TeamViewer is going to turn around and ignore what you're doing with its freebie licence to help new remote workers
- Reference: 1584973627
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2020/03/23/freebie_teamviewer_to_stop_checking/
- Source link:
TeamViewer is a handy tool that allows users to take control of a remote machine for purposes of support or remote working.
Of course, the internet being the internet, people have found other uses for it [1]over which we will draw a veil (and advise avoiding #teamviewer in Twitter or risk some highly NSFW suggestions popping up in your timeline).
The software, which boasts over 2 billion devices connected (and up to 45 million devices online at the same time), has a few options – the £31.90/month single user business licence, £59.90/month for multiple users sharing one session, and three sessions for £119.90/month. The gang will also charge £10.90/month for individuals needing remote access. Billed annually.
Those prices are somewhat out of reach for many, which is why the company makes the product "100 per cent free for personal users". Yup – you too can work out what malware Grandpa has managed to smear over his PC and TeamViewer won't charge you a penny.
At least that is the theory.
The company is keen to avoid commercial customers running on that freebie licence and is therefore on the lookout for "unusual and/or conspicuous user behaviour."
While this is understandable to a certain extent, users on the [2]company's own forums have complained for years about the software slamming down the shutters over suspected commercial usage, and the time taken to get things unlocked again.
That rumbling has reached a crescendo in recent weeks as users, finding themselves working from home, have turned to TeamViewer only to be faced by the dread "detected commercial usage" message.
One afflicted Register reader told us: "After an update I was confronted with this issue of the software apparently detecting 'commercial usage'.
"Today I booted my iMac for the first time in a couple of weeks and found this issue despite the fact that I haven't attempted to use TeamViewer for several weeks."
Professing frustration at the "hit-and-miss response to tickets submitted via the TeamViewer site," our reader declared it was time to seek alternatives rather than risk body and soul with some in-person assistance.
The Register spoke to TeamViewer and was told by a spokesperson that the company had managed to get response times for the majority of tickets down to one or two days (which will come as a delight to those wailing in its forums).
However, that response time could well be made redundant as the company confirmed that it would be turning off the commercial checks for personal licences "in the light of the Corona crisis."
Zoom goes boom, Teams tears at seams: Technology stumbles at the first hurdle for this homeworking malarkey [3]READ MORE
"We have stopped checking connections for commercial use in heavily affected regions like China and Italy already some weeks ago and are currently implementing that for lots of other affected countries including UK."
As other services (*cough* Teams *cough*) will attest, maintaining performance as usage surges can be a challenge: "We first wanted to make sure that our infrastructure is scaled up enough to keep up with the increased load until we allow much more free connections at the same time."
TeamViewer is by no means the only option. Remote control is also possible through the likes of Zoom, which has enjoyed massive growth in recent weeks. Still, the company insisted that its largesse is altruistic, telling us: "We want to support individuals in this global crisis to communicate and work remotely without any extra cost."
If you're a corporate customer, however, the gang would very much like you to keep paying those bills, OK? ®
[1] https://www.theregister.co.uk/2018/07/10/teamviewer_domination_on_demand/
[2] https://community.teamviewer.com/t5/General-Questions/TeamViewer-thinks-I-m-using-the-software-commercially/td-p/8284/page/98
[3] https://www.theregister.co.uk/2020/03/16/zoom_teams_outage/
Times like these, the good will be remembered
Well done Teamviewer.
Brands that show heart will be remembered for their support in these times.
The ones that hide will be forgotten.
Re: Times like these, the good will be remembered
I have been pleasantly surprised how many companies are being socially responsible. Places closing their doors. A local drug store that has made the first hour of every day seniors time. With only seniors allowed in the store, and the (Normally one day a week) seniors discount applied as well.
People will remember.
TeenViewer you say?
Calm down Prince Andrew
Apache Guacamole FTW
For those who have virtualisation capability or spare hardware, Apache Guacamole is an excellent open-source remote access gateway (supporting VNC, RDP, and even terminal options).
It does take a little bit of work to build (on a Linux base), or can be downloaded as a virtual machine appliance (if you're prepared to trust VMWare's Bitnami tentacle).
It means no reliance on a 3rd-party intermediary (like MS or TeamViewer), and the client is sandboxed within a browser at the remote endpoint. Oh, and it can optionally do 2FA (Duo or TOTP).
Re: Apache Guacamole FTW
Yes. Guacamole is mind-bogglingly useful and incredibly underrated for what it can do. I advocate its use everywhere it can be used.
Of course, it is not something that an ordinary user can set up.
TeamViewer detection,
in my experience, seems to be based upon detection of the name of the executables running on the systems, absolutely the host but maybe even the guest as well. If you get a 'commercial use' warning and shut down all applications (any maybe even reboot) then reconnect, you can often avoid the warning.
Problem is that you may get the warning after you reopen the required app that got you to use TV in the first place.
But an executable rename *may* help here.
There's always Google.
My Chromebook has acquired such apps. It had Google Hangouts and Skype already, it has now got Teams for work and Zoom for some voluntary activities. Telegram has gone on for some secure stuff.
I think the big problem is that there are now so many of them. I used to have several IM apps and an application called Pigin on my PC that pulled them all together. We need something similar for video chats.