So I've been looking into various services that offer remote access to users' computers, and the basic conclusion that I'm coming away with is that it's expensive. I'm just one guy, and if I went with something like GoToAssist, it would cost me $660 at year (they have day passes, but that's $10 a pop, which would only be cost efficient if I used it less than 66 days in a year).

At the moment I've been using a service called TeamViewer, because I can give my clients a link to a location on my own servers where they can download a standalone client that will let me access their computers. But there's several drawbacks to this service.

Is there any way at all I can do this on my own? I have a web server, and could scrape together my own server at my home if needed.

Thanks for your help.

VNC, VNC, VNC. Two possible solutions come to mind.

1. Set up a VNC server on your client's computer(s). Set up their router to allow incoming VNC. Set up something on their network to update a dynamic DNS service so you can have access to it. (Assuming they don't have a static IP, of course.) This has the implication that you could potentially spy on them.
   
   
2. VNC can also be set up so that the "server" can contact the "client". You can give your client instructions on how to connect back to your computer. This way you can't spy on them.

The main problem with any of this is that once you have a reliable remote connection to their computers, all of the problems that they experience will become network problems.

UltraVNC Single Click

Works great for our company and is free free free.

Also allows you to brand it so that it looks more official.

Right now, I tunnel VNC through SSH. Is that overkill? Is the default VNC protocol encrypted?

No, not encrypted.

I use tightvnc, which does have a commandline -via option to tunnel itself over ssh, for better security.

But the newer vnc variants probably do have encryption by now (?)

Where I work now they have a VNC server shortcut on the desktop of everyone's machine. When you call support they have you start the server and give them the IP address, then you turn off the server when they're done doing whatever config they need to change. I'm sure they are spying in other ways, but this seems like a good way to implement your method #1.

It works extremely well. It's not called VNC on the shortcut, it's just called "Enable Online Assistance", but it's just VNC.

Jim

Edit: I just ran it and it's TightVNC, and it's branded with our company logo. We get around the port/firewall issues by having the machines hooked up to the VPN. If the VPN is the issue (user can't connect to VPN), then you can run into blocked port issues.