Frequently Asked Questions

WallCooler is a Bi-Directional Personal VPN (Virtual Private Network): 100% Software, no Server required

WallCooler will connect computers on different networks together, as if they were plugged on the
same network: it basically replaces a wired network connection with a secure connection over the internet.

WallCooler is designed so that end-users install & use it with the same simplicity as messanger tools.

Few examples of applications that work with WallCooler:

• File Sharing:
  Access to any shared drive on the remote computer or network.
• Remote Screen:
  Remote computers control with any remote screen tool (ex.: Windows Remote Desktop)
• IT Applications:
  Telnet, FTP, Database monitoring softwares, SSH...
• Other Applications:
  Any network application will work exactly as if the computer were part of the remote network.

Yes, it is free.

WallCooler is completely free. You can create a free account in few seconds.
The free account is not limited in the duration or in the usage.
We want to always keep a free account in WallCooler as we have always enjoyed free softwares ourselves.

For more demanding users, we offer the Pro & Enterprise Services:

• Multi-connection and multi-users
• Remote Network access
• Sustained relay bandwidth (> 1Mbps)
• Dedicated servers
• Dedicated support
• ...

Yes.

WallCooler offer all the features of the most advanced classical VPN for a single user or small groups of users
It also contains added benefits:

• No Server or Hardware required:
  Unlike classic VPN, WallCooler is purely Software based, and only requires a software on both end (pretty much like a messenging tool (skype, MSN or Yahoo messenger...).
  This offers great flexibility and allows end-user or small companies to use it with no IT help.
• Bi-directional:
  You are not limited to connecting from Home to your Office, you can also connect from your Office to Home, WallCooler is fully bi-directional and allows connectivity if both direction (Office->Home, Home->Office...).
• Performance & reliability:
  Classic VPNs normally require dedicated lines or offer poor performances over internet connections (limited bandwidth, frequent disconnections).
  WallCooler has overcome all these problems (proxy hashing, tcp meltdown...) and offers a highly performant (we have tested WallCooler with > 30Mbs transfer) and reliable (TCP connection stay connected when an internet connection is momentarily lost).

Very Simple.

WallCooler has been designed to be installed & used by end-users, not necessarily IT professionals.

So we have used the messenging tool paradigm (Skype, Yahoo or MSN messenger...) as it is the most widely understood way of connecting.
Basically WallCooler can be installed and used as simply as a messenging tool.

For instance if you want to use WallCooler to connect your Home Laptop to your Office Desktop, here are a typical install steps:

• Create your free account:
  Create your account online at www.vedivi.com (just follow the quick wizard).
  
  Note: It is completely free (no personal details or payment of any sort required)
  
  
• Download WallCooler:
  Download WallCooler online at www.vedivi.com on both computers (Home Laptop and your Office Desktop).
  
  
• Install WallCooler:
  Once downloaded, just start the installer and follow the instructions on both computers (Home Laptop and your Office Desktop).
  Note: The installation should take few minutes only
  
  
• Configure Http proxy (if required):
  If you have not direct access to the internet and have to go through an Http proxy (typically an Office), then click on Connection Settings... button and configure your proxy.
  Note: If you don't know your proxy settings, ask your administrator at the office.
  
  
• Sign-in:
  Launch WallCooler (click on the systray icon bottom left or run the shortcut) and sign-in using your vedivi account.
  Note: You need to use the same account to connect your two WallCoolers
  
  
• That is it:
  Now you will be connected through WallCooler anytime your two computers are on different networks.
  If you have checked "sign me in when WallCooler starts", WallCooler will sign in automatically when the computer starts, so that you don't have to worry about it anymore.
  

WallCooler adds an icon in Windows Systray (the small icons above the time in the bottom right window)

	WallCooler is started, but not signed in yet. (you can open WallCooler, sign in manually)
	WallCooler is signed in, but not yet connected to the remote computer. This means that the remote computer is not connect (WallCooler not started, computer disconnected, no internet connection...)
	WallCooler is running and connected on both sides. You can start using the network connectivity (filesharing, remote screen, applications...)
	WallCooler failed to sign-in. It can have several roots (invalid credentials, no internet access, invalid proxy configuration). Just open WallCooler and check the error message (in Manage Account->Sign In)
	WallCooler is running, but the Bridge itself has been manually stopped.

To understand how WallCooler Standard, Pro and Enterprise works, please have a look at:
» Getting Started with WallCooler Enterprise
» Getting Started with WallCooler Pro
» Getting Started with WallCooler Standard

No. (no need to worry about router config)

WallCooler does not require any port forwarding or other specific setup and is ideal for secure connections between computers and/or networks.

WallCooler only makes outbound secure connections to the Vedivi servers, and the Vedivi servers redirect the traffic between both WallCoolers, there is no need to configure your router (port forwarding or natting).

WallCooler is free and secure, all traffic is SSL encrypted directly between both your WallCooler using your login and password. All the traffic is therefore unreadable for anyone, including Vedivi servers, but for your WallCoolers.

You do not need to have a public IP, port forwarding or NATting. WallCooler is designed to work on computers behind a corporate firewall. WallCooler already takes care of the NATting between both PCs by assigning a local IP address for the remote computer. You can for example directly ping the remote computer by name.

WallCooler automatically checks if an application is trying to connect to a remote network by using the remote computer name or ip address (not the public, but the private remote computer IP address) and takes care of forwarding the network traffic between both computers/networks.

You can download WallCooler from our website, http://www.vedivi.com/download

Alternatively, you can also download WallCooler from these links below:

Once you are online, WallCooler will connect you automatically to the first available computer signed in with your login.
Unless you are attempting to connect to WallCooler Enterprise, you need to sign in to WallCooler with the same login you used on your other computer.

You can also connect manually by selecting which network you want to connect to. This is described in Set-Up WallCooler Pro...

To understand how WallCooler Standard, Pro and Enterprise works, please have a look at:
» Getting Started with WallCooler Enterprise
» Getting Started with WallCooler Pro
» Getting Started with WallCooler Standard

Well, you can access any computers, shared resources or applications on the remote network now.

1. Open WallCooler.
2. Open you account panel, by clicking on "My Account" on the left handside panel (under Manage Account).
3. On the right Panel, under Remote Computer panel, check the tools available.
4. Click on Remote Control Tool to open a Screen Control on the remote computer.
5. Click on Remote File Sharing Tool to open a Window showing all shared resources on the remote computer.

This can happen when your two computers are on the same network. WallCooler repeatedly connects to the remote computer, and disconnects after few seconds (up to 30s).
There is a simple way to solve this:

1. Open WallCooler
2. In WallCooler, click on "Settings..." in the left panel (in "Manage")
3. Click on "Connectivity" in the left panel of the "WallCooler Settings" window
4. Uncheck "Check Assigned Address"
5. Click "OK"
6. Sign-out of WallCooler, and sign back in again

If you still experience problems after doing this, have a look at our online forums or contact us directly at support@vedivi.com.

It could simply mean that your internet connection is not working (check that you can access the internet).
Once your Internet access is back, WallCooler will recover automatically (can take up to 30 seconds).

If you still have this message once your Internet access is up, please consider the following:

1. Download WallCooler latest version...
2. Configure WallCooler for PPP adapters...
3. Have a look at our online forums
4. Contact us directly at support@vedivi.com

WallCooler is composed of a service dealing with all the VPN stuff, and a console, which is a User Interface to control the service.

The console needs to connect to the service to be able to work properly.
There could be several reasons preventing the console to connect to the service:

• Console not responding properly:
  In most cases, the console just needs to be restarted, to do so:
  - Right click on the WallCooler icon on Windows systray (bottom right of your screen) and click (Close Monitor).
  - Launch the Console by clicking on WallCooler shortcut icon (or go to Start->All Programs->WallCooler).
  
  
• Service Not Ready:
  The Service was not ready when the console started, just try again by clicking on the Connect button.
  
  
• Firewall Blocking:
  Your firewall might be blocking the console connection to the service, or preventing the service from accepting connection from the console.
  Please refer to WallCooler and Firewall to check your firewall configuration.
  
  
• Service Not Started:
  The Service is not started, it will be resolved next time you restart your computer.
  
  

WallCoolerVPN allows you to access remote screen with any LAN remote screen tool.

Once connected with WallCooler, you can for instance control computers remotely using Windows Remote Desktop (RDP). RDP is usually great choice for accessing computers remotely because it is a part of Windows.

1. XP Home or Vista Home edition: Remote Desktop is not supported on Home editions
2. Need multiple users to be able to see the same screen at the same time
3. Need people sitting in front of the remote computer to see what you are doing on the screen

In those cases, any other Remote Screen software can be used instead of RDP.

UltraVNC is an alternative to Remote Desktop as it free and easy to install.
The following article describes how to use UltraVNC instead of Remote Desktop when connected with WallCoolerVPN:
» Remote Screen over WallCooler VPN using VNC

Windows Remote Desktop needs to be enabled on a computer to be able to remote control this computer.

When WallCooler VPN connects to a remote computer, it will let you know the status of Remote Desktop on the remote computer.
If it is disabled, you can just enable it remotely within WallCooler by clicking the "Enable" button.

No worries, it is very secure
WallCooler data use strong encryption mechanism (SSL:Secure Socket Layer) for all data transmitted from one computer to the other.
This is used by all payment and secure pages on the internet and has proven both secure & reliable.

» More on WallCooler & Security...

No.

All data sent between your two computers is strongly encrypted before it is sent on the Internet (using SSL:Secure Socket Layer).
Only your instances of WallCooler have the keys to decipher the data, meaning that anybody getting hold of the data would not be able to decrypt the data.

No.

Even Vedivi engineers cannot see your data. The encryption mechanism is set-up between your two computers, so that only these can decrypt the data (because they are the only one to hold the decryption keys).

So even if Vedivi relays your data (when one of your computer is behind a corporate firewall), it is just transmitting encrypted data, and cannot decipher any of it.

Yes.

WallCooler is running as a Windows Service, so iIf you have checked "sign me in when WallCooler starts", WallCooler will sign in automatically when the computer starts.
WallCooler will even work if you are not logged in, once configured, just starting the computer is enough, so again no worries about your PC restarting while you are away.

If you don't want WallCooler to automatically sign-in, then just uncheck "sign me in when WallCooler starts" before you next sign-in. WallCooler will then only connect upon explicit demand.

Yes.

WallCooler provides all the features of the best VPN softwares (see full list of features).
It also provide a lot of additional features:

• Simplicity:
  It is just a software, download it, install it and off you go, no server, no IT involved.
  If you know how to install and use a Messenging tool (Skype, MSN or Yahoo messenger...), you should have not problem installing WallCooler yourself.
  
  
• Performance:
  VPN are not always reliable (poor performances, connection drop...) which explains the growing use of Remote Screen softwares instead.
  WallCooler is a new breed of VPN: we have fixed all perfomance issues of classic VPN (disconnection, TCP meltdown...).
  WallCooler has proven to be very efficient (bandwith > 30Mbps, file transfer > 1GB, continuous connection > 5 hours...)
  
  
• Cost:
  It is free, you can open your new account in a minute (click here to open an account)
  Advanced VPN features (remote network access, multi-connections, multi-users...) are available on our Professional & Enterprise Services at a fraction of a classic VPN cost.
  
  
• Bi-Directional:
  WallCooler allows you to connect both way: from Home to the Office & from your Office to Home (classic VPNs only allow Home->Office connection)
  
  

Yes.

WallCooler gives you full access to the remote network, so you can use any Remote Control Software you are used to.

WallCooler has a RemoteDesktop integration: you can directly access the remote computer screen with a single click.

 » Click here to see how to use Remote Desktop Tool within WallCooler

Windows Remote Desktop (free & included in Windows)
Windows XP and Vista comes with a free and very powerfull remote control Software called Remote Desktop that is part of the Operating System. So once your two computers are connected using WallCooler, you can simply connect to any remote computer using Remote Desktop.

 » Click here for more info on Windows Remote Desktop

Third party remote screen (free & not)
We recommand using Windows free tools (Remote Desktop) because they are very efficient, free & already installed on your system.
But you can also use your favorite Remote Screen Software. There are a lot of third party intranet Remote Screen software (i.e. RAdmin, VNC, PCAnywhere...)

 » Make the most of WallCooler

Yes.

WallCooler gives you full access to the remote network, so you can connect to any remote computer to perform IT assistance.

Windows Remote Assistance (free & included in Windows)
Windows XP and Vista also comes with another free tool called Remote Assistance that is part of the Operating System. It allows you to help somebody on the remote network without logging out the user. It is designed for IT professional to help end-users.

 » Click here for more info on Windows Remote Assistance
 » Make the most of WallCooler

Simply login to your Vedivi account at http://www.vedivi.com/myaccount.
Then goto MyStatement (in the menu). It will display information about your account and the current month usage.

Yes.

WallCooler is fully bi-directional, so unlike other VPNs, you can access your home network from the office the same way you can access your office network from home.

 » More Info on WallCooler VPN features...

Yes.

You still need a WallCooler running on your local LAN and another one running on the remote LAN.
You also need to make sure that your local Personal Firewall is configured properly; it should allow connection to the remote computer or network you want to access.

 » Configure your personal firewall for WallCooler

No.

For security reasons, WallCooler does not allow such connections.

You encounter this message when you try to map a windows shared network drive using a user name, password and domain that is not valid on the remote computer (for example an unknown user name or a user name that doesn't have access to the remote drive).
Windows will display this message when, for example, you are trying to map a drive located on your office computer (or office network) using your home credential (user name/password/domain) - or the opposite. By default, Windows tries to identify you with the username/password/domain you used to login to your local computer.

You can do either of the following to solve the problem:

• Create the corresponding user name/password on the remote computer
• Map the drive using different credentials (a username/password/domain corresponding to a valid user on the remote computer).
  For more details on how to use different credentials when mapping a network drive see:
   » Map a shared drive (howto)

Check the configuration of your Firewall to make sure it allows WallCooler to get through.

 » How to configure my Firewall for WallCooler