Discussion on:

10 indispensable iPhone apps for IT administrators

The iPhone has several powerful apps that allow troubleshooting and network discovery. I no longer carry a notebook everywhere I go. No need.

One thing that should be mentioned although its not an "app" is the built in vpn client, it works great and I am able to use it along with some of the tools listed in the top 10 to check things even if I am not close to a computer.

I am glad you mentioned it. Thank you.

for remote desktop access is a great app

I have heard the name Wyse a lot recently. Is this the same Wyse that made the 80 pound 8088 PBX controller/workstation I have sitting in my closet?

BTW it's still in perfect working order, I "surfed the web" with it once, someone set up a site in the Czech Republic for 8088/86 machines to contact so you could say you did it. =D (1MB expanded mem... "click-click-click-click-" goes the swapping)

I Use Logmein & Winadmin to access ALL of our Servers and workstations , This past year while attending the International Balloon festival in New Mexico I was standing Out in the Middle of the Launch field while accessing My Qualcomm Satelite Server Here in Illinois using the 3G service IT WORKED Great didnt have to go back to the car for the Laptop!!

I still shake my head at having that ability.

I don't have an iPod Touch anymore, but when I did, I recall that there was a free SSH Client that I think you should include in your list. Besides that, another usefull tool (and free) is one used to calculate subnets (can't recall the name). For the speed check, the site speedtest.net has a free app of their own. Also, there is a free app to perform some ping, traceroute and the likes (again, can't recall the name).

But good list tho, thanks!

I thought about SSH clients, but can't remember why I didn't include them. May be in the next 10 article.

This was my first thought also. Not that the others are bad choices, but I would generally consider SSH to be one of the top choices of networking applications. It has such a broad range of uses, including tunneling other applications.

Help me out here, Tommy.

I have tried SSH with remote clients and that was not what I would consider a good exchange. Yet, having them install LogMeIn was uneventful, with the problem being solved.

Sorry, I'm failing to understand what you are trying to say, specially after puting LogMeIn and SSH in the same example, where this tools are, each one of them, aiming to provide support for different platforms (sure you can use an ssh server in windows, but you'll be very limited since it is GUI oriented OS).

Ah, and about the SSH client for the iPhone, one thing that really doesn't go well is the lack of multitasking. Sure that the notifications thing will cover for that in IM software, but for an SSH client, I think there is no other way than multitasking (unless you feel confortable to logout everytime you need to look at the browser or e-mail client).

Can you do this for blackberry bold users
Thankyou

IMO Blackberry is VERY limited in it's capabilities. Great for emails, but not so much computing tasks.

If these apps could be used on blackberry's that'll be great. Which leaves me to wonder?..are more companies using blackberrys as company phones or Iphones?..

I would say that in the US there are more BB's, but here in europe it is usually more Symbian and Windows Mobile. Although RIM has been gaining some ground here, most companies still rely more on Windows Mobile.

Well, I read all of the hype and broke down and bought an iPhone. Some great apps, cost effective and so forth. Had some pics sent to my wifes phone and we decided to get them onto my phone using Bluetooth... NOT! The iPhone does not talk to other phones via Bluetooth. Works great on devices like Uconnect etc but to other phones... nope, no can do. Called Apple and discussed the matter with engineers where they even tried to make it work to no avail.. IMO, this is a failure on the part of the iPhone not being able to connect via Bluetooth to other phones..

One of the issues i have had with out of the box securioty is everything is on and wide open, any wireless connection that is wide open... including 802.11, is a security risk. I cannot think that Apple would want to take something like bluetooth (fairly unsecured) and "open" it up to peer to peer. That wreaks of havoc and disaster. Personally, I woudl rather see the iPhone available on more networks than ATT then opening another window or dooor to the phreakers and hackers.

I understand what you are saying, but depending on the manufacturer, bluetooth can be secure or insecure. For example, take my old Siemens S55. Its BT service was so bad, that if I had it visible to other devices, they could actually see the whole filesystem of the phone, regardless the security options I wuold choose (in fact, those options would only take effect for accepting automatically bluetooth obex transfers). But, besides that, I never had any other bluetooth issues whatsoever. Also, bluetooth is not a protocol that it is constantly streaming sensitive data, most people use it to exchange business cards, send files and connect to headsets. So, for me, having to use the 3G network to attach a foto to send to another device that is less than 1 meter close to me when I could simply use bluetooth it is a failure. It was worst in the beginning tho, because there was no MMS service, but still, c'mon!!!

This isn't a lot of help for most casual users, but a Jailbroken iPhone can Bluetooth communicate. I broke into mine a few months ago, took about 3 minutes total (and is completely restorable, just read up on it first if you're interested) and have seen huge improvements in performance as well as the ability to have apps like video recording (Cycorder)and streaming live video/audio (Qik App) on a standard 3G where Apple released the 3GS with the same camera but it does video. Mine also multi-tasks now, running multiple apps and having a pop up tab to pick which app I want to view while the others work.

Yes, this is not for most and took a lot of thinking before I did it. Some believe too much hype about voiding warranties but in reality I didn't like having a unit capable of so much more and Apple telling me (consumers) that we shouldn't be doing these things because it takes money away from them - thought my $400 covered that but I guess Apple/AT&T needs more $. IMHO it's the best thing I could have done.

Our managers are starting to use IPhones. I actually forwarded this article to my manager for information.

At this moment, with the iPhone, Android and more polished WM, the BB starts to seem kinda dull I would say. Besides, the iPhone, with native push support and that wonderful browser and e-mail viewing almost covers for the lack of mini-office suites where you can view, edit and save files on your device (that is one thing I hate about the iPhone, all that storage and you can't make a fair good use of it).

I would personally go for an iPhone than BB or WM.

This is the biggest loss for the iPhone, I can agree here. I would gather that eventually this will change though. apple has to let down it's guard with such a sweet piece of equipment. There's more money to be made for them!

Don't want to go too far afield because it's a separate subject. But, as a budding iPhone app developer, the Achilles Heels (1 on each foot) for Apple making greater strides into the enterprise is
1) ALL applications first must be vetted through Apple before they can be added to the store - Apple doesn't need to know my business.
2) ALL apps are available to everyone through the store (why would I want my custom biz app publicly available), 3) married to AT&T (bad move Apple. shame on you).

Oh wait, I ran out of feet.

Apple needs to seek divorce with AT&T. My company currently utilizes Verizon. On the enterprise level, I don't see any overall price difference between Verizon and AT&T given the number of devices in my org. Having two different carriers is a billing hassle I don't need. The iPhone isn't enough in and of itself to make me want to run out and replace all my phones and wireless cards in the field, install new software and hand out new phones. Not only that, but after extensive testing with vendor donated wireless cards I discovered Verizon had the best coverage (3g or otherwise) in my area. My GIS guy even went through the trouble of making an actual coverage map using the cards and some various home brew ESRI extensions.

I also agree on the apple store bit. We have a few custom GIS apps that run on windows mobile clients. It is very specialized and can't be made available to other organizations for security reasons. Well it could be, if the developer removed some of the custom bits and features that make it so appealing to my organization. Maybe they should start an iCorporateStore for such things? The developer could just enter usernames that should have access to their apps and it would still be seamless to the enduser. I would imagine Apple would make the developer buy into such a thing and pay fees for publishing apps.

You dont need to publish enterprise apps to the App Store - thats what the iPhone Configuration Utility is for - you can create a standard setup with custom apps and apply it to a device without the need to use the App Store.

I was thinking about both Blackberry as well as Android apps. I certainly will check it out.

EOM

Thanks for providing this resource for IT admins and for including LogMeIn Ignition as part of it. As a quick point of clarification, due to the way the App Store works, the iPhone version of LogMeIn Ignition cannot be offered as a free trial. Those interested in learning more about Ignition can visit https://secure.logmein.com/welcome/iphone/ to view a demo, read reviews, and connect with other users.

Thanks,
Kevin Aries
Community Relationship Manager, LogMeIn
www.Facebook.com/LogMeIn
www.Twitter.com/LogMeInNews

I appreciate the update, that Web page is a bit confusing then.

Is the $29 a one time fee or a yearly fee?

The $29.99 is a one-time fee.

Kevin

because you don't offer a free trial. You have to be able to try it before buying. The online demo is good but its not enough.

Sometimes you just have to take the plunge and try it. I bought the app and whilst I don't use it on regular occasions, it is great to have it for that little emergency when you just need to see what the error message is on the screen or navigate someone's computer out of trouble.

It blows a lot of clients' minds that I can drive their computer through my phone when they're in a different country.

Regular use? Probably not. Get out of jail card? Definitely.

I used to access the LogMeIn Web site using Safari and that was just too painful. One of my clients was surprised that I was accessing his server while riding in a car.

I'd be lost without logmein. It is the only completely finished product that I've found, that has top security in mind. You can go through any firewall including some of the tough ones, and not have to worry about violating the clients security or mine either.

The logmein support team seems to be very conscientious and competent, and development is always ongoing to improve the server service, and GUI.

So far I really like the Pro2 product and have had very good experiences with it. My clients are simply gob-smacked at how well it works, while keeping client side security as a top priority.

I must admit, if I were on the go, I'd actually buy the iPhone just to get logmein as a feature! I would need to be able to talk to the client at the same time as using logmein though; I assume this is possible - from what I see about it on AT&T commercials.

I don't work for any person or company besides myself(disclaimer)

It wasn't $30. Give me a break, that's a lot of money for an app.

I don't care how good it is, I would imagine there are a lot like me that won't spend $30 on an app.

I really look at the paid apps but if it is over $15 I dont even read the description. Maybe I am to cheap but I didn't get an iphone so I could continuously spend money on it.

Thanks, I'll pass this suggestion along to our Product Team. I appreciate the feedback!

Kevin Aries
Community Relationship Manager, LogMeIn Inc.
Facebook.com/LogMeIn
Twitter.com/LogMeInNews

Whilst I understand that it is a lot of money and I thought twice before buying it, I don't really understand why people don't want to pay more than 99 cents for an app on the iPhone. It's not as though it's a piece of software that should have been included on the iPhone. Software packages on the PC are a lot more than that.

Surely the $30 is a simple business expense. I think I've only bought 2 apps for the iPhone and Logmein was one of them.

About 99 cent apps and I don't think it should be that cheap but somewhere in the middle.

It is a business expense and has a coolness factor for a client but I don't have a client that can't wait for another tech to get near a computer and use showmypc for free. I have never had a client say if I have to wait 30 mins for a call back I am taking my business elsewhere.

Would rather put the $30 towards taking a client to lunch and saying thanks for all the support.

It's just not an app that is going to get used so much it justifies the cost, at 10 or 15 you don't have to think about it.

As far as the Tom Tom well that's pricey in my mind but atleast that would be used on a dailey basis.

Just my 2 cents.

There's so much available for free it's tough to pay for an app when there may be a lite version that does what you need it to. You're right $10, $15, $100 (TomTom) is craaazzyyyyy to me.

You can flip that logic. How much does a GPS cost? Also, you have two devices to deal with. I have Tom Tom on my iPhone and I sold my GPS. It is especially nice when on business trips.

Yeah, interesting way to look at it. Though I think it's a bit of a 'new' application which I think may lack what another $100 dedicated device may offer. I have a TomTom as well and still use mine though I hacked my iPhone and have the xGPS now (voice , GPS driven - not triangulated) and it was free. Works pretty well for free. I really can't provide a response to how well TomTom on the iPhone works. My only criticism would be that there's no transfer of the unit...it's YOUR iPhone, so if your wife wanted to go on a trip with the girls she'd have to take your phone as well. A dedicated unit would allow you to let her borrow it and you don't lose your phone in the process. I guess this is all a matter of preference. $100 is pretty steep for an application though another comment made on here is that buying apps is not unlike buying software for your home computer and $15, $30, or $100 is a steal in the software world. - just a thought

You made some good points. That is why I love reading comments. What works for me, may not for others. This is one of the best ways to learn that.

The Tom Tom app is surprisingly close. I do know that I like Tom Tom over Garmin. The one issue is that it is a huge download, taking so long it will not allow you to do it using 3G.

I once worked for the government. In that case, I couldn't in good conscious waste tax payer money by buying a product that I wasn't %100 sure of, no matter the price.

But in the case of corporate money or even my own I wouldn't fret too much over a sub $50 purchase.

Unfortunately, due to the way the App Store works, it is not possible to offer free trials.

Been using Logmein for years - great product, and would like to use the iphone app but to simply say there is no trial version "due to the way the App Store works" is lame. Come on guys figure it out.

and the whole greed picture at the apple store.

I don't think Apple does the pricing, it usually the app's developer.

that Apple always has their mitts in the pie...

http://148apps.biz/app-marketing-101-pricing-your-iphone-app-art-and-science/

where is this "app" store?

I'm thinking of the generic Apple store online, where my brother gets all his apps.

Of course Apple had a great deal to do with the pricing of iTunes music.

You get the apps through iTunes on your computer or through the iPhone itself. I think they are different stores. Or different parts.

I saw your review of LogMeIn Ignition and wanted to let you know about another solution, free NTRconnect Remote Access for iPhone and iPod touch.
NTRconnect is here with all the security, speed and ease of use that LogMeIn Ignition boasts. No hefty price?no sale price?just free. Access
your Mac or PC from anywhere as though you were sitting right in front of
it.

Would you consider reviewing it? Download it at www.ntrconnect.com or you
can find it at the Appstore.


1. Download NTRconnect for iPhone from the App Store to your iPhone.
2. Go to www.ntrconnect.com.
3. Download the NTRconnect agent to the computer you want to access.
4. Follow the Wizard-driven installation process.
5. Start NTRconnect iPhone to immediately connect to you computer!

Using NTRconnect is simple:

? Access the NTRconnect Home page and enter your account data.
? Select the computer you want to control
? Remotely access the computer selected

LANGUAGES:
English
Spanish
French
German
Italian

NTRconnect Free meets the needs of those who require simple remote access
and control of up to two computers.
When you sign up for NTRconnect, you'll automatically get a 30-day free
trial of NTRconnect Pro remote access. If you decide that NTRconnect Pro
offers more than you need, continue with NTRconnect Free at no cost.

NTRconnect Pro is a total remote access solution with advanced features
like file transfer, remote start up, key card access and Skype Integration.
With NTRconnect Pro you can connect to as many computers as you need. Our
affordable pricing plan includes volume discounts and you can pay month to
month or save 30% if you pay for a 12 month subscription.

Share your digital photo albums, music and video files, or anything you
keep on your Mac or PC (Windows or Linux)

Improve productivity and save time - get to your remote files and
applications in seconds. Keep in touch. Answer e-mails; attend to your
customers and colleagues at any time. Access your intranet at any time. You
can access your corporate intranet as if you were sitting right in front of
your office computer.

Enjoy 24/7 unlimited mobility - access your work or home computer from
anywhere. Avoid unnecessary travel. You never have to go to the office to
access e-mail and files on your work computer or run home to retrieve a
file. The ideal tool for executives and sales reps. Designed for
professionals who need to access their computers when on business trips or
just out of the office.

That you are only allowed to access two computers with the free version?

I have been using logmein free for a year now.(Our company is using it for more than 1 year).

i can connect to multiple computers with no limitation, can copy/paste, can even disable user's monitor and keyboard and mouse.

the downside is. they removed the grouping function. we kinda need that since we are supporting our external offices in the middle east so grouping them by country is great.

but found a work-around. i just renamed the computer name so that the country name will be the first word. then just sort alphabetically.

as for the iphone app, yes kinda expensive. but i believe its worth it.

but would suggest not installing it.. Why? you will have an instant Overtime

I miss the grouping ability. Wonder why they did that. Trying to move us to professional I suppose.

.... I'll break down and buy an iPhone!

got it on my iphone... v cool

Citrix ICA client for iPhone and Adroid has been availible for free for some time now

How about Blackberry apps?

I will try and duplicate this effort.

Speedtest.net also has a bandwidth testing app which indicated latency, and it's free

I use ITap RDP Client on the iPhone. Costs about 1/2 what Logmein costs (11.99 so still a bit $) but works great. Its fast and keyboard input is really nice the way the app handles that. Has FIPS compliant security and support for NLA. The bottom line is its actually very usable. I tried several before going with this one, however didn't give the logmein app a try.

I have been using LogMeIn for along time and to switch all the remote clients would be painful.

Thanks for mentioning it.

Hello everyone, I need a new smart phone. I love both. But I need one thats great for I.T. I work in I.T. and I need to know which is best Droid or IPHONE, or are they about even. Thanks for your help.

I have an Archos (Android) and an iPhone. IT-wise, I think they have similar apps. I like the iPhone better for the quality of the apps (personal opinion). Besides, it has so many other apps that I consider must have now.

thanks Michael!

Get the droid and get all the functions mentioned in this article for free or much, much less than for the iPhone.

Any of you familiar with the forums over at ZDNet are well aware Linux leaves the telnet port "wide open by default," so I suppose #9 is a good idea, so's you can close the door to keep the pigs from getting out of the barn...

But seriously, SNAP looks like a simple arp scan, which is just about the most useful tool to get started with ever invented.

Reading this list makes me want to get an iphone, not that I'd use a cell phone (who needs the radiation to the head) but at arm's length, and in such a small form factor these apps look like contenders.

Only thing is I'd need to borrow glasses from Bubbles to see anything:

http://www.thecoast.ca/images/blogimages/2009/09/17/1253194372-bubbles.jpg

Pgit, I missed your humor. Glad to have you comment.

I keep finding uses for mine. Snap and WifiTrack are indispensable in my world.

Linux leaves the telnet door open? I've been running Linux for years. I can't speak for all installs, but since at least Debian 3.1, telnet isn't even running on the server unless you specifically install it. In fact, I believe on Ubuntu you don't even have SSH server installed unless you tell it to. There's been an effort on the part of Debian and Ubuntu, and probably many others, to move people away from telnet and to ssh. Apparently, many people are not aware that anyone running a network sniffer on the same network where someone is using telnet can watch the password go across in the clear. That's just the way telnet was designed.

Unfortunately, Windows machines come with telnet installed but not ssh, so people will sometimes enable telnet on the Linux servers. Better practice by far is to install Putty or some other SSH program for anyone who actually needs to access the server, and leave telnet off.

I also am aware of the risk of telnet. I only use it when connected to the local network, never over the Internet. I use LogMeIn for that.

Using linux since RedHat6 and never got that... Can you explain where you got that idea? And btw, why use telnet with *nix os's when you have ssh!? In fact, the only use I can think of for telnet is to connect to some small appliances (routers, printers, etc) or to telnet a specific port of a TCP/IP service for troubleshooting.

I prefaced my comments with 'those familiar with the forums at ZDNet...'

There's a world class troll over there going by the name of "Loverock Davidson" that is in fact either Linus Torvalds or Steve Ballmer having fun. No other explanation for the lunacy this fellow spews.

Every chance he gets he slams Linux, always refers to the other as "Microsoft Windows" (always spelled out in full) and almost always makes the unfounded statement that Linux is insecure because it "leaves the telnet port wide open by default."

I have been an exclusive Linux user in my shop since 1998, and my current 'large account' efforts are toward greater Linux presence in the SMBs I service. (though the times have me servicing individual's crudded up windows computers a lot lately)

Anyhoo, this LD character gets the new comers all the time. People try to reason with him, and often get hot under the collar when he never, and I mean never, backs up a single statement he makes with fact one.

I haven't even seen telnet installed on an out of the box distro since probably 2002. Yet this LD keeps harping on it, despite hundreds of people asking him to back up the claim.

Didn't mean to get anyone's hackles up, one of my own resolutions for 2010 is to get the blood pressure down... which if I were encountering LD for the first time right now would have been an abysmal failure not a week into the new year. (he's quite effective until you catch on)

I have another question about this article, I'll post separately so it'll get noticed...

and over here too(of course); I read your posts over there a lot!

If I had time, I'd use physiological warfare on LD, but he is brain dead. I suspect that is on purpose. Maybe if I come up with a tactic, I'll relate it, but I usually enjoy using other techniques on the other folks there.

I've been pleasantly surprised as of late, though. Seemingly, there is a new breed of argument, that actually listens to some form of logic, and my quips have back fired on me, as of late.

I feel I should have engaged more intelligently with some of these new folks there!

As far as LD - (s)he is not nearly as much fun as Mike Cox(of course), but I bet we could have some fun with "it" if we put our heads together. HA!!

Thanks for you contributions to both sites here; I really appreciate it!

Ah, I see, thanks for the explanation. I failed to see the resemblance as I was not aware of that trolling @ ZDNet... Hum, will start to follow that, sounds like fun (:

.

You are among the smallish body of folks who's posts I always read, you have a good tendency to make me (and others if they have a propensity...) think.

Like recently I was touting scroogle and mentioned their policy of expunging records in 48 hours. You asked how do I know that's true...

um.

Making folks think = all good. =D

I tried to use a non-sequitur approach to LD but he never responded. He seems to never respond unless his name is mentioned.

We should keep trying though, something has to push his buttons... unless it is in fact Steve Ballmer or Linus having fun.

Nice article. I'll take a look some of the apps that was mentioned.

Currently, I'm using the built in VPN client then the RDP lite to perform task which I normally do in the office.

Will these apps install/run on an ipod touch? A colleague just acquired one and the wifi is incredible, more sensitive than the Mac he uses that sits about ten yards from the access point. That one drops wireless on occasion, but so far the touch is rock solid anywhere it goes.

To my eyes the touch is nothing but an iphone without the phone, true? In that case the sole distinction would be the iphone carries it's own internet connection (via ATT, meaning "when available") But most of the apps if not all look like they'd work in an environment where the internet/network access is provided by a wifi access point.

Anyone know? (I can't talk the fellow into trying, he's new to the touch and so far uses it for tunes, weather and some contact info...)

If these would work on the touch, I absolutely would get one, I can't think of anywhere I'd use these tools where the phone connection would be necessary.

Of my knowledge all the apps will work on the iPod. I have not personally checked all of them, but the few I did worked great.

Nice article. You covered a lot of good apps.

It's not specifically an IT tool, but I found jailbreaking the iPhone was the best thing I ever did. It allows a complete overhaul of the locked down UI, full mutlitasking support and a myriad of other powerful features, tools, and apps that make my mobile life easier. And, it's easy to go back to default if necessary.

For SSH, I like both iSSH and TouchTerm.

iSSH is an awesome swiss-army knife that I just found. It handles telnet, ssh, vnc, and X11 tunneling. It supports custom key macros, saved sessions, and multiple concurrent connections within the app. The features on the roadmap are pretty exciting (connection wizards, NX Compression for X, a native X Window Manager port, Windows RDP, etc.)

http://www.zinger-soft.com/iSSH_features.html

As a network and security guy, I like the Cisco SIO To Go app for Day 0 threat activity information.

I like snap and wifitrak for basic tools, but Stumbler Plus is more powerful. I have nmap, ngrep, netcat, tcpdump, and others available from the cli using either a local console or ssh client connected to localhost.

Enjoy...

Jim

I agree 100% about the jailbreak. Also pleased to know about iSSH & Stumbler Plus.
I already use Touch Term and the various console tools, as well as Backgrounder & Pro Switcher for the multitasking. Going to have to step up to the 3GS soon for the increased RAM

The ipod touch devices I've seen looked exactly like an iphone sans phone.

I think I might just pick me up one of these critters, after the property tax and home owner's insurance bills are paid and my wife's whole house water filtration system project is done and paid for... maybe June? (year withheld)

You are right indeed, the iPod Touch (lets call it iTouch) is just an iPhone without the mobile phone thing and integrated microphone. The last generation of the iTouch can also use the headsets with integrated mic for apps like Skype and Fring. When I had my iTouch, I had some of the applications mentioned in this article, plus some other ones that I mentioned in my first reply, thus making the device my pocket IT swiss-knife. Basically, like the author said, the iPhone OS platform is a very very useful device for the tech guy, I would have one if I was still doing consulting.

"AD HelpDesk" lets me unlock user accounts from my iphone, which I find pretty useful.

www.adhelpdesk.com

What about Rove Mobile Admin for iPhone / iPad?