"Call-back" feature

[Jonathan Maton]

Yes, if you have a static IP (or at least a static dns-resolvable name) you could give them a batch file with:
   winvnc -connect yourip

(following is from the WinVNC documentation)
  -connect host 
Tells a running copy of WinVNC to initiate an outgoing connection to a listening viewer running on the specified machine. This is the equivalent of the 'Add New Client' menu option. You can put multiple -connect options on one command line to connect to multiple viewers at once. 


-Jonathan Maton

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Barry Zubel" <barry@zubel.co.uk>
To: <vnc-list@realvnc.com>
Sent: Friday, June 20, 2003 10:34 AM
Subject: RE: "Call-back" feature


> So, set up the viewer in listen mode at your end on your static IP
> address, and install a simple .CMD file at the customers end that takes
> care of setting up the server and adding the client?
> 
> I haven't looked at this functionality, but I'd guess that this can be
> done from the command line, and therefore done in a .bat or .cmd file.
> This means all the user has to do is phone you up, and you tell them to
> click on the 'remote assistance' icon, or something.
> 
> Is this too easy? Or is there something I haven't anticipated?
> 
> Barry Zubel
> Able Packaging Designs Ltd
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: vnc-list-admin@realvnc.com [mailto:vnc-list-admin@realvnc.com] On
> Behalf Of Jonathan Maton
> Sent: 20 June 2003 14:48
> To: Lucien Wells
> Cc: vnc-list@realvnc.com
> Subject: Re: "Call-back" feature
> 
> 
> I know exactly what you mean.
> 
> On your side, (assuming you're using Windows) run  
> vncviewer -listen
> You'll have a red vnc icon in the system tray, you probably want to go
> ahead and right-click this, choose properties, set it to 8-bit. (I can't
> seem to get it to do it from command line,   vncviewer -listen -8bit
> doesn't work for me, oh well.)
> 
> Then have the customer get online somehow (dial-up or whatever), then
> have customer right-click on winvnc icon, choose "Add new client", and
> type in your IP address.  Sometimes it's frustrating to describe what
> the winvnc icon looks like, but that's much better than having to get
> them to determine their IP address.
> 
> Also another gotcha -- if WinVNC isn't displaying an icon in their
> system tray, you can have them do this in a dos window:
>   winvnc -kill
>   winvnc -run
> That seems to -always- restore the icon, at least in my experience.  (Of
> course, now you have to walk them through getting a dos window.
> Hehe.... start->run->cmd  or command, click OK.
> 
> -Jonathan Maton
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Lucien Wells" <lucien@timebilling.com.au>
> To: <vnc-list@realvnc.com>
> Sent: Friday, June 20, 2003 3:02 AM
> Subject: "Call-back" feature
> 
> 
> > Hi All,
> > I was wondering if anyone knew if the following is currently possible 
> > either with VNC as is, or via a seperate addon/program:
> > 
> > What I am after is a "call back" feature of sorts. My company does 
> > software support and we have quite a number of small clients. Often 
> > these clients ring us for support and we have to guide them over the 
> > phone -- obviously not an ideal solution, particularly as very few 
> > have dedicated IT staff. So a VNC type solution where we can log in 
> > and directly fix the problem is perfect.
> > 
> > However -- and here comes the problem -- most of these small clients 
> > have a variety of different internet connections, and almost none of 
> > them have a static IP address. So to help, we have to work out what 
> > the IP address of client's machine on which VNC server resides, which 
> > considering the lack of technical knowledge in most of these places 
> > can be just as frustrating as guiding someone over the phone. So my 
> > ideal solution would be a situation where our client simply double 
> > clicks a simple executable which connects to our VNC box (which has a 
> > static IP), which in turn reads the connection source IP and "calls 
> > back" to connect to the client's server thus eliminating any problems 
> > with determining IPs/etc.
> > 
> > Is this possible, or a possible addition? I hope my question is clear
> 
> > :)
> > 
> > Cheers,
> > Lucien.
> > _______________________________________________
> > VNC-List mailing list
> > VNC-List@realvnc.com
> > To remove yourself from the list visit: 
> > http://www.realvnc.com/mailman/listinfo/vnc-list
> _______________________________________________
> VNC-List mailing list
> VNC-List@realvnc.com
> To remove yourself from the list visit:
> http://www.realvnc.com/mailman/listinfo/vnc-list
> _______________________________________________
> VNC-List mailing list
> VNC-List@realvnc.com
> To remove yourself from the list visit:
> http://www.realvnc.com/mailman/listinfo/vnc-list