Remote management and control of systems has become an extremely common staple in any support environment, whether internal or external. There are few environments which run without heavy use of remote support – and why would they? A large office building with hundreds of computers means a lot of time spent walking to and from desks, tracking down users, and other wasted effort when you can simply give the machine a ping, hop right in and assume control!
Remoting also beautifully compliments phone-based support and management, providing a much easier method of working with co-workers or clients alike in order to more easily resolve issues and explain solutions or workflow. Most folks in the technical industry have had at least one experience of exasperatedly trying to explain some relatively straightforward task that someone just doesn’t seem to get – being able to show them first hand, via remote, streamlines the process and saves valuable time for everyone involved.
But not all remote software is created equal, of course! There’s a wide swathe of features and concerns to bear in mind when choosing remote software. For example, how about encryption? If you’re connecting and controlling a system wouldn’t you want some pretty solid security? And how about transferring files, in case you need to copy over a script or bat file for easy resolution?
Features like audio support can make it easier to know exactly what the other system is not just seeing but also hearing. Some remote software cannot handle rendered content such as 3D or processed video, and some don’t support IPv6 either!
When dealing with larger networks you may need a program which can handle NAT pass-through to avoid troubles establishing a remote session, and some remote software doesn’t even request access from the user and just takes control, which might upset some folks. Some specific environments even require Smart-card remote-authentication, such as for federal security protocol!
There’s a good number of things to consider and with that in mind we’ve compiled a table that puts two popular programs, Dameware and Teamviewer, side by side for a quick and easy comparison.
|
TeamViewer |
Dameware |
|
| Supported operating systems: |
Windows XP and above, Windows Server 2000, 2003, 2008, 2012, 2012R2, Home Server, Home Server 2011; Max OSX 10.7 and later, 10.6/10.5/10.4 with caveat; CentOS, Debian, Fedora, Mandriva, Mint, Red Hat, SUSE, and Ubuntu; Android 4.0 and later; iOS 5.0 and later for Meetings/QuickSupport, iOS 7.0 and later for remote control and SDK; Windows Phone 8 and later; Blackberry 10.3 and later; Chrome OS 38 and later |
Windows XP SP2 or above, Windows Server 2003, 2008, 2008R2, 2012, 2012R2, Exchange 2003 |
| Client/server listening: |
Client & Server |
Client & Server |
| Built-in encryption: |
AES-256 |
Flexible, RC4, 3DES, and AES-256 as well as smart-card support as well |
| Export network service: |
✗ |
✔ |
| Remote/Local file transfer: |
✔ |
✔ |
| Audio pass-through: |
✔ |
✗ |
| Dual-monitor support: |
✔ |
✔ |
| Remote assistance: |
✔ |
✔ |
| Requests permission to access: |
✔ |
Flexible |
| Remote admin support (logs, event viewer, task manager, etc.) |
✔ |
✔ |
| IPv6 support: |
✔ |
✔ |
| Drag and drop file transfer: |
✔ |
✔ |
| Session recording: |
✔ |
✔ |
| Screen lock: |
✔ |
✔ |
| USB forwarding: |
✔ |
✔ |
| Remote/Local printing: |
✔ |
✔ |
| Chat window: |
✔ |
✔ |
| Browser-based access: |
✔ |
Via webapp |
| Active Directory Integration: |
✔ |
✔ |
| Mobile App Administration: |
✔ |
✔ |
There are features beyond even the almost several dozen listed in the table above and all of them can be very important for your specific needs or environment. Both pieces of software are downright powerhouse options for remote software needs and its best you try both of them to see which one meets your needs.
Dameware works very well for corporate business environments as it integrates with Active directory seamlessly and has multiple options for Encryption protocols. Grab a Free Trial Download from Below and give it a test try today.
