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In my never ending quest for the best, most versatile, most useful, most simplistic remote support tools I’ve finally come across a shining jewel amidst all of the dross. TeamViewer is the best free support tool I’ve run into in a long time, and if you keep reading you’ll find out why.

I gave TeamViewer a test drive with my desktop at the office and my laptop. On my desktop I installed the full version, and on my laptop I used the “Join a Session” link to create a temporary session. The installation process for both components is extremely simple, and though the temporary session id is 9 digits long, it’s not that bad to deal with.
If you have multiple clients or co-workers with the full version installed you can add them to a “Partner List” by signing up at the TeamViewer website. You can then access them with a single click which is very convenient.
Starting the actual connection between the two machines did take some time as TeamViewer uses a secure connection, which is good, but did take about two and a half minutes. However once the connection was made the interface was very snappy, even on my overloaded desktop.
Since one of my primary uses for remote support software is remote system cleaning I decided to see how TeamViewer responded to me running ComboFix, and whether ComboFix would kill the connection or not, which unfortunately it did. This isn’t the fault of TeamViewer though, ComboFix kills all incoming/outgoing network connections when it runs most of the time.
I was able to run all of the rest of my tools without incident though, and the interface remaining crisip and useable even while MalwareBytes Anti-Malware was running. Oh, I almost forgot one of the most awesome, and as far as I’ve seen completely unique, features of TeamViewer. When logged in to a system with multiple monitors TeamViewer will display all of the monitors at once or let you easily switch between them. I’ve never seen any other software that handles multiple monitors this well.

After a few minutes with the remote client I gave the “Partner List” a spin and installed the full mode on my laptop as well to try out the other features. In addition to the Remote Support option TeamViewer also includes a Presentation Mode which allows the person you are connecting to to view portions of your desktop. When the TeamViewer app is open a double arrow actually appears on each window you have open. Clicking this arrow allows you to choose to present that application window to your Partner and even allow them to interact with that window. Very slick.
It also has a file transfer option and a direct VPN option. But very easy to use and very handy. The only thing which consistently bothered me was the length of time it took to setup the secure connection between systems. I have a sneaking suspicious that this delay was actually related to my internet connection though, and not TeamViewer.
Another nice extra is the ability to record your remote sessions for later review, transfer files within the remote session, view the remote PCs information, update the TeamViewer software remotely, and even switch sides with the person on the other end to allow them control over your PC.
Everything about this software is polished, smooth, and fast. I’m going to be making it my primary remote access software and I think everyone else should too. If you’re a small consulting shop the free version would meet your needs, however it’s only free for non-commercial use. So you’ll have to pay to license the commercial version. It’s worth the investment for a reliable and simple remote solution that all of your clients can use.