Knowledge Base/FAQs

General: How does Jump Desktop use my Google account?

Jump Desktop Support
posted this on July 27, 2010 04:10

Jump Desktop uses your Google account to log your computer and your iPad / iPhone / iPod Touch (your device) into Google's servers. When you want to connect to your computer, Jump uses Google servers to locate the computer on the internet and setup a connection between the computer and your device. Once a connection has been established, Jump then starts using the RDP or VNC protocol to communicate with your computer. Both protocols are encrypted by default. Click here to see details about protocol encryption.

Important note: Your Google account password is always sent directly to Google servers over an encrypted (SSL) connection. Your Google password is never sent to Jump Desktop servers. For more information about how we protect your privacy please take a look at Phase Five System's privacy policy.
 

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Stewart Dunn
Can you clear something up as regards using your Google ID to locate remote computers? Does the remote PC have to be 24/7 logged in to your google account, to access it. Reason I ask is that I have multiple machines to monitor, which may be in public places. As my Google account obviously links to my Gmail and GDocs, there is no way I am leaving a machine "signed in", 24/7, just so I can access it now and again. Maybe I have this wrong, please tell me so. if so, you should look at using a Twitter account, as the login method, as this can cause a lot less damage to the user if it is compromised Cheers
January 27, 2012 22:26.
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Jump Desktop Support
Phase Five Systems

@Stewart You don't need to be logged into a Gmail account via the computer's web browser for Jump to work, if thats what you mean. Jump maintains a separate connection to Google's servers and it has nothing to do with the Google session inside your web browser. The net effect is that you can be logged in as someone else on the web browser and Jump would still work with the account you've configured it with.

That said if you want to manage public computers, I strongly recommend you create a new, separate Gmail account and use that to manage the computers instead of using your personal id.

January 27, 2012 22:46.
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Stewart Dunn
Ok, that sounds fair enough.So I log in once,on the remote pc, so the PC Is identified.I can then log out, and never log back in at that remote PC but Jump will remember that PC on my list of managed ones? Through this separate tunnel it creates back to Google? Are Google cool with you recommending that you advise setting up a "false"account, just to make your product easier to use? As it seems to be getting harder to set one up and I dont see an upside for them in this? Still sounds like Twitter is an easier, and less risky option. Would you not countenance that way? But I'll go and try it now :-)
January 27, 2012 23:17.
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Jump Desktop Support
Phase Five Systems

@Stewart To connect using a Google account you first need to download and configure the Jump Desktop app on your computer . Once you configure it with your Google account details, it remembers the credentials and logs you in automatically - it has nothing to do with logging in from the web browser. 

There are technical reasons why a Google account works and why a Twitter account won't work. Specifically Jump requires an XMPP service to connect your computers together. Google offers this service but Twitter doesn't.  

Just to be clear: the account you create will still be associated with you and you will be the valid owner of that account (it's not in anyway a false account). It sounded like you're looking to manage many different computers from an administrative context which is why I recommended you to not use your personal account. It's generally better security practice to isolate / segregate your personal accounts from work stuff (a compromise in one context will not effect the other and vise versa). That said, we're currently looking into a separate product aimed towards administrators who wish to manage 10s to 100s of computers. Shot an email to support@jumpdesktop.com if you'd be interested in this.

January 27, 2012 23:50.
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