hamachi. Its a zero config VPN util. Once the client is installed on both computers you can VNC, browse, RDP or anything else you would do on a LAN.
I use UltraVNC - they have a little util (UltraVNC SC) that compiles UltraVNC into a standalone exe that people can run and it automatically connects back to you (even using a chosen set of encryption plugins etc. if necessary) at YOUR IP, so they just double-click an EXE and you deal with opening ports and running any VNC listen server on your end.
I keep a copy on my website and then if people need it, I just point them to a very simple URL and while they are downloading / double-clicking it, I run my script that opens the relevant port and starts the VNC listen server. Been using that for about 5-6 years, I think. Never had a problem.
I send 'em a batch file which gets VNC to dial back to my machine (where the router is configured properly).
No sig today...
For people who don't have the ports open, you can use reverse-VNC connections (so you activate port-forwarding on YOUR side and launch your VNC client in listening mode)
:-) )
for people with linux I use x11vnc --localhost (not XVNC, because I can't login to their accounts whithout them logging out, which is to much to ask for, for some people) over ssh tunnels (with public key encryption) to make the connection secure...
for people with windows... well... they have to live with unsecure connections (they activate the server only when needed - the linux people's machines are set up so that i can activate the server through ssh and they don't have to do anything...)
oh and I set up their routers to forward port 5901 to their port 5900 (so they're not found by IP-scans on port 5900) and to publish their IP via dyndns (so they don't have to find out their IP manually, luckily recent versions of the fritzbox firmware support dyndns
it works quite well, I might add...
The MAFIAA is a bunch of mindless jerks who will be the first up against the wall when the revolution comes
Ok, so everyone hates Microsoft. Get over it.
SharedView and Live Mesh are two kick-ass free services from Microsoft with somewhat different feature sets but both useful for what's being requested here.
SharedView may be one of the most under-advertised products Microsoft has ever released. It's been around for a couple years and is basically a stripped-down version of Live Meeting. A presenter can share his desktop with up to 15 people, give control to attendees, etc. Files of up to 100MB can be transferred through the service.
Live Mesh is a newer offering (in Beta) which allows online storage and synchronization of up to 5GB. Several devices can be added to one's mesh, and specified folders will automatically sync between devices and the online storage (similar to Groove and Sharepoint). Unlike Groove, Mesh also supports connecting to the desktop of other systems which are part of the Mesh. The client install is pretty straight forward and simple, to where most average users could figure it out no problem.
The only downside to these products is they don't work with Linux. There is a Mac OS X client for Live Mesh, though I've never used it. There's a Java console for Live Meeting, but sadly it doesn't appear to be available with SharedView.
I use www.teamviewer.com. It's simple, straightforward, secure, automatically sets itself up to route through firewalls (so far in my experience), and it's FREE for personal use.
And exactly how does the remote assistance allow function through http?
My mom is behind NAT and I'm behind a http proxy. Windows remote assistance won't work if one of us isn't exposed to the internet, let alone with both of us behind barriers.
Neither of us have an address to connect to -- though we could both connect through an http tunnel -- as I have with support personnel at large companies who are used to dealing with customers behind firewalls.
-l
@ajiiisows,
That's me too. I have two friends and we are constantly trading services. it's great. good ole fashioned cashless bartering system.
-- To remember? Or not remember? That is the...wait....what was the question again?
I'm so disappointed that here on slashdot nobody suggests ssh...
Normally I use Windows Remote Assistance. Get them to go to Start->Help and Support.
Last I knew, CoPilot was free on weekends too, which should make it a good option for helping family and friends.
It's a RAT that connects to you.
Logmein.com Got it?
I would avoid it purely on the grounds that they use underhand tactics to advertise their product.
This is all so needlessly complex - Microsoft Free "Shared View", 3.5MB on both machines. You just both need MSN Passport IDs - 5 min to set up.
Works perfectly, gets thru most FWalls by itself.
Skyfex.com -- free to sign up as an "Expert" then have your family log in as a "Client" and send you the code. The only downfall is it only runs in IE using ActiveX the last time I looked into using it.
It could be that the only purpose of your life is to serve as a warning to others.
It's not all Unix-y and stuff but... Microsoft Sharedview is completely free and firewall and proxy agnostic.
Plus, if its for a friend, you get the added trust factor that you're not asking them to install a 3rd party utility...
I use OpenVPN plus SSH. Of course, I tell my family and friends not to bother me for help unless they're running Linux, so that simplifies my life (and theirs) tremendously.
How about DimDim? Featurelist:
* Audio, Video conferencing and chat
* Share screen / webpages
* Present Powerpoint and PDF
* Whiteboard and Annotations
* Recording functionality
* No install to host / join meetings (except if you share your screen as a host of course, but I think the installation works mostly from the browser, so it's easy)
* Free online service for personal use up to 20 users (if you don't want to install / run the server yourself)
You can even run your own server, and extend it yourself. It's open source: ;)
* Most functionality is available in the open source version!! Webex, go away
* VMWare image makes it easy to set up your own server quickly and painlessly, to check it out fast You don't need your own server though, that's more for hardcore users.
Friggin' amazing if you love Java (I don't, but if I'd like to setup a server myself I would gladly use it). I have given it a spin, and I believe the latest version should be pretty stable now.
http://www.dimdim.com/
http://www.debunkingskeptics.com/
it's called barter, an ancient system;-)
Comment removed based on user account deletion
Free and easy. Can't be beat. Very easy for non-techs to setup and use and works flawlessly. I have used it many, many times. http://www.crossloop.com/
It's bundled with almost every windows installation. You may need to walk them through enabling it. In vista and 7 there is actually "remote assistance" which can be used to dynamically open the router port for a certain amount of time, thus you can get in and do stuff and walk them through things. It even has a nice little chat window on the side so you can chat with them instead of talking if you prefer.
You don't mention mac or anything in your post, so if your non technical friends play into the statistics I'll bet they are using a MS product. Remote desktop/ assistance is the way to go for you.
Nobody has mentioned DimDim, which is another good option. They have both free and paid options. I don't work for DimDim, but I've used it a few times.
It works well and it's free.
I've been using AMMYY admin for some time now, and I am quite happy with it. ;)
All they have to do is download an exe file from www.ammyy.com click on "connect" and read you the ID number on the program window.
If you find a simpler program - please share it
Im using TeamViewer, very simple to use and no cost for non-commercial use (http://www.teamviewer.com/fr/index.aspx), enjoy
That's an easy one www.teamviewer.com is completely FREE for non-commercial uses. Just like what you describe.
You can email them the small client that doesn't need to be installed, just run.
They give you an ID# and password - you use these to connect either with their web based system or a local client. Which can be installed or just run.
It worked really well for me.
www.teamviewer.com
I also often repair remote computers. TightVNC Server has an option Add New Client. So, say your aunt wants you to connect to her pc: As long as You have ports open, She can type in your IP:Port in "add new client", and voila! You are connected. I also have dynDNS account forwarding myPC.selfip.com to myIP:myPort, So i can simply explain anyone to click add new client and type in my address. Simple as that Cheers
Are there anny Jabber based solutions availible ?
I use team viewer, www.teamviewer.com for most remote assistance things, it can be installed easily or you can select the option of just running it if you dont want the app left on the pc. It supports pc and mac, it has throwaway userid and password scheme so people dont worry about you getting in later. Its fast, its small....damn I sound like an ad. Best of all, its free for personal use! It also has the option of setting a static id and password if you want to get in to a machine over and over. It has also worked behind every firewall ive ever come across.
The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.
- Winston Churchill
One thing that I didn't see anyone mention that is the big winner for me:
It has both Windows AND Mac clients. Not only that, each system can provide support for the other. I have a Mac, but I am able to provide support to Windows users without any issue at all.
It's the fastest, easiest way to provide remote support, IMO.
I use the free Hamachi client along with UltraVNC (both running as services) on literally dozens of family members computers. I create different Hamachi networks based on what corner of the family I'm dealing with and can remote in anytime they need me to look at something. Saves a ton of effort. I used to use RDP and Crossloop but nothing has been easier for me than this combo. Sure it takes about 2d6+3 minutes to get set up initially but I let them know in advance that if I'm going to be working on their machine I'll need to have this stuff running. The only time its been an issue is when I don't have the machine in front of me to work on. In which case I will generally use the my companies LogMeIn account for a few minutes to set this stuff up and be on my merry way...
YMMV of course...=)
The original poster hit the nail right on the head: the biggest problem with VNC is NATting routers--it's practically impossible to get a n00b to successfully configure a router to allow VNC.
Gbridge (http://www.gbridge.com) is a free app that builds a VPN on top of the Google Talk network. All both parties need is Gbridge and a Gmail account. It supports all kinds of neat things like file transfers and such, and has a version of UltraVNC built in. It's got full access control, too. Very simple, yet very, very powerful.
It takes about two seconds for any novice to install. Three clicks and it's in. I've been using it for about six months, and I've been very impressed.
Have any of you tried crossloop? It is free for personal use and works rather well. In addition to VNC is also support file sharing.
TeamViewer works great for me :)
When random friend complains to me that his pc isn't working as it should, my standard answer is "I've told you this before: I'll happily fix it for you, but when I'm done it's gonna be running LInux."
:-)
Some refuse, some accept and tend to be happily surprised at the result. The ones that take the conversion, I also ask if they want me to set it up so I can get remote access should they need me to do something. I then set up their firewall for SSH (pubkey-only), and add them to my DynDNS.
The only recent call for help I've had, turned out to be a failing harddisk. My friend almost begged me to install Linux on the new disk as soon as possible, as he was very reluctant to use the other PC they have that has windows
What a depressingly stupid machine.
I actually just released a very early beta of my remote pc viewing application. Here it is : http://vizure.net/products/60-remote-php
I basically had the same issue as you. I needed to remotely help family members but typical software wouldn't work for various reasons (campus firewalls, work place firewalls). So I created this and just put out a beta last week. To control a system, you simply put some html on your web server that supports php. Then tell the user to download the executable, install, and hit the big Remote URL button. Then have them enter the http directory you created. Hopefully you can walk them through that (I know how painful it can be).
This approach should work through pretty much any computer that can access the web, is completely free and you can check out the php yourself to see that there are no gotchas. It basically uses the web server as a proxy server and as an added benefit requires no client viewer, just use your web browser. It's an extremely early beta. I tested a couple of ideas for about a week and that was one that panned out pretty good. I can control as all my desktops remotely from any browser, and through my Palm Pre. Just gotta work on copy/paste support, adding an interface and performance optimizations.
I concur with the other thumbs up here!
+1 for Teamviewer. Perfect for "granny support." All apps involved are portable too.
"When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
SharedView is a great product. It can navigate through firewalls, and it allows screen / app sharing. It's free, but of course you will need an MS Live ID. But your friend/relative already uses MSN Messenger anyway, right?
LIVE Messenger (previously MSN Messenger) is my solution. Most family members are running Windows. MSN/Live Messenger has a "Remote Assistance" feature. It allows chat while you view their desktop. You have a "take control" option. It's easy to get. It's free.
I've been using it as my solution for about 6 or 7 years now.
CrossLoop is based on well-known VNC remote access, but it can also navigate through firewalls and NAS routers. It has some latency, so you need patience when navigating through menus and screen refreshes, but it's the only product I've found that works simply and reliably.
Back in 2004 I installed GoToMyPC - at the time I was also using Zone Alarm Pro for my first time, and had actually taken the time out to configure their in-depth identity protections where things like the family SSN's, CC #'s and so forth were detected and blocked when they appeared in clear outbound packets.
Anyway, I did my field work, and it worked out just fine - I was able to reach my desk okay and such - not as snappy as some other options I've explored, but it worked. 3 weeks later, I was ready to review whether or not I wanted to continue the service, and something made me look deep into my Zone Alarm logs - and what I found was quite surprising. The ZA privacy protection had flagged 7 items - four containing my SSN, three with my wife's SSN, all blocked, all going outbound to the same network as my GoToMyPC client.
My first thought was - where is my and my wife's SSN stored on my PC?? After some digging, I discovered that Expedia wasn't particularly secure with their cookies - and our SSN's had been in there since we had both flown in the preceeding 6 months.
I was livid, I called them and asked why they felt they had the right to pilfer my cookies just because I'm paying for their software. Their rep was either clueless or well training to act it - nonetheless, I cancelled the service immediately and requested my money back for their trangressions - the rep said he had no idea what I was talking about, but they refunded my money anyway. This is the first I've written publicly about this experience, but I thought I should share it finally.
I'm certain that Expedia encrpyts their cookies by now - but there's no way that I will trust GoToMyPC ever again - as now they've probably figured out how to encrpyt their outbound traffic and make sure that nobody like me could stumble upon their nasty little secret.
This weekend I was helping my dad out with some trouble on his computer and needed to see his machine. A quick google search turned up yuuguu. They have a screen sharing portion of the software that allows for remote control similar to VNC. They get around the port opening by have each party create an account and then connecting to them in a way that is not unlike instant messaging. It is a full feature application (instant messaging, screen sharing, and conferencing) and its cross platform friendly so I could use my Mac and he could use his Windows Vista. The application is free (as in cost) that they offer to the small time user in the hopes that it will lead to larger accounts in the future when people get hooked on it functionality and what to use it on a larger scale.
For my remote support needs with the family, it works great. I'm going to use it again for all my family's support needs. Way better than... "Ok now what do you see on the screen..."
Google for "free MSI packager".
Pick one you like, and go to it.
I use this one:
http://www.scalable.com/softwaredownload/ledownload
It's got some idiosyncracies, but I'm used to it.
Basically, you do a "before" snapshot, install the VNC server, set your password and anything else you want to configure, then do the "after" snapshot.
It pretty much just runs a diff on the filesystem and registry, and puts the diff file into an .msi.
There are a few things you'll need to take out, that are false positives, but it does a pretty good job of filtering things like clock changes and other mundane stuff by itself.
Find the contact page on the link in my sig and drop me an email if you want any more help.
"City hall" in German is "Rathaus" Kinda explains a few things......
http://showmypc.com/
Works well, free, uses ssh and VNC and one time hashes that you'll exchange over the phone. Really quite easy to use, and IIRC its a standalone app that doesn't actually install anything so once you're done there's no port listening afterward to allow anyone an easy attack vector.
blah blah blah I am not affiliated with showmypc blah blah blah
My Sig Sucks
Live Mesh from Microsoft is a great tool that I currently use to help maintain friends and family. No firewall exceptions or fancy configuration needed. www.mesh.com and give them your log in info. Ta-da!
Did anyone say NoMachine NX? How could we forget this one! They offer NX Free Edition and it is one of the best remote access technologies out there. NX provides desktop sharing and session shadowing that would be very helpful in situations like this, and not to mention it is very easy to set up and use no matter what platform or network you are using. Check it out at nomachine.com!
Check out Yugma. It works on any platform since it's Java based and is just as easy to use as WebEx or GoToMeeting. The free edition works for up to 20 participants and they have the ability to work with Skype too! Nothing needs to be installed, no ports need to be opened. Runs anywhere and just works.
Echoware Echoserver. Excellent product.
Haven't experienced the getting kicked off at UAC prompts, in my experience you just don't get any screen updates until the user clicks them.
it's worked out nicely for me, it was usable by some very clueless people
I use Acrobat.com with my clients--would work great for this too. Gives you bi-directional webcam, shared notes, text chat, multiple participants, etc. You can share your screen, or they can share theirs, and you can request to take control. Pretty handy.
The most obvious answer for all you dawks out there is NoMachine's NX. You can't get more simple that that. And it's free. I can't believe you nerds are still proposing VNC and other crap open tools, or continue to refuse to mention "the company that cannot be named". What is it with you lot? We're hardly in Harry Potter, are we??
Get real!
I have used copilot.com on several occasions and while not free, at $5 per usage for a 24 hour period it's very reasonable. They even do some free periods for Mothers/Fathers day. Oh and it's dead simple to use with great online instructions.
I've used UltraVNC SingleClick also, it works well. The server is run on your machine and they connect to you with a "single click", so you open your ports rather than having to tell them how to open theirs.
A concise list is available here: http://www.linuxlinks.com/article/20090529205342507/RemoteDisplay.html Remote Desktop Grdc GTK+/Gnome Remote Desktop Client TightVNC GTK2 frontend for rdesktop and other remote desktop tools rdesktop Client for Windows Terminal Services RealVNC Client/server allowing remote network access to graphical desktops Vinagre VNC client for the Gnome Desktop LTSP Linux Terminal Server Project adds thin-client support to Linux servers x2go Fast terminal server suite based on NoMachine's NX libraries NX Free Edition Terminal Server and Remote Access solution FreeNX Implementation of the NX Server and NX Client Components Other OpenSSH Encrypted communication sessions using the ssh protocol Add to that Neatx. What's that...?
CROSSLOOP is by far the best free app for this. No configuration, no hassle, Ive used it for years with my mom who still thinks that her computer is an "electronic typewriter"
How is it that nobody here has yet mentioned Fog Creek Copilot?
https://www.copilot.com/
It sounds like exactly what the op is looking for. They even have free day-passes every weekend.
Derek Lewis
(remove the spam-free to email me)