Frequently Asked Questions
1. What information do I need to submit to get started with SupportAnyPC?
2. I am behind a firewall, can I still use SupportAnyPC?
3. I want to use SupportAnyPC to support users inside my network, is this possible?
4. Do I have to use an actual IP address or can I give you a DNS name?
5. How do I setup port forwarding on my Netgear, Linksys or DLink router?
6. Are there any cases where SupportAnyPC will not work?
7. I have a cable/dsl modem, and my ISP doesn't offer a static IP address. Can I still use SupportAnyPC if my IP address changes or is assigned via DHCP?
8. Do I have to have a website to put the support.exe file on for my users to get to?
9. I want to embed SupportAnyPC in my application, but the support.exe file deletes itself everytime I finish a remote session.
OR
I would like to put the support.exe file on a network share so that I can support our users, but the file deletes itself or I get errors because it tries to.
10. My customers firewall blocks nearly all outbound ports including those that SupportAnyPC uses. Is it still possible to use SupportAnyPC?
11. I have more than one IP address in my computer, and I want to use SupportAnyPC on port 80 on one of the IP addresses and IIS on the other, how can I do this?
12. Does SupportAnyPc work on Vista?
1. What information do I need to submit to get started with SupportAnyPC?
A: You will need to submit the IP addresses of the computers that you wish to do support or remote control FROM. If these computers are behind a network and have private IP addresses, you will need to do submit the public IP addresses that map to these private IP addresses behind your router or firewall.
2. I am behind a firewall, can I still use SupportAnyPC?
A: Yes. SupportAnyPC will need to have a couple of things setup to make this happen. First, you need to have Port 5500 open for incoming requests on your firewall. Next, if your firewall also is doing NAT (Network Address Translation), you will need to setup rules to forward requests from your public IP address to your private IP address (of the computer you wish to do support from) on port 5500.
3. I want to use SupportAnyPC to support users inside my network, is this possible?
A: Yes. In this case, you will need to submit the private IP addresses of the computers that you wish to do support from. In this case, unless you also purchase a license for a public IP address, SupportAnyPC will only work INSIDE your network.
4. Do I have to use an actual IP address or can I give you a DNS name?
A: Actually, a DNS name is the best way to get setup with SupportAnyPC. The reason for this is that if your IP address changes for some reason (ex: you change ISPs), all you have to do is update the IP address associated with the DNS name and you will be back up and running. If you chose to have SupportAnyPC work with an IP address, and that IP address changes, you will need to need to purchase an entirely new license of SupportAnyPC. If you already have a website, you can setup a subdomain. So for instance, we have setup a subdomain of supportanypc.com called oliver.supportanypc.com. It costs nothing to have as many subdomains as you need. Normally the site where you registered for your domain name will allow you to add sub domains. Some sites don't refer to these as sub domains, just "domain names".
5. How do I setup port forwarding on my Netgear, Linksys or DLink router?
A: For instructions:Netgear: Visit http://kbserver.netgear.com/kb_web_files/N101145.asp
Linksys: To add a server using Forwarding:
Enter the port number used by the server. On the same line, enter the IP Address of the server that you want the Internet users to be able to access. Configure as many entries as you would like until all of the link entries are filled.
Click the Apply to save the settings.
DLink: Visit support.dlink.com
Find your router model and goto the FAQ. There should be an entry in the FAQ for Port Forwarding.
6. Are there any cases where SupportAnyPC will not work?
A: Yes, just one. Some firewalls block not only incoming connections, but also outgoing connections. An outgoing connection is what you use to view a website. It is somewhat rare to find a firewall that does this, as it causes problems with so many other programs. In most cases, these firewalls only have port 80 open so that users can view a webpage, and port 21 so that email can be sent. If your customer has a firewall that blocks outgoing connections, you will need to ask them if they will open port 5500 so that SupportAnyPC can make a connection. Some personal firewalls (like ZoneAlarm) also block outgoing connections, but normally this is optional and you the user can decide on a case by case basis whether to allow the connection.
7. I have a cable/dsl modem, and my ISP doesn't offer a static IP address. Can I still use SupportAnyPC if my IP address changes or is assigned via DHCP?
A: Yes, you can. There is a service called Dynamic DNS which allows you to have a dns name attached to an IP address that changes. There are many companies that provide this service, but we advise that you use no-ip.com. They have a free level of service or a more customizable service that costs just $24.95/year. You will need to get a dynamic dns name from no-ip.com BEFORE you purchase SupportAnyPC. When you have gotten your dynamic dns name, you can purchase SupportAnyPC and fill into the purchase form the dynamic dns name you setup on no-ip.com
8. Do I have to have a website to put the support.exe file on for my users to get to?
A: Actually you don't. You can send the file via email, but sometimes email is slow to arrive, so it can make support calls a bit longer. Of course, the choice is yours, if you would like to send it through email, you are more than welcome to do this.
9. I want to embed SupportAnyPC in my application, but the support.exe
file deletes itself everytime I finish a remote session.
OR
I would like to put the support.exe file on a network share so that
I can support our users, but the file deletes itself or I get errors
because it tries to.
A: It is by design that SupportAnyPC works this way. One of the features of SupportAnyPC is that it leaves behind no files or registry keys or anything after you have completed a session. If you would like to have SupportAnyPC not delete itself, you will need to purchase a special version of SupportAnyPC. The pricing for this version is $189/seat.
10. My customers firewall blocks nearly all outbound ports including those that SupportAnyPC uses. Is it still possible to use SupportAnyPC?
A: Actually there is still a possibility to use SupportAnyPC. Most systems that block outbound ports let through traffic on port 80 so that users can browse the web. If you get a SupportAnyPC setup to use port 80 rather than the default of port 5500, you will be able to use SupportAnyPC on even those networks that block outbound connections.
11. I have more than one IP address in my computer, and I want to use SupportAnyPC on port 80 on one of the IP addresses and IIS on the other, how can I do this?
A: Please contact support@supportanypc.com for instructions to do this.
12. Does SupportAnyPc work on Vista?
A: Current version of SupportAnyPc does not work on Vista. We are working on a release that will support it. More information will be posted when ready.
