TeamViewer is now synonymous with remote desktop, the free and multi-platform program that allows everyone to easily connect remotely to a computer. For the fact that it works well as a professional program and without limitations even in its free version, it is worth deepening the discussion with a guide to optimize connections remotely with Teamviewer and to use it to the fullest .
Those who have never used TeamViewer can read what this program does in allowing remote control of a Windows, Linux or Mac computer.
1) Log in with a registered TeamViewer account
Normally, when you open TeamViewer, you can log in to another computer by knowing its random ID and password.
The ID is generated randomly and is visible by opening the Teamviewer program interface.
This mode is made for making impromptu, non-habitual connections.
To have a list of computers to connect to remotely and not always having to enter passwords, it is worth creating a Teamviewer account.
By accessing this account from all the computers to which you want to connect and leaving Teamviewer running in the background, you can connect remotely from any computer or phone even from the other part of the world.
To register an account, open TeamViewer, click on Computer and contacts at the bottom right of the window and then press on Register .
Then click on the Connection tab at the top left and go to Set up automatic access .
Now follow the instructions to configure a name and password for that computer that becomes a Partner.
TeamViewer can also be used to wake the computer from sleep or hibernation with the Wake-On-LAN feature.
This allows you to keep a PC semi off and be able to turn it on remotely when you need it.
Wake-On-Lan requires a certain configuration which I refer to the Wake-On-LAN manual from the TeamViewer website, in Italian.
2) Remote desktop display, connection speed and quality
After logging in to another computer via Teamviewer, you can see the remote desktop in full screen, making sure that you only see that computer as you were standing in front of it.
Once connected, find the TeamViewer toolbar at the top by moving the mouse and go to the menu View -> Scaling, to select the " Full screen " option.
To do this you can also click on the 4 arrows icon under the Extra menu.
Depending on the resolution of the computer you are connected to, it may not appear in the right proportions on the screen of the computer you are using.
To avoid different resolution problems you can choose to display the screen at a native resolution, to have the same resolution as the screen of the computer connected with the problem that, if this is higher than the computer you are using, you will have to scroll the screen to see the whole desktop.
Better then, if possible uniform the screen resolution of both machines.
Then lower the size of the one that has higher resolution making them equal to the other.
Without touching the settings of the two computers, Teamviewer has the " scaled " display option which reduces the resolution of the remote computer (if larger) proportionately.
When you connect remotely to a computer connected to the internet using Teamviewer, you can move the mouse over that computer as you would stand in front of it, without delay.
If you notice the so-called "lag", ie a response delay, you have to change the quality settings.
Still from the View menu, go to Quality and then to " Optimize speed ".
Still in the Quality menu, you can press " Change custom settings " to adjust the color reduction, Windows Aero colors and animations.
You can safely try and change these options until you are satisfied with the speed of response.
Keep in mind, however, that if you are using a slow connection, for example that of a wifi stick that does not have full signal, there may be no possibility of improving the situation even by lowering the visual quality to a minimum.
3) Transfer files between computers
You can transfer files from one machine to another with TeamViewer, even while connected to the remote desktop.
To do this, you have to press on File Transfer in the TeamViewer toolbar at the top.
The window that appears allows you to drag and drop files from one computer to another.
It is also possible to transfer files without using the computer's remote control, by selecting "file transfer" in the main interface instead of "connection with the partner".
When you connect, you can browse files and folders on your desktop computer and move files by dragging them from one to the other.
File transfer is faster in this mode, without connection in remote desktop.
If you are using TeamViewer on Windows and want to secure the connection, you can create a TeamViewer VPN .
For this type of file transfer, you need to connect with the other computer, go to Extra, then to VPN and finally to Start or Start .
Once the VPN has started, you can use "File Transfer" from the toolbar as you normally would.
The VPN option also allows the computer to be a part of the same network as the remote computer.
It then becomes possible to access network resources including the printer, to print at home when you are away.
4) Register
If you are using TeamViewer to give technical support or to remember a certain procedure, you can easily record what you do on the remote computer from the Extra menu by pressing on Register .
The computer will ask where it can save the TeamViewer session video file which can be played at another time by clicking on it twice.
5) Access from mobile phones and tablets
The beauty of Teamviewer is also in the possibility of being able to control one or more computers remotely even from Android smartphones, tablets, iPhones and iPads.
TeamViewer apps are optimized for use on a small screen of a desktop by moving the mouse with your finger on the screen.
Both apps and management programs for PC and mobile phones can be downloaded from the official Teamviewer website in the Download section.
For any other questions, I refer to the general guide in Italian of this program, provided by Teamviewer himself at this link
