VNC> helpdesk situation

[Michael Milette]

>1. End user runs VNC server.

You will have to install the server in advance. During the installation, 
create an shortcut for them in a standard location. That way your Help Desk 
can guide the user to launching the server.

>2. VNC server prompt for password.
>3. Login password is verified against NT domain login password or
>    MS network login password

I am assuming that you want Help Desk to be prompted for the password. 
There are a couple of VNC implementations that I am aware of that will 
prompt the client for a password and authenticate this against an NT 
domain. One is available from http://www.smtechnologies.com/downloads.htm 
and authenticates against the NT domain. The other is from 
http://www.rabidpenguin.org/diversions.html and it authenticates against 
the local domain of the NT machine, not the Microsoft networks NT domain.

I haven't tried either one of these but I would think a problem with these 
would be that Help Desk would not (and should not) know the users NT Domain 
password.

I would suggest that you have the server prompt the user for permission 
instead when anyone tries to connect to their workstation. I have found 
that users are quite comfortable with this arrangement as they know when 
people are connecting to their machine with the visual cue. This is a nice 
useful feature found in TightVNC, available from  http://www.tightvnc.com/. 
Unfortunately it is not available in WinVNC yet.

>4. After server is ran, helpdesk personnel runs viewer to connect to
>    end user server via IP address of server.

Not a problem. This is how VNC usually connects a client to a server. You 
can even make this easier if you use something like "VNC Admin Console", 
available at http://www.mast-computer.de/. Don't worry about the German. 
Just click on the "VNC Admin Console" link. I never got this tool to work 
myself. I keep getting a "Run-time error '429': ActiveX component can't 
create object" error. However, if it works for you, it sounds like it could 
make your help desks job a little easier.

>5. Connection is allowed by passing checking of password.

Like I said above, I would go with TightVNC's pop-up authentication 
dialogue box at the users end. The only time this would be a problem is if 
you need to connect to someone's machine while they are away.

                                 Michael

At 11:00 AM 2002-11-11, jesskung@brel.com wrote:

>Hi all
>
>We are trying to use VNC for a helpdesk situation and would appreciate some
>help. Here goes...
>
>1. End user runs VNC server.
>2. VNC server prompt for password.
>3. Login password is verified against NT domain login password or
>    MS network login password
>4. After server is ran, helpdesk personnel runs viewer to connect to
>    end user server via IP address of server.
>5. Connection is allowed by passing checking of password.
>
>How can this be done?
>
>Many thanks in advanced for any help.......   :)
>
>Regards,
>Jessica
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>VNC-List mailing list
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>
>
>
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