Remote support

[enjay]

We currently use Remote Control Viewer (part of SCCM/Endpoint Manager) internally, with TeamViewer for offsite staff but it seems very expensive. What are others using for ad-hoc support of staff laptops which are offsite? We would need to be able to access UAC prompts on the remote computers.

[speakercon]

We use Senso.

[drutt]

We used to use AnyDesk but the constant disconnects mid session got tiring and have since moved to Supremo, no problems since

[Steve21]

How many Techs/Staff/Devices etc are you covering?

 

We still use TV for external support and generally find it works out cheaper with their educational discount compared to other systems (unless you have something like Impero/Senso that includes remote control via cloud?)

 

Steve

[mrbios]

Currently use Senso. Looking at moving to NetSupport Classroom.cloud though. We use it as both an onsite/offsite tech remote contol, as well as teachers using it for safeguarding, classroom management etc.

[enjay]

How many Techs/Staff/Devices etc are you covering?

 

3 IT staff connecting to theoretically any of ~200 staff laptops, but in reality I'm mostly concerned about our ability to support ~5 staff members who have work-from-home arrangements.

[CHiLL]

We already had Impero to remote and monitor all computers and laptops on-site and found that it also worked when we implemented our VPN. When users are connected remotely via the VPN, we can see and control their machines. We also have Meraki's free MDM, which includes a basic remote control client and use it as a fallback if Impero isn't working.

 

As for UAC prompts, standard remote control via Impero won't show the prompts - but if you switch to Share Control, you will see them.

Edited February 7, 2024 by CHiLL

[enjay]

We already had Impero to remote and monitor all computers and laptops on-site and found that it also worked when we implemented our VPN.

 

Interesting. I wonder if NetSupport School also works over the VPN, as our WFH staff all have VPN...

[enjay]

We still use TV for external support and generally find it works out cheaper with their educational discount compared to other systems

 

Supremo which someone mentioned is €178 per year, that's per person so I'd need 3 licences (or install it once on a server or our shared diagnostics laptop...) which would be €533/£450, compared to £800+ for TeamViewer.

Edited February 7, 2024 by enjay

[DalekSec]

Quick Assist, free and built into Windows

[Olliedawg]

We use Senso cloud - works well enough for the times i've needed to provide remote support. We don't have any staff who WFH however. If this was the case I would probably invest in something a bit better, as senso remote control has its moments sometimes

[TechMonkey]

ConnectWise ScreenConnect.

[enjay]

Quick Assist, free and built into Windows

 

LA used when they supported our SIMS, and we couldn't get it working so I'd sort of forgotten about it! Worth picking up again though.

[Olliedawg]

Quick Assist, free and built into Windows

 

Is there a way to see UAC prompts with Quick Assist?

 

I can remember using this a while back before we had Senso & we couldn't see the prompts

[DalekSec]

Is there a way to see UAC prompts with Quick Assist?

 

I can remember using this a while back before we had Senso & we couldn't see the prompts

 

Yes, you have to push out a config change:

 

For traditional GPO it's Security Settings | Local Policies | Security Options | User Account Control | Switch to the secure desktop when prompting for elevation to Disabled

 

For Intune it's: Configuration Policy | Endpoint Protection | Local device security options | User account control. | Route elevation prompts to user’s interactive desktop to Enabled.

[enjay]

For traditional GPO it's Security Settings | Local Policies | Security Options | User Account Control | Switch to the secure desktop when prompting for elevation to Disabled

 

That still requires admin creds though, right? I don't want to replace UAC with a "yes/no" box, as that would be too easy to click "yes" to.

[DalekSec]

That still requires admin creds though, right? I don't want to replace UAC with a "yes/no" box, as that would be too easy to click "yes" to.

 

Still get prompted for admin login details, not a yes/no just stops screen from going black when it pops up.

[enjay]

Still get prompted for admin login details, not a yes/no just stops screen from going black when it pops up.

 

Well, that's probably worth enabling regardless of what I use for remote control!

[Olliedawg]

You only get a yes/no when you have admin rights, im sure. Thanks for that Dalek will have to try it

[mavhc]

Yep. You can also use Teams screenshare, but it can't do UAC, so I use cmd runas

 

There's also chrome remote desktop and https://rustdesk.com/index.html which you can self host for free

[sigma]

We already had Impero to remote and monitor all computers and laptops on-site and found that it also worked when we implemented our VPN. When users are connected remotely via the VPN, we can see and control their machines. We also have Meraki's free MDM, which includes a basic remote control client and use it as a fallback if Impero isn't working.

 

As for UAC prompts, standard remote control via Impero won't show the prompts - but if you switch to Share Control, you will see them.

 

Yes, it works that way for us.

[enjay]

Yep. You can also use Teams screenshare, but it can't do UAC, so I use cmd runas

 

There's also chrome remote desktop and https://rustdesk.com/index.html which you can self host for free

 

We need UAC, cmd runas doesn't work if running self-extracting installers as they extract the user profile and the administrator user can't see them.

[Cat_Jam148]

We use Classroom Cloud here. Works well enough - got a few quirks, but is updated with new features fairly often.

[mavhc]

We need UAC, cmd runas doesn't work if running self-extracting installers as they extract the user profile and the administrator user can't see them.

 

I mean I use runas cmd to elevate myself and then run a cmd window, and then go from there

[Mattjones47]

Interesting. I wonder if NetSupport School also works over the VPN, as our WFH staff all have VPN...

 

 

(For disclosure I work for NetSupport)

 

NetSupport School works fine over a VPN