NoMachine is a remote desktop tool, which means that it lets you use another computer over a network just as if you were sitting in front of it. In this respect, it allows you not only to move the mouse pointer but also transfer any type of data, including audio and video contents. Moreover, it lets you use remote devices as if they were actually plugged to your PC or, reversely, use the remote computer to access local devices. Besides, you can record any type of activity on the remote machine’s screen.
The application has an excellent interface with the possibility of switching between two themes. To help minimize your efforts, most of the operations are done with the help of wizards. Still, it can be difficult to use by beginners, mostly because some technical knowledge is implied.
In order to connect two computers, the program should be running on both of them. After installing the software, it’s added to the startup list. So, it runs automatically with every session and is accessible through its icon in the System Tray. From there, you can visualize the status of the connection and transfer as well as use such tools as the whiteboard and the recording bar. Unfortunately, there’s no menu item to stop or pause the program.
When configuring a connection, there are two protocols available: NX, which is native to NoMachine and is optimized for multimedia transfer, and SSH, a widely used industry standard. If you’re concerned about the security of your data, there’s no reason to worry about, because this tool uses strong encryption algorithms to secure your connection.
All in all, NoMachine can come in handy for users who need to access, let’s say, their work computer from home, or vice versa. It can help network administrators, who are in constant need of working remotely. Moreover, it allows you share your desktop with other users. In this regard, I liked that it lets you use the remote computer without blocking desktop access. Data transfer is as fast as your network can support, with almost no lag time. However, some parts of the screen may get blurred at times until they are refreshed.
v6.0.80 [Nov 19, 2017]
NoMachine 6 brings a ton of exciting novelties, including a revamp of our product families. Here’s an overview of some of the most important enhancements you can see NoMachine 6.0 for Windows, macOS and Linux.
Browser-based access for all enterprise products
Web-based access is no longer exclusive to Cloud Server. This highly-requested functionality is available in all products of the Terminal Server and Cloud Server suites. Remote users connecting from clientless endpoints can now connect to the desktop environment via any HTML-enabled browser.
New Cloud Server
The decision to extend browser-based access to our other products allows us to reposition the Cloud Server with a brand new feature-set. Cloud Server becomes a connection broker to all other NoMachine servers and foreign hosts and sits at the top of the NoMachine product hierarchy in the eponymous product suite. It consolidates the entire NoMachine server stack, providing centralized access to all other servers in the NoMachine infrastructure.
Streamlined product families
Linux virtual desktop is now exclusive to the Linux Terminal Server family with Enterprise Terminal Server at the helm, replacing both Enterprise Server and Cloud Server for Linux version 5 when used to run virtual Linux desktop sessions. Enterprise Terminal Server offers load-balancing of Terminal Server Nodes and failover as its predecessors did with the additional bonus of browser-based access.
Server-to-server
From version 6, the standalone Workstation and Terminal Server products can function as servers of Cloud Server. Customers using either of these products in version 5, or earlier, as nodes in their NoMachine cluster have the option to replace them with Terminal Server Nodes. Enterprise Desktop continues to provide remote desktop access on Linux, Windows and Mac, and function as a server of Cloud Server.
Support for H.264 codec in WebRTC sessions
More exciting news for users connecting to the remote desktop via the browser. Web-based sessions can be streamed using the H.264 encoder on the server, provided the browser on the connecting client also supports the codec. Benefits of using H.264 encoding are reduced bandwidth usage and less CPU consumption - useful for less powerful computers and where network conditions are not as favourable as expected.
Automatic reconnection
Great news for NoMachine users who roam between networks at the office. NoMachine automatically tries to reconnect you when the connection is lost. So for users who move between WIFI networks whilst working or when the connecting client goes into sleep mode, NoMachine handles the reconnection without the need for user intervention.
Easily toggle your desktop's sharing availability
Access to the local desktop and requests to connect can now be easily disabled for as long as the owner chooses, or until the desktop is closed, without having to stop the NoMachine services entirely.
Automatic detection for Proxy server
NoMachine detects whether there is a Proxy server in place on the local network through which outgoing traffic has to be tunneled. This is especially useful for those connecting from home and have configured a proxy server to screen their IP address, or when connecting from networks which have a logon requirement in order to gain access.
Raspberry support
Raspberry has officially been added to our list of supported platforms. Both RPi2 and RPi3 models can be used as connecting clients as well as pocket-sized servers. Depending on your set-up and needs you can choose from NoMachine (free), Enterprise Client (free) and Enterprise Desktop.
Enhancements to clustered servers and failback mechanisms
Set-up of clustered environments is improved for admins with the use of GUIDs to identify failover clusters and facilitate installation of new servers to a NoMachine server federation. Additionally, primary and secondary roles can be restored according to connection saturation on the servers during failback.
Pre-configurable web sessions
Administrators can provide users with pre-configured connection files to easily connect their desktops and applications via web. It’s possible to define session type, screen resolution, display quality and more in advance to avoid customizing the session at every login. This allows admins to reduce manual configuration by the end user to the minimum.
Excellent tool for remotely controlling other computers. It allows you to establish a secure connection to another computer and view programs in text mode
