TeamViewer
Encyclopedia
TeamViewer is a computer software
package for remote control, desktop sharing, and file transfer between computers. The software operates with the Microsoft Windows
, Mac OS X
, Linux
, iOS, and Android operating system
s. It is possible to access a machine running TeamViewer with a web browser
. While the main focus of the application is remote control of computers, collaboration and presentation features are included.
TeamViewer GmbH was founded in 2005 in Uhingen
, Germany.
, although the 'Quick Support' version will run without installation. To connect to another computer, TeamViewer has to be running on both machines. To install TeamViewer administrator
access is required, but once installed it can be run by any user. When Teamviewer is started on a computer, it generates a partner ID and password (user-defined passwords are also supported). To establish a connection from a local client to a remote host machine, the local operator must communicate with the remote operator, request the ID and password, then enter these into the local TeamViewer.
and AES
(256-bit) session encoding. But since it uses a username and password as the only security measure, it is vulnerable to phishing
, etc.
In the default configuration, TeamViewer uses one of the servers of TeamViewer.com to handle the connection and the routing of traffic between the local client and the remote host machine, so all the traffic between the two sides goes through a third party's server.
Computer software
Computer software, or just software, is a collection of computer programs and related data that provide the instructions for telling a computer what to do and how to do it....
package for remote control, desktop sharing, and file transfer between computers. The software operates with the Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
, Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
, Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
, iOS, and Android operating system
Operating system
An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
s. It is possible to access a machine running TeamViewer with a web browser
Web browser
A web browser is a software application for retrieving, presenting, and traversing information resources on the World Wide Web. An information resource is identified by a Uniform Resource Identifier and may be a web page, image, video, or other piece of content...
. While the main focus of the application is remote control of computers, collaboration and presentation features are included.
TeamViewer GmbH was founded in 2005 in Uhingen
Uhingen
Uhingen is a town in the district of Göppingen in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. It is located on the river Fils, 5 km west of Göppingen....
, Germany.
Establishing connections
Teamviewer may be installed with an installation procedureInstallation (computer programs)
Installation of a program is the act of putting the program onto a computer system so that it can be executed....
, although the 'Quick Support' version will run without installation. To connect to another computer, TeamViewer has to be running on both machines. To install TeamViewer administrator
Superuser
On many computer operating systems, the superuser is a special user account used for system administration. Depending on the operating system, the actual name of this account might be: root, administrator or supervisor....
access is required, but once installed it can be run by any user. When Teamviewer is started on a computer, it generates a partner ID and password (user-defined passwords are also supported). To establish a connection from a local client to a remote host machine, the local operator must communicate with the remote operator, request the ID and password, then enter these into the local TeamViewer.
Linux port
TeamViewer for Linux appears to be based upon the Windows version. Additionally, /opt/teamviewer/teamviewer/$tv_ver/bin/teamviewer contains links to a wrapper of a Windows executable:- export TV_BINDIR=/opt/teamviewer/teamviewer/$tv_ver/bin
- exec "$TV_BINDIR"/wrapper "c:\Program Files\TeamViewer\Version$tv_ver\TeamViewer.exe" "$@"
Security
TeamViewer uses RSA private/public key exchangePublic key infrastructure
Public Key Infrastructure is a set of hardware, software, people, policies, and procedures needed to create, manage, distribute, use, store, and revoke digital certificates. In cryptography, a PKI is an arrangement that binds public keys with respective user identities by means of a certificate...
and AES
Advanced Encryption Standard
Advanced Encryption Standard is a specification for the encryption of electronic data. It has been adopted by the U.S. government and is now used worldwide. It supersedes DES...
(256-bit) session encoding. But since it uses a username and password as the only security measure, it is vulnerable to phishing
Phishing
Phishing is a way of attempting to acquire information such as usernames, passwords, and credit card details by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication. Communications purporting to be from popular social web sites, auction sites, online payment processors or IT...
, etc.
In the default configuration, TeamViewer uses one of the servers of TeamViewer.com to handle the connection and the routing of traffic between the local client and the remote host machine, so all the traffic between the two sides goes through a third party's server.
See also
- Remote desktop softwareRemote desktop softwareIn computing, the term remote desktop refers to a software or an OS feature allowing applications, either command line programs or graphical applications, to be run remotely on a server, while being displayed locally. Remote desktop applications have varying features...
- Comparison of remote desktop software
- Remote Desktop ProtocolRemote Desktop ProtocolRemote Desktop Protocol is a proprietary protocol developed by Microsoft, which provides a user with a graphical interface to another computer. The protocol is an extension of the ITU-T T.128 application sharing protocol. Clients exist for most versions of Microsoft Windows , Linux, Unix, Mac OS...
(RDP) - Terminal ServicesTerminal ServicesRemote Desktop Services in Windows Server 2008 R2, formerly known as Terminal Services in Windows Server 2008 and previous versions, is one of the components of Microsoft Windows that allows a user to access applications and data on a remote computer over a network, using the Remote Desktop...
- Virtual Network ComputingVirtual Network ComputingIn computing, Virtual Network Computing is a graphical desktop sharing system that uses the RFB protocol to remotely control another computer...
(VNC)