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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
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    me: Albuquerque scope: Mayhill, NM
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    Default TeamViewer vs VPNs

    Hi, a tip here on using TeamViewer:

    Recently I've read several reports of TeamViewer mislabeling observers' (very) non-profit usage as "Commercial" and threatening to block their access. It started happening to me a few weeks ago, and this morning I discovered the cause: when I connect TeamViewer through a VPN, I almost always get the "commercial use" popup; when I connect without a VPN, TeamViewer works as normal.

    This probably arises from VPNs' roots in corporations' providing wide but secure access to their employees, and TeamViewer haven't figured out (or don't care) that VPNs have since gone very mainstream. In any case, the workaround is simple enough, and I don't especially care if someone snoops on my downloaded FITS files. Hope this helps.
    measuring space rock rotation rates, live from Albuquerque NM

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Mesa, AZ
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    Default

    By "VPN" do you mean something like Nord VPN?
    -- Bob

  3. #3
    Join Date
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    me: Albuquerque scope: Mayhill, NM
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    Default

    Yes, exactly. Nord VPN was in fact the VPN on which I discovered TeamViewer's commercial-use warning behavior.
    measuring space rock rotation rates, live from Albuquerque NM

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
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    me: Albuquerque scope: Mayhill, NM
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    Default

    UPDATE: now, even without VPN, TeamViewer has entirely cut me off. Apparently using a VPN in my home office a couple of times tagged me in their eyes as commercial, which might have been valid in 1995. Or they've broken their previous policies. Either way--yeah, thanks for your duplicitous bait-and-switch, TeamViewer, and for being 25 years out of date. Thanks especially for "playing fair".

    Moving on to FileZilla Server or Chrome-based access, I guess.
    measuring space rock rotation rates, live from Albuquerque NM

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
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    me: Albuquerque scope: Mayhill, NM
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    Default

    Happier conclusion to this: I now use Google Drive, having uninstalled TeamViewer everywhere.

    Each morning I can upload the night's images from the observatory PC to (free) Google Drive; simultaneously Google Backup and Sync on my home office PC download them automatically. Then when I drag the image folder to my work drive, the images disappear from Google Drive but not from the observatory PC. Nicer and much faster than I expected.

    But I don't sync the observatory PC to Google Drive, for pretty good reasons: (1) upload times are negligible, (2) while running ACP etc I want the absolute fewest possible other processes running, and (3) when I move the images out of the home office Google Drive folder, google Sync would delete them off my *observatory* PC by relayed sync (eek).

    (Yes it's annoying to give Google access to more data, but if they can divine purchase intent from FITS files, Civilization is canceled anyway...)
    measuring space rock rotation rates, live from Albuquerque NM

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Mesa, AZ
    Posts
    33,149

    Default

    OK, good news. Yeah it seems that TV is clamping down. As you say, there are alternatives. For me the additional functionality is work the $$ for the business license.
    -- Bob

  7. #7

    Default

    FYI, i started seeing this a few weeks ago, as well. i don't use a VPN or anything unusual. i filled out the form at this link on their site to say i am not commercial... https://www.teamviewer.com/en/suppor...use-suspected/

    a week later my access was restored to normal. i told them i access my personal observatory computers, my occasional desktop, laptop, and provide support to my 90 year old father in law 3000mi away. i have also offered for years to pay a reasonable "personal use" fee but that falls on deaf ears for some reason.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
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    me: Albuquerque scope: Mayhill, NM
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    Default

    Except one note: personal VPNs are far from unusual, however vividly TeamViewer (who are in the secure data business after all) pretend to hallucinate differently.

    Using a VPN has become the web analogue of putting on shoes before pushing a lawn mower.
    measuring space rock rotation rates, live from Albuquerque NM

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    Milton, ON, Canada
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    Default

    Eric - thanks for the heads up on this. My suspicion is TV looks to see if for the majority of times it is running on the same subnet eg 192.168.x.x, and if so, assumes personal use.

  10. #10
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    Default

    I really don't care what TeamViewer's problem is. They lied about my usage and then cut me off with no justification whatever.
    measuring space rock rotation rates, live from Albuquerque NM

 

 

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