During the coming days, weeks and months, we are going to be restricted in our daily lives. We may not be able to visit friends, relatives and customers due to the risk of spreading the dreaded Coronavirus. This post aims to highlight a remote connection tool I use in my daily business, which will help you, to communicate and support others during these difficult times.
Remote Support Software
Have you ever been on the phone trying to support someone who is not very confident with computers? It can be frustrating and difficult, but there are tools which can help.
One of them, I’d like to tell you about is FREE and easy to use. It’s called Team Viewer.
Now, there are others, but this is the one I use at work and it’s the one I am going to tell you about. It’s FREE to use for non-commercial use and I strongly recommend it as a reliable, safe and efficient tool which works on Mac and Windows.
What exactly is it?
It is a piece of software which creates a secure connection between two computers. It will allow you to connect to a target computer and control it as if you were sat in front of it. This is essential for me when supporting a business with their IT requirements, but I also use it for personal reasons e.g to help friends and family.
Example Application
Due to coronavirus, my Aunt called to ask if I would order an iPad for her, so she had something to use during the lockdown. Her old one is old and slow. During set-up, the iPad needs a WiFi password, which she has forgotten. I need to reset it for her….. remotely.
Talking a 70+ year (young) person through the process of logging into a router to make technical changes is not easy. This is why remote software tools are used. They will allow me to operate a remote computer as if I were sat in front of it.
I use and recommend – Team Viewer
The first step is to download the Team Viewer software on BOTH computers.
- Install Team Viewer on the computer YOU use
- Install Team Viewer on the computer your FRIEND/RELATIVE OR CUSTOMER uses (by talking them through the process)
*I appreciate in this situation, YOU need to talk the other person through this part on the phone. This itself can be tricky in my experience, but be patient and my advise is to dry run the process yourself, before you talk to the other person, especially if they are elderly.
Install the Team Viewer Software
Click the ‘Download for FREE’ button on the homepage of Team Viewer. This will download a file to your computer which you need to RUN.
This works on Mac and Windows no problem.
- Download it from the Team Viewer Website
- Run the installer which you downloaded
- Follow the onscreen instructions and accept the terms
- Obtain the ID and Passwords (from the destination computer you wish to control)
- Enter the ID into the window
- When prompted, enter the password they provide you (from destination computer)
- Connect
That’s it. IF you have entered the correct ID and Password, you will be able to see the destination computer and control it, as if you were sat in front of it.
Alternatives to Team Viewer
There are plenty of other options. We can’t offer specific advice on them, as we use the one mentioned above. If it helps, here are others you can try.
Other Audio / Video Conferencing Options
If you need to offer more visual help and reassurance, without a need to directly control a remote computer, you can try these additional tools for video support.
These are links to the guides to help you use the tools below.
Be Safe everyone.
If any of my customers, friends and colleagues, need IT help to support their loved ones during the lockdown, I am prepared to help free of charge.
