Getting Started with PcHelpWare Rel 1.0

[PeteHelgren]

I have read through the documentation and many posts in this forum and I am still a bit uncertain as to the best approach to setting up the environment needed to successfully use PcHelpWare. The sticky's are generally good but I think a "getting started" section might be helpful.

My specific issue is this:

I have two scenario's for deploying PcHelpWare:

1.I want to have multiple PC's at our office control (or access) multiple customers in other locations.

2. I want our remote employees who work from home be able to control (or access) multiple customer machines.

Based on this scenario, I have the following questions:

1. Is the use of a "repeater" the simplest way to do this? If so, can I host the repeater at our office using a fixed IP address so that BOTH our internal and external employees can access all the customers?

I am going to assume a repeater is needed so my next question is based on some confusion on the terms client, server and repeater

2. If I ONLY want to be able to access the customer's PC, then all the customer needs to "install" is the server component, correct?

3. If all the above assumptions are correct: I install a repeater at the central office and want to access customers PC's then I install the following:

Central Office - a) Repeater (with static IP). This will probably be on our Firewall server that has a static IP. b) Viewer (or client) applications on my support team's PC. That is all, correct?

Customer's (who are being accessed by my support people) - a) Install the server application.

Then, the way that the above works is that both the client and server applications "talk" through the repeater. Is that correct?

Again, the documentation is OK, it is just that there is enough flexibility PCHelpWare that making the initial decision on HOW to deploy is the first difficult step and there isn't a single document that describes this. If I were to create such a document I would suggest something like the following:

Getting Started
1. Determining the best configuration for running PcHelpWare. This would have many diagrams (similar to the online manual but with less detail and guide to help choosing the right configuration to use)

2. For each configuration, a list of what needs to be installed where e.g. as in my scenario above, list what needs to be on each PC:

a) Client PC (one that Remotely Accesses the target PC) - Install client application
b) Server PC (the one that Allows Client to access it and become the target PC) - Install Server application
b) Repeater PC (the one that allows NAT2NAT communication) - Install on ONE PC at a location that has Internet accessible IP address.

All of this would be similar to the step by step and other documentation that has been put together but organized a differently to help with making the right implementation decisions.

If fact, if I can get my questions answered and get this correctly configured I'd be happy to help put such a document together.

Thanks,

Pete