As the designated family geek, friends and family call me all the time to troubleshoot their computers. Sound familiar? If so, you probably have dealt already with the problem of trying to connect to the other’s party computer, transfer files, etc.
In my “arsenal” I always keep this three tools, I am sure there are some more out there. If you think they are better ones, by all means please let me know and I will update the entry.
TeamViewer
This is my favorite tool by far. It is free for non commercial use. It is fast and reliable. This software will blow you away, it offers the fastest tcp/ip transfers while working remotely. The screen refresh speeds are jaw dropping… it is amazing how well this thing actually works. Great to use when one of the parties is behind a firewall. It also has an add-on called ‘TeamViewer Manager’ which allows you to define multiple groups and multiple clients per group.
Awesome speed
click here to visit vendor
Zolved
This is a pretty good package. It is free and offers File transfer capabilities. The screen refresh could be improve but overall it is decent. Great to use when one of the parties is behind a firewall or dealing with a novice user who needs help.
TightVNC
If you are not behind a firewall and can “see” the other party (direct connection via a private network or over the Internet), this program is good. It is somewhat basic, but it does the job. Did I mentioned it is free?
Tags: remote desktop, remote help, tcp/ip, Teamviewer, tightvnc, vnc, zolved
I noticed you didn’t mention any business-friendly services. I know you were talking about friends and family, but this also might apply to them. What if that friend wanted to transfer bank account numbers or other sensitive information? For my money (and yes it costs money) I prefer proxy networks out of all of the remote control software bundles out there. Take a look – they have a free trial.
sounds good
I hadn’t heard of zolved. Just checked it out, and I agree- I’m impressed by how a free tool can handle firewalls, but screen refresh could be improved. Can’t argue with the price though.