On 4/26/2021 12:10 PM, between "J. P. Gilliver (John)":
> Looking at (free) alternatives to TeamViewer. So far have found Distant
> Desktop (10-11 MB, just runs), AnyDesk Free (~3.7 MB, runs), NoMachine
> (34 MB!, installs), and others.

I've settled with the free AnyDesk, myself. It only needs to be setup at the remote system once - preferably with a pw that you pre-configure - then you don't need the person at the remote end to participate.

> ..but helping a friend hundreds of miles away [with no VPN or similar].

I see that you've crossposted in win7, win10 and xp groups. AnyDesk ought to be pretty useful in all cases.

Alternately, you can use Window's built-in RemoteAssitance. It works in a pinch.

You can pre-create an invite, email it to your remote friend, and all they have to do is launch it. When they do that, your pc will get a pw prompt, which you complete with the pw that you pre-created, and then the person at the remote end just has to "allow" access.

This page explains the feature quite well, and the preliminary steps that may be required between participating pcs:

http://www.ctimls.com/Support/KB/How%20To/Use_Windows_Remote_Assistance.htm

Myself, I would just use the command-line method to generate an invite with an established password so that your friend on the remote end doesn't have to read the pw out to you.

On 5/9/2021 12:59 PM, null modem wrote:
> On 4/26/2021 12:10 PM, between "J. P. Gilliver (John)":
>> Looking at (free) alternatives to TeamViewer. So far have found Distant
>> Desktop (10-11 MB, just runs), AnyDesk Free (~3.7 MB, runs), NoMachine
>> (34 MB!, installs), and others.
>
> I've settled with the free AnyDesk, myself. It only needs to be setup at the remote system once - preferably with a pw that you pre-configure - then you don't need the person at the remote end to participate.
>
>> ..but helping a friend hundreds of miles away [with no VPN or similar].
>
> I see that you've crossposted in win7, win10 and xp groups. AnyDesk ought to be pretty useful in all cases.
>
> Alternately, you can use Window's built-in RemoteAssitance. It works in a pinch.
>
> You can pre-create an invite, email it to your remote friend, and all they have to do is launch it. When they do that, your pc will get a pw prompt, which you complete with the pw that you pre-created, and then the person at the remote end just has to "allow" access.
>
> This page explains the feature quite well, and the preliminary steps that may be required between participating pcs:
>
> http://www.ctimls.com/Support/KB/How%20To/Use_Windows_Remote_Assistance.htm
>
> Myself, I would just use the command-line method to generate an invite with an established password so that your friend on the remote end doesn't have to read the pw out to you.
>
another alternative is RealVNC

"null modem" <null@nospam.net> wrote in message
news:s794d8$g0q$1@dont-email.me...
> On 4/26/2021 12:10 PM, between "J. P. Gilliver (John)":
>> Looking at (free) alternatives to TeamViewer. So far have found Distant
>> Desktop (10-11 MB, just runs), AnyDesk Free (~3.7 MB, runs), NoMachine
>> (34 MB!, installs), and others.
>
> I've settled with the free AnyDesk, myself. It only needs to be setup at
> the remote system once - preferably with a pw that you pre-configure -
> then you don't need the person at the remote end to participate.
>
>> ..but helping a friend hundreds of miles away [with no VPN or similar].
>
> I see that you've crossposted in win7, win10 and xp groups. AnyDesk ought
> to be pretty useful in all cases.
>
> Alternately, you can use Window's built-in RemoteAssitance. It works in a
> pinch.
>
> You can pre-create an invite, email it to your remote friend, and all they
> have to do is launch it. When they do that, your pc will get a pw prompt,
> which you complete with the pw that you pre-created, and then the person
> at the remote end just has to "allow" access.
>
> This page explains the feature quite well, and the preliminary steps that
> may be required between participating pcs:
>
> http://www.ctimls.com/Support/KB/How%20To/Use_Windows_Remote_Assistance.htm
>
> Myself, I would just use the command-line method to generate an invite
> with an established password so that your friend on the remote end doesn't
> have to read the pw out to you.

I use Real VNC Viewer (on the remote client) and Real VNC Server (on the
computer that the remote client is to control). It has strengths and
weaknesses compared with Teamviewer:

Strengths

- no "commercial usage detected" false-positives (Teamviewer have got big
problems with connections wrongly being detected as commercial)

- no authorisation is needed at the server end, once you've defined the
"server" password; this can also be done in Teamviewer but it's always faff
trying to work out how to do it (the default is "ask for password every
time, and it may change periodically)

Weaknesses

- no remote sound (if you play something on the "server", the client doesn't
hear it)

- maximum of five computers per free VNC account - ie five computers that
can be controlled

Real VNC runs on most computers: I've installed the server on Windows (7 and
10) and Linux (Raspberry Pi), and the client on Windows (7/10) and Android.

I initially asked this out of idle curiosity (plus the desire not to be
reliant on a remote server). Since then, TeamViewer has played up, so
it's more immediately relevant.

On Sun, 9 May 2021 at 12:59:19, null modem <null@nospam.net> wrote (my
responses usually follow points raised):
>On 4/26/2021 12:10 PM, between "J. P. Gilliver (John)":
>> Looking at (free) alternatives to TeamViewer. So far have found Distant
>> Desktop (10-11 MB, just runs), AnyDesk Free (~3.7 MB, runs), NoMachine
>> (34 MB!, installs), and others.
>
>I've settled with the free AnyDesk, myself. It only needs to be setup
>at the remote system once - preferably with a pw that you pre-configure
>- then you don't need the person at the remote end to participate.

I tried Distant Desktop, as it seemed likely to be as simple as possible
for my remote user to use: just one window, with ID and password for her
to read out to me. Unfortunately it draws that window _not_ using
standard Windows calls, so she had to use her "JAWS cursor" to read
them. It then worked, but with a HUGE timelag - about 18 seconds for the
round trip (i. e. if I did something on my view of her desktop, it took
that long before I saw the result). Obviously that's not normal - nobody
would use it if it was! - so I'll give it another go.

AnyDesk is next on my list to try if TeamViewer and DD fail next time.
>
>> ..but helping a friend hundreds of miles away [with no VPN or similar].
>
>I see that you've crossposted in win7, win10 and xp groups. AnyDesk
>ought to be pretty useful in all cases.

I did that as I didn't think the answer was OS-specific. (As it happens,
both I and my friend are W7 HP - me 32-bit, she 64.)
>
>Alternately, you can use Window's built-in RemoteAssitance. It works in
>a pinch.
>
>You can pre-create an invite, email it to your remote friend, and all
>they have to do is launch it. When they do that, your pc will get a pw
>prompt, which you complete with the pw that you pre-created, and then
>the person at the remote end just has to "allow" access.

Presumably I have to be running something that's looking for that pw
prompt.
>
>This page explains the feature quite well, and the preliminary steps
>that may be required between participating pcs:
>
> http://www.ctimls.com/Support/KB/How%20To/Use_Windows_Remote_Assistance.htm
>
>Myself, I would just use the command-line method to generate an invite
>with an established password so that your friend on the remote end
>doesn't have to read the pw out to you.
>
Thanks - noted for future reference. (My friend finds command-line
difficult - I think her speech and/or Braille doesn't read it without
extra steps - but if I read what you're saying correctly, I think it's
only me that has to do CL.)
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

No sense being pessimistic. It wouldn't work anyway.
- Penny Mayes, UMRA, 2014-August

On Mon, 10 May 2021 at 12:16:01, NY <me@privacy.invalid> wrote (my
responses usually follow points raised):
[]
>I use Real VNC Viewer (on the remote client) and Real VNC Server (on
>the computer that the remote client is to control). It has strengths
>and weaknesses compared with Teamviewer:
>
>Strengths
>
>- no "commercial usage detected" false-positives (Teamviewer have got
>big problems with connections wrongly being detected as commercial)

(I imagine that's because of their [TV's] fee structure.)

I had such a claim from them a few years ago, and filled out the
relevant form, and they lifted the block; until they did, I _could_
still connect, but only for what felt like about a minute, if that.

This time didn't _feel_ like that (though they could have changed their
messages).

The previous time of using TeamViewer, neither of us terminated it at
the end of the session: this may have logged on their server as an
hours- (or even days-) long session.

Next time, I got a popup with two (apparently contradictory) messages; I
can't remember the exact words, but they were _something_ like

"connection to this person has exceeded the permitted limit"

and

"connection terminated by timeout. Connection to this person will be
allowed after 14:11".

Since this was at 14:10:xx, I waited until after 14:11, and tried again:
same result, other than it said "after 14:12". It kept doing that, even
if both of us completely closed TV and restarted it.

I _didn't_ get the one-minute (or whatever) connection I'd had
previously when they thought I was doing commercial; besides, that
didn't really gel with the second message. And there was no mention of
me using it commercially.

(I have sent them "Feedback", but no response yet, and it's been days
now.)
>
>- no authorisation is needed at the server end, once you've defined the
>"server" password; this can also be done in Teamviewer but it's always
>faff trying to work out how to do it (the default is "ask for password
>every time, and it may change periodically)
>
>
>Weaknesses
>
>- no remote sound (if you play something on the "server", the client
>doesn't hear it)

I could live with that (we normally have a phonecall live)
>
>- maximum of five computers per free VNC account - ie five computers
>that can be controlled
>
I don't think I have that many people I support (and presumably you can
open further accounts?)
>
>
>Real VNC runs on most computers: I've installed the server on Windows
>(7 and 10) and Linux (Raspberry Pi), and the client on Windows (7/10)
>and Android.
>
Useful.
>
>
3 --
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

No sense being pessimistic. It wouldn't work anyway.
- Penny Mayes, UMRA, 2014-August