I am thinking about trying Synergy over Team Viewer

M

Metspitzer

I have a spare computer that I log onto using Teamviewer. One of the
biggest disadvantages of TeamViewer is that when the network is down,
I can't access a computer that is sitting 6 inches away.

Anyone using Synergy? What are the downsides?
 
M

Metspitzer

I have a spare computer that I log onto using Teamviewer. One of the
biggest disadvantages of TeamViewer is that when the network is down,
That should be...........when the Internet is down.
 
E

Ed Cryer

Metspitzer said:
That should be...........when the Internet is down.
You need two monitors with Synergy.
I use a KVM switch with just one monitor.

Ed
 
S

s|b

I have a spare computer that I log onto using Teamviewer. One of the
biggest disadvantages of TeamViewer is that when the network is down,
I can't access a computer that is sitting 6 inches away.

Anyone using Synergy? What are the downsides?
I'd use UltraVNC. You let it start up as a service on your spare
computer and login (directly) when needed. Traffic will be limited to
your local network so you don't need the Internet.
 
B

Bill Bradshaw

Metspitzer said:
I have a spare computer that I log onto using Teamviewer. One of the
biggest disadvantages of TeamViewer is that when the network is down,
I can't access a computer that is sitting 6 inches away.

Anyone using Synergy? What are the downsides?

If you are just trying to run two computers from 1 keyboard and mouse I
use Input Director with great success. This is only for local use and
not remote from another location.
 
C

Char Jackson

I have a spare computer that I log onto using Teamviewer. One of the
biggest disadvantages of TeamViewer is that when the network is down,
I can't access a computer that is sitting 6 inches away.
You already have Remote Desktop available. No need to install extra
software.
 
V

VanguardLH

Metspitzer said:
I have a spare computer that I log onto using Teamviewer. One of the
biggest disadvantages of TeamViewer is that when the network is down,
I can't access a computer that is sitting 6 inches away.

Anyone using Synergy? What are the downsides?
The purpose of TeamView (and LogMeIn and mikigo and other remote access
tools) is to provide the IP lookup to find the target host. They then
perform the initial connect but pass it off to the end points. They
mostly help you find the target host. You could do the same with DynDNS
and other DDNS (dynamic DNS) providers that let you assign a hostname
with them that will send to the source host your IP address so it knows
where to connect. Of course, if you have a static IP address then you
don't need these lookup services. If the static IP address is for the
WAN-side of a router, you'll have to configure your router to forward
the connects to it on a specific port to your intranet host.

Various VPN variants still work but require you to punch an inbound
connection through your router or firewall. The outbound connects by
TeamView, LogMeIn, etc aren't blocked so connections back to them are
also not blocked. This is why your web browser can connect to a site
and that site can send packets back to you.

You can also use Remote Desktop already in Windows 7 (but you'll still
have to punch holes in the router's firewall or your own software
firewalls if not using the one included in Windows).
 
P

(PeteCresswell)

Per VanguardLH:
The purpose of TeamView (and LogMeIn and mikigo and other remote access
tools) is to provide the IP lookup to find the target host. They then
perform the initial connect but pass it off to the end points. They
mostly help you find the target host. You could do the same with DynDNS
I find that to be a significant benefit of TeamViewer: being independent
of DynDNS. Every so often I manage to foul up my DynDNS addresses and
it is a big time/mileage saver to be able to connect to the problem site
via TeamViewer and reset the DynDNS address.
 
V

VanguardLH

PeteCresswell said:
Per VanguardLH:


I find that to be a significant benefit of TeamViewer: being
independent of DynDNS. Every so often I manage to foul up my DynDNS
addresses and it is a big time/mileage saver to be able to connect to
the problem site via TeamViewer and reset the DynDNS address.
DynDNS used to have free accounts (which, as I recall, limited you to a
maximum of 2 host lookups). Then they reduce it to allow a maximum of
only 2 hostname lookups. Then signup for free accounts ended but you do
a trial. Start a trial, terminate it, and as a reward you get the
limited free account. Apparently they killed that trick so you no
longer get a reward for trying their trial. Another trick (if it still
works) is noted at:

http://boomshadow.net/tech/how-to-still-get-a-free-dyndns-account/

It used to be that all you needed to update your free account to keep it
from being idle too long and expiring to get deleted was to use their
local DNS updater client. Their client would login and update your
account to reflect your current IP address. That login kept alive your
free account. As I recall, they changed that and now you have to
separately login to their web site to keep alive your free account.

Getting and keeping a free DynDNS account became too much a nuisance. I
had a grandfathered account (mine existed before they started farking
over signup for free accounts) but let mine perish by removing their DNS
updater client and let my account languish until it idle expired and got
deleted.

TeamViewer, LogMeIn, Mikogo, etc., require cooperation at both
endpoints. The advantage with DDNS was being open ended: you setup your
end and then anyone could connect to it, like operating your own web
server using one of their courtesy hostnames. With a free DDNS account
and a free hostname (so you didn't have to pay a registrar for a domain
name), you could run a web server accessible by that hostname. Other
parties didn't have to go through any handshaking as is required by
Teamviewer and its ilk.

No-IP.com (www.noip.com/services/managed_dns/free_dynamic_dns.html)
still has free DDNS service, so if I need a DDNS setup then I'll look at
using them. Alas, it looks like No-IP only gives you one choice for the
domain (.no-ip.info) used with your hostname (<yourhost>.no-ip.info).
 
P

(PeteCresswell)

Per VanguardLH:
Getting and keeping a free DynDNS account became too much a nuisance. I
had a grandfathered account (mine existed before they started farking
over signup for free accounts) but let mine perish by removing their DNS
updater client and let my account languish until it idle expired and got
deleted.
It's getting old for me - and eventually I'm going to forget or get sick
or something and my two freebie accounts are going to go "Poof!".

But I'm kind of resigned to it and, what the heck... the guys at DynDNS
have to make a living... so I'm not all that averse to giving them
twenty-five bucks a year.

But even after I switch over to a Paid account, I will still inevitably
mess up the occasional IP address. Historically, moving a PC from one
location to another and forgetting to change the instance of DynUpdater
that's running on it has been the most common means.
 
T

Ton van Vliet

That should be...........when the Internet is down.
Are you are aware that you can use Teamviewer over the local network
as well? You don't need internet access for that. You just have to
enable it under Options. There is a setting for 'Incoming LAN
connections': Deactivated, Accept or even Accept Exlusively. With the
latter setting, nobody from outside your LAN can connect to it. So, if
you only use that spare machine locally, that option would perfectly
suit your needs. You access the spare machine by entering its LAN IP
address.
 
S

s|b

Are you are aware that you can use Teamviewer over the local network
as well? You don't need internet access for that. You just have to
enable it under Options. There is a setting for 'Incoming LAN
connections': Deactivated, Accept or even Accept Exlusively.
Tnx! I did not know that!
 
P

(PeteCresswell)

Per s|b:
Tnx! I did not know that!
+1.

But it begs a question: is the TeamViewer connection across a WAN
secure? Somewhere I read that TeamViewer was approved for use in the
German banking industry and extrapolated that to it's being reasonably
secure. ??
 
V

VanguardLH

PeteCresswell said:
But it begs a question: is the TeamViewer connection across a WAN
secure? Somewhere I read that TeamViewer was approved for use in the
German banking industry and extrapolated that to it's being reasonably
secure. ??
http://blog.accuvantlabs.com/blog/bthomas/teamviewer-authentication-protocol

More than you want to know. More than you may be able to understand.
The conclusion is to NOT use TeamViewer's default passcode and instead
specify your own much longer one. This really should not be much of a
surprise. You should even be changing the default password on your
router from its factory-time default to thwart malware that deposits on
your host and then accesses your router to changes its DNS server config
to point at the malicious DNS servers instead of the one normally
assigned via DHCP by your ISP to your router.

So, as always, use STRONG passwords and the longer the better. Don't
use defaults. Always use the installer from TeamViewer (and use HTTPS
to connect there and hope your DNS server hasn't been poisoned or you
haven't been subject to a DNS changer malware), not from some 3rd party.

Then there's the malware that likes how TeamViewer works to usurp it as
a backdoor for nefarious purposes. See:

http://www.darkreading.com/attacks-breaches/how-teamspy-turned-legitimate-teamviewer/240151544
http://www.symantec.com/connect/blogs/teamspy-backdoor-viewer

Alas, despite the higher probability that Usenetizens employ anti-virus
software and keep it updated, there is a large number of boobs using
computers as appliances, like washing machines, and never update them
nor install [better than bundled] anti-virus software.

And now for the conspiracy theorists ...

TeamViewer must comply with the laws of Germany. Germany's BND
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bundesnachrichtendienst) cooperates with
the NSA since they have similar and intertwined interests; see:

http://www.spiegel.de/international...tion-between-nsa-and-german-bnd-a-909954.html

Then have a read of:

http://www.startribune.com/nation/222588091.html

Even if TeamViewer did indeed eliminate any backdoor and keep it that
way, and even if they aren't ordered to provide some mechanism for
spying by BND, maybe the NSA can still spy on you once they determined
you are a target of interest (and expenditure). For its intended use,
TeamViewer is safe enough. For subversive activities, eh, plus don't
expect this community to care about helping or protecting such users.
 
J

Juan Wei

VanguardLH has written on 9/6/2013 8:01 PM:
TeamViewer, LogMeIn, Mikogo, etc., require cooperation at both
endpoints.
It's possible to set up a person's Teamviewer or LMI software so that
cooperation is not needed. I.e., you have access to that computer
without the owner having to be present.
 
P

(PeteCresswell)

Per Juan Wei:
It's possible to set up a person's Teamviewer or LMI software so that
cooperation is not needed. I.e., you have access to that computer
without the owner having to be present.
That is the way I have most of mine set up.

Pick a PC from TeavViewer's list, click the button and Shazam!... I'm
connected. Seems to take less than a second.

I suspect it is also part of the reason that one of my clients' IT
department won't let TeamViewer on any of their PCs.
 
P

(PeteCresswell)

Per VanguardLH:
For its intended use,
TeamViewer is safe enough. For subversive activities, eh, plus don't
expect this community to care about helping or protecting such users.
My biggest anxiety with TeamViewer use is my own carelessness.

I worry that I will forget and leave a PC's TeamViewer logged into my
account or, worse yet, leave it with the TeamViewer auto-login/remember
password option set.
 
Joined
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Havent tried Synergy. Will try and let you know. In the mean time you may try R-HUB remote support servers.
 

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