The list of remote access applications is getting longer as we speak, so there are plenty of choices, many of which are free at least for non-commercial use. Ammyy Admin, is one of the easiest, lightweight alternatives as this utility was designed to be used without any configurations, although it offers enough settings for those that need to customize it.
Installation & requirements
Ammyy Admin is a small executable file that works with no installation. All you have to do is download it and double-click on the file to run it. The program is really small (less than 1 MB) and it works on any Windows OS starting with 2000. Nevertheless, the best part is that a remote connection can be established immediately with no configurations needed.
Interface
While the program’s GUI is not very appealing, it is clean and intuitive so that any user is able to use it right away. Both operator and client computers need Ammyy Admin running for a remote connection to be established. Ammyy Admin generates a unique hardware-based ID for every computer that it’s running on. Connections can be created using the ID or the IP of the client computer. As soon as the operator attempts to connect, a notification window pops-up on the client screen, allowing it to accept the connection and set control rights (view screen & remote control, file manager and RDP connection). Once access has been granted, the connection is established within a few seconds.
If these rights have been given, the operator will be able to view and control the remote desktop in an Ammyy Admin window with several options available in its menu, namely connection settings and encoder, file manager, voice chat, screen features and system keys.
Ammyy Admin’s settings allow the user to tweak the program and optimize the quality of the display and remote connection among other customizations. Users can set the connection to run through their own devices, instead of the developers’ public routers, configure a direct TCP connection and configure the connection encoder, display quality and screen scaling.
The application also offers a voice chat feature and essential file management functions. Obviously, the quality of these tools greatly depends on the quality of the connection, which can have significant delays as all the data is encrypted using AES and RSA algorithms.
Pros
– Very small executable file that runs without installation.
– Remote connections can be established without any configuration settings as the program is transparent for firewalls and it also works with computers behind routers.
– Secure connections using AES and RSA encryption algorithms.
– Ammyy Admin can run as a service and allow unattended server administration.
– Essential file management tools.
– Online help manual, F.A.Q. and first-run tutorial.
Cons
– The encryption algorithms can cause significant lags.
– No text chat is available.
Alternatives
– TeamViewer
– LogMeIn
– CrossLoop
Conclusion
The use of AES and RSA encryption algorithms ensure that all remote connections established through Ammyy Admin are completely secure but they also reduce the quality of the connections. Other than that, Ammyy Admin is really simple to use even for newcomers while exigent users get a comprehensive collection of settings to play with.
