1.1 What if I can't logon / connect to the iConnect server?
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After installation, the first step in using iSupport Agent software is to logon. This is accomplished by clicking on the Agent Available box from the Agent Main Display. If the logon process fails, it generally means that a firewall is blocking the connection. You should check the following items, in the order listed, to correct the problem:
1.1.1 Check whether a firewall program is running on the technician's PC. An example is Norton Personal Firewall. In the case of Norton, go to the Program Control screen and ensure that there is the following entry under Manual Program Control: RTSAGENT.EXE Permit All.
1.1.2 In certain corporate firewall configurations, you may need to ask the administrator to open designated ports (outbound-only) through the firewall. The specific ports that need to be opened are: 7337 (main service port), 8888 (chat), 5900 (remote control), 22 (agent logon) and ports 1025-5000 (secondary ports).
A remote session can be established between a client and a technician in a variety of ways. These include: (a) starting with a phone call; (b) starting with a chat session initiated through a form at a website; (c) starting with SmartAccess to an unattended client system; and (d) starting with a desktop icon or link in an email.
2.2 How do I establish an iSupport session if the client contacts me by phone? You can start iSupport directly if you're already talking to the client by phone. On the technician side, click on the Roaring Pine icon in the System Tray and select Start iSupport Direct or SmartAccess from the pull-down menu. The iSupport control panel will come up. Click on the button, Get Key for Client. After a moment, the status lamps will change to red / green and a Key value will be returned adjacent to the button.
In the meantime, instruct the client to double click on the iSupport Client desktop icon and enter the same Key value as returned above. First-time clients should download and install iSupport Client software at: www.roaringpine.com/isupportinstall.html. This is a 30-second process. At the end of the installation, the iSupport Client window will open and the client will be prompted to enter a Key value as above.
The installed approach above is recommended on the client side. Alternatively, you can instruct the client to open an Internet Explorer browser and go to: www.roaringpine.com/isupport.html, using an ActiveX approach. When the iSupport Client application comes up, instruct the client to enter the Key value returned above.
2.3 How do I establish an iSupport session if the client alerts me via the Internet? A client can initiate a session by first filling out a form at a website. An example is located at: www.roaringpine.com/ias/techsupport/TECHSUPPORTisupporthelp.html. When the client submits the form, an iConnect alert will be sent to the technician.
On the technician side, accept the alert and allow the iConnect session to setup with a green status lamp. To begin an iSupport session, click on the client's name under the iConnect Push icon to expose the pull-down menu. Select RTS - Start iSupport Session. Both PCs will transition to iSupport.
2.4 How do I establish an iSupport session using SmartAccess? To use SmartAccess, log on as an iSupport Agent as usual. Click on the Close button to hide the iSupport Agent application. Click on the Roaring Pine icon in the System Tray and select Start iSupport Direct or SmartAccess from the menu.
Click on the SmartAccess button and enter the Account and Password for the unattended client system. After about 30 seconds, the status lamps on the control panel will change to green / green, indicating that an iSupport session is established. At this point, you can use any of the iSupport features.
2.5 How do I install a desktop icon on the client's PC or use a pre-programmed alerting link in an email? A desktop icon is essentially a pre-programmed alerting form that you install on the desktop of a client's PC. This allows the client to alert you in one or two clicks without entering any information. From a marketing perspective, a desktop icon is a friendly way of providing a security blanket to your customers and reminding them of your service, so they think of you first for technical support.
You can similarly include a pre-programmed alerting link in emails to clients, allowing them to respond to you in real time and go directly into an iSupport session. Please contact Roaring Pine for more information. We are happy to provide you with code examples.
3.0 Connecting to the Client
3.1 What if I can't connect to a first-time client? iSupport Client software is installed on the client's system in one of two ways: (1) using a dedicated install procedure with any browser, or (2) using an ActiveX control with an Internet Explorer browser. Unless a client is transitioning to iSupport from iConnect (e.g., the client filled out a website form and alerted a technician), we recommend that the installed approach be used.
iSupport Client software can be obtained at: www.roaringpine.com/isupportinstall.html. It's a 30-second process to download and install the software. Once installed, a client can initiate subsequent iSupport sessions by simply double clicking on the desktop icon.
If iSupport Client software fails to connect to the iSupport server or fails to install in the case of ActiveX, you should check the following items, in the order listed, to correct the problem:
3.1.1 The client may not have administrative privileges for the PC being used. The current user on the PC may need to switch to Admin, or be given the appropriate user status in order to load software.
3.1.2 The client system may have a firewall program active, in which case approval may need to be given for iSupport Client to connect to the Internet. For Norton Personal Firewall, a dialog box will be displayed prompting for an approval.
3.1.3 Occasionally, the client system may be configured to have port 443 blocked. This will cause the connection to fail since port 443 is the default port used to connect to the iSupport server. In such case, you should instruct the client to select Port 80 instead of Port 443 from the Key Entry dialog box.
3.1.4 The ActiveX approach is used if the client alerts a technician from a website form or if the client starts iSupport directly by going to: www.roaringpine.com/isupport.html from an Internet Explorer browser.
If the software fails to load, the client may be using a Win XP SP2 system and has failed to make the necessary approvals. The Information Bar in the browser may indicate "Installation Blocked - Install ActiveX Control." If this is the case, the client should approve installation via the Information Bar. Instructions are also included in the iSupport Client load page that displays automatically when an iSupport session is first initiated.
Rather than giving separate approvals as above, a client can pre-approve access to Roaring Pine. Within the IE browser the client should go to Tools / Internet Options, select the Security tab, click on Trusted Sites, click the Sites button, and add *://*.roaringpine.com. When loading the iSupport Client, a Save/Open dialog box will come up, and the client should click on Open. 3.1.5 Other items to check for are: (a) is ActiveX enabled in the browser? (b) does the client's browser need to be repaired? (especially true for older systems) and (c) has a Microsoft library been damaged or corrupted?
An iSupport macro is simply a text-based file with a .RMC suffix that contains a sequence of instructions. For a macro to be usable in an iSupport session, it must first be stored in the iSupport/Macros folder or the folder you have designated on the technician's PC. You can check the location of your macros folder by: (a) opening iSupport Agent and clicking on Options from the Agent Main Display; and then (b) selecting the iSupport tab and noting the folder location specified under Base Macro Folder.
4.2 Where can I find iSupport macros? Macro examples are located at this website at: iSupport Macro Catalog. In addition, sample macros are included with the installation of iSupport Agent software in the folder C:\Program Files\RTSAgent\samples.
4.3 How do I download and use iSupport macros? To obtain a macro, go to the catalog page for the desired macro (e.g., analyzer.rmc) and click on the "Install this macro" link.
To use the macro during an iSupport session, simply click on the Macro button from the iSupport Control Panel. Then select the macro and click on Run.
4.4 How do I create iSupport macros? Macros are easy to construct. The commands for macros are based on the buttons found on the iSupport Control Panel. These commands, together with conditional and goto statements, form the macro language.
Macros can be viewed and created using any text editor. To start out, simply view the source code for any macro provided by Roaring Pine. Most macros are well commented to explain their operation. Then refer to the Macro User Guide for command and syntax instructions. You should be easily able to tailor any existing macro to fit the exact needs of your business and client base.
By using macros whenever you can, you save time and improve the efficiency and quality of your technical support operations. With macros, you can diagnose and fix problems with a click of the mouse — without having to reinvent a solution on-the-fly every time the problem is encountered.
5.1 How can I use full-screen mode for the remote control window? This mode may be the most practical if you use remote control extensively. First establish a remote control session with the client system. Then left click on the icon in the far upper left corner of the technician's remote control window and select "Full screen" from the menu.
The full screen mode provides a window-on-window type of display to deal with cases where the client's display is larger than the technician's. Move the cursor to the edge of the technician's remote control window and the display will move in that direction to capture additional areas of the client's display. To exit from full-screen mode, use Ctrl-Esc Esc to restore the Windows Taskbar on the technician's PC. Then right click on the PCV button in taskbar and unselect "Full screen" from the menu.
5.2 How can I scale the size of the remote control window? First establish a remote control session with the client system. Then right click on the PCV icon in the technician's System Tray and select "Default connection options..." In the Display area of the Connection Options window, check the "Scale by" box and select the ratio desired. It may be useful to try a rato of 9/10 as a starting point. You will need to close the remote display window and re-select Remote from the iSupport Control Panel to effect the change in scaling.
Some technicians prefer to have a small remote control window open at all times during the session, just to monitor results on the client's PC. You can create such a window by choosing a scaling ratio of 1/2.
5.3 How can I eliminate scroll bars in the remote control window? The best approach is to follow the instructions above for full screen mode.
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