Decision on Remote Support Tool- ScreenConnect
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Are the deployment tools that different from update tools?
The previously listed PDQ Deploy and Chocolately I see being near equally valuable for deployment as for updates.
And considering both @Ambarishrh and @scottalanmiller posts, updates are much more likely to be needed/used.
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Got some new info, the helpdesk ticketing solution in plan is from SolarWinds web help desk and it includes DameWare Remote Support. Haven't personally used this, but my thinking is if Dameware is available, should i still look at ScreenConnect?
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@ambarishrh Probably not.
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@ambarishrh not if the other solution does what you need.
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@ambarishrh said in Decision on Remote Support Tool- ScreenConnect:
ticketing solution in plan is from SolarWinds web help desk and it includes DameWare Remote Support.
That's your deal breaker
Now you have a two in one package. -
We use DameWare here and it works great. You should like it. Using PDQ for deployment also and we have been happy with it.
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We have a demo scheduled on wednesday which will cover dameware remote, based in that i should be able to decide
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I have used screenconnect for about 2 years. If you need to remote in via an Android device, make sure you test out their app. It leaves a lot to be desired. The mouse control sucked for the majority of my time using it, then several months ago, the mouse functionality just disappeared and didn't work at all. They finally "corrected" it last month(?) and now it just sucks again.
I used to use LMI and would constantly remote in to do maintenance from my phone. I dropped them because of their rising prices and security concerns. Now, with screenconnect, I don't even bother because the app is that frustrating.
This was on both a Samsung Galaxy Note 4 on KitKat and Marshmallow and my Samsung Galaxy S8+ on Nougat.
That being said, if you are just using a laptop or desktop, it is really nice. I am using the hosted version and only had one access issue in April when WebRoot went rogue and it affected their servers.
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@jmoore said in Decision on Remote Support Tool- ScreenConnect:
We use DameWare here and it works great. You should like it. Using PDQ for deployment also and we have been happy with it.
For internal clients, I use dameware remote. I have had it since version 8 or 9 (12 is current). It works 99.9% of the time but the interface is really dated. Think Windows XP. You can pass-through creds so you don't have to manually login just to connect (once connected you have to login, at least that is the way I have to do it). I can't figure out how to standardize the interface. Some systems I connect to, will have the multi-monitor toolbar floating on some other section of my screen and others will have it integrated. Some will have the session windowed and others with the whole window floating with a floating toolbar.
I also use PDQ deploy. I was using the free version for about a year, then I really needed to have some of the functionality of the enterprise version so I finally broke down. It saves an amazing amount of time and once you start building the multiple step deployments, you can really save some time and hassle. I still use a software deployment GPO for things that I want to automatically happen when the system boots and when it has an MSI. But if it is an exe or involves some sort of filecopy or other script, a schedule, several steps that can be automated, I have started using PDQ Deploy.
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I didn't see pricing for the Screenconnect/connectwise hosted listed but I have the hosted unattended access for up to 100 machines and one tech for $600 even, per year.
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@wrx7m said in Decision on Remote Support Tool- ScreenConnect:
I didn't see pricing for the Screenconnect/connectwise hosted listed but I have the hosted unattended access for up to 100 machines and one tech for $600 even, per year.
That seems expensive. But it is hosted.
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@wrx7m how can you miss their pricing?
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@jaredbusch - I meant on this thread. Not on their site.
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The demo for SolarWinds web helpdesk rescheduled to next Tuesday and I hope the dameware version that comes with that (Not very sure about that part either, if we need to pay extra for that, I would most probably go with screenconnect!)
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So I am at this point leaning towards screenconnect and guess installing it on CentOS would be a better option? Or should i consider a windows server, assuming that it could be tied up with our local AD? Please advise
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@ambarishrh said in Decision on Remote Support Tool- ScreenConnect:
The demo for SolarWinds web helpdesk rescheduled to next Tuesday and I hope the dameware version that comes with that (Not very sure about that part either, if we need to pay extra for that, I would most probably go with screenconnect!)
Avoid SolarWinds!!! OMG stay away!!
https://mangolassi.it/topic/12800/spam-emails-appearing-to-come-from-solarwinds
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Looking at the installation video, windows installation seems to be pretty easy and i guess i should be taking this route, as moving forward this VM will be managed by our MSP who does not have good Linux management skills
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@ambarishrh said in Decision on Remote Support Tool- ScreenConnect:
So I am at this point leaning towards screenconnect and guess installing it on CentOS would be a better option? Or should i consider a windows server, assuming that it could be tied up with our local AD? Please advise
There is a slight advantage to Windows, but not enough of one to overcome the costs and overhead (e.g. throw the same resources at a Linux box and you get more from it.) We run on CentOS and it is great.
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@ambarishrh said in Decision on Remote Support Tool- ScreenConnect:
Looking at the installation video, windows installation seems to be pretty easy and i guess i should be taking this route, as moving forward this VM will be managed by our MSP who does not have good Linux management skills
You need to add that to the cost of using an unqualified MSP. If an MSP can't meet your needs, why use them?
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@scottalanmiller said in Decision on Remote Support Tool- ScreenConnect:
@ambarishrh said in Decision on Remote Support Tool- ScreenConnect:
Looking at the installation video, windows installation seems to be pretty easy and i guess i should be taking this route, as moving forward this VM will be managed by our MSP who does not have good Linux management skills
You need to add that to the cost of using an unqualified MSP. If an MSP can't meet your needs, why use them?
They are doing complete windows environment management. This just came in as a request from me, as there are no good remote support tool currently. I will leave them to manage this on win box, but personally would've gone for CentOS
