Item: SolarWinds Dameware Remote Support (DRS)
Rating: 8
Author: Verified User

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We use SolarWinds Dameware Remote Support for remoting into machines between remote sites and VPN connections. We needed a solution that was in-house and easy to manage. Dameware Remote Support ticked all the boxes we needed at the time. We have a mix of Desktops, laptops, and camera systems that we needed remote access into without logging out the existing user. This was very important because Remote Desktop Connection will log out console connections. We looked into Windows Remote Assistance, which is baked into every copy of windows, but it was very challenging to set up, and we could not complete implementation.

Pros and Cons

Easy automatic agent installation via MSI and GPO.
Fast and intuitive interface for managing PCs.
Flexible method to manage IT admins via Active Directory linking.

While still compatible with newer versions of windows, the interface is dated. Seems to be based on an old back-end.
Remote clipboard features are a little confusing in the beginning.
Support for multi monitors needs help.
Bandwidth usage seems higher than newer alternatives.

Return on Investment

We no longer had to invest time trying to figure out implementing windows remote assistance.
Once up and running, we haven't had to do any maintenance besides security updates.
We are beginning to have more problems with remote users not connected to VPN and may need to look to a cloud solution instead.

Alternatives Considered

SolarWinds Dameware Remote Everywhere (DRE)

SolarWinds Dameware Remote Everywhere is the next-gen product. It is an interesting solution, being cloud-based, and we are currently investigating the pros and cons of the two.

Key Insights

Do you think SolarWinds Dameware Remote Support (DRS) delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with SolarWinds Dameware Remote Support (DRS)'s feature set?

Yes

Did SolarWinds Dameware Remote Support (DRS) live up to sales and marketing promises?

Yes

Did implementation of SolarWinds Dameware Remote Support (DRS) go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy SolarWinds Dameware Remote Support (DRS) again?

Yes

Other Software Used

PDQ Deploy, Sage CRM, Microsoft Exchange

Likelihood to Recommend

[SolarWinds Dameware Remote Support] is excellent in an environment where every PC is connected via LAN. Setting up remote support over the internet requires port forwarding, and the Dameware protocol doesn't seem to be well suited to low bandwidth WAN connections.

A remote support program with a good feature set, but it's backend is growing long in the tooth.

Overall Satisfaction with SolarWinds Dameware Remote Support (DRS)