User Manual

Chapter 1

Introducing NetSupport PC-Duo

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NetSupport PC-Duo is a sophisticated Remote Control package which enables you to access, interact with and control other PCs on local and remote networks.

It enables support staff to provide personal service to users as if they were at the same PC. This is achieved using remote control technology to display users' screens on the screens of the support staff.

As well as being able to view the user screens, support staff can interact with applications on users' PCs, and transfer and distribute files to and from these PCs. The result is faster problem resolution, satisfied users and greater cost effectiveness in support.

Training staff can similarly benefit from using NetSupport PC-Duo, either in a classroom environment, or when training dispersed groups of users. As NetSupport PC-Duo supports connecting to remote PCs and networks, it massively increases the scope of supporting and training activities. It also enables off-site users to access workstations, data and services at a site.

NetSupport PC-Duo consists of two main applications:

• The Control application. Most NetSupport PC-Duo operations, such as viewing and controlling other PCs, are performed by a user running the Control application.
• The Client application. Other PCs can be viewed and controlled when the Client application is installed on them.

Features

Some of the features of the 32-bit edition of NetSupport PC-Duo v8.0 include:

Installation Wizard

One simple installation quickly guides you through the process of installing the NetSupport PC-Duo Client and Control applications.

Easy-to-use Interface

NetSupport PC-Duo features a familiar, folder-based interface for the Control window. Commonly used operations are accessible using Toolbars, menus and context-sensitive menus. Drag-and-drop functionality is supported, such as being able to drag a Client into a Group.

Flexible ways of viewing and organizing items such as Clients, Groups and Help Requests. Additional, dedicated windows are used for tasks such as viewing Clients and transferring files, resulting in an uncluttered and immediately accessible application.

The Client application operates in the background, and usually only appears as an icon in the taskbar's system tray.

Supports all Commonly-used Connection Methods

NetSupport PC-Duo supports multiple protocols. You can simultaneously connect to PCs that are using different network transports, whether it be NetBIOS, IPX or WinSock TCP/IP.

Modems, ISDN (with CAPI support) and RAS are also supported, and you can connect to Clients over the Internet using TCP/IP.

Flexible Ways of Locating and Connecting to Clients

You can let the NetSupport PC-Duo Control search for all currently available Clients, or specify a Client's details yourself to connect straight to a Client. You can also select multiple Clients and connect to them simultaneously.

Organize Clients into Groups

Organize your NetSupport PC-Duo Clients into Groups based on the departments in your organization, based on their PC platforms, or any other method of grouping. You can create as many Groups as required, Clients can belong to more than one Group and you can add new members and remove existing members at any time.

Many of the operations performed on Clients can be performed on entire Groups,

Such as connecting to all the Clients in a Group simultaneously.

View and Interact with Client PCs

Three modes of accessing Client PCs are provided:

• Use Watch mode to view the Client PC screen passively.
• Use Share mode to share the control of the Client PC with the Client.
• Use Control mode to disable the Client's input and have total control of their PC.

Client PC screens can be displayed in a View window or in Full Screen mode. You can scale Client PC screens to fit the View window in which they are displayed, irrespective of the Client PC's screen resolution or the View window size.

Powerful File Transfer, Management and Distribution Features

NetSupport PC-Duo enables you to perform operations such as copying, deleting and renaming files, and creating and deleting directories on Client PCs. You can synchronize the contents of specified directories on the Control and Client PCs, so that any new or updated files in either directory are automatically copied to the other directory.

Using NetSupport PC-Duo, you can also easily distribute files to whole Groups on your network by specifying the Group to which you want to distribute the files, and selecting the files you want to distribute.

Work with Multiple Clients at the Same Time

NetSupport PC-Duo offers you great flexibility by enabling you to:

• Connect to multiple Clients simultaneously, using different network transports.
• Display and arrange multiple View windows to monitor Clients.
• Distribute files to multiple Clients in one simple operation.
• Use the Scan feature to cycle through viewing selected Client PC screens in turn, in a dedicated window.
• Show the Control PC screen to multiple Clients or exhibit one Client's PC screen to other Clients.

Additionally, more than one Control can connect to the same Client at the same time.

Communication between Control and Clients

Controls and Clients can engage in two-way text conversations using a dedicated window.

Clients can request help from a Control by sending Help Request messages.

A Control can send messages to selected Clients, all Clients to which the Control is connected, to a Group of Clients, or broadcast a message to all Clients on a network.

A Control can also use NetSupport PC-Duo's Audio Chat facilities to communicate with a Client. Additionally, the Announce facility allows you to send an audio message to one or more connected Clients.

System Snapshot Feature for Immediate PC Hardware Inventory

NetSupport PC-Duo's System Snapshot feature enables you to quickly obtain a comprehensive hardware inventory for your Client PCs. In conjunction with its Remote Control facilities, NetSupport PC-Duo is an essential tool for supporting users.

This detailed inventory information includes the CPU type and speed, memory, operating system, service pack information, printers, screen type and display driver, drive size and free space, network domain, network card and much more.

Security Features

NetSupport PC-Duo contains highly configurable security settings, which enable you to meet your exact security requirements. For example, it features multiple level security for both the Client and Control applications, in the form of Client and Control Security Profiles:

• Client Profiles enable you to govern which Controls can connect to a particular Client, to specify whether the Control needs to enter a valid user name and password to connect, and to specify which operations can be performed by Controls on the Client.
• Control Profiles determine the level of access Control users can have to Client PCs.

Additional security features are available in NetSupport PC-Duo. For example, sessions in which a Control is connected to a Client can be recorded to a file and later replayed. These and other security features are described in detail in Chapter 9, "Configuring NetSupport PC-Duo" and the Online Help.

Scripting and Automation Capabilities

You can create your own NetSupport PC-Duo Scripts using a dedicated, powerful scripting language, to automate NetSupport PC-Duo tasks. The NetSupport PC-Duo Script Editor lets you drag-and-drop scripting commands, and offers comprehensive on-line help for scripting functions.

After creating and testing a script, you can schedule it to be performed on specified dates and times.

Active X Web Control

NetSupport PC-Duo enables you to connect and control your Clients using a Web browser. This is done by accessing a Web page (on an intranet or Internet server) which features the embedded ActiveX Control.

Wake-on-LAN Power Management

NetSupport PC-Duo enables Client PCs to be remotely and automatically powered up and switched off by Wake-on-LAN. These capabilities are accessed using the Client menu's Power On and Power Off commands. For more information, see "Power Management".

Vector Networks http://www.vector-networks.com Voice: +44 (0) 1827 67333 Fax: +44 (0) 1827 67068 info@vector-networks.co.uk