Hands-On Tech Support from Afar

If your nonprofit operates from more than one office but doesn't have IT personnel at each location, solving technical problems can be frustrating and expensive. Attempting to diagnose problems by phone or email can be time-consuming, while paying for your IT person to travel to another location — or hiring a consultant locally — may prove costly and unnecessary.

What, then, if you could provide staff members with hands-on technical support from a distance, allowing IT staff and others to diagnose far-away technology problems from their own computers? Remote-access software allow you to do just that; and not only across distances, but across platforms as well.

Below, we'll show you how remote-access software works, which programs you can use to access computers across platforms, and what features to look for in a remote-access application. Be sure, too, to take a look at our Multiplatform Remote-Access Software Comparison Chart, which you can download at the end of the article.

Remote-Access Software Extends Your IT's Reach

Remote-access software — applications that allow one computer to control another virtually — can help bridge distances by giving you direct access to your nonprofit's machines, whether they are located in another city, or even a different country.

With remote-access software, you can perform tasks like installing or uninstalling applications, adjusting system settings, or removing destructive viruses. Many remote-access programs allow you to control both computers on your network and any machine that has an IP address that is connected to the Internet.

There are many remote-access programs on the market, including Microsoft's Remote Desktop, a utility that's built into the Windows XP Professional and Vista operating systems (OS), which are available at a discount on TechSoup Stock. Other services, such as the Web-based LogMeIn, offer remote-access functionality without requiring you to install any software on your own computer or on the machines you wish to service.

Yet because the majority of remote-access solutions only work across a single platform (Windows OS) nonprofits with a hodge-podge of donated computers running other OSs — such as Mac and Linux — are left with significantly fewer options. Fortunately, there are a number of multiplatform remote-access programs on the market. To help you decide which is most suitable for you, we've compared some features offered by four multiplatform remote-access programs. Be sure to check the Multiplatform Remote-Access Software Comparison Chart for a more detailed comparison of the features of each application.

Note: While these applications' user manuals use various terms to refer to the control computer and the remote machines, this article refers to them as "administrator" and "user" respectively.

Multiplatform Remote-Access Programs: A Comparison

Below, you'll find an overview of four multiplatform remote-access programs. Be aware that while some of these applications require you to install different components on both user and administrator machines, others allow you to install a single component every computer. Note, too, that we've listed pricing for 10 licenses, but all of these products are available in larger and smaller packages.

Danware NetOP Remote Control

NetOP Remote Control has separate installation packages for administrators and users, so you’ll need to ensure that you install the correct application on the computers you wish to access remotely. Both the administrator and user interfaces can be password-protected to prevent unauthorized access.

• Pricing (for 10 licenses): $780
• OSs supported (administrator): Windows 95/98/NT/ME/2000/XP/Server 2003; Novell Desktop Linux 9.0, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4.0; SuSE Linux 9.1, 9.2, 10.0, Fedora Core IV, Debian Linux 10.3; Solaris.
• OS supported (user): Windows 95/98/NT/ME/2000/XP/Server 2003; Mac OS X; Novell Desktop Linux 9.0, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4.0; SuSE Linux 9.1, 9.2, 10.0, Fedora Core IV, Debian Linux 10.3; Solaris.
• Download Danware NetOp Remote Control free 60-day trial version.

NetSupport Manager

To use NetSupport Manager, you’ll have to install separate components on both the user and administrator systems, both of which feature different interfaces. Each NetSupport Manager host can be password-protected to keep intruders from gaining entry.

• Pricing (for 10 licenses): $840
• OSs supported (administrator): Windows 95/98/NT/ME/2000/XP/Server 2003/Vista.
• OS supported (user): Windows 95/98/NT/ME/2000/XP/Server 2003/Vista; Mac OS X; Linux Red Hat, SuSE Linux, Fedora Linux; Solaris.
• Download NetSupport Manager free 30-day trial version.

RealVNC Enterprise Edition

While a number of free and open-source Virtual Network Computing (VNC) applications — such as TightVNC — allow remote access to computers running different OSs, RealVNC is the only one that’s offers dedicated tech support. Though both administrator and end-user modules are available in one installation package, the remote user will need to run RealVNC Server on their machine while the administrator runs RealVNC Viewer. The RealVNC Server can be password-protected so that unauthorized individuals cannot access a user machine.

Note that RealVNC also offers a Free Edition of its product, though its feature set is limited. To see how RealVNC Free Edition's feature set compares to RealVNC Enterprise Edition's feature set, check out this chart.

• Pricing (for 10 licenses): $390
• OSs supported (administrator): Windows 95/98/NT/ME/2000/XP/Server 2003/Vista; Mac OS X 10.3 and later; Linux (all distributions); Solaris.
• OS supported (user): Windows 95/98/NT/ME/2000/XP/Server 2003/Vista; Mac OS X 10.3 and later; Linux (all distributions); Solaris.
• Download RealVNC Enterprise free 30-day trial version.

Symantec PCAnywhere

Symantec PCAnywhere's installation package is the same for both administrators and users and therefore features an identical interface. PCAnywhere offers several methods of restricting access to remote systems, including one that requires a username and password to gain entry.

• Pricing (for 10 licenses): $1,290 retail; also available to qualifying nonprofits for a $160 administration fee from TechSoup Stock
• OSs supported (administrator): Windows 98/NT/ME/2000/XP/Server 2003/; Mac OS X 10.3 and later; Linux Red Hat 9, Novel Linux Desktop 9, SuSE Linux 9.3/10.
• OS supported (user): Windows 98/NT/ME/2000/XP/Server 2003/; Mac OS X 10.3 and later; Linux Red Hat 9, Novel Linux Desktop 9, SuSE Linux 9.3/10.
• Download the beta version of Symantec PCAnywhere.
  

Remote-Access Software: Important Features to Consider

Though all remote-access programs serve the same main purpose, applications vary in terms of the additional features they include. Whether you're looking for remote-access software that works across many platforms or across a single platform, this section will help you identify some important features to consider when examining your options and will show you how the four multiplatform programs listed above stack up.

File Transfers

During a remote technical-support session, you may find it useful to provide users with written documentation about new software patches you've installed or system changes you've made. To save you the trouble of emailing documents and files to users, all four of the multiplatform remote-access programs we examined include a feature that lets you transfer files from directly within the interface.

NetOp Remote Control, Net Support Manager, and PCAnywhere both provide a two-pane file transfer interface, allowing you to drag and drop files from your machine to the remote computer. To transfer documents using RealVNC, you simply copy and paste a file the way you would in a Windows OS.

Encryption

When you use remote-access software to connect to a distant computer via its IP address, you are essentially using the Internet to create a connection between the two machines. Since this connection can expose the data you’re transferring to hackers and other snoopers, remote-access applications commonly employ one or more different encryption systems to scramble the information so that others cannot read it.

The majority of remote-access applications use symmetric encryption algorithms, which employ a random series of numbers to obscure data. Encryption algorithms with higher numbers, or bits, are harder for hackers to crack than those with smaller numbers, but take longer to transmit the data. So while a 56-bit encryption algorithm would scramble information quicker than a 128-bit algorithm, it would not be as secure.

Asymmetric encryption — also referred to as public key infrastructure (PKI) — uses two long strings of numbers (keys) to encode and decode data. Since you usually must purchase a digital certificate in order to receive your own unique key, asymmetric is a more secure but expensive system than symmetric encryption. For more information on PKI and digital certificates, read TechSoup's article Reduce Paper Hassles with Electronic Consent.

RealVNC doesn't allow users to choose from different encryption systems and scrambles all data using a 128-bit symmetric algorithm. NetSupport Manager lets you choose from four different symmetric encryption algorithms, ranging from 40-bit strength to a stronger 256-bit strength.

NetOp, on the other hand, provides seven preset choices that secure different aspects of a remote session with different levels of symmetric encryption. For example, NetOp's High preset scrambles keystrokes, mouse movements, and login information with 256-bit encryption but masks other data using 128-bit encryption.

Finally, PCAnywhere provides three levels of symmetric encryption — 40-bit, 128-bit, and 256-bit — but also gives you the option to use asymmetric encryption if you have your own digital certificate.

Chat

Once you've assumed control of a remote user's machine, that user will not be able to access her email or instant-messaging (IM) client until after the remote-access session has been terminated. If you suspect that you'll want to communicate with users while you troubleshoot problems or repair their systems, you may want to consider a remote-access program with a built-in chat client.

Of the four multiplatform remote-access solutions we surveyed, only RealVNC lacks an integrated chat client. PCAnywhere offer a text-based chat client similar to many IM applications, while NetSupport Manager also offers audio chat and a whiteboard feature. NetOp Remote Control offers the most chat options, with tools for communicating via text, audio, and video. Note that if you plan to use audio or video chat features, you'll need to purchase a microphone or a Webcam respectively.

Remote Deployment

Whether your nonprofit's computers share the same local network or are separated by many miles, physically installing remote-access software on every machine you wish to service may be a time-consuming — or even impossible — task. To help streamline the installation process, the four applications surveyed in this article allow administrators to deploy the program installer to multiple remote computers at once, either over the local network or the Internet. However, since these programs can only deploy installers to computers running Windows operating systems, you may need to email the installation file to Mac and Linux users or find another workaround solution.

Real VNC, NetOp Remote Control, and NetSupport Manager allow you to deploy the user client to machines running Windows NT, 2000, and XP OSs. It's worth noting that Real VNC also supports deployment to machines running Windows Server 2003, though you will need to download and install the separate VNC Deployment Tool in order to perform remote installations on any supported OSs.

PCAnywhere includes featured called Symantec Packager and Symantec Web Deploy; the former allows you to perform automatic installations over your network, while the latter lets you send installation packages to remote users via the Internet.

Remote-Access Session Recording

At times, you may wish to take control of a user’s computer in order to show him how to use a new piece of software or change an important system setting. In such cases, it can be helpful to be able to record the remote session so that users can access the information in the future without having to request help from your IT staff.

While Real VNC lacks a recording feature, the three other programs can capture remote sessions as video files. NetSupport Manager allows administrators to record remote sessions (including audio chat), and includes a feature for sharing these clips with remote users. Both NetOp and PC Anywhere, on the other hand, allow both remote users and administrators to record and play back videos of sessions.

Remote-User Help Requests

While remote-access solutions allow your IT staff to fix issues that you're already aware of, new problems may appear at any moment. To help keep you informed of technical issues as they happen, some remote-access programs include a feature that allows users to report problems and request help from an administrator.

Though RealVNC does not provide a help-request feature, both NetSupport Manager and NetOp allow users to contact administrators simply by clicking an icon on the interface and typing a description of the problem. Though PCAnywhere does not offer users the ability to file help tickets with descriptions of the difficulties they're having, it will allow them to initiate the tech-support process by calling out to the administrator's computer.

Technical Support

Even the most experienced IT staffers occasionally encounter a software glitch or problem that they've never before run across. To help their users work around common issues, the remote-access vendors addressed in this article provide various free resources — such as forums, FAQs, and product documentation — on their official sites.

However, there's always the chance that you may run into a unique or more difficult problem and will need to contact the software manufacturer in order to resolve it. Therefore, it's important to consider what kind of official tech-support options a vendor provides, how long the company takes to address issues, and how much extra money that phone call might cost.

RealVNC only provides support via email, which is free to registered users of the product. The company's site states that its representatives will attempt to answer all questions within one business day.

Danware offers free support via text chat, email, and telephone for its NetOp product. Depending on the severity of your problem, it may take Danware anywhere from two hours to one business day to address your NetOp issue; the company details its support policy on its Web site. Note, however, that the tech-support number listed on Danware's site is located in Denmark.

NetSupport also provides free support via text chat, email, and telephone, but the company's site does not provide details on estimated tech-support response times.

Finally, Symantec provides free text chat and email support for PCAnywhere; if you choose the former option, you may wait up to 15 minutes to speak to a representative, while the latter may take up to 48 hours. However, if you need to talk to a tech-support representative over the phone, you'll be charged $9.95 per incident.

Now that you've learned about some of the important features in remote-access programs, be sure to check our Multiplatform Remote-Access Software Comparison Chart, which provides an easy way to see program features listed side by side.