TeamViewer

[jamesray50]

Is there anyone using TeamViewer than can explain how the VPN connection works? What is the difference between a VPN connection and a Remote Control connection? I read the manual, but still don't understand.

What I would really like to do is be able to have two computers accessing one computer at the same time. Would this be possible with a VPN connection?

Thanks,

[MyITGuy]

I havent used TeamViewer in awhile so things may have changed...

TeamViewer would normally allow a remote user access a users PC and take control and/or transfer files (I.E. I would access your computer using TeamViewer and take control to make repairs, perform training and etc).

VPN's are used to allow remote users access to central resources. I.E. I'm sitting at home right now and can connect to my office/servers via a VPN client to pull files, send jobs to printers and etc...

If you explain in more detail what your wanting to accomplish I can provide some specific feedback. I.E. Are the two computers on the same network or remote? Will they be accessing one computer to perform their daily work, or to do training/support or etc? Are you wanting them to access the desktop, files, printers, applications or ?

[jamesray50]

Hi Jeff - thank you for helping.

I have a client in a different state than me that I do bookkeeping for using QuickBooks. He has been sending me a backup of his QuickBooks through a file sharing program. He recently bought a new computer with Win 8 and upgraded his QuickBooks to 2013 so that he could take advantage of some of the new features in QB. One of the features he wants to use is the Document Center so that he can attached documents to customers and/or their invoices. Unfortunately the attached documents are not included in the backups. So I've decided to work in his QuickBooks file remotely using Team Viewer.

Because QB 2013 and Win 8 are not compatible (there are bugs that haven't been fixed yet) he installed QB on his old computer (desktop with XP). I am having no problem accessing his computer with TeamViewer. But, he also wants to use his new computer (laptop with Win 8) to access files on the desktop. Sometimes he may need to be in QuickBooks, other times he'll be working on other things. Can both of us, me in another state and him in another room at his house, both access the desktop at the same time? If I had my own Windows user account could we do that?

From everything I have read, I think we both could access the computer at the same time, but only one person can control the keyboard and the mouse.

Thanks,

[Freelancier]

Can both of us, me in another state and him in another room at his house, both access the desktop at the same time? If I had my own Windows user account could we do that?

In short: no. Only one person at a time can control. If you set up a meeting, one person is still in control and everyone else can view but that's it. That's with Win7/8... with a server (like Win2008 or 2012), you can have more than one person logged in at a time using remote desktop or other schemes, because it's designed to support that.

As for your VPN question, that's for setting up a virtual private network, which is most likely unnecessary, since Teamviewer uses encryption when it talks between the two computers.

Also, there are limits on QB's ability to let more than one person at a time access it, based on the number of licenses you purchase.

[MyITGuy]

Can both of us, me in another state and him in another room at his house, both access the desktop at the same time? If I had my own Windows user account could we do that?

In short - No. Not using the desktop version of Windows (XP, Vista, 7 or 8).

You can access the machine using TeamViewer, but you will have to coordinate among yourselves as to who will have access and when.

[Harold Mansfield]

Windows already have the capability to allow remote access without the use of any additional software.
Your client sounds a little tech savvy, couldn't he just set up remote access on the XP Desktop and then give you the access credentials?

Here's what I'm talking about:
Connect to another computer using Remote Desktop Connection - Windows Help (http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/connect-using-remote-desktop-connection#connect-using-remote-desktop-connection=windows-7)

In Windows XP it's called the Remote Desktop Utility.
http://www.techrepublic.com/article/how-do-i-configure-microsoft-windows-xp-remote-desktop/

Would that work for you? Or are you looking to use TeamViewer specifically?

[MyITGuy]

Digging up an old thread Harold! ;)

Remote Desktop Connection wouldn't work for this situation. As the OP Posted, the 2nd computer is in another state on another network, which RDP does not account for without some serious security risks.

[Harold Mansfield]

My bad. It was in the most recent posts list. I didn't check the date. I see now that it was because someone spammed it which VG deleted. Never mind.