Services: Remote Assistance
If you have a small problem which doesn't justify the cost of a call-out, or simply need a little help with something on your PC, our Remote Assistance service may be just what you need.
It's a service which allows you to temporarily give us control of your PC via the Internet to look at and solve problems. Whilst it is active, our screen, mouse and keyboard are effectively connected to your computer. All you need is to be running Microsoft Windows and (preferably) have a broadband Internet connection.
Setting up a Remote Assistance session
It's very simple! First, contact us to arrange a suitable date and time. Then download the BovettOnlineAssist program and save it on your desktop (see below if you need help with downloading). At the prearranged time, telephone us and we will tell you what to do.
Charges
The normal charge for a remote assistance session is £20 per hour or part of an hour. However, if you are not one of our existing customers, sessions are limited to one hour.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I download the BovettOnlineAssist program?
The following instructions work for most common web browsers...
Using the right hand mouse button*, click on the download link below. A menu will appear. Look for an item with a title like "Save Target As..." or "Save Link As..." and click it (left button). A box titled "Save As" will appear. Left click on "Desktop" on the left hand side of the box, then on the "Save" button near the bottom right. That's it - the BovettOnlineAssist icon should now appear on your desktop.
BovettOnlineAssist download link
* If you have reversed the mouse buttons, of course (maybe because you are left handed), you should reverse the left and right hand mouse buttons in the instructions above.
How does it work?
It uses a technology called VNC. The BovettOnlineAssist program is built using an implementation of VNC called UltraVNC SC - you can find out more at the UltraVNC SC website.
Who can use it?
The service is available to anyone running Windows (95 or above) with a working broadband Internet connection. Whilst the service will in principle work over a dial-up connection it is very slow and thus only suitable for minor tasks.
Is it safe and secure?
You are in control of the connection - we can only connect whilst the remote control program is running, and you can stop it or break the connection at any time. Also, the connection is encrypted to prevent other people spying on your PC or attempting to take over control.
Will it work through my firewall?
Yes. Because the connection is started from your computer, it is an outgoing connection so the firewall should not block it. Some firewall programs such as ZoneAlarm will warn you that a "VNC server" is trying to access the Internet - you should click "Allow".
Will it install stuff on my PC?
The "BovettOnlineAssist" program is completely self contained. It does not install any additional files or alter any registry settings on your PC. Once the remote assistance session is over and the program ends, all that will be left of it is the file you downloaded.